UCI,Cal Poly Pomona, or Fullerton?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I can't decide between Pomona, Irvine, or Fullerton for my second college choice. I've done lots of research but now I just need personal reviews. D:</p>

<p>I'm not sure if I want to be a doctor or vet, so I know Biology will be a good major for me, because I can go into either career with it. (From what I've researched, please correct me if I'm wrong. x3)</p>

<p>Anyone have any comments on any of these colleges? D; Out of the 3, which is better in your opinion and why? =< I'm focusing on which is cheaper, how teachers are, how close they are to me(UCI and Pomona are under an hour, and Fullerton is about 2 when taking the freeway), and how their campus is. (If it's pretty, has things to do, etc.)</p>

<p>Of course education is my main priority when choosing a school, as well as distance and tuition cost, but I also want a school where people are friendly, the campus is pretty, and there's things to do in the area. When I say things to do on campus or around the college, even a few places is good enough for me lol. x3 (I come from a place with not much to do.)
I also would like a diverse campus.</p>

<p>Tuition for Pomona: 6,624
Tuition for Irvine: 14,226
Tuition for Fullerton: 6,626</p>

<p>My grades consist of A's and B's. (Most are A's, B+'s are in Econ and Algebra 2.) My overall GPA of all 4 years is 3.61.</p>

<p>Also note, i'm not sure if I'll be living on campus or not. But I don't have much money to spend on college. =< I'm depending on FASFA and a few scholarships really. D:</p>

<hr>

<p>My main choice is UCR. If you have any critiques on UCR as well, please share~</p>

<hr>

<p>I don't want any negative comments on these colleges if you're speaking solely on a bad experience. Please share REAL critiques. Sure, you might have a few negative comments on the college. But it can't be all bad in my opinion. "College is what you make it". And if you TRULY have had a horrible time at any of these colleges, do share~ I just don't want the types of reviews that are based off of a few bad experiences that most colleges face anyway. D:</p>

<p>Sorry for a longggggg post. I need to pick my second choice ASAP since the deadlines are soon. >_<</p>

<p>Thanks for any future help!</p>

2

<p>Forgot to add: </p>

<p>My SAT score was 1420.</p>

<p>I have a health condition called Vertigo. So i occasionally get dizzy/lightheaded and can pass out, but it rarely happens anymore luckily. =3 But the heat bothers me tons. Q^Q</p>

<p>So If one college is safer than the other… please mention that. ;u;</p>

3

<p>UCI is generally seen as better than UCR. There are many well recognized professors and researchers there. However, if your SAT score was 1420 out of 2400, it will be tough to get into any UC. </p>

<p>The weather in Irvine is also much better than the weather in Riverside.</p>

<p>Pomona and Fullerton are certainly safties that should offer you as last resort.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the reply~ I appreciate it. =3</p>

<p>And I see. =o I’m hoping my grades and personal statements PLUS my SAT score help me have a better chance of getting into UC. So just have to hope. 8’D</p>

<p>And I see. =o I may rethink UCR as my first pick then, but still not 100% sure. Either way, still hard choosing between the other 3. >_<</p>

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<p>I still need help with these colleges~
Any reviews/opinions D:?</p>

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<p>Fullerton and Pomona are not safeties. They get soooo many apps that they reject many very qualified applicants. those are 2 of the most popular CSUs.</p>

<p>Why are looking for a decision at this point? Why not wait until you see who accepts you. </p>

<p>Afterall, we all may decide that School X is best, but then you don’t get accepted or it’s unaffordable.</p>

<p>What is your UC GPA?</p>

<p>What are your PARENTS saying about how much they’ll pay?</p>

<p>If that SAT is your Math + CR, and money is an issue, then you should also quickly apply to a couple of schools that will give you LARGE merit for stats.</p>

<p>Also note, i’m not sure if I’ll be living on campus or not. But I don’t have much money to spend on college. =< I’m depending on FASFA and a few scholarships really. D:</p>

<p>FAFSA doesn’t “give” any money…it’s just an app that helps determine whether you qualify for a small amount of federal aid.</p>

<p>Cal Grants are based on family income. </p>

<p>Have your parents run the net price calculators on the Calif schools’ websites. </p>

<p>Private scholarships are usually only for frosh year, so that won’t help you for the rest of college.</p>

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<p>I see. D: A lot of people from my school are getting into Fullerton though… so it kind of gives me hopes. But at the same time, they got accepted awhile ago. If I reply now, it might be too late. >_<</p>

<p>I’m looking now because from what I know, I only have this month (so one week left) to apply to colleges. I haven’t applied to anything but UCR due to money issues, so I’m trying to find my 2nd choice. D:</p>

<p>I’m not sure what my UC is? My last transcript (missing a few classes for this year on it) had a weighted gpa of 3.61, unweighted is the same. and CalGrant gpa is 3.69</p>

<p>I’m not sure how much my grandma (I live with her) is willing to pay, not much. Maybe 2-3k?</p>

<p>How would I know what school gives me large merits for stats? The SAT is CR,Writing, AND math. CR and Math alone are about 890.</p>

<p>Well I know my grandma doesn’t make a big income, especially when she’s retired… so does that mean I may qualify for more cal grant money?</p>

