I’ve recently been admitted to all my backups-CSULB, SDSU, CSUF, UCR, UCSC, SDSU, CPP, Cal Poly SLO and rejected/waitlisted at my top choices-UCSB,UCI
I’m going as an undeclared undergraduate and I’m not sure which college I should attend next year that will suit me the best, academically and socially. I’ve narrowed it down to SDSU, UCR, and UCSC so far and I’m not really worried about financial aid. My GPA in high school was around 3.5 unweighted and 3.7 weighted with an SAT score of 1940. I want to attend a school with a lot of clubs, activities, social life, and challenging classes that I can also do well in.
EDIT: I want to go to a school that would help me find a job in the future. I know they’re all ranked differently but which one would be considered the best choice when it comes to helping me get a job?
Consider what major(s) you are interested in. Check each school to see if declaring or changing to the possible majors is difficult (requires a high GPA or competitive admission process).
Your major may have more of an impact on your post-graduation job prospects than your school does.
CSUs do tend to have a much higher percentage of students in pre-professional majors, while UCs tend to have a higher percentage of students in liberal arts majors (though sometimes chosen for pre-professional reasons, such as choosing math or statistics to aim for finance or actuarial jobs).
SDSU has the whole package from clubs, campus activities, social scene and challenging academics. The school has an active Greek life and dedicated parent association that brings many fun events to campus. You also have the great sports team especially Basketball and several concert venues on campus. If you haven’t visited, I suggest you try to fit it in before your decision. Good Luck and Go Azetcs!!!
Those are 3 very different schools. Have you visited them all? If you haven’t, try to attend admitted student days. They all have pros and cons… what those are will depend entirely on who you are. SDSU is a hopping campus but it is also impacted and can be difficult to get your classes in a timely manner. It’s got the lowest 4-year graduation rate of the bunch if that’s something that matters to you. UCSC is a gorgeous campus with a lovely, laid-back vibe and access to a great beach town. However, it’s literally in a forest and you can hike around a long time without seeing anyone… perfect for some kids but only you know if that’s right for you. I don’t know all that much about UCR as a campus. I don’t personally love Riverside but that’s just me. You can get a great education from any of them. All of them will have lots of clubs and activities and potential for a strong social life. Go see for yourself if you can. No one here can make this choice for you.
Hi, I am a 2nd year student at UCSC and got admitted to SDSU going there for the fall. UCSC is a gorgeous campus, but the reason I am switching is due to my major. If you are thinking about majoring in computer science or humanities major, UCs are a better choice. However, since my major is business, I really see no future for my major at UCSC which is why I’m switching. My boyfriend got into UCR and is going there mostly because there seems to be more fun events thrown (concerts, festivals, etc) compared to UCSC. Also, if you plan on going to UCSC, keep in mind the campus is isolated from the rest of the city, so it feels more like you’re going on a year long camp. Hope I help.