<p>I'm looking for some advice.. I currently go to ucsd, and I'm considering transferring to either Davis or Berkeley (I got in to both for fall 2009). I love ucsd, don't get me wrong. But I applied to Davis for a couple reasons: 1) ucsd didn't give me much financial aid, and it will be a struggle to pay for things next year if I stay here (and I correctly assumed Davis would give me a lot more money), and 2) there are more internship opportunities in Sacramento than San Diego. I applied to Berkeley just to see what would happen - and I unexpectedly got in. </p>
<p>Here are the transfer options:
- Berkeley, but probably will cost the same (and probably even more) than I currently pay at ucsd (and a LOT more than I would pay at Davis). I haven't seen my financial aid package from Berkeley yet, but that's my guess. I originally applied to transfer away from ucsd because it costs me so much, so it would kind of seem irrational to transfer to a MORE expensive school. but...it's Berkeley.. an unexpected opportunity..
- Davis - offered me a big scholarship. Like, it would cost me about $10,000 less per year than ucsd. And that may not sound like a lot to some people, but it's huge for me.</p>
<p>I plan on going to grad school (or law school), so I'm not sure if paying extra for Berkeley's name on an undergraduate diploma is worth it. I mean, if you're going on to grad school, it's where you did your graduate level work that really matters. So am I right in basing my decision on financial reasons alone? any thoughts would really be appreciated.</p>
<p>I should add that I’ve visited both campuses, and like both of them. Berkeley was my first choice out of high school, but I was rejected.</p>
<p>Just curious. What were your stats and what are you majoring in?</p>
<p>I’m majoring in political science, and I currently have a 3.86 gpa. My lower division GE’s are all done (so I qualify for U.C. reciprocity), and I took all of the required poli sci courses for Berkeley (I guess poli sci is impacted there?). I have some extracurricular stuff (although nothing too noteworthy), and I’ve had a couple of jobs over the past year. and obviously, SAT’s don’t apply in my case.</p>
<p>How many years did you spend at UCSD? Your GPA (3.86) is very impressive. Why didn’t you apply for scholarships at UCSD? More to the point, didn’t you qualify for Regents at UCSD? </p>
<p>After all, you must rank in the top 4 or 5%. If you maintained your GPA, you night graduate summe cum laude. And the PoliSci Dept at SD is nationally ranked at 7th…</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore at ucsd (with junior standing… about 116 units completed so far). I have applied for scholarships, but didn’t get any. I wasn’t offered Regents. Is that only something offered to incoming freshmen, or is it something a continuing student could get?</p>
<p>And yeah, our polisci department is excellent. But the national ranking is based on the graduate program, not the undergraduate program (although the two are certainly related). This kind of leads to the problem I’m facing: I am planning on going to grad school. And, after I graduate from grad school, my undergraduate degree won’t matter as much anymore. So, if you see it that way, it doesn’t really matter if I graduate from UCSD, or Davis, or Berkeley, as long as I can still get into grad school. So, if it doesn’t really matter where I graduate as an undergrad (considering all three schools are respected UC’s), then I should just focus on financial benefits, right? Or is going to Berkeley (or, staying at UCSD), worth paying extra? </p>
<p>Wow, that was long… I guess i can shorten it to this: Will graduating from Berkeley or UCSD help me get into grad or law school more than graduating from Davis? I mean, is it worth paying a lot more to go to one school over the other?</p>
<p>And should UCSD be in the running? I see it as the middle option: (good school/expensive) versus Berkeley (great school/expensive) and Davis (pretty good school/REALLY cheap)</p>
<p>Generally, I was told undergraduate work and where you attend should not matter. If school isn’t a problem for you, do what is best for you to transition better through your undergraduate work. If finances are a factor, then UCDavis would be fine. Good luck.</p>