My son’s passion is aerospace engineering but UCSC doesn’t offer this major. He would love to go to UC for aerospace but he’s only waitlisted to Davis and Irvine and we haven’t heard from them yet. He needs to SIR a school on May 1. CSULB seems like a good school but it has its commuter school feel and we like the prestigious feel of UC. We don’t know what to do. Insights?
Where u go wont matter. Having the major won’t matter. You can do MechE and go Aero for work - my son is. All that matters is ABET accreditation.
What kind of GPA unweighted ? SAT ?
Are you flexible geographically ?
You can apply to U of Arizona now - looks at unweighted GPA only. Solid merit depending on GPA. Great for Aero.
Or UAH in Rocket City. Huntsville AL. Yea it’s far but it’s cheap and it’s among all the aero companies. Good GPA and SAT for merit.
Both taking apps.
Otherwise you have no choice but CSULB unless you have other acceptances too.
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Thanks for helping. Does ABET really matter? UCSC is not, but CSULB is. UCSC doesn’t even offer MechE
His UW gpa is 3.8x W is 4.1x
Look up jobs. That’s all that matters.
UCI is a commuter school too in many ways or suitcase school.
If you want to be close and have a good unweighted GPA (for merit), I’d be in Tucson. Better situation than all.
So my son is at a sub 100. Interned with Fa Texh kids and others. He went back the 2nd year. They were not invited.
The UC pedigree doesn’t matter. ABET does as many job apps note it’s required.
So what are your acceptances - not wait lists ? Let’s start there.
Edit - no test score (bcuz of CA)?
So you can go to Tucson for $35-38kish all in. Great aero program. Great campus. Not commuter. Close to home. Quick, cheap flights.
30 minute app. Hear back next week.
Or CSULB and while it’s not traditional per se there’s nothing wrong with it.
I would not go to Santa Cruz. No ABET = no go.
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He’s accepted to UCSC (Robotics not ABET) and CSULB (Aerospace and ABET). Waitlisted at UCI , UCD, Santa Clara (too expansive for us anyway), and SDSU.
Sdsu Is very solid.
Thanks so much for helping. Yes you’re right. Job does matter. And I realize that he doesn’t have much choice. Hopefully we hear back from one of those waitlisted schools 
Oh SDSU is waitlist. Can you afford $35-38k?
If so apply to Arizona now. Great for Aero.
Are you open to other parts of the country ?
I sue r the last three years thriugh this. Seen lots of job descriptions.
UCI or CSULB doesn’t matter. UC just doesn’t.
My son wanted auto. Interned two summers in auto. He’s going to work in Aero. Just how it ended. Had two aero offers. 3 non aero. Auto came but too late.
He’s at Alabama. UAH is super strong for Aero but for West Coast, Arizona is solid. You have Raytheon right there, always hiring.
Don’t count on WL although with UC they are possible.
But it’s CSULB unless you are willing to look elsewhere last minute. You’d be in b4 May 1 if you applied to U of A.
Best of luck.
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Yes. It isn’t available for all engineering disciplines but for mainstream ones like MechE or Aero it is worth seeking out. And these programs are pretty standardized due to ABET so the engineering landscape is a lot flatter than many people realize. At the top you have Caltech and MIT and a few others, but most of the rest are viewed as roughly equivalent by industry. UC does not have much of an edge here if any in most cases over CSU.
Since your son wants to go into aero it seems like the clear choice at this point is CSULB. His future is going to be mainly determined by the effort he puts into what will be challenging classes (he will need to spend 10 hours or so per week studying for each math & engineering class) and if he puts in the effort to find internships (and do well in them)
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If he really wants aerospace, then CSULB is the only choice out of these (with the assumption that waitlist = reject). Many people do go into aerospace from mechanical engineering, but UCSC does not offer that major either.
The other option is to start at a community college and prepare for transfer to a UC or CSU. Aerospace engineering is offered at the following California public universities: CPSLO, CPP, CSULB, UCD, UCI, UCLA, UCSD, SDSU, SJSU. Mechanical engineering is offered at a wider range of California public universities, including less difficult to get into ones like SFSU and UCM.
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