I'm having doubts.

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Big, consuming doubts. I think I chose the wrong school.</p>

<p>Basically, I was really unprepared and last minute in my college applications. I didn't visit any schools until after I was accepted (and still not even all of them) and sent my statement of intent to register on the last day possible.
I narrowed down my choices to the top public in the country, to which I've imagined myself going for as long as I can remember, and another public instate to which I got a pretty hefty scholarship.
My Pro/Con list looked like this:</p>

<p>School One
+quality academics
+good reputation
+close to home
-$$$$$$$
-area i've been all my life
-competition
-big school</p>

<p>School Two
+full ride
+somewhat smaller, more personal?
+different scene
+social
-too much of a party school?
-far from home
-less academic</p>

<p>I had never even considered the second school until after I applied...but I ended up choosing it. With the scholarship and automatic admittance to the honors program I will be getting priority enrollment in classes and greater opportunity to interact with professors as well as all my financial need met through grant/scholarship money.</p>

<p>However, after having some time to digest my decision, I'm really worried that I should have chosen the other school. I'm afraid that there won't be much of an intellectual environment at the school I did choose (it has a party school rep) and that I wont like the location, seeing as I'm a five hour drive from home as opposed to the hour or less I'd be away at the other college. </p>

<p>At first I thought the whole distance thing would be a breath of fresh air and provide me with something new and different, but now I'm just thinking that I won't fit in with the whole lifestyle of school number two.</p>

<p>It's definitely more preppy and beachy as opposed to the more urban environment of the first school. School One also has a lot more prestige than the second, which is something I thought didn't matter to me when choosing, but now I feel that it would have been nice to be able to say I'm a part of that community.</p>

<p>Choosing the higher-ranked school would have been expensive, despite in-state tuition, and put me at probably $40,000 debt in student loans as compared to the almost free-ride at the school I chose. Also, I applied undeclared to both and haven't yet picked a major, so I figured that School Two would be a better place to figure this out and not waste money. But I'm wondering if maybe I weighed finances too much in my decision. I mean, happiness and the whole experience should come first, right?</p>

<p>I'm not even sure if I would be happy at school two, but I know that it has a more academic environment. I don't want to be stuck somewhere for four years that doesn't challenge and inspire me mentally and that's what I'm feeling right now. I don't want another four years of high school. I had fun, but I'm over it. I want peers who want to learn and be educated. Am I being too critical? I need help.</p>

2

<p>Whoa. Take a deep breath.</p>

<p>You seem like a logical, thoughtful person, and I suspect you carefully balanced all the pros and cons when you made your decision last April. I think chances are good that you are simply having cold feet, buyer’s remorse, and last-minute jitters. Truth be told, there’s no way to know for sure which school is the “better” choice, given that both have their pros and cons.</p>

<p>But here’s what you can do in the meantime:</p>

<p>Given the significant financial difference in the schools and the fact that you’re going to be in the honors program at your school, I think it makes complete sense for you to stick with that choice. It sounds like a good choice.</p>

<p>Go there this Fall, plan to like it, and give it your best shot. If, in spite of your best efforts, you decide mid-way that it’s really not for you, consider transferring to the other school.</p>

<p>College is what you make of it. You can make this an excellent experience; it has all the ingredients to be perfect for you.</p>

3

<p>Agree with VH, I have known students who weren’t sure they made the right choice but after one semester say they can’t imagine being anywhere else. </p>

<p>Go with a positive attitude. Give your school a fair chance. Don’t go in with an “I know I’m not going to be happy” attitude. You have a great scholarship opportunity that will allow you to graduate debt free plus honors classes. You get to venture further fr. home and try out a new place/atmosphere. There are a lot of positives. Everybody gets nervous no matter where they are going.
Give yourself a pat on the back instead of doubting your decision.
Congrats to you.</p>

4

<p>You’ve just made a big decision in your life, perhaps the biggest decision you’ve made to date. It’s natural to have buyer’s remorse, but that does not mean you made the wrong decision. All it means is you are embarking on a journey that you really don’t know what is around the corner, and it’s making you nervous.</p>

<p>Relax. You’re in for a new experience. Look forward to it.</p>

5

<p>What schools are you talking about?</p>

6

<p>Cal vs. Santa Barbara would be my guess. What’s ranked highest Cal, Michigan or UVA? Beachy? Must be SB.</p>

