Hello! I would appreciate any feedback folks here may have on these two schools for Applied Mathematics for DS22.
We are aware that as OOS attendees of state schools, we may not expect a lot of merit-based aid. U of WA provided the P&G scholarship for $5400/yr. UCI hasn’t come up with anything yet, nor do we expect much - if anything.
DS would love to be in a big city and is concerned that Irvine may not have as much going for it as LA (unfortunately, he was denied at UCLA and didn’t apply to other LA-based schools). I think there would be plenty to do on campus (hello! ESports!) and LA is within decent traveling distance. I’m not crazy about how he would essentially have to “apply” to his major at U of WA next year, although I do have faith that he’s bright in math and probably could get into his major (he’s taken Calc I-IV at our local state university and aced his classes). He was accepted directly into Mathematics at UCI.
Other options: He’s not crazy about attending our flagship,U of O, even though it would be $29K total. Also not as excited about UC Davis (no merit aid) nor UCSC ($7500/yr merit), due to city proximity.
Any advice/info would be most welcome…thank you!
ETA, while merit aid would be appreciated, we can handle the cost of OOS tuition, etc. (should we, should probably be another thread ). We do want DS to have a great undergrad experience socially too.
Have you visited each campus? My D22 really picked up the “vibe” of each school when she was able to see actual students. It also helped her to visualize logistics of actually living in each place — how close is the gym to the dorms? How would I get downtown and back? Is there a good place to go for a run and would I feel safe?
No videos or websites capture that like seeing the real thing. If you have visited, what was the focus/reaction? Which place felt like it had more of his people?
I haven’t been to UCI, but I do know travel all around LA can be challenging and unpredictable and take longer than the distance would suggest. Something to consider.
I am not fond of the capacity constrained major situation at UW, although he does sound well-positioned to get in. If he does choose UW, he should have a backup plan, however. Are there one or two other majors he would be relatively happy with if things went sideways?
What are his future career goals? If he wants to work right after graduation, would he prefer to have more connections and job opportunities in southern California or in Washington? Where does he ultimately want to live? (Might be good to have lots of alumni in the area.)
Has he checked out the faculty and math courses offered at each school? Which sounds most interesting? Who is doing the research or bringing in speakers he thinks is coolest?
Does he want the full Pac-12 experience with televised sports or is that irrelevant?
These are the kinds of things I would explore. I hope it brings some clarity instead of more questions.
Thanks so much! Your insights are truly helpful! He was at U of WA last weekend (along with a bajillion other excited students!) and really liked the energy of campus. I think he could come up another major, as he’s interested in Psychology and possibly Economics as well. Part of the fun for him was just walking around the university district too.
He’ll attend the UCI accepted students day next month with DH and hopefully come away with a better feel for its campus. I’ll have him make note of the differences in housing, environment, etc. And I know LA can be difficult if you don’t have a car. We have told him he won’t have one on campus and will have to contend with on-campus activities, unless he can find a convenient ride to LA or SD.
He could take or leave the usual college sports, but the UCI Overwatch team caught his eye😬 Both schools also have an intramural wushu team, which was his hs sport.
Good point about career location too. He’ll have to envision where he sees himself.
). We do want DS to have a great undergrad experience socially too.