<p>First of all I know this sounds completely crazy. And please don't respond just to tell me how amazing of a school UCLA is, or how amazing of an opportunity I have. I know all this and I respect the gravity of the situation.</p>
<p>There been some major changes with my job, and it may make it impossible for me to both work and go to UCLA. If I decided not to go to UCLA I would just continue at my CSU, and graduate in May 2015.</p>
<p>At this point, going to UCLA would mean quitting my job. I have enough money in savings so that I could not work for about one year. But, it would likely take me 4-5 quarters to graduate from UCLA, so before I actually graduated, I would still need to go back to work.</p>
<p>I plan on getting my Masters right after I finish my BA, so I'm wondering if the prestige of my graduate school would supersede the lesser prestige of my undergraduate degree. </p>
<p>At this point I'm really leaning towards staying at my current school and graduating in 1 year, then starting my masters program in the fall of 2015. I can do my current school and keep my current job.</p>
<p>At UCLA, there is a program called "Departmental Honors Program. It allows you to get you Master’s and Bachelor’s degree at the same time, you just have to stay an extra year. Depending on your major, you maybe able to find a job if your major isn’t too difficult. By the way, what do you plan to go to graduate school for? That makes all the difference in the world.</p>
<p>I can’t afford to take more that 1 year off of work, so doing that dual program would make 3 years that I can’t work FT. UCLA undergrad and grad schools don’t really work with flexible schedules, which is my problem.</p>
<p>The grad school program I really want to do offers night classes, so it shouldn’t be an issue. The problem is figuring out the best way to complete undergrad.</p>
<p>I will be getting my Masters in Public Administration.</p>
<p>Yeah, then unless your going to get an MBA, then you are probably better off at your current school. I don’t think that Public Administration Programs really select people base of the undergraduate degree, like MBA programs do. The last thing you would to do is be drowning in debt by the time you graduate. </p>
<p>Wait, I am confused. How long will it take to get through UCLA. You said 4-5 quarters. Do you mean 4-5 more after you need to get a job. Can you work PT? </p>
<p>If you could, I would really try and make UCLA work. </p>
<p>@lindyk8 - here’s another part of the problem. UCLA won’t tell me what courses will transfer until I go to orientation which is August 1. If all of my CSU classes transfer, then it would take me 4 quarters and 2 summers to graduate. But, if they don’t give me transfer credit for all of my upper division coursework, then it would take longer. Also if I didn’t get enough transfer credits, then I probably would not transfer anyway.</p>
<p>Another part of the problem, is that is far as my job goes I need to make decisions within the next couple of weeks. I don’t really have the option of waiting until October when school starts to make decisions. </p>
<p>The Masters in Public Administration is a really cool program. Coincidentally I decided against going to USC-Marshall and I am reapplying this fall to USC-Price for the undergrad public policy degree. Personally–after attending UCI–I think the UCs are overrated. For you specifically the sociology classes at UCLA are like 120 people each. The prestige of UCs come form the graduate programs and the selectivity of admissions, not the quality of undergrad education. If you can afford to give up your job (and even take on some debt for UCLA) I would do it else I would advise staying at CSU and simply trying to get the highest GPA / best letters of rec as possible for grad school. </p>
<p>To be honest with you, It is really not that difficult to see what classes transfer. Generally speaking, classes that are very specific, or geared towards a certain career, will not transfer. Why don’t you contact the Sociology department and explain your situation. </p>
<p>My classes are all major classes, but I can’t base this on what I think looks right to me. I did talk to the department but until they have my official transcripts from my CSU, they won’t discuss it. My school won’t send out transcripts for another 2 weeks, so all I have now are unofficial. </p>
<p>Sometimes in life you have to take risks @2016candles … Almost every single person that has made a profound impact on our world has taken huge risks- be the outlier. You can make it work, just think out outside the box and be creative; you won’t be sleeping on the streets, but even if you did it would build character for a future success. </p>
<p>Me going back to school at my age was a big risk. I’m sacrificing a LOT to do this. I’ve been very creative and I’ve crushed the box. BUT I have real life responsibilities, and I can’t just cross my fingers and hope for the best. Like I said, time is not on my side, unfortunately. </p>
<p>Ultimately the only person who can answer this is you. But it seems you have time and shouldn’t rush it. I know nothing about your graduate division but coming in from UCLA seems like a better vantage point than coming in from CSU. But I really don’t know, and staying might be the right course. What I usually do when I have a dilemma is think about it before I go to bed and just let it percolate. Literally ask your brain to provide an answer. In a few days, a week, a solution will probably materialize - or at least it will be clearer. </p>