I’m amazed by your accomplishments and working full time during a difficult period in your life. It’s truly their loss.
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A post was merged into an existing topic: Why Pick a UC
Please stay on topic about UC decisions. I’ve spun off two new threads with all the replies.
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A post was merged into an existing topic: Why Pick a UC
There are obviously more talented students in California than spaces available at UCs. No matter how they change admissions, some students will be left out. Making UC Merced more desirable would help but I don’t know if it’s enough. I wonder if they would ever consider transitioning a CSU to a UC?
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There is a lot of evidence to support the opposite of your statement: testing is not unbiased at all. Test scores are highly dependent on a student’s life experiences, cultural background, neurotype, and socio-economic status. This is the reason for the lawsuits that resulted in the test-blind policy at the UC. There are many scholarly articles about this, and much research has been done.
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Part of the problem in my opinion is marketing. There is no need to transition a CSU to a UC because the main difference between the two is research and graduate programs. Most people will never participate in a research career and most people will never go to graduate school. The undergraduate focus of the CSU system means sometimes better teaching and better undergraduate experience. However because so many people are focused on rankings (which highly prioritize the graduate schools), people tend to not value the CSUs as highly as they should, IMO. So really if the state of CA started focusing on advertising the differences between the two systems, the good outcomes for students at CSUs, and helping students to understand which careers and majors are better at each system, the UCs could become less impacted and some of the smaller CSUs could grow.
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I agree. So many students and parents are hung up on the UCs and I’m sure a lot of it is perceived prestige. I get a lot of funny looks and comments when I tell people I don’t plan to apply to UCs, only CSUs.
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There is a difference in financial aid, though, I think. My neighbors are distraught because they qualify for the Blue and Gold award for their D21 at UCD. Their D23 was only admitted to UCM, and UCM does not have her major. If their D23 goes to her CSU admits, she has a much lower financial aid award. As far as I can tell, financial aid is more generous at the UCs.
The cost is also lower at CSU schools, too. The net cost is probably similar, because the need awards are based on EFC.
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That is for tuition only. What about housing?
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I have helped the neighbor run the NPC for both UCM and the CSU. The difference in financial aid for the cost of attendance for each of striking.
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EFC takes into account housing costs as well. They offer a package based on financial need at both UCs and CSUs. I have seen my daughter’s financial packages at several CSU schools and several UCs and the overall cost to us is lower at the CSU because of our EFC…the lower overall cost of the CSU means we have to take out fewer loans (and she would live on campus at all of them).
I agree. My son showed in his PIQs and ECs strong leadership in collaborative environments which looks like resonated with Davis and Irvine where he got accepted even though his GPA wasn’t as high as others in Engineering.
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Unfortunately my neighbors have had the opposite experience of yours. Only around $5,000 in grants for the CSU and over $22K from UCM.
Is that actual awards or NPC? Anything they get from the state or national stuff will be forthcoming at both systems. Institutional aid tends to bridge the gap for the higher cost of the UC. Have them compare the bottom line when they get the actual awards–amount of aid doesn’t matter if the cost of the CSU is less in a proportionate amount, if that makes sense.
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Also, they can contact the financial aid office and make sure all the Cal Grants/Pell Grants etc are showing up. It would be surprising if their financial aid made a UC cheaper–unless it was merit aid like Regents.
I’ll DM you as to not take over this thread. 
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Yes I think some CSUs could/should transition to UCs (start offering grad degrees and doing research), and some community colleges in desirable locations (like SBCC) could transition to Cal States (offer 4 year degrees). There are 116 community colleges in CA. Are some underutilized, and could be Cal States or UCs?
Clearly there’s a desire to be near water for Californian students (like everyone else). It’s certainly not the only factor as some inland colleges are more popular/desirable than some near the ocean colleges. But it seems to be a big one.
It’s expensive. But think UC Lake Tahoe or UC Mendocino.
I think Cal State Monterey Bay is an underrated gem. Located right next to some of the most glorious real estate on earth, Carmel and Monterey. Maybe it should convert to a UC Monterey Bay. Demand for it would increase because there’s little demand for it as a Cal State.
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Just now, I checked out an overhead/drone image of the Merced campus. At first I thought I was looking at a rural airport – nothing near it, like it was plopped in the middle of farmland or a very large park.
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