<p>IMO, you’d be just fine in the honors program at SB and meet like minded students. And Cal would not be worth the $40K in debt by any means. SB is an outstanding town, you’re close to beaches, mountains, LA–lots to do to escape the dreaded Isla Vista.</p>

7

<p>Yeah it looks like Berkeley vs Santa Barbara to me. A few things, I didn’t get into Berkeley but I’m also from NorCal and chose to go to Santa Barbara, a five hour drive away. I loved it! Isla Vista is the most unique town in the UC system and this is the one opportunity you’ll get to live with thousands of people your age all packed together in one area. The social atmosphere is incredible and you’ll have a great time. I also thought it was great to be in a different part of the state and also learned not to rely on my parents for getting by.</p>

<p>On the academic side, I don’t think you’ll have a problem fitting in at UCSB either. Definitely apply to the honors college (if you’re in Letters & Sciences). Live in the Scholars hall if you want more like minded people. Also, if your major fits one of these, consider the [url=<a href=“http://www.ccs.ucsb.edu/]College”>http://www.ccs.ucsb.edu/]College</a> of Creative Studies<a href=“students%20admitted%20to%20this%20program%20have%20average%20stats%20about%20the%20same%20as%20UCB%20and%20UCLA%20btw”>/url</a>. It’s a very prestigious program and will allow you to have close contact with professors and research opportunities.</p>

<p>That being said, I suppose if you really find yourself disliking the school you can apply for a transfer. It seems like if you got into Berkeley you’re the kind of student that would excel at UCSB and also have transfer opportunities if you really wanted to. BTW I wouldn’t define SB as “preppy” either.</p>

8

<p>Thanks so much for all the helpful replies! You guys figured it out, it was between Cal and UCSB. I think that I was just overwhelmed with the whole process and decision and that’s why I’m so wound up about my choice. I’m definitely no used to SoCal and will pretty much be going it alone down there as most of my friends are staying in the Bay Area. This whole separation anxiety is definitely one of my biggest issues.</p>

<p>rc251, you hit the nail on the head and stated all the reasons that led me to choose Santa Barbara in he first place. I think I just forgot all the great things about it and was focusing on the negative aspects. I am already a member of the honors program, admitted at entrance, but I did choose not to live on the scholars hall. I also did not apply for CCS because I am currently undeclared and am not sure what major I want to pursue.</p>

<p>So you would say that SB is not preppy and there is a strong intellectual aspect the community? Because it seemed kind of homogenous to me. Like very white and middle-upper middle class. Even though that describes me, I want something more diverse and stimulating.</p>

<p>Any more advice? Anything I can do to make the transition easier?</p>

<p>Any more advice/criticism/comments? Anything I can do to make the transition easier?</p>

9

<p>Darlin’, if being a few hours from home is scary to you, it’s a very good thing you’re going! You will be just fine.</p>

<p>I very much doubt that overall you will find SB an intellectual place. And it is more white than the other UCs and is very middle class. All that said, that describes most colleges. But at most you can also find like minded friends. So be active in joining clubs with an intellectual bent, live in honors housing, seek research opportunities. </p>

<p>It will be what you make it.</p>

10

<p>I very much doubt that overall you will find SB an intellectual place.</p>

<p>LOL. UCSB is one of the top research institutes in this country. There seems to be a disbelief that students can be having so much fun while excelling academically, but as schools like UWisconsin and UCSB show, this is entirely possible. The reason UCSB gets the reputation that it does is because it’s a residential college with many kids living together. Instead of other UCs were kids drive home on the weekends to their parents, kids at UCSB spend their time off socializing and unwinding from working very hard during the week. Of course, it may not be to the level that Berkeley is, but it definitely won’t be absent from UCSB, especially if you are in the honors college or College of Creative Studies. I’m a firm believer that happy kids do better academically too, and most UCSB students are very happy (UCSB has the highest alumni giving rate, 19%, in all the UC system - in fact 5% higher than the next highest, UCLA).</p>

<p>And it is more white than the other UCs and is very middle class.</p>

<p>I ran a StatFinder for the entering class of Fall 2008 and added income level as a variable. Here are the stats I got (they don’t add up to 100% because some students had a no response)</p>

