Live off Campus at U of Utah vs Take another year off, get California instate tuition

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I messed up registering for housing at Utah. I know the place is a commuter school, people come to class and leave, and living off campus just doesn't sound fun at all, but now I'd have to. Seems like it would be hard to meet people and get a new little group of friends to do stuff. The reason I'm considering Utah is I'm really into snowboarding and some of the worlds best is 30mins from campus, and they have relaxed out of state tuition laws so its the only place I can really afford if I want to get out of Idaho.</p>

<p>Down side is I be living in freaking Utah, commuting to school, I guess snowboarding on weekends, I just hope I'm not miserable. Theres a small scene of cool skier and snowboarder kids but again, its utah. I'd guess theres the opportunity to study. A lot.</p>

<p>My other option is move in with either the G-ma or my cousins that live literally across the street from a community college in LongBeach. If I get a full time job, take a couple classes at a community college, get my California drivers license, register to vote, register my car, etc, I'd be able to get instate tuition at any California school after one year, could someone correct me if I'm wrong. I'm thinking Santa Barbra, and UC Davis, and open to others, hopefully near the beach so I can learn to surf (and keep myself from partying, its good to have an activity you enjoy doing to keep your life balanced I think). A few of my friends are getting a house in Tahoe so if I want to take a week end and go up there to snowboard that doesn't sound bad. Or move in with them and work and go to the CC up there in Tahoe.</p>

<p>The one thing is I've been out of school for 2 years already, I'm just turned 20, I sort of think that taking another year off of school might not be smart, and the fact that I'll be 3 years older then everyone else I might become "that weird older guy"</p>

<p>Long term Goals are study Biology, either save the environment (or somehow make a step in the right direction) or become a family practice doctor in a small-medium size mountain town with skiing, mountain biking, and backpacking, maybe surfing near by, hopefully not over working myself and having plenty of time to enjoy the things I like doing even if it means not making $300,000 a year. I'd rather make half that and enjoy my life.</p>

<p>1700 SAT and 3.67 Highschool GPA, and can always retake the SAT</p>

<p>I don't know. I want to be able to enjoy myself, while at the same time doing what I need to do to live out my life goal.</p>

<p>Okay, what would you guys do in my situation?</p>

2

<p>My uncle teaches at the community college you’re referring to in Tahoe. Believe me, it’s not uncommon for students, especially at a community college to be substantially older than 18 years old. South Lake Tahoe CC is also one of the few California CCs to operate on a quarter system so as to accommodate skiers and people that work in the tourism industry. </p>

<p>I don’t understand why you don’t look for an off campus apartment at Utah, assuming you can afford the school. There are likely to be apartment complexes where upperclassmen live, and from my experience they’re usually fairly cheap.</p>

3

<p>The thing is, I’m not sure I really want to go to Utah, its more just that I can afford it, has a good Biology program. and the skiing. But I afraid of it, being a commuter school and all. The only reason I’d choose it is if you guys think it would be really un-smart to go the California route.</p>

4

<p>And a community college isn’t a commuter school?</p>

5

<p>Utah, cheap, get off campus housing, get out a year earlier, ski everyday</p>

6

<p>Whenhen</p>

<p>Idk I keep just thinking of the time we visited Santa Barbra and went to Isla Vista, thats got to be one of the most awesome little college towns on the earth. Hanging out with my cousins and there friends, or my friends in Tahoe, sounds fun and like I’d at least have a base to grow from. Utah I’ll just be showing up in a completely new place and it will be all on me to meet people I guess.</p>

<p>Just tell me to shut up if need be. I think the thing is I know it would be best to go to Utah, but would rather do the California thing because of the vibes.</p>

7

<p>bump</p>

<p>10characters</p>

8

<p>I would suggest Utah and look for a non-LDS (assuming here) apartment share. As a 20 year old, you would have probably not been all that enamored with the typical freshman dorm anyway. Once you find it, SLC and the ski areas have a much cooler vibe than you are expecting.</p>

<p>If you get to the eventual decision point, I would suggest ER doc instead of small town primary care. As a PCP, you can never leave cell phone range.</p>

9

<p>SnorkBoard, I get that. I transferred to a school in the middle of Oklahoma (I’m from California) where I literally didn’t know anyone and just moved into a college oriented apartment complex. So far, I love it here. </p>

<p>The reality is, probably well over 40% of Utah students don’t commute, and I’m almost positive there are off campus apartments where non LDS students congregate. It might be nice to have your friends around, especially for the first three weeks, but it’s certainly possible to expand your social circles. You can join clubs, form study groups, go to parties, etc. Yes you’ll have to work a little harder, but at least for myself, I’d rather start school than wait another year so I could surf.</p>

10

<p>You would NOT be eligible to transfer from a CC after one year to most any Cal State (and no UC’s), as only a small hand full of the lower-ranked CSU’s accept lower division transfers, meaning you’d have to do at least two years. You may also want to check the qualifications for obtaining in-state status.</p>

