Help me make my decision

College Search & Selection
1

Hi guys! I just signed up for this website because I cannot make a decision on which UC to attend.

I’m currently a community college student majoring in Computer Science with 4.0 GPA and over 160 units (don’t ask). I applied and got accepted to 7 UCs: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Diego with the exception of UC Berkeley, who put me on waitlist for some reason.

Besides Berkeley, I was originally leaning towards LA , Irvine or San Diego for my major. All of the schools have offered me good amount of financial aid and my net cost, without loans, is going to be anywhere from $8,000 (UC Davis) to $10,500 (UC Santa Barbara).

All was good until I recently found out that UC Merced has offered me a Regents Scholarship!! It’s basically a full ride but it has made my decision much harder. I have to choose between going to much more prestigious schools or not having to worry about paying for college. Which one would you choose?

Getting a full ride is great but is a full ride to a relativity new and low ranking University worth it? Besides, I may still get into UC Berkeley! Money isn’t my biggest issue because I am on track of getting at least $11,500 additional aid thanks to outside scholarships.

Plus, I saw the 2017 US News and World Report public university rankings, all the UCs are in the top 10 except UC Merced which was 78th.

So I will highly appreciate it if you could offer your opinion on this situation. I have until June 1st to make this arduous decision! ~X(

TL;DR: OP is debating whether going to UC Merced with a Regents Scholarship (full ride) is worth skipping the opportunity to attend 6 top UC’s (UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Diego).

2

You don’t have the opportunity of attending Berkeley unless you get off waitlist, whihc may not happen. Forget it, becasue you can’t base your plans on maybe. You should not choose a college based on rankings. You should choose the one you think you will enjoy attending that is good for your major.

3

Can you afford the other schools without hardship/loans?

4

Hi Prince! As a person like you, who finds it difficult to make decisions, and easy to take advice from total strangers, here’s mine: Money is important. Predicting the future job market is risky.

If all things are otherwise equal to you among the 5 UCs, take UC Davis’s offer, since it will cost you least among those highly ranked schools.

Obviously rank interests you, which is why you haven’t jumped at Merced’s offer.

Don’t even think about Berkeley anymore. As my Grammy used to say, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

5

Given that you are a transfer and likely just looking at 2 years at your chosen UC I would definitely choose one of the top tier UC’s especially if the net cost to you is in the $10k or less range. These are incredible offers.

6

Do you have to take out loans? And is that the net cost per year or total?