I've been accepted to CSUN but really need help on...

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello I am seventeen years old and from Pennsylvania. I am a senior and planning on attending college in the fall. I have been accepted to every college so far that I've applied to I still am waiting to hear back from Temple University. Well the places I have been accepted to are Albright College (reading, pa), Penn State Berks (reading pa), Shippensburg University (shippensburg, pa) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I also have just been accepted to California State University: Northridge today. The thing is I really want to go to CSUN and it is on the top of my list for colleges but I'm just worried about the cost. I would of course be an out of state student and paying for college on my own. I plan on getting a job and having financial aid but do you think that will be possible to do? Will I be able to attend this school. You may be wondering why I would choose a out of state school over a cheaper instate school that would give me almost the same options. It's just that I have friends over in Southern California, I love the area and I see myself living out there. I really want to get out of this area and start fresh. I also like the school and they offer a wide range of majors. I also want to go to UCLA for my masters. I plan on eventually getting my phd too. The majors I am going to be in are Art Education and Psychology. I plan to study both because I have a love for each one and I want to do something with Art therapy but enroll in Counseling Psychology in graduate school then get my certification in art therapy. So I'm wondering is do you think this could be possible? Couldn't I be able to pay this off eventually if I get a doctorates in Psychology ect. I'm not taking it because it's the trendy thing now I'm serious about it and ready to pursue it past 4 years. </p>

<p>I'm just afraid if I don't take the chance to go to CSUN I will regret it. Also with the budget cuts that are happening it's going to be even harder to get in if I applied again during a later time. Please give me all the info you possibly can because I am getting super stressed out over this because CSUN is telling me I need to accept admission by March 1st and that's in less than a month.</p>

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<p>OK, CSUN. I went there in the late 70s. Perfectly nice college. I got a perfectly decent education and a good job upon graduation (Computer Science). </p>

<p>First let us talk about the area… The San Fernando Valley. Yes, The Valley. Words cannot describe how dreary that area is. OK, I am bitter, I grew up there. But truly, it is hot, smoggy, crowded and boring. This is not the best that So Cal has to offer.</p>

<p>Let us discuss cost - you will be paying OOS tuition, and for all 4 years. How will you really afford it? and is it worth it? The state is going through budget cuts, kids at the UCs and Cal States are paying more for less. If you are instate it is still a great deal. OOS? not even close (if you had really wanted to live in so cal, why on earth did you not apply to some of the private schools - they would cost about the same)</p>

<p>Let us discuss the school - again, perfectly adequate. That is it. </p>

<p>If you are determined to go to CSUN, I would suggest moving to so cal. Get a job, establish residency and reapply for the following year. This way you can maybe save some money for school, and your school will cost a lot less. You can also check out some of the other schools in the area.</p>

<p>BTW, have you considered how much your loans will be for undergrad AND grad school? Yikes! Yes, you will eventually be able to pay it off, but you will be doing it for a long time. you might end up being one of those people who must put off certain adult steps (buying a house, having children) because you will already have a mortgage sized loan.</p>

<p>Sorry for the lack of support, but this is just a poor idea.</p>

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<p>@xxthisonesforyou, the most important (and telling) words in the first response you received are “ok, I am bitter.” You need to take MUCH of the above with not just a grain of salt, but with enough sodium to get your blood pressure up to even higher levels than it undoubtedly already is.</p>

<p>The above post is full of little other than glittering generalities and unsupported opinion – lots of “let us discuss” and then absolutely no discussion. In many areas, and as compared to schools on a national level, CSUN is far more than “adequate.” I can’t speak to the quality of CSUN’s programs in the areas you intend to study, but it is quite well regarded in some majors. If you haven’t done your homework regarding your areas of study, you should; I’m going to guess that you have, though, given that you specifically chose Northridge rather than any of the many other CSU campuses.</p>

