<p>from UC Santa cruz. </p>
<p>So now i don't know what to do. That was my school i really wanted to go on and be honest my grades (3.2 weighted, five ap classes, 1760 SAT score) aren't super good.. </p>
<p>so the UC i got accepted to is UC riverside. But I want to go to a good UC. Should I go to UC riverside or go the community college way?</p>
<p>Sorry about UC Santa Cruz, Rafaela. Before deciding to go the community college route, I’d see what kind of scholarship, if any, UCRiverside might be able to offer you?</p>
<p>If you dont like UCR because of its atmosphere, I suggest cc. You will suffer for 4 years if you go to a college you hate.</p>
<p>^absolutely agree. Didn’t consider that you may have not liked UCR since you applied? But I think cc get a bad rap sometimes. If you stay motivated and transfer, I think cc is a great way to go.</p>
<p>thanks guys. I personally haven’t been down to UC riverside but i heard its not urban and I prefer that feeling. </p>
<p>But the problem is that CC transfers to UC has gotten really competitive the past year… so I don’t know if I’m actually passing up a good chance</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not sure that’s true. Lots of people go to UCR for two years and then transfer into a more highly regarded UC. It might be the best “community college” available to you. But I don’t know the details. Consult your GC or someone else familiar with the transfer process.</p>
<p>^that’s why I think checking to see how much financial aid UCR has to offer, might really help make that decision. I know the local CC here are awesome and they have a TAG (Transfer Agreement Guarantee?). I’d definitely consult a guidance counselor as bclintonk suggested.</p>
<p>If the student wouldn’t like the atmosphere at UCR for 2 years (and then transferring), why would she like the atmosphere of a CC?</p>
<p>If I had to choose between UCR and a CC, I would choose UCR everytime (and then transfer after 2 years). This way, at least, I’d have a more real campus experience during those first 2 years.</p>
<p>a LOT of people take a gap year if they didnt get what they want. It is imperative that you do something positive and keep busy, to enhance your application, next year if you choose to do that. Take a church mission to Haiti or Chile or somewhere. Work for Red Cross. Become a teacher’s aide. Something highly beneficial to society and only secondarily beneficial to you. (Cf. going on a me-me-me trip to Europe to find yourself). </p>
<p>Many colleges will take a second look at you. Also, call UC Santa Cruz and ask if you can be admitted second semester (Spring), if you do something in the meantime. Many will accomodate you, because they dont have to report you in their stats. </p>
<p>UCs’ are popular because they are an excellent value. As the economy sags further, many who would have gone to private colleges are opting IN to a state school. This has caused a push down on kids with good, but not stellar stats. </p>
<p>Or look for a small private who has open rolling admissions and try them. But hurry. They may give you money in scholarship or grant form.</p>
<p>California has LOTS of small private colleges, and some of them are real gems off the radar screen, and frankly give you a better education, in a healthier environment. CC is the last resort, in my view.</p>
<p>Geez, when did the #96 ranked college in USNWR become a school to avoid and dump on, and consider not a “good UC”, when the school you hoped for is ranked #71? I don’t see people writing the same about <em>lower</em> ranked large publics like Arizona St, Oregon, Oregon St, Washington St., and even some highly regarded smaller schools like University of San Diego, etc.</p>
<p>I don’t see any posts by New Yorkers saying “I was rejected at Binghamton (#80 rank), and now I have to go to Stony Brook (#96 rank)! It’s the end of the world because clearly I am a worthless person!”</p>
<p>OP, I don’t know if this applies to you, as we have never met, but I sense a lot of people look t0 the college they attend as an outward affirmation of their inner worth. The ranking of the college then becomes a kind of scorecard where you keep track of who is a more worthy.</p>
<p>Look, I’m as guilty as anyone of thinking “UC Riverside… give me a break!” Now I simply think that about UC Merced, and therefore UC Riverside has moved up in esteem! See how stupid that is? do I have to dump on Merced until there is a UC Barstow?</p>
<p>UC Riverside is a TOP 100 RANKED UNIVERSITY IN THE COUNTRY!!! How high do you need your school to be ranked to think it is a “good UC” (in your words)?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Good point…and going to UCR (or UCMerced) would be much better than going to a cc.</p>
<p>Dunnin, excellent point.</p>
<h1>71 out of about 2,000 colleges isn’t all that bad after all, is it?</h1>
<p>
</p>
<p>UCSC’s not an urban school, either. </p>
<p>A family friend ended up at UCR. He enrolled reluctantly, figuring that he’d transfer as soon as possible. Then classes started, and he found he enjoyed his professors. He realized that his planned major has a really small student-to-professor ratio, and that there’d be a lot of opportunities to get to know his profs, and to have research opportunities early on. He got a girlfriend, and he got involved with some great ECs. He may yet transfer, but he’s not brought up the subject at all when we see him. </p>
<p>Go visit. You might be pleasantly surprised.</p>
<p>UCR has some nice things about it. I would visit the campus if you can and see if you want to go there. CC is a good option too.</p>
<p>Gap year is not a good option, it will get you nothing, most likely. If you take ANY courses during that gap year, you will become a transfer student and cannot apply as a freshman. BE CAREFUL.</p>
<p>My sister went to UCR, ultimately, with a full OOS scholarship, and was going to transfer after two years. </p>
<p>She, much like SlitheyTove’s story, ended up loving it. She was able to quickly get involved in research, jobs, volunteering, etc. The only problem she had was lack of transportation and isolate location. But she was able to save a lot of money by graduating early, and UCR is helping her find EMT/Medical Volunteering so she can get into the UCLA med program. </p>
<p>Overall it was a good decision - don’t count UCR out.</p>
<p>I’m in total agreement with Dunnin. A CC, at least those around here, does not have any community spirit and does not gear its students towards a 4-year degree. It’s a holding pattern to waste your time or take required courses (while you grow up). If this were me, I’d go to any UC school, do really well, and then transfer. That’s a whole lot more positive than going to a “holding pattern community college”. </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong. CCs are excellent for what they offer, but if you’re ready to go away and get serious about college, go to UC-whatever.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t think any CC has a rah-rah community spirit. That’s not their purpose. But I wouldn’t discount the financial side of this issue–attending a CC for two years allows the OP to save some serious money, and as per California’s whatever-agreement, he can transfer to a UC after those two years, maybe even a better one than SC. </p>
<p>Of course, I wouldn’t discount the “college experience” offered by a four-year college either. It comes down to the OP’s needs.</p>
<p>I thought UCR was a good school though I did read a yahoo article stating that Riverside is one of th least desirable places for young.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>We always tease my sister about how Riverside has been named one of the more depressing cities in America (with unhappier people on average) and how it has pretty terrible water sanitation (99/100 on the rankings of cleanliness of tap water). It’s a nice city and a great university though.</p>
<p>Thanks for the invaluable input guys. I’m probably going to pay a visit to UC riverside during spring break but I’m still not certain over it. </p>
<p>DunninLA - True, but… I don’t know, UC riverside just doesn’t seem appealing to me. But I understand what you are saying. It’s an okay school after all.</p>
<p>Um do you guys have any personal experience of going through the CC way? would you recommend it?? Is it really easier to get into the top UCs through that path?</p>