Hey Everyone! In your honest opinion, which school do you think is better. If you have experience with either school, know someone who attends either school, or are considering either school please comment. I applied undeclared to both by the way.
First, conrats on the admissions! You have a couple of great options open to you. Both are good schools and ‘better’ is really subjective. The feel and student experience at these two schools is very different. Fullerton is a big commuter school surrounded by the So Cal mega-opolis. It has been there for decades and (though not run down) the campus reflects that legacy. Merced is a mid sized school in the San Joaquin valley. Virtually all of its infrastructure is brand new. Though the city of Merced has more than 100k people, it is surrounded by farms and might feel a bit isolated to a city dweller.
Spend some time on both campuses. Like a half day+ tacked onto an official tour, while school is in session. Eat lunch on campus, Talk to some student, teachers, visit the gym, a lecture hall or 2 to get a feel for what it is like to attend each school. I guarantee, you’ll have a favorite at the end of the exercise - go there.
Good luck!