<p>Is the Valley dreary? I suppose some would find it such, and certainly it would be hard to call it an oasis. But I would also suspect that there are many students throughout the country, especially right now, who would look at the fact that you can drive 30 minutes and be at the beach, in the mountains or in any of dozens of culturally fascinating LA neighborhoods and would begin drooling. Northridge itself, and the surrounding communities, do tend to be a bit nondescript. Dreary? Only you can decide that, not jaded posters trying to put words in your mouth.</p>

<p>The questions you need to answer: Does CSUN have good programs in the areas you intend to study? How are the financial impactions affecting those specific areas (in a nutshell, will you be able to get your classes?). Where will you live? Will you have a car? (Public transportation for more than, say, going to the mall is just not very functional in SoCal. One could take the bus to the beach from Northridge, but it would be a very long process). Can you reasonably expect to establish residency within one year (based on your descriptions of your personal situation, the answer would seem to be yes, but you need to verify that, because the cost savings would be huge, especially given the likelihood that you won’t be able to finish in four years, given impaction). </p>

<p>If you can make the first-year finances work, if you dedicate yourself to establishing residency in that first year (and if so, get here in advance so your 366-day period is clearly over before you have to register/pay as a sophomore), if you can see yourself living in Northridge or if you have a car so that you can commute there, if you truly see yourself enjoying life in SoCal, if you can get a good education from the departments that interest you at CSUN, if you’ve explored other options for SoCal including other CSUs…that is, if you’ve done your homework and CSUN is where your heart AND your mind keep going, then your decision to come to CSUN will be far more reasoned and valid than the college decisions that most 17 year olds make. I hope you can find a way to visit the campus, if you haven’t, and to really spend some time there, set up meetings with the departments, take the official tours but also spend lots of time on your own taking it in, explore the area around CSUN and drive to the other areas of LA that you might often want to visit so you can get a sense of that. And don’t put too much stock in a perfect stranger who comes on here with little empirical evidence just to shoot down your dream.</p>

<p>@anotherparent, given its utter lack of detail or objectivity, your post is just a poor idea.</p>

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<p>Really? opinions of the school and area are not important? telling an 18 year old that it is not worth taking on years of debt is not important? Giving him a better idea (becoming a resident?) Presumably he wants opinions. I went to CSUN. I know kids who are going now. I grew up in the area. I go back frequently. It has not improved. </p>

<p>CSUN is a perfectly adequate school, but not worth OOS prices. I do not believe any California state school is, BTW. And with our budget situation as it is, who knows what it will be like in the next four years. </p>

<p>Sorry I can not be objective and gush over CSUN.</p>

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<p>I didn’t gush. What I did, that you didn’t do, is provide balanced, thought-out perspectives. You have an agenda; I don’t. Why you have it is your business, and I don’t begin to question its validity for you. That you brought it here and issued such a poorly constructed, detail-lacking diatribe against some kid’s dreams, instead of trying to objectively help him out (or, failing that, staying out of the discussion) is reproachable.</p>

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<p>I told him to consider the loans. this is important. I also told him to move here first, and I explained why. I am so sorry you do not agree with me. My opinions were valid. Very valid. I am sorry they are not the same as yours. You obviously do not like that.</p>

<p>One does not actually need to give balance on this forum. Others will provide that. If people have a valid opinion, then they should give it. I would give the same to my kids, especially w/r/t taking on that much debt. </p>

<p>Go ahead and take another shot. You need to have the last word, and I will not respond.</p>

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<p>I’ll jump in here. I don’t have an agenda, but I do have a fair amount of relevent knowledge as well as some opinions.</p>

<p>I agree that this is not a good idea. California’s budget is a mess and the UCs and CSUs are impacted by that fact. OOS tuition is high and the days of “working one’s way through college” are behind us at almost anything other than the local CC. The OP would end up with a LOT of debt.</p>

<p>My views of the SF Valley have evolved over the years as the valley has evolved. Many years ago it was the picture of prosperous Leave it to Beaver suburbia with a Socal twist, then it became overcrowded and smoggy, then a mecca for porno production, last time I visited it seemed fairly ghettoized.</p>

