<p>I've narrowed down my choices to these two. Since my family is middle class living in the SF bay area, USC did not give us a penny of financial aid, meaning that we will have to pay full tuition. We have enough saved up for the first and possibly the second year, but the 3rd and fourth are iffy.</p>
<p>USC's dual degree business admin/comp sci program really interested me and I was set on attending until the financial problems came in. My other choice is management science (not really a business degree) and a comp sci minor at UCSD. My main concern is being able to find a job after I graduate so I can get work experience needed for an MBA later. I've heard many say that UCSD's management science is difficult to get a job with right out of college, while USC's trojan network can land you a job even before you graduate.</p>
<p>So some pros and cons of both:</p>
<p>USC:
Pros:
-Trojan network (great for my intended major)
-Dual degree program instead of just minoring in comp sci, more flexibility in job market
-Marshall highly ranked
-Located in LA for great internship opportunities (this can also be a con, read on)</p>
<p>Cons:
-Expensive, $100k more in total for 4 years
-Located in LA, not too great of a neighborhood</p>
<p>UCSD (ERC):
Pros:
-La Jolla is a beautiful neighborhood
-Right by the beach
-Cost is half as much</p>
<p>Cons:
-Networking is not as strong (in fact I've heard complaints that the career advisors are terrible but that may just be the people I know)
-Class sizes are much larger due to it being a public school
-Management science is an economics degree, not a business one</p>
<p>While UCSD has less pros and more cons, USC's cost factor is a HUGE con to me. What I want to know is if the trojan network and the education advantages presented by USC are worth the extra $100k in total. </p>
<p>My parents have also said that if I decide to go to UCSD over USC, by the time I graduate they'll give me the $100k I would've lost going to USC to jump start my own life. I'm having a hard time deciding between the two, and I even visited UCSD' yesterday on admit day to ask the economics people some questions. Unfortunately all I got were vague answers and talk about "life being an unpredictable journey".</p>
<p>Personally this ones a no brainer for me you go with USC. Even with the $100k you’re gonna be getting more out of your USC education and as far as business schools go I’d prob say networking is one of the top 3 if not the top factor.</p>
<p>Did you apply to the USC degree specifically? I have been considering a similar option, but am unsure about the computer science niche of engineering.
Would CS (versus the other engineering majors) be unique and better in many ways? Would it open up special, more lucrative jobs?
If not, what other engineering fields would you recommend for someone who is social, active, and would not like to camp in front of a computer for long stretches of time?</p>
<p>roneald: $100k is a lot of money though. My parents would have to borrow against the house, and since my younger brother will also be entering college when I go into my 4th year of college I don’t want to burden them like that. The 100k they say they’ll give me if I go to UCSD is basically “oh you can ask us for up to $100k over a long period of time”</p>
<p>stylar: I’m not well-versed in the other engineering majors, you might want to take your question to the Engineering Major forum.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the better choice would be to go to CC for 1 year and then transfer to Berkeley or UCLA. (Contrary to popular belief, you can transfer after 1 year if you were UC eligible in high school.)</p>
<p>USC = $200K
Berkeley/UCLA plan = $75K</p>
<p>$125K is no chump change no matter how you put it.</p>
<p>Mhmm well I mean if you want you can always get a student loan out with really good rates and try paying it off yourself.</p>
<p>I’m just saying I’m choosing between my own business schools right now for undergrad, and the MAIN thing I’m looking at is the available networking the schools are willing to provide.</p>
<p>USC will get you a better job and will look better on your app, and will invariable get you into a better graduate school. However, money is a huge issue, so if its something not feasible to your family at all, then your UCSD option is not bad either. </p>
<p>I’m just saying non-circumstantial and just on the merit of pure monetary value, the USC degree is going to be worth the extra $100k. </p>