<p>Thanks for the help~ =3</p>

8

<p>Elouia: if you are considering a health sciences career, either UCI or UCR would be good. As you know, UCR is opening up a med school later this year, so they have a very strong sciences undergrad program. </p>

<p>Your SAT scores are probably low for any UC. But your GPA is reasonable for UCR.</p>

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<p>That’s good to hear. 8D And yeah, they’re opening up the med school just in time for me. x3</p>

<p>I spoke with a UCR representative and she loved my gpa and some of the things I mentioned in my personal statement. So i have high hopes for UCR. =3</p>

<p>However, I can’t focus on just one school because I can’t be sure i’ll be accepted.</p>

<p>That’s why I’m trying to find my next best choice. =3 So far UCI seems to be the best choice, but still hard comparing to Fullerton. >_<</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply Crizello~</p>

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<p>I see. D: A lot of people from my school are getting into Fullerton though… so it kind of gives me hopes. But at the same time, they got accepted awhile ago. If I reply now, it might be too late. >_<</p>

<p>???</p>

<p>What do you mean? the apps for UCs and CSUs are being accepted right now (deadline very soon) and acceptances aren’t given out til later. How could your classmates already know that they’re accepted? </p>

<p>Your grandma’s income isn’t used. Your parents’ income will be used. Are your parents alive? If not, was your grandma given legal guardianship?</p>

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<p>“I see. D: A lot of people from my school are getting into Fullerton though… so it kind of gives me hopes. But at the same time, they got accepted awhile ago. If I reply now, it might be too late. >_<”</p>

<p>See, I was confused about this too. I asked how people were finding
out if they are accepted or not so soon, and I was told Cal states sometimes tell the people applying sooner that they were accepted or not unlike some other colleges?</p>

<p>My grandma has legal guardianship over me. My father lives nearby but he has guardianship over my 2 younger brothers. (My mother was the one who got us separated.)</p>

<p>I used my grandma’s income on my UC application for UCR. Was that bad? D:</p>

12

<p>

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<p>The CSUs often start accepting students before the deadline passes. Last year, I applied to the CSUs the second day the application opened, and was accepted by Humboldt State at the end of October (the application closes November 30 I believe).</p>

<p>Based on my experiences, students who apply early to non-impacted programs and have a CSU eligibility index far above the minimum or school’s average are likely to quickly get a response.</p>

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<p>That clears up the CSU question~ Thanks. =3</p>

<p>I’m just worried that I’ve waited too long to pick a college to apply to, seeing as it’s the last week. (Although I’ve spent all summer up till now researching colleges on my own.)</p>

<p>Do you happen to know anything about UCI,Fullerton, or Pomona. =o? Like how the campus is, how the teachers are, etc. ?</p>

14

<p>Warning; this post will ramble.</p>

<p>I’m only familiar with UCI, because I lived about 15 minutes from the school and would go there all the time to read in the science library or hang out with friends. The campus itself is IMO ugly. It’s basically a bunch of concrete buildings, but the off campus apartments are pretty nice. The freshmen dorms, Middle Earth, are your standard issue dorms. Slightly cramped, but offer all of the amenities. The science and engineering faculties are FANTASTIC (I worked for UCI engineering professors) and cutting edge research goes on there all the time. Biased though I may be, the Ayla Science Library is one of the best around in terms of overall comfort. The general library (can’t recall its name) is also quite good. The school is fairly flat but there are some hilly regions, especially around the quad. Irvine itself is one of the most bike friendly cities out there, and UCI is no exception. </p>

<p>In my area UCI has the reputation of a commuter school, but that may just be due to the fact that since I lived so close to the school, it made sense for students from my area to commute. I have a couple of friends that lived on campus from their freshman year on, and while they both agree that the social scene isn’t as vibrant as say, UCLA, there’s always something to do. </p>

<p>Greek life isn’t overwhelming at UCI. Most students are not affiliated, and from what my friends who didn’t pledge have told me, it’s certainly possible to have a social life without going greek. </p>

<h2>Off campus there are quite a few places to go eat (including two of my favorite cheap eats, Lees Sandwiches and Cha for Tea) but if you want to go clubbing you’ll have to go to Newport. Irvine is always ranked as one of the safest cities in America, and as a result basically prohibits nightlife. The city essentially shuts down after 10. A common joke is, how many UCI students does it take to screw in a lightbulb?</h2>

<ol>
<li>1 to screw it in, 9 to watch, because honestly, what’s there to do in Irvine after 10PM?</li>
</ol>

<p>I can’t tell you about the academics, because most of my UCI friends only discuss the research they’re doing with professors, not the actual classes.</p>

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<p>Lolll, I like that joke. x3</p>

<p>UCI seems to be my best choice at the moment, but people keep warning me it’s very ahrd to get into. Is that true? It probably is with my SAT score I guess. D: Even though my GPA is 3.6 .</p>

<p>UCI seems like a good place though, campus may not be great but everything else seems fine. Thanks so much for your review~</p>

<p>Also, what exactly is Greek life? I heard about it a bit but not 100% sure what it is. D:…</p>