I’m a senior right now and resident of California in the Bay Area and so far I’ve been accepted to CSU Fullerton, San Francisco State, CSU Long Beach, and University of Oregon. I also applied to UC schools(UCD, UCSD, UCSB, UCSC, UCLA) and ideally I would prefer to attend a UC campus however with admissions coming next week, and my rejection from SDSU last week I have no confidence with my stats that I will get in.
So the other campuses I am interested in are Long Beach State, and U Oregon. My major is political science and I know both schools aren’t famous for their political science programs, however regardless both campuses are still good schools. Although these are my safety schools I know both are good universities and I’m curious what any Alumni, current students, and other high school seniors think.
Anyone? Any feedback, comments welcome
What are your parents saying? Oregon is VERY expensive as an OOS student, and unless your parents can easily spend an extra $100k+, then Oregon would be unaffordable.
My cousin’s D went to Oregon as a Calif resident. she somehow convinced her parents that O would be good for a premed. Well, she didn’t end up with med school worthy stats, she graduated and her parents have large Plus loans…and now she’s attending a Calif CC to become a nurse. I’m sure my cousin is kicking herself.
Yes I am well aware of the high cost of U Oregon. That is the main reason why I am considering Long Beach because at least since it is in state it is about half the cost $23,000 vs $40,000. While my family can help support me in either college, of course the reduced cost of in state tuition helps a lot. In terms of financial aid it will be difficult to get a lot of aid other than scholarships due to my parents income level so the out of pocket loans would be a dreadful reality. Personally I want to go to U Oregon more but the cost indeed is scary.I like the environment more up in Oregon,but yet again I do want a bang for my buck for my higher education. The reality is though most colleges in the US today cost around U Oregon including UC’s, so CSU’s or CC may be a better value. I’ll just have to see what kind of scholarship/financial aid I can receive if I decide to go to either. My sister chose to go to CC over Boston University and was able to save a lot(the university tried to charge $67,000 a year), but I would prefer to go to a four year.
Oregon being an OOS public U will not likely offer much in the way of merit aid to you. Go ahead and apply but keep the costs in mind when you get your FA offers back.
I just got the FA offer and it isn’t making me optimistic at all. The total cost to attend equals $46,902 and I only receive $1,167 in subsidized loans a quarter, and $667 in subsidized loans, and my parents would have to pay a whopping $13,801 a quarter in private loans. At this point I am rethinking community college. If I can pay only $6000 a year for CC vs $47,000 for a four year then transfer to a more prestigious university then I would rather do that. Going to CC would also mean I could attend my dream school UCSB which I could transfer if I did the TAG program. Of course I would still have to work hard in CC but I think if I can save the money and get my general ed out of the way then I would be happier in the end. I shouldn’t forget that lots of college grads are unemployed after graduating and still have to pay for loans. I would love to still go to U Oregon but the cost is scaring me right now, and CSU Long Beach while the costs are more reasonable it isn’t my dream school.
Any thoughts on CC or Long Beach? I have a strong bias against Long Beach but I actually haven’t visited the campus so I am wondering if Long Beach is worth it. At this point I feel almost ready to rule out U Oregon due to the excessive price.
I also was rejected from UCSB, UCD, UCSD, and waitlisted at UCSC, so I am wondering if it would be better to transfer to a UC from CC or go to a four year such as Long Beach
Depends on which CC. If it’s any in the Orange County area, I would opt for them over starting out at CSULB. Frankly, it never made much sense to me why commuters interested in common majors start off at a Cal State as opposed to a CC if finances are an issue.
Graduation rates at many California CCs hover between 30-60 percent, with some like community college of San Francisco at 25%. They aren’t the best environment for advanced learning. Contrast that with the graduation rate at CSULB of 60+%. A 4-year college is a much better choice than a CC. And California’s CSUs are a relative bargain for in-state students. Planning on a transfer from a CC is an inferior strategy to simply going to a CSU and staying put until you get a degree.