<p>Other than spending two years at a California CC, your best option is to get yourself on a housing wait list at Utah, while looking for room mates if it doesn’t work out. If you really hate it, you can transfer from there to California, but you would not not get the in-state and/or TAG advantage.</p>

11

<p>“If you really hate it, you can transfer from there to California, but you would not not get the in-state and/or TAG advantage.”</p>

<p>Nope, don’t have the funds to go to California and pay any of the schools out of state tuition, and if I pay for the first semester of school at Utah (how utah works is if you live there for a year regardless of whether or not you are going to school, you get instate tuition the following year.) So if I pay the out of state tuition for a semester most of my college fund is gone.</p>

<p>So I only have one shot, so I better be set on it.</p>

12

<p>If you pay tuition for a year 20k + ~10k R&B that’s 30 total which if you say is “most” of you college fund. Lets say 30 is half then you only have enough for instate(6) for the next two years. How are you going to pay for that last year?</p>

13

<p>And just exactly why must you get out of Idaho right now? For the CC to state U route, surely you have a local option. Look at that as well.</p>

<p>You can find the specific policies about in-state residence right on the websites of each of the CA CCs, CSUs, and UCs that you are thinking about. Read through those carefully, and find out if the move to CA-work-for-a-year-then-start-college is even possible.</p>

14

<p>You will not get CA residency by living there one year. Unless you’re considered an independent student on your FAFSA (see the criteria here [FAFSA</a> and the Independent Student - Fastweb](<a href=“Federal Financial Aid and the FAFSA Independent Student | Fastweb”>Federal Financial Aid and the FAFSA Independent Student | Fastweb)), your state of residency will be determined by where your parents live and pay taxes, no matter where you are living. You can see evidence of this on the UC websites: [Criteria</a> to Establish Residence for Tuition Purposes](<a href=“http://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/residence/criteria.html]Criteria”>Criteria to Establish Residence for Tuition Purposes)</p>

15

<p>As post 14 points out, you are not going to be considered a California resident for UC purposes. There are lots of details but it pretty much boils down to having graduated from a California high school or having your parents live here. Unless you can prove you’re self-supporting, and they have quite strict rules on that. For example if you live at a relatives house you are disqualified because that is a subsidy.</p>

16

<p>So I talked to my parents, and they where actually excited about the California option.</p>

<p>So if I did want to do that, and I’m sorry and apologize and say thank you in advance for my ignorance, does someone think they could lay out step-by-step what I would need to do to make California happen? I checked out that link but a lot of it sounds like legal mobo jumbo to me.</p>

<p>I get that I need to register my car, get a
full time job, take a couple classes at a community college, get my California drivers license, register to voter… I don’t know Am I missing something? What would I need to get my parents to do? Could I do this while living with my Grandma or cousins? or do I need to rent a house or apartment?</p>

<p>I’m sorry I really like this to happen, its just sort of confusing and I’ve been out of the world of jumping through hoops for quite sometime now and could use a little help.</p>

<p>I may still end up at Utah if this is all overly complicated but I want this to work.</p>

17

<p>You need to print out the legal language and work through it with your parents. If you still don’t understand, pick up the phone and call the community college or UC or CSU that you found the information at the website of and get further clarification.</p>

<p>In most states that allow students to establish in-state residency on their own it is necessary for that person to be able to demonstrate that he/she has provided for more than 50% of their own support for the time required to establish in-state residency. That means you need to get a job and pay your bills. If you are living with family, you should have a formal lease agreement with that person and that person should give you receipts each month for the rent and utilities that you pay. Keep all your receipts for gas, groceries, etc. as well so that you can have all the proof needed to show that you are self-supporting if the residency reviewers ask for it when you apply to college.</p>

18

<p>Birthday bump.</p>

<p>One thing is I’m not completely sure of what I want to do, the physician thing sounds good but I’m not sure if its really what I want. But I like helping people and care about health, but almost more in a not so crazy homeopathic way. I also care a lot about the environment and a lot of other stuff too. But I don’t know what I want. I’m so lost. And I don’t want to feel like I’m stuck somewhere. If I could really have it my way I’d tell my boss to go f**k himself and hop on a plane to Australia or New Zealand or something </p>

<p>Some awesome 20th birthday it’s been so far.</p>

19

<p>K, so I read what I wrote and I don’t really mean homeopathic, but Big Pharma sickens me and I really try not to use prescriptions myself or un-natural things at all.</p>

<p>bump</p>

20

<p>Ok my last couple posts are a little out there.</p>

<p>But what should I do? I found this website called CoolWorks that basically has a bunch of resort jobs a lot of the time with housing, so I could do that if I wanted to do the cali option.</p>

<p>I’m not sure if I should get school over with, or take my time. I’m not all that excited about moving into the corporate world though.</p>