Hey Everyone,
I’m deciding whether to attend UCSB (for Fall 2016) or USC (for Spring 2017). I’m majoring in philosophy at UCSB and philosophy, politics, and law at USC. I’m going into college with a Pre-Law Emphasis, but I’m not sure which school is a better value choice for me. I have a huge financial restraint on where I choose to go to college. My dad is influencing me to go to UCSB, but I would love to be a Trojan and enjoy the opportunity at USC. What is the better value option, for a future Law School Student, USC or UCSB?
It’s important that you pick the school that you think you 1) can handle academically 2) fit into the best. It seems from the post that you want to go to USC more.
The best perk about going to USC is the Trojan network! Connections are SO SO important in the work force and USC’s alumni program is really good. They take good care of their Trojans 
Connections are invaluable so even with its high price tag, that alumni network alone may be worth it for you. And since USC is so well connected, it may be easier to get things such as internships.
UCSB on the other hand is a great school that has a balance of social and work life . It’s an absolutely beautiful campus and really gives that quintessential experience as most people stay there on the weekends vs. commuting. It is a really college focused community. They have a really good philosophy program and if you’re planning on law school, that is essential to doing well on your LSATs.
With that being said, it all boils down to what you want because a lot of the “value” of a college experience is also how much you hustle/put into it. Both of these schools have their advantages and disadvantages, but at the end of the day, they are both wonderful places for higher education!
If you were in my situation what would you choose?
I’m UCSB biased to be quite honest as I have visited USC and would not fit in very well.
With that being said, I would actually go with USC if I were you, because 1) it sounds like you prefer USC 2) connections. I cannot stress how important they are. I believe it’s one of the biggest reason why so many college grads aren’t employed right after college. They haven’t got their foot in the door. While going to USC does NOT guarantee connections with the right people, l it’ll definitely put you in a better position to make them than other public institutions since it seems to encourage students to make them and emphasizes it in the services they provide.
I know your dad may be pressuring you to go to a certain school but you need to do what’s best for you and go to a place you will do well and enjoy your time there. GPA is one of, if not THE biggest, deciding factor when it comes to law schools. The best uni for you is the one that you excel in. Your success in undergrad will really set you up for success in the future as a lawyer and in your post graduate studies!
Good luck! Hope you’ll keep college confidential in the loop about where you end up going!
What are my chances at these schools?
Asian, Male
UC GPA: 4.19
UW GPA: 3.84
W GPA: 4.22
SAT Single: 2120
SAT Superscore: 2160
Strong EC’s
Top 20% in class
Thanks!
Hi! I went to USC my freshman year, and transferred to UCSB for the remaining 3 years (and then ironically my husband went to USC for his MBA). I can speak from personal experience attending both schools that they are completely different schools. Both excellent choices, just very different. To my surprise, USC felt like a commuter school, which is a big reason why I transferred to UCSB. The area around USC is obviously not great, so you really feel like you need to “join a group” to belong at the school and find safe housing. As a result, it felt like you sort of had to join a fraternity/sorority or commute. I joined a sorority, and although there were parts I really enjoyed, I found myself much happier at UCSB. If you haven’t checked out Isla Vista (the college town where all the UCSB students live), you really should before making your decision. I loved living in a college town, and the Basketball/Soccer game atmospheres at UCSB seriously rivaled the energy of the the super fun USC football games. People at UCSB were generally just nice, down to earth people, which was lacking a bit at USC. From a connections standpoint (and having a husband with an MBA from USC and undergrad degree from UCSB), I would say the Gaucho community is just as strong in wanting to help a fellow Gaucho out in the real world. Good luck with your decision. Both great schools!
Hi! Same situation here. I got into both and USC has always been my dream school. But I didn’t get financial aid to either of these schools and being a California resident who(like you) is planning on getting a graduate’s degree, UCSB was a better option financially. In addition, I have been attending a prep school where the families here make upwards of $500,000 and USC feels like it’s just going to be high school 2.0 for me. At USC, I would be going to school with people who generally aren’t very down to earth. So I’m happy with UCSB. I hope you’re happy with wherever you decide too.
Important: If you are going to be going into law, go to UCSB. Getting grades will be relatively easier as USC is much more academically competitive. Once you’ve got a 4.0 going to Harvard Law or UCLA Law (2 feeder schools for UCSB pre-law), will be a bit easier.
@torrancecui I think you have a great chance at UCSB and USC, but make sure you really take the time to making your application good. I know people with great GPA’s and SAT Scores similar to you who got into Michigan and UC Berkeley who were rejected from USC.
@angiepie USC is so much easier to get better grades in. Your class sizes are very small and you have all the support you need. In SB, you’re competing against more than 200+ kids in some classes.