Hi guys,
I’ve gotten accepted into both UCLA and CSULB and am extremely conflicted on which school to go to. I am currently planning to major in English, but since I have no idea what career path I want to enter, there’s a chance that I might change my major… (I’m not sure what I’d change it to yet, so that makes this an even harder decision.) I also might decide to go to graduate school.
For CSULB, I was blessed to receive the presidential scholarship that provides me a completely full ride, along with “priority registration, small classes, faculty mentors, internship support, summer research assistantships, and opportunities for international educational travel and local civic engagement.” I would also have to do a research project/honors thesis for my senior year. Out of hundreds of applications, only 30 people are chosen for this per year, so it’s a pretty big deal.
On the other hand, my estimated cost of attending UCLA is projected to be about $8.8k per year. After talking to my counselor and considering the fact that the costs are overestimated and include some variables, we took that number down to about $4.3k per year. For an education at UCLA, that is a pretty cheap price. Many of my teachers have also told me that UCLA would offer me more opportunities since it’s located in Los Angeles and is such a big school.
Where do you guys think is the best place to go? These are both extremely good options. Money is an issue for my family, but I do still want to consider opportunities, the social life, and my future with this degree in finding a job/attending grad school. Would it be worth it in the long run to turn down this amazing scholarship for a relatively low price in attending UCLA? Or is it a better decision to accept this free opportunity at LB? I would love to hear anybody’s input, especially if they’ve attended UCLA or have received the Presidential Scholarship for CSULB!