Ok so I know the pros and cons for each school. But How do I know what will be a better choice for me? I’m not sure which one will be a mistake. I never thought of going into UCI until I got rejected from UCLA and I didn’t want to go to UCSD cause it is far. I like UCI now I feel like there is a lot of opportunity there for my major it’s just the money is scaring me. My parents can’t help me ( i don’t expect them to) but if I ever need a co signer for loans they won’t sign…anyways I like CSULB it’s cheaper; however, I think there won’t be much opportunity to do research or more field work for my major over there compared to UCI. I’m worried if I go to CSULB I will have to wait longer to do research or internships for my major and worried that what if I can’t get classes that I need. I like UCI more so far (campus, people, and facility wise) it’s just the money is scaring me. What do I do? How can I know if going to UCI will be bad or CSULB will?
Oh ya I want to go to grad school so i thought CSU then UC will be better financially wise but I heard UC’s tend not to pick CSU applicants. Please anyone give me advice or a sign, or your experience at your college. Right now I should have made up my mind already but I haven’t.
Oh ya both UCI and CSULB are same distance from my house so not too bad for the drive part.
First figure out if you can afford UCI at all. What does the package look like? You are going to commute from home?
Can you tell us a little more aBout the finances? What kind of FA will you receive from each school? Are you a transfer?
It’s not true about what you’ve heard. UCs accept load of transfers so it’s no more prestigious than CSUs. But if you like UCI go to UCI. Can you commute which will help with cost.
How can you be sitting on admission to both right now?
Deposits were due months ago.
Since budget is a big constraint and you plan to attend grad school, Long Beach is probably the better answer at about half the price.
I don’t know my financial aid yet for UCI but for CSULB I got 3500 on a grant and rest 7000 in loans… 
I did both deposits because I didn’t know which one to go. I plan on driving to either school. But Will CSULB look good for grad school when applying? There’s less research opportunity there but you think I’ll be able to get to do them there at CSULB? I wish I knew someone in psych from CSULB. 
I just don’t want to make a wrong mistake and ruin my future goals. I don’t want to be in so much debt but I don’t want a less quality of education and not able to get in the TOP school for graduate school
Also I heard that UC’s get the good paying jobs compare to CSU students
I don’t understand your situation. CSULB begins school in about 2 weeks. UCI starts next month. You must have already submitted an intent to register, and signed up for classes at one or the other. If not, you won’t be attending when they start.
Holding slots at 2 schools this late in the game is a big no-no. If you have done this (on purpose or not) you need to cancel one immediately.
Also, CSU tuition is around $7k per year. If you are commuting, why do you need $10,500?
Since you plan to attend grad school, you are probably best served by earning your BS at a school where you can get great grades and won’t break the bank. (even starting at a CC will work). With a handful of exceptions, CSUs and CCs don’t provide ‘low quality’ education. Also, grad school admission is generally all about GPA and GRE.
Once you have the grad degree, nobody will know (or care) where you did your undergrad.
Gruntx7, what kind of research do you want to do? It sounds like you are throwing out a lot terms because of hearsay. If that’s the case go where you want to go, why bother going on CC asking questions?
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I’m not sure which one will be a mistake.
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Why must you think that one is a mistake. They both may be equally or near-equally good.
It’s BS that grad schools won’t admit CSU students. Who told you that nonsense?
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it’s just the money is scaring me. My parents can’t help me ( i don’t expect them to) but if I ever need a co signer for loans they won’t sign…anyways I like CSULB it’s cheaper
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So, are you telling us that likely UCI will cost more than the aid that you’ll get? What was your EFC?
How come you haven’t gotten your aid pkg yet? Are you a transfer student?
Is the grant that you got for the CSU for one semester or the year??
“for CSULB I got 3500 on a grant”
this must be for the semester. CSU aid is pretty black and white…you either get the value of Calgrant ($5-6k) (plus pell grant if your need is super high) or you get nothing, since institutional aid is kinda nonexistent…so this amount is too small to be for the whole year.
SLO, SD, Fullerton, LBSU, CPP are CSUs on steroids. only .1-.4 gpa from incoming freshmen behind UCs.
CSUs are a great deal. It really depends on your major, alot of CSUs offer Master’s. Long Beach is close to big cities, more exposed to job oppurtunities.
High level CSUs, and low tier UCs are comparable except a UC is half the cost and much more focused on teaching you the actual job while UCs are constantly called theory based.
I am a transfer student, they haven’t been giving me aid yet cause they been asking for all sorts of documents from me. Finally finished them all I hope every week it seems to be a new thing to turn in. (Im always on top of it, the day I get the email next day I hand it in.) The grant I got from CSULB is for the whole year.
Also, I took a workshop for grad school (i went to a AGS (honer’s club) Conference and they told me that the faculty viewing your application for grad school is “academically snobbish.” The two people doing the workshop both graduated from a CAL STATE for undergrad degree but went to a UC for Grad. They said it’s cause they had to work really hard but they know that the “academic snobbish” is true because they were part of the board to review applicants for grad.
It really is for the whole year sadly I don’t know why it’s low. I’m worried now that UCI will be just as bad in grants.
@gruntx7 Hmm…is it a Pell grant?? and did you file FAFSA after the CalGrant deadline and thus forfeit it? that must be it…
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High level CSUs, and low tier UCs are comparable except a UC is half the cost and much more focused on teaching you the actual job while UCs are constantly called theory based.
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I think you mean that CSU’s are half the cost.
Back to the student: Why aren’t you showing a Cal Grant? What was the grant for? What is your EFC? Do you have siblings in college?
Gruntx, I know people who graduated from CSU and got PhD from top UC such as UCLA engineering. You need to get good grades at CSU though. The people who told you snobbishness probably were snobbish themselves, didn’t they get into UC from CSU. I think once they get there they turn snobbish.
It is a pelgrant. I file FAFSA on time.
Well it says Pell Grant, it’s the gift money you don’t pay back basically. I only have two siblings in college right now.
^ Yeah, it could’ve only been a pell grant, since CSU’s don’t give institutional grants, even to 0 EFC kids.
Hmm trying to figure out why no CalGrant…
if you’re eligible for CG, it’ll show on your estimated package (the one you get when you’re admitted) for any California school. however, once you commit (which i’m assuming you did) to a school, in order to actually receive CalGrant, you must select the school you’re attending on the CG website, so that they can send it to the correct school
check the site…which school is listed as the one you’re attending?