“I would go with the Cuesta->UC/SLO option… Except, if you planjed on going to Boulder, you probably don’t have housing and I don’t know how easy it’ll be to find a room in a house with students that Kate in the year, and for what cost. Since you live in California can you go and see if you can find an affordable apt (never pick an apt sight unseen)? Of nothing’s available then your question is moot.
Roughly speaking both Davis and Boulder are superb programs.”
Yeah I already signed up for housing at Boulder, but I wouldn’t expect everything to be gone in SLO. Maybe it is though
“I would choose Boulder. You get the chance to get out of your comfort zone and go to an excellent university that is known as the full package for a lot of its students.”
I’ve definitely put into consideration which one has the full package. I think you’re right.
"What can you and your parents afford without needing more debt than the federal direct loans?
Is Cuesta your local community college? If so, it probably costs less than $20,000 per year.
Recruiting by companies in California is more likely to favor colleges in California out of convenience. Note that aerospace companies hire mechanical engineers as well. Other California publics besides UCD and CPSLO with aerospace engineering include CPP, CSULB, SDSU, SJSU, UCI, UCLA, and UCSD. Even more have mechanical engineering (check for aerospace electives).
Colorado pre-engineering to engineering requires a 2.7 college GPA (cumulative and technical) with no grade worse than C-: http://www.colorado.edu/pre-engineering/how-pre-engineering-works/transferring-engineering ."
Cuesta is not my local community college. I knew that California companies will favor California colleges but perhaps I could still get a job in California or join a company in Colorado and then work from California. I would try for the accelerated program to transfer from Pre-Engineering to Engineering at Boulder which requires (i think) a gpa of 3.3 or above.
“Have you visited CU Boulder? Many people fall in love with the area, and while the housing prices have been going up for a while they’re still significantly smaller than in comparable CA cities.”
I did, I definitely liked it. The main problem is just the price I guess.
“How does the cost differential get paid, from your parents’ savings&income, or from loans?”
My parents would pay most of it. We have a lot of savings pent up to pay for it and loans would be last effort.
Thanks all for the responses