Hello, after a lot of research on the colleges I was accepted to, I have narrowed it down to the University of Southern California and UC San Diego. If I were to go to USC I would be majoring in Environmental Science and Health and minoring in film while at UCSD I would be majoring in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution and also minoring in film. I made a list of the most significant pros and cons between the schools and would appreciate any input.
USC Pros
-Really good film program
-Vibrant student life
-Smaller class sizes
-Ability to study at the Wrigley Institute in Catalina as part of my major
-Trojan alumni network
-Able to easily switch majors
-The major here would allow me to explore two interests both environmental health and environmental science
USC Cons
-Less financial aid than UCSD (Assuming my aid stays the same every year, I would graduate with about $25,000 of debt)
-Lesser known environmental science program
UCSD Pros
-Free (I got a scholarship so assuming I receive the same amount of FA each year I would graduate debt free)
-Ability to study at Scripps Institute as part of my major
-Suite style dorms, which I prefer (I know USC offers suite style dorms but they’re too expensive so I would have to live in a traditional residence hall instead)
-I love how close to the beach the campus is
UCSD Cons
-Not a lot of social events and activities
-Larger class sizes
-Difficult to switch majors due to capped status
-The major here would only allow me to explore one half of my interest (only the environmental side, not the health side)
The main factor that keeps me torn is that UCSD is free while at USC I would be accumulating debt. I definitely like USC more, but can see myself happy at both schools. I guess what I’m trying to ask is, are the pros of USC strong enough to justify not attending a school for free? And I plan on applying to grad school so does it matter which school I get the degree at? Thank you for any help, I sincerely appreciate it and sorry for the lengthiness of this post! 