UCI (Undeclared) vs UCSD (Undeclared) vs Purdue University (System Analysis and Design)

College Search & Selection
1

International student, who is used to 90+ degrees Fahrenheit, and likes to play to soccer.

UCI: I applied for Computer Science, accepted as Undeclared

UCSD: I applied for Computer Science, accepted as Undeclared

Purdue: I applied for Computer Science initially, accepted as System Analysis and Design

I really can’t make a firm decision here. I really wanted to enter university as a Comp Sci undergrad (Especially in California), but, I got accepted as undeclared. The only reason why i am considering Purdue is that i actually got accepted with a major, rather than needing to transfer later on.

I’ve heard that ucsd is more prestigious, will be better for jobs in the future, and has excellent weather yearlong, but I’ve also heard that its social life is not the best. On top of that, UCSD does not have a division 1 soccer team.

I’ve heard that UCI is still prestigious, but not as prestigious as UCSD. It’s social life is undoubtedly better, with similar weather to San Diego. It has a division 1 soccer team.

I’ve heard that Purdue has a great engineering and computer science department, but i got accepted into a major I don’t really know about (not a huge problem, still under the same field). Social life is pretty good. Cold weather.

I’m having trouble deciding on what my priorities should be:

  1. Should the prestige of a university be my top priority?
  2. Can bad weather be a deciding factor between universities?
  3. Should the social life of a university impact my decision?
  4. Should i go to Purdue because my major is set?
  5. If i decide not to go to Purdue, should I go to UCI (over UCSD) because it has a better social life, and a sports team?

Please help, any advice is welcome
Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

2

Check how difficult it will be to get into the CS major at each school. If CS is important to you, this should be a big consideration.

3

I agree with @ucbalumnus, you need to see how difficult it is to transfer into CS from Undeclared at UCI and UCSD. For UCSD, transferring into CS is very difficult and based on your GPA in the required courses prior to transfer. Even though you have a high GPA, there is no guarantee.
From UCSD CSE website:
I was not admitted into one of the CSE Impacted/Capped Majors and am currently Undeclared or other major. If I hope to change into a CSE major in a future quarter, what should I do prior to applying?

Can CSE be your “back up plan?” Explore open majors – is there one that meets your academic and career goals? Popular choices are Math CS, Cognitive Science, ICAM, Bioinformatics (via Biology or Chem/Biochem)
Enroll in the CSE courses that are required to meet eligibility requirements for applying to the major (see below).
These courses also fulfill requirements for the major, which means you will be making progress toward the degree by taking them.

Talk with your undergraduate college adviser to determine which General Education courses to take.
Did you earn strong grades in CSE courses? Have you developed a real passion for the field? If the answer to both is “Yes!”, then you should proceed with the application process (see below).
What are the eligibility requirements for submitting an application?

Minimum of eight units of courses completed at UC San Diego for a letter grade, drawn from the following courses: CSE 8B or CSE 11, CSE 12, CSE 15L, CSE 20 (or Math 15A), CSE 21, CSE 30, and CSE 100.
All of the following courses (or their accepted equivalent) must have been completed prior to application: CSE 8B or 11, CSE 12, CSE 15L, and CSE 20 (or Math 15A). If taken at UC San Diego, courses must be completed with a letter grade (see #1).
What are my odds of being accepted into a CSE major?
The odds of getting into a CSE Impacted Major will vary every quarter because there are six variables.
What is your GPA in the criteria courses? What is the GPA of everyone else in the pool? How many spots are there compared to number of applicants?

Variables for number of spots: How many incoming freshmen and transfer students are CSE majors? How many continuing students changed out of the major? How many CSE majors graduated?

For UCI, the GPA requirement is lower the UCSD but again it will depend upon how many spots are available in the program.
From UCI website:
Cumulative UC GPA= 2.0
Course grades= 2.0 average GPA or above in ICS/CSE 21 and 22 or Informatics 41 and 42, or ICS 31 and 32; and one of the following: Math 2A, Math 2B, ICS 6B/Math 6B or ICS 6D/Math 6D.

Since you were accepted int0 an Engineering major at Purdue, it will probably be easier to switch majors but again double check.

4

Hey there! I’m just a student but my dad is a software engineer and he was originally a math major in college so you don’t necessarily have to be CS to end up in that field just an FYI

5

Are you a potentially recruited soccer player? Do you want to try to walk on to the team? Or is it that you want to watch high-level soccer? There is a big difference.

All of these places will have at least a club team, and lots of intramural teams, so it should be easy to play soccer just for fun if that is what you want to do.

Prestige in the US is immaterial. Prestige in your own country is what would matter. If any of these places is more likely to get you a job when you go home, then that is where you should study.

6

Purdue!! don’t look back!! why risk the uncertainty? Purdue engineering school is WELL known!!

7

Bump

8

Thank you guys!

@Gumbymom I was thinking about Mathematics & Computer Science as a major in UCSD, but the problem is that i would like more programming in my courses and major. Mathematics & Computer Science involves programming, but very little of it.

@amandaq32 Ya, but I’d rather get most of the CS stuff done in college, like programming.

@happymomof1 I think I could be a potential soccer player, but I realized that should not be my top priority. I forgot to mention that I am American living internationally, so there is a possibility of me staying in the US after university,

@CollegeSpec UCSD has really great CS rankings, and is a great school overall. I feel like I shouldn’t miss an opportunity to graduate from one of the top unis in the country. I also really want to stay in California. (I’m close to some family, and the weather is really a priority to me)

I forgot to mention that I also got accepted to UC Davis for computer engineering. I would still rather graduate with a major in Computer Science.

9

If you are paying international money and if they are not giving you a major, don’t go there.

10

“I forgot to mention that I am American living internationally”

This changes everything. We have been advising you under the assumption that you weren’t eligible for work or financial aid.

Run the numbers here: http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml
Is your family full pay everywhere? Did you get any aid at all? If you didn’t get any aid (or no loans were in the aid packages), you can file the FAFSA and you will automatically qualify for basic student loans ($5,500 freshman year, $6,500 sophomore year, $7,500 junior year, and $7,500 senior year). That might make one place or another work a bit better for you and your family.

Also, since you are a citizen, you can get a part-time job during the school year, and a full-time job/internship during the summers. It really is OK for you to contact the Career Center at each university, and ask them where students with your potential major(s) have found internships and post-graduation jobs in recent years. Don’t be afraid to do that. Many employers recruit nationwide, but there also are jobs that are local. If you’d prefer to start your working life closer to your family in CA, and the costs are essentially the same for the UCs and for Purdue, then it is perfectly OK for you to choose a university in CA.