Indiana University or Santa Monica College

I was just wondering where should I go. I want to live in California but Indiana has a higher rank. I’m highly gonna transfer if I go to Indiana to like UCLA or UC berkeley after 1 or 2 years. I heard Santa Monica College has a high transfer rate to UCLA and UC berkeley. Where should I go. My heart lies in Cali but some people say it’s easier to transfer from Indiana to other colleges. However, others say it’s easier to transfer from SMC (Santa Monica College) to UCLA or UC berkeley.

you should not go to college with the mindset of transferring. if go to IU go and immerse yourself in the school and be a part of it for 4 years. if you can not do that your negative energy (figuratively speaking) will not allow you to enjoy and experience college to it’s fullest and people will not want to be around the person who is to good for the school they choose to attend!
you can always move to CA after you graduate…and you may even change your mind…you are still very young.

Be sure to check the residency requirements.
If you come to California for educational purposes, you are considered OOS, even if you attend a CC for two years and then apply for transfer to a UC, you’d still be considered as an OOS for your third and fourth year.
Remember, if it was easy, everyone would do it. http://www.ucop.edu/residency/

Transfer priority in CA is given to to California residents coming from within the CC system, then to inter-UC/CSU transfers, then CA residents from other schools, then OOS.
While you may get into a UC, it’s not likely to be one of your two preferences - UCLA or UCB.

Are you in-state for Indiana? What’s your intended major?
Indiana may be a better place to begin, then apply to a UC for grad school.

With that in mind, Santa Monica College is a solid place. Be aware that it’s an impacted campus, so transferring in two years (again, depending on your major) could be challenging. If you do choose to attend, be sure to work closely with a Transfer counselor from day one, as the UC system has some very specific transfer requirements.

From an earlier thread by you:

Haven’t you already selected a school? The questions about affordability mentioned above are very important.

I think he got off some wait-lists.

Are your parents going to pay $55k per year for a UC?

OOS students at CA CC who qualify for the guaranteed transfer at their local UC are guaranteed entry just like residents. They’ll pay more, but they have the same path into the school.

IU is a very good school. It’s a beautiful campus, has B1G sports (legendary basketball program), and is outstanding in business, the social sciences and humanities… and is pretty good in math and the sciences. IU’s one fault is that it lacks engineering, but if you aren’t into that then it’s no skin off your teeth.

I wouldn’t sell IU short.