<p>I'm really hoping to get accepted from UC Irvine for Fall 2014, but if I don't, I need to decide which school I would attend instead. </p>
<p>I have applied (and been accepted) to four other schools. I am no longer considering one of these schools, and another is just my backup in case I can't afford to leave home for college. So that narrows it down to CSU Long Beach and San Francisco State University.</p>
<p>For the past 3 or 4 years I've been telling myself that I really wanted to go to SFSU as my first choice (I applied to UCI kind of spur the moment, not really expecting to get in), but I've recently been looking up more about CSULB and now I'm just not sure.</p>
<p>People tell me that CSULB is "such a hard Cal State to get into" and that I should go there because "only 33% of applicants are admitted and you should be proud that you were in that 33%," but is getting into CSULB really that big of a deal? I mean, for CSUs anyway, I know it's nothing like getting into a mid/high end UC. Is prestige (whatever "prestige" means for a Cal State :)) ) even a valid reason to base this decision on? I've also been told that CSULB has THE best nursing program in California (should have mentioned before, I'm a nursing major). Is this true? I've done some research and there doesn't seem to be much of an academic difference between CSULB and SFSU (for nursing, anyway). The pass rates for the schools on the NCLEX-RN (nursing licensing exam) are low-mid 90s for CSULB and high 80s/low 90s for SFSU, so not very much of a difference at all. </p>
<p>I'm rambling at this point, so I'll just summarize everything up. Basically I'm in a dilemma with deciding between two academically equivalent schools. I'm essentially making a decision based on whether I prefer the "CSU Prestige" of CSULB and its close proximity to my home city, or the realistic housing options of SFSU and living in the city of my dreams. It's just a difficult decision for me to make and I would really appreciate some feedback. What would you do if this was YOU? What do you think I should do based on what I've said here? Any advice is greatly appreciated, I've been debating this in my head for quite some time now so it'll be nice when I can finally just forget about it. </p>
<p>Since you will be in the nursing program and similar curriculum then go where is more interesting for you. As long as those pass rates really are similar I don’t think it will matter much later which you graduated from. SF is a really fun place to be for four years. The area right near the college is fairly dull, but there are more interesting neighborhoods that are accessible by MUNI. It is quite expensive to live there but there is a lot of free stuff and just walking around is a blast.</p>
<p>What would I do if it was me? Assuming I got into both, I’d go to Long Beach. It’s on the beach and sunny. I went to school for a year in San Francisco and while I love the city, it was cold and grey a lot, and I didn’t enjoy the daily experience as much. But that is me, and has little to do with the schools themselves. To be honest, I know about CSU Long Beach, and don’t know a lot about SF’s CSU, so…</p>
<p>Prestige is not the same thing as selectivity, although people often confuse the two. When I look up colleges for this website, I am often surprised at the low acceptance rates at some places (like Queens College of CUNY) and the very high acceptance rates of others (like Lawrence University, an excellent small LAC). Queens College, for example, has a lower acceptance rate (37%) than Smith College (42%) which is a top 20 college.</p>
<p>It also seems like the only reason that you want to go to CSULB is because of the “prestige” of that school over SFSU. But if you’re going to be happier in San Francisco, then go there!</p>
<p>If I were you, I’d tour both campuses and go where I’m most comfortable. Try to talk to some nursing students and ask them their perspective on the program. </p>
<p>It’s not about prestige. The programs seem roughly equivalent so you need to make your decision on other factors such as finances and “fit”. </p>
<p>@juillet - “Selectivity.” Thanks! I was trying to think of how to word that, but it just wasn’t coming to me, so I just went with “prestige” because it was the closest thing that came to my mind. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback so far, everyone! </p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend you choose a school based on perceived prestige or selectivity. For one, beyond a certain point, it’s hard to really differentiate between undergraduate schools academically. For another, saying that one school is “hard to get into” doesn’t mean that another school isn’t equally as good or better and it doesn’t mean that another school isn’t a better fit for you.</p>
<p>If they have equally good programs in your field, then I’d look at general characteristics of the schools. Do you prefer one campus over another? Does one have better housing options or other opportunities (study abroad, research, local internships, academic programs) that you’re interested in? Do you have options at each school if you decide that you don’t want to go into nursing? Which area do you think you’d like to work in after college? It may be easier to find a job and settle down in the area where you went to school.</p>