<p>However, if you can swallow your pride and take the CC route, that’d probably be your best option. Haas’ll give you the best value for your money in overall education and networking, and I’m 100% positive you’d be able to get into the same program at USC after a year at CC, which will proabably be free for you after FAFSA on your family’s situation. Just take the core GE requirements your first year at CC, and you can shave off a year of that USC tuition, possibly even two.</p>
<p>Well, USC is the better of the two options, but not when the money comes into consideration–then it is UCSD–something I think you already realize.</p>
<p>Your family quite simply cannot afford to put you and your brother through school at almost the same time.</p>
<p>Unless you are willing to go to a CC and then transfer to USC, your option will have to be to go to UCSD right now.</p>
<p>One other option is, if your family is able to afford an extra $20,000 or so later, you could go to UCSD for two years, and then transfer to USC’s Marshall School of Business at that time.</p>
<p>@roneald: About how much time would one have to spend paying off a low-interest student loan? I’ve heard so many horror stories of people going to an expensive private like USC and ending up still paying loans off when they’re 40.</p>
<p>@Calcruzer: Going to UCSD for 2 years then USC for the last 2 does sound feasible. We have enough saved up for the first two years, and I can try to get scholarships/grants durign my 2 years at UCSD to offset the future two at USC. I would still graduate with a degree of Business from USC if I chose this route right?</p>
<p>For the transfer route, look into what the requirements are for the double major you want at USC, and try and get as many of the basic ones out of the way at wherever you go for the first two years. A lot of the time the advanced electives are hard to transfer, but the general electives (basic bio, math, english) are pretty easy.</p>
<p>If you are pretty set on transferring, I would go to a CC for two years rather than a UC. You’ll be paying WAY less, and you can always apply to UCSD and USC after CC, and if you don’t get into USC you’ll basically be a GUARANTEE for either UCSD or even a better UC, such as LA or Cal. </p>
<p>Also for your loan, it really depends on how much you owe and how much you plan to pay off each year. Because the loans have such kick ass rates, many people often CAN pay them off in a much timelier manner but because it doesn’t hurt to just let it sit they decide to wait a few years extra so that they have more money to spend at the present. My point was that 10 years down the line from graduation, the 100k included, you would be happier from USC than you would from UCSD.</p>
<p>I thought student loans had around 6-8% interest, can’t you get lower if you borrow against the house?</p>
<p>Granted you don’t have to pay until you graduate, but my parents are willing to pay as I go through the 4 years of college and I pay them pay later, rather than face a huge load right after graduation.</p>
<p>I think going to CC kinda ruins the whole college experience thing, which is why I’m not really considering it. The way I see it, even if I fail to transfer to USC during my junior year I’ll still be at UCSD. During my 2 years at UCSD I may even come to like it so much that I’d be unwilling to transfer.</p>
<p>So, would a Computer Science major be especially beneficial in combination with a Marshall Business degree? Would other engineering fields be more lucrative or useful in combination with a business major?</p>
<p>After some careful consideration, I’m adding UC Irvine to my list of colleges to consider.</p>
<p>I’m in UCI’s Business Information Management major, which is basically business+comp sci. This is basically what I get at USC but at half the cost. However, I do lose the trojan family and the prestige from USC. UCSD is also more prestigious than UCI, but both are pretty similar in location/environment. Lastly, I’m in UCSD’s honors program for ERC, but not in the honors program for UCI. How useful is being an honors student?</p>
<p>I’ve also read rumors that marshall’s grading curve is especially harsh (2.85), meaning that it’s very hard to get into grad school if I want to further my education.</p>
<p>So to summarize:</p>
<p>USC: (+ and -)
+Trojan family
+Dual comp sci + business major
-Cost is $100k more for 4 years
-2.85 Grading curve harsh
-Bad location</p>
<p>UCSD:
+La Jolla = nice place
+ERC Honors program
+Cheaper
-Management Science isn’t a real business major, theory based
-Hard to get job with econ degree, need to go to grad school quickly</p>
<p>UCI:
+Good location
+Cheaper
+Dual comp sci + business degree (easier to get job with I hear)
-Least prestigious of the three
-Not in Honors program</p>