<p>Good Morning everyone..I wanted some help. My fiance just got accepted into UCLA and UCSD and we can't decide where he should go. UCLA is his dream school, the school he's always wanted to go to. He is a transfer student so he will enter either school as a junior. The dilema wea re running into is that UCLA is ranked #13 for his major and UCSD is #14. He is doing electrical engineering. We have a 3yr old daughter and we can't decide if it's worth moving her preschools, etc. We currently live in San Diego but it would take him a good hour at least with traffic to get to UCSD. If we moved to La we could live in the family housing that is 5miles from campus. I worry with gas prices that him driving to San Diego everyday will be so expensive. La is also more expensive to live. I don't know. He keeps asking me what I want to do and I don't know what to say. I am leaning towards UCLA because it is the school he has always wanted to go to and if he turns it down I think he would regret it a year from now. It's just hard with a kid to drop everything and move. Any advice would help. Thank You
Lisa</p>
<p>I don't think UCLA engineering is worth uprooting the family if you don't want to. UCSD also has a good engineering program.</p>
<p>The difference in rank- 13,14- may seem large but it really is, in the scheme of things, negligable and wholly significant. What's important in this situation is to both reconcile family importance with your fiancee's dreams and opportunities. In the overall picture, I imagine that while both cities are expensive it would be better if you did move to LA so you could live in closer proximity to the college. Your daughter is still so young that moving schools really is not a problem- she can quickly adjust, as hard as it may be, to a new preschool/kindergarten. My one concern is living area- it is important, because LA is such a diverse city( in terms of people but also regionally and living areas) that you find a good area to live in with a good, solid preschool/educational system. The most important thing to think about concerning your young daughter is finding a good environment- children are the most impressionable from a young age and where you place her will mold and shape her ideals, values and sense of education. While it is important that your fiancee attends his dream school( and that's another reason to consider- UCLA is such an accomplished, accredited school that post-collegial studies when he's looking for a job, just coming from UCLA is recognized and in many cases, that name factor overrides the fact that UCSD is one ahead. Honestly, most don't know/care about that. ), it is also important that you look ahead to your daughter's education. If you are in a crime-ridden, more urban setting, think about where you want to go in the future. After your fiancee graduates, where will you live? How much income can you expect, currently and in the future? What are your savings like? This is really such a comprehensive question- really think it through and consider your finances, what will keep the family together, your daughter's education, your fiancee's future job possiblities,etc. Having a family( a daughter) really changes everything and she must be the fist factor into everything!</p>
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UCLA is such an accomplished, accredited school that post-collegial studies when he's looking for a job, just coming from UCLA is recognized and in many cases, that name factor overrides the fact that UCSD is one ahead.
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<p>Sorry, coming from somebody who works in this field for a long time. UCLA does not necessary overrides UCSD. Only students in CC care about the difference, but in real life, it's a minute different. What matters is where your family envision your fiancee endup working, near San Diego or near LA. If you go to UCSD, most likely there are companies near San Diego that will be interviewing. If you go to UCSD, most likely there are companies that are near LA interviewing.</p>
<p>College rankings are one thing, but "dream schools" are something that you shouldn't give up lightly. If both you and your husband are leaning toward UCLA, then maybe you should listen to your hearts and go there. Especially if you can get married student housing. UCSD is in an expensive area as well (La Jolla), and gas is somewhat cheaper in LA than it is in San Diego.</p>
<p>Your 3 year old daughter can be a Bruin too. They have adorable toddler cheerleader outfits for sale at the UCLA Store. :)
UCLA</a> Cheerleader Outfit - Toddler - Kids - UCLA Store</p>
<p>Also, there are some preschool options available on campus for your daughter, you might want to further explore this.</p>
<p>We have looked into the preschool at UCLA. The problem we are coming across the past few days is that there are waiting lists for every preschool in the area. The UCLA preschool says transfer family students get first priority for the preschool but there is no guarantee. We get put at the top of the waitlist. I called around to a few otehrs today and the shortest wait list was 14months. Plus the cheapest I could find right now is $307.00 a week. Ouch. We pay $236.00 and live in Encinitas (about 20 miles from UCSD campus). If he goes to UCLA we are already guaranteed the family housing that is 5 miles from campus. I don't know. I am worried about our daughter not getting into preschool in time. I have to work, but if we stay and he goes to UCSD the commute even though it's 20 miles traffic is awful and gas pricies are outrageous. If we stay I don't want to live in UCSD family hosing. If we did that I would have to commute to work with a 3yr old. No thanks. I am not going to give up my good paying job to live 20 miles away. I am so lost on what to do.</p>