So, I’m a junior in New Jersey and I would LOVE to move to SoCal and live the rest of my life there. Crosses fingers
UCS/UC GPA- 3.7 (I am hoping to improve this GPA since junior year isnt over and I might be able to bring my grades up. I still have two semesters to do this.)
SAT Score- 1680/1070
Critical Reading-640
Math-430
Writing-610
Eligibility Index- 4030
Is it hard to transfer into CSULB if I go to a junior college first to do the prereqs?
I want to major in Nursing, so what exactly are my chances of getting into that major?.
Also, if I don’t get into that major, am i undeclared? What happens then? Do I just take prereq courses?
Lastly, how are apartments near Long Beach or Irvine? I’m moving in with a friend who wants to go to UCI (also NJ resident… yes we’re aspiring SoCal-ers.) and we’re both willing to drive the mileage to our schools. (Irvine and Long Beach are only 45 mins away.) I lied, THIS is the last, what town is RIGHT in the middle of Irvine and Long Beach, I think living in the middle will cut down our driving times to our prospective schools.
Thank you so much for reading! 
Hi! I’m a Junior and I am from California with around the same GPA as you
It’s very nice here and apartments near Long Beach & Irvine are very very nice.
The area in or around Huntington Beach is nice and pretty much in the middle.
I’d say you have a good chance at CSULB and I’ll also be applying there.
SDSU is iffy because it changed by year.
So if you come here to California, I hope you enjoy it here! It’s great!
@ItsHydro , thank you for responding! I will definitely enjoy myself in CA!
Both schools are super competitive for nursing. Here are some EI’s of Pre-nursing applicants that have been accepted at these schools: 4264, 4492, 4430, 4420, 4680 this year. Your chances are low based on GPA and SAT. Definitely retake that SAT and aim for at least a 1900 to have better chances. SDSU/CSULB do not accept alternate majors, so you can either apply as Pre-nursing or as Undecided, not both. Are you able to afford the OOS costs for these schools at $30K/year. As an OOS student, you will not receive any financial aid.
@gumbymom ,If I apply as undecided, what happens then? Would it be smarter for me to go to a Junior College then transfer into csulb? And I thought oos tuition was $18,000 if I don’t include room and board since I will be living on my own? Also,what are my chances JUST to get into the school?
Cost of attendance for SDSU and CSULB is around $18K for tuition/books/fees. You still have to include the cost of transportation, food and housing, even if you are not living on campus. Apartments in the areas around Long Beach are not cheap and San Diego is even worse. My son will be renting an apartment as a 2nd year SDSU student. 2 bedroom shared by 4 students will run him 800/month ($3200 total). Are your parents paying for just school or school/room/board in the apartment?
@gumbymom My parents will be helping to pay for half of rent and all of my tuition. However, I am willing to make some financial sacrifices by working while going to school full time. What about the rest (undeclared, junior college, etc.)
You have picked two of the hardest Cal States to get into. Both schools get thousands of applications. Long Beach gets around 80K and they only accept a small amount of students. SDSU gets harder and harder to enter every year.
If you go the community college route, you will still be paying full fees at the CC, plus rent. Rents in Southern California are really high. It’s not that easy to find jobs in southern California. The CC’s will probably run about 20K per year for tuition. Your high school address will determine that you are OOS for both your CC and your University. Your current stats won’t get you in.
@auntbea so, is this just an overall bad idea? Or should I just stay in NJ? What do I need my scores to be for me to get into the csulb? Also, what schools WOULD accept me in CA that have a reputable nursin program?
Have you looked into the job market for Nurses in California? From my limited understanding they have one of the highest unemployment rate for Nurses in the Country…around 40% and it is very difficult for new graduate nurses to get jobs. Getting into Nursing schools are super competitive and you need close to 4.0 to get into a lot of the Nursing Programs. I think your best bet is to complete your Nursing Degree (BSN…you want to avoid ADN) in New Jersey/New York and then seek employment in California. Even if you go the Community College route, just getting into prerequisite courses can prove to be a challenge. Below is a link to a good source for information regarding Nursing issues in that state:
http://allnurses.com/california-nursing/
From the Long Beach website:
“Applicants to Nursing:
Nursing is the most competitive major at CSULB. Freshmen applicants will be admitted based on a calculated “STEM Eligibility Index.” The “STEM Eligibility Index” places additional weight on quantitative skills required for success in this major. Refer to STEM Eligibility Index for details of how this index is calculated. Applicants must have a minimum “STEM Eligibility Index.” The minimum for Fall 2014 Nursing consideration is 3,300. All eligible applicants will be ranked by the “STEM Eligibility Index” and will be offered admission based on space available”.
go on the website:
https://web.csulb.edu/depts/enrollment/admissions/freshmen.html
California schools are generally pretty good except that, whether public or private, your parents are going to be paying a nice chunk of change. There are private schools all over the state, but you have to decide how much you can spend at the schools, and whether or not they have your major.
Both school are competitive for nursing. But I highly recommend you to bump up your sat scores. I’m a senior and I applied for nursing as well to both of these schools (major mistake I did). Anyways I had a high GPA and low sat 1020/1600 and got rejected ):
Sucks because Sdsu was my first choice