UCR: Sociology (alt) major
CSUF: Psych major
UCSB: Pre-Psychological and Brain Sciences major
My estimated financial package for both UC’s are 25-26k. Haven’t heard back from CSUF. I definitely want to live on campus so I’m kind of leaning away from Riverside and Fullerton because I live in the middle of them (about 20-30 mins). Besides, i’ve heard CSU’s give less financial aid so i’m stuck. My sister goes to UCSB but I feel like i’ll just be a loner over there since multiple of her friends went there and none of mine applied/got accepted there. I want to be an occupational therapist (#1 career goal) or, perhaps, something involving the elderly/disabled. There’s pros and cons about each college and I don’t know what to do.
What do you want to do after graduation? I’d also look into the programs at the schools you got into and see which is a better fit for you. Personally, I love UCR because of the small campus and how pretty it was (at least I thought it was). LOL. I know people who love it and people who hate it. I don’t go to UCR but I’ve visited the campus several times and there are times I wish I had gone to UCR instead of UCD but hey, things happen for a reason. UCSB is also not a bad school. I believe it’s a high to mid tier UC so if you care about the rankings, it’s something to consider. Just keep in mind that if you choose UCR, you are still getting the same UC education as maybe going to UCSB. I attend Davis and some of my professors even use books published by professors from UCR. Also, think about finances! I ended up at Davis because it was closer to home compared to UCR which would have been 6-8hrs from where I am. Finance is really important especially if you plan on going to grad school in the future. I don’t know anything about CSUF so I can’t really say much on it but CSUs in general are good too! It honestly depends on what you want- do you plan on doing research or doing more hands on work? UCs are more research based so if you like that, UCR & UCSB would be a better pick. If you like being more hands on and smaller lecture halls, CSUF would be better for you. Both systems are good and it just depends on what you want to get out of your college career. Good luck!
If you are dead set on an occupational therapy career, look at occupational therapy grad school requirements. Can you achieve those at either of the three choices? At UCR you are accepted for Sociology, can you still get all the requirements? At UCSB you are a Pre-psychology major. Look at the selectivity of entering the actual major. If you don’t get into psychology, can you easily get into another major that will support your career aspirations? At CSUF you have been admitted to the actual psychology major, does that make the path to OT grad school more straightforward or not?