<p>So my major is Political Science/Intl' Relations and i plan to attend law school. I currently live in corona roughly 30-35miles from UCI and 90 miles from UCSD. I've got a great job at a local retailer that I'm moving up the chains in. I cant for the life of me decide whats a better route to go. I am leaning towards UCSD for the rankings and prestige but it would cost me nearly 18k W/ aid per year. With UCI it would cost me maybe 7-8k With aid assuming i live at home. Ive been planning for UCSD all along but my parents are drilling me towards UCI because its way more cost effective and they don't want me to move out.</p>
<p>Now i agree with the cost effective part because I will be paying for myself through College primarily. Any suggestions or tips would be much appreciated</p>
<p>In the long run, the cost won’t matter. I say go where you feel like going. If you want to live at home and think you can concentrate on school at the same time, go to UCI. Both are great schools and Grad school is what matters. If the cost (11K difference over 2 years is 22K) is THAT big of a deal, go to UCI…but I honestly think it is not that big of a deal in the LONG run.</p>
<p>Personally I go to UCI and I find it to be a great school with top-notch faculty. Fairly easy to maintain a high GPA, for me at least. </p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>So do ranking/prestige hold much of any value at the undergraduate level when it comes to internships especially in the International relations and foreign policy department</p>
<p>Bottom line is this: both schools are respected in Southern California and neither school is well known outside of Southern California. Either one will provide you with a quality education </p>
<p>I think having some space from your family is necessary to one’s personal growth. Living at home for college is an AWFUL idea, no matter how cost effective. Get loans if you have to. Commuting from Corona to Irvine will drive you insane anyway. </p>
<p>Neither school has a great social atmosphere; both are mostly commuter schools. However, UCSD probably beats UCI by a narrow margin in this arena. </p>
<p>I know that companies like SAIC, Broadcom, and Qualcomm recruit UCSD students actively and it is at least a little bit better school than UCI. Their overall difference in prestige is not huge but UCSD wins here. </p>
<p>Either way, congratulations on being admitted to both schools.</p>
<p>P.S. I am a current Law Student and I’m certain that UCSD is a better spring-board to law school than UCI. Also, there are MANY UCSD alums at my school and most of them perform well.</p>
<p>SD fashoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo</p>
<p>If I had a choice between the two schools…I would choose SD. Seems like you want to go to SD as well. 90 minutes is not bad at all and you could probably go home on the weekends if you would like. I hear SD is an anti-social school. I just came back from visiting the campus 30 mins ago. It’s a really great campus. A little big and spacious but I’m sure the social life isn’t bad on the inside. Anyway, I am a poli sci major trying to pick between Cal and SD, and so my research shows that SD really does have one of the best poli sci programs, as well as an awesome study abroad program. Don’t worry about costs because it is a justified investment. No worries! </p>
<p>Have you visited UCSD? What did you think of the place?</p>
<p>SD has really nice and sedate weather. I’d say SD, but your opinion could differ.</p>
<p>I absolutely <3 ucsd, and I’m a guy. I feel so at home there…it’s a great campus with a great setting and awesome facilities. if it weren’t for a better offer and better housing at ucla, I’d be there. it’s more ‘diverse’ than uci, if you know what I mean too…they have great study abroad too, I hear. I was to be a int’l stud/poli major. do it!</p>