<p>UCSB</p>

<p>less than $40,000: 24.0%
$40,000-$79,000: 17.8%
$80,000-$119,000: 12.1%
$120,000 or more: 23.8%</p>

<p>Berkeley: </p>

<p>less than $40,000: 19.9%
$40,000-$79,000: 22.5%
$80,000-$119,000: 12.3%
$120,000 or more: 24.4%</p>

<p>You can run your own query but UCSB has one of the highest percentages of lower income students. You can see that there are more wealthy people at Berkeley, for example.</p>

<p>In terms of ethnicity, this may surprise you but the Fall 2009 class of UCSB has the [url=<a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/2009/froshsirs_table3.pdf]3rd”>http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/2009/froshsirs_table3.pdf]3rd</a> highest rate of underrepresented minorities in the entire UC system<a href=“after%20Riverside%20and%20Merced”>/url</a> at 30%. The ethnic breakdown of the class goes like this:</p>

<p>White: 44.7%
Hispanic: 24.9%
Asian: 20.7%
Black: 4.0%</p>

<p>I think that’s one of the most balanced and diverse makeup of any of the UCs. UCSB has the 3rd highest Hispanic population among the UCs, 4th highest Black population, etc. I’m not sure why people always throw out this incorrect anecdotal evidence about the school but I want to make the facts clear.
Black: 4.0%</p>

11

<p>I’m definitely no used to SoCal and will pretty much be going it alone down there as most of my friends are staying in the Bay Area. This whole separation anxiety is definitely one of my biggest issues.</p>

<p>I think that’s a very normal feeling! Check out where people from my high school went to college (I was class of 2003, you can find out your own high school if you’re curious too)</p>

<p>[California</a> Postsecondary Education Commission - Freshmen Pathway Charts](<a href=“http://www.cpec.ca.gov/OnLineData/FreshmenPathwayChart.asp?Inst=383340]California”>http://www.cpec.ca.gov/OnLineData/FreshmenPathwayChart.asp?Inst=383340)</p>

<p>Most of my friends were weary about leaving home and went to Davis, while I decided to take a chance and try something new. I didn’t have one friend from high school either that I knew going to UCSB. Of course, it was tough in the beginning after living with my parents for so long to suddenly be separated 330 miles from them. However, the great thing about UCSB is that it’s easy to make friends because people are so friendly to each other. It also helped me mature as an individual, and I learned to handle my problems by myself.</p>

<p>*Any more advice/criticism/comments? Anything I can do to make the transition easier? *</p>

<p>I just want to say that ultimately, there’s no guarantee that you will enjoy UCSB. Yes, a lot of partying does go on in Isla Vista on the weekend and a culture of drinking does exist among a certain population. Being on the beach, there are a contingent of students who fit the classic “SoCal” stereotype. And yes, you are moving far from home to a new place which will be uncomfortable to begin with. However, it’s a large school and I think you’ll find people that share similar interests. In full disclosure, I just want to say I wasn’t a star student at UCSB and I did partake in the party scene to a certain extent (though in no way do I think that the partying was what kept me from doing better, it was procrastination and poor study habits). However, I definitely saw many people who worked their butts off and balanced entertainment and academics very well (including the girl I dated while I was at SB - she’s in the honors program, taking the GREs later this year, and applying to grad programs in January).</p>

<p>I also think the fact that you’re getting a full ride is a big advantage too. Did you know that there are families that spend thousands of dollars to [vacation</a> in UCSB’s dorms for a week in the summer](<a href=“http://www.familyvacationcenter.com/]vacation”>http://www.familyvacationcenter.com/)? And [everyone</a> loves it](<a href=“SANTA BARBARA FAMILY VACATION CENTER - Updated 2024 Campground Reviews (CA)”>SANTA BARBARA FAMILY VACATION CENTER - Updated 2024 Campground Reviews (CA))! You’d be getting this for free, haha. The campus really is beautiful.</p>

<p>I don’t want to suggest dropping out now and going the CC route to Berkeley instead, but I suppose if you do turn out to be really miserable, maintain a high GPA and apply for a transfer. I think with credentials like being in the honors college shouldn’t make transferring too difficult (although it’s obviously not a guarantee). Ultimately, this is just one person’s opinion. I also went to UCSB so I do have some loyalty to the school. I think only you can make the right decision. Look deep down and I think you’ll know what the best decision for yourself is.</p>