<p>Given California’s economic and financial realities, I’d have a hard time recommending a UC or CSU to an instate student, much less to an OOS.</p>

<p>Sorry for injecting my opinions.</p>

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<p>I read both of your responses and I am grateful for both replies. Even though I really did not want to get a answer that would shoot down my dreams. Which is not what I asked for. I just wanted an answer to tell me is it worth it because debt I know will not be fun but then again if I am happy with the choice I made maybe I can deal with the fact I have to pay off all this money. Also I want to just state I am a female not a male (saw you guys saying him but not like you knew).</p>

<p>@director91007 thank you so much for your answer because I’ve been trying so hard for people to give me an opinion that wasn’t full of you’re stupid and you should stay in your state. Blah blah blah. I know I should of probably applied to a private school with the cost but who said I can’t ever do that? No, one. Maybe I should just start off at CSUN and transfer over to USC or something. Then it will give me the chance to get my gpa up because I know how hard it can be to transfer over to UCLA from a CSU. I did take my time in looking at all the CSU’s and my final choices were CSULB and CSUN but I felt that I would have a better chance in getting in at Northridge. I am worried about the impaction though but my final thought is if it’s too bad I’ll just transfer out eventually. I’m just very stressed on making a decision now that could effect me in the years from now.</p>

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<p>Do you guys think it would be too late to apply to a private college?</p>

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<p>

As an OOS student it is not worth the cost to attend a large CA public school if it means taking on the cost yourself. The debt burden is going to cripple your future choices; you won’t be able to take unpaid internships or low-paying “starter” jobs out of college (or consider careers that you might love but don’t traditionally pay well) because you’ll have the debt overhanging you. That debt will sit on your shoulders for the next 20+ years, essentially a house payment every month. </p>

<p>Like many young adults you’re impatient to begin your future. Patience, grasshopper! If you want your future to be in CA the state will still be here 4 years down the road. You have a lifetime ahead of you, and waiting just 4 years will make a huge difference in the quality of it.</p>

<p>You might also want to read thru the thread at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1068573-college-debt-really-bad.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1068573-college-debt-really-bad.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I’ve been waiting since I was fifteen wanting to move to California because of friends ect. I could even have had a place to stay for free but the thing is I have a mother who was/is unwilling to let me move out before graduating or I would have to have gotten emancipated. I just find it ridiculous that if she just let me move I wouldn’t have to deal with these problems because when it comes down to it she’s not helping me out with college at all instate or out of state so basically she kind of screwed me over. All I can say is I want to move to southern california but I didn’t want to throw my college education away because even if you take a break you probably will never want to go back.</p>

<p>edit: also she shouldn’t even have put me down as a dependent because really she’s been unemployed and living off our father’s child support (he doesn’t even put us down as a dependent). So basically her need for tax money back really messed with my plans.</p>

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<p>I might be wrong on this, but I think that you do NOT establish residency in any state as a minor. i.e. If you live in a state but your parents do not, that state will not consider you a resident. Undergraduate college admissions ask for your PARENTS taxes, income, residency etc., not yours unless you are emancipated, foster care, 19 or over &c.</p>

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<p>If you want to move to Socal that badly, maybe it would be best to move first, stay with friends, find a job, etc., and establish residency. Then, knowing your options better and having seen the various campuses and communities firsthand, you might be in a better position to make a good decision, whether it be a community college, a CSU, a UC, a private, or who knows, even moving back home.</p>

<p>I respect your desire to not take a gap year for fear of “settling” for less than your dreams but, in this case, I believe caution is in order.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>I’m not an expert but I really don’t think you can establish residency in CA while going to school. Most states require that you live and work in the state for a year prior to beginning school. Also, it is very difficult to be considered an independent student for financial aid.</p>