FogCity
The local CC’s in my area however are high ranking:Foothill College and De Anza College. So I think it is still a good plan. Yes the CC environment may not be the most exciting, and the people may not be very motivated but I am a very ambitious person and if I focus I think the environment should be fine. However I am looking more into CSU’s because they are a good value but CSU’s also have low graduation rates, and they lack the prestige UC’s and privates have. The value of either CC or CSU’s is large but I am still going to have to weigh the pros/cons. I think CSU Long Beach is a good value, but if I can save money and attend a CC that is one of the highest ranked in the state and save half the amount of money on just tuition compared to a CSU then it might be a bet I am willing to make. Some of my friends attended CC and now attend NYU, UC Berkeley so as long as I am motivated I could still go to top tier colleges. Once again however the quality of CC’s much like the rest of CA’s education system depends on location, and I am blessed that the CC’s in my area(Silicon Valley) are ranked highly. Besides I know very well Long Beach is a commuter school and as someone from outside of the area I am not sure how the campus environment would be like.
Also keep in mind I have also taken AP courses so I already have been able to get rid of some of my GE credits. I think as long as I can maintain a strong 3.8 GPA or higher in CC then my chances of transfer would be good. My GPA since junior year has been steadily rising from a 3.1 fresh/soph years to around a 3.7 junior year and my UW GPA rose from a 3.1 to around a 3.4 , and my W overall GPA is a 3.5 with all semesters since junior year above a 3.7 weighted. I have grown in my work ethic considering fresh/soph years I took regular classes and junior year and senior year I have taken multiple AP/honors courses and I think I could easily handle CC then transfer to a good university. I would consider CC a way to redeem my low high school grades and have a higher shot at schools that could have been attainable if my fresh/soph years were stronger. -Ben
^^^I totally disagree. CC’s can be a very good option for some people for various reasons. The CC statistics can be misleading. Many CC students don’t graduate with an AA, but transfer to a 4 year with enough credits to satisfy transfer requirements. They are not included in graduation statistics as a result. Employers don’t care where you start but only from where you graduate. You can get your GE’s out of the way and then transfer to take your major classes at a 4 year university. If you are not happy about your acceptance results and have your heart set on a UC other than UCSC, then a CC might be a good option. You would save a lot of money and could transfer more easily into a UC of your choice. Most CC’s have matriculation agreements with UC’s so you would know exactly what classes to take to transfer successfuly.
I completely agree with you takeitallin. I am now considering CC due to the cheaper cost, and the possibility of transferring to a UC. I think my disappointment with my college decisions, and the reduced cost of getting rid of the GE’s would make CC worthwhile. I know my local CC’s have Tag agreements with all of the UC’s except UCSD, UCLA, UCB and I am going to consider doing that. I would love to attend a four year but I think the amount of money saved versus attending a college I may not be happy with and having to pay thousands of more dollars would be my main concern. If UCSC takes me off their waitlist I might consider attending but the costs for UC’s are very high. If I want to attend a UC then why not get rid of half of the cost in CC than waste additional money. Additionally I know a lot of people in college that have had to graduate in five years due to their inability to fit in GE’s on time. As you said the degree only matters once you graduate from a college and not where you started so at this point it is much more of a economical choice to consider CC then waste money on schools I feel are mediocre. That being said I still think Long Beach and U Oregon are excellent schools, but I am still very heartbroken over my rejection from UCSB which was released earlier today so I think I will still need time to think this over. In the long run though I think CC is the best choice in my situation.
Another option is Santa Barbara City College which has an agreement with UCSB. If you haven’t seen it the campus is centrally located in SB on a bluff overlooking the ocean. The downside is you would have to pay for housing which kind of negates the whole saving money thing. Just another option.
*Update:
I received my financial aid from LBSU and have about 5500 in financial aid and the total cost is $23,000 including room and board. Seems like a fairly good deal and with scholarships this will be even cheaper. I am still conflicted if I should send a SIR or ride it out in CC. If I go to CC I will join the honors program so I can not only challenge myself academically but prepare better for schools like UCSB/UCLA which have been my dream colleges. However after all LBSU is a gem of the csus along with SDSU/Cal Poly.
Yes it isn’t my dream college but it still a decent school. One the other hand if I stay local I can save lots of money and because De Anza and Foothill are literally in my backyard transferring should not be bad if I work hard. Regardless of where I go though I know I will have to strive for nothing but excellence when it comes to academics.
I was actually seriously considering SBCC but although my parents would be willing to help pay if I took a part time job, I think this plan is very risky especially if I do poorly in CC and not end up at UCSB. Additionally the cost including room and board would be essentially the same cost as going to Long Beach(with FA). The downside is I would love the environment down at SBCC compared to staying in my community(Cupertino) however the CC’s in my area are just as highly ranked. On the other hand the TAG agreement has only a 3.2 minimum college GPA to transfer so this may be an option. Gees I feel so lost…lol Local CC or Long Beach?!!