<p>OP, I suggest you spend some time on the financial aid forum. Unless, you have a lot of money saved and/or a parent or someone else willing to cosign large loans for you I don’t see how you can financially afford to attend school in CA. A freshman student will only qualify for $5500/year in federal loans. It goes up to a max of $7500 as an upper classman.</p>

<p>I hate to be a wet blanket but you need to go into this with your eyes wide open. As someone else said California will be there when you graduate.</p>

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<p>Thank you for all your replies. Also I know that you cannot be a minor and that’s why I even suggested to my mom that I get emancipated for this. I also do not qualify for staying here a year because I’ve been listed as a dependent on my mom’s tax returns for more than 3 years. I will have to live in California for three years to even be considered as an instate. I am wondering if I should just go to CSUN for one year and then transfer out to a private school in the area? I will get more money (financial aid) by going to a private school.</p>

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<p>Why do you think you will get more financial aid money by transferring to a private school? Just because it’s a private school does not mean they will be throwing money at you. Additionally, most schools give the most aid to incoming freshman–not transfer students.</p>

<p>I think you need to wait for your financial aid packages to make a decision. If you truly have no financial help from your parents you may not get enough aid even from your instate schools to afford the cost of attendance. As a freshman you will be eligible for $5500 in federal loans. If your EFC is 0 you will get $5500 in a Pell grant. Your state may provide you with additional money if you stay instate. However, California has no incentive to give you money. $11,000 (5500 loans and 5500 Pell) is just a drop in the bucket for OOS school costs.</p>

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<p>I believe they will give me more money than CSUN because they have more money to give. If you get what I’m trying to say. A lot of people have told me that I would of been better off going to a private school than going to a public school. I’m not saying that I’m definitly going over I just wanted answers that would help me out with my choice definitely</p>

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<p>Not all private schools have a lot of extra money. The top private schools that do have more money to offer are difficult to get into. Do you have the stats to get into the top private schools?</p>

<p>Again, transfer students do not usually receive as much aid as freshman.</p>

<p>I’m not trying to be difficult but I really think you have been told a lot of commonly accepted financial aid myths.</p>

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<p>California State University Northridge- </p>

<p>Estimated Financial Information
In-state tuition & Fees: $4,801
Out-of-state Tuition & Fees: $15,961
Typical Room: $6,142
Typical Board: $2,995 </p>

<p>I know you have your heart set on attending CSUN. Everyone here is trying to give you sincere input. People care about your situation. The sad reality is that it will be impossible to finance your education without loans. The yearly cost of attendance for CSUN is listed (above). That is subtancial debt ($20,000 per year- incl Room & Board). Half of the cost can be met through your stafford loan and pell grant. You will still need another $10,000.00 per year to attend. You will also need miscellaneous funds for basic necessities. Do you know of anyone who might sign an unsubsidized loan for your education? </p>

<p>Is it possible for you to stay (at least a full year) with the friends you’ve mentioned? (Is that a realistic possibility- no matter what might arise?). If so, you will still need another $5,000.00 to meet your full tuition fees. Any chance that you might be able to work this summer to earn at least $5,000.00 ?</p>

<p>The UC and CSU systems are in the worse financial shape they’ve faced in years. Think about what will work best for you, and then make a well informed choice. CSUN is my Alma Mater. I honestly cannot recommend this amount of debt to attend CSUN for OOS students.</p>

<p>I wish I could say otherwise.</p>

<p>Consider all of your options and then make the best decision possible !</p>

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<p>“CSUN is telling me I need to accept admission by March 1st and that’s in less than a month.”</p>

<p>That’s weird. At seems most CSU’s give you until May 1st. Are you sure? This says May 2nd.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.csun.edu/anr/admittedftf.html[/url]”>http://www.csun.edu/anr/admittedftf.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>FWIW, I have a hard time imagining this being worth it tooo. I imagine CSUN is one of the commuter CSU’s. Living on your own in So Cal while trying to be self- sufficient and attend school sounds HUGE! How close are these friends? Ave they on their own too? How do THEY manage?</p>