I will be graduating high school during the spring of 2017 and am finalizing my list of colleges that I plan to apply to. I am set on going to California but I have never been there myself and I do not know what the different areas are like. I have narrowed my match schools down to UC SB/Davis/Irvine, but I can’t decide on a safety school. I was looking at Cal Poly SLO but I fear that may not actually be a safe bet and so I am looking for one more. At this point I am not super concerned with prestige, but I would still like to find somewhere that I can be moderately challenged. I plan to go into philosophy, psychology, or both, which are pretty general majors but I thought I’d mention it.
I’m from Iowa if that means anything.
Things to consider:
I will most likely be without a car, so bike-suited areas are preferable
I understand this is California, but I am hoping for somewhere fairly chill and not over-congested, a suburb or a quieter urban region. Still, I would like to be driving distance to someplace more active
-At the same time, I don’t want to go to a small college
I would like my housing to be biking distance from the beach - or closer
I’m coming to California to find year-round nice weather so I’m not looking for somewhere that gets too hot or too cold too often. +Sunshine is nice, yadayada, But of the etc., I really don’t want it to be too humid. But again, I don’t know if different areas of Cal are typically different in that way. Also, I’m hoping for somewhere where the water’s not too cold to touch for the majority of the time I’m there
^Kind of related to that, I chose against UCSC because its woodland campus, while awesome, was not for me. In California, I want to be somewhere with open air and nice parks/beaches
I’d like a college that’s pretty active in intramurals, clubs, things I can do for fun with other people
Friendly people in the area, not too ghetto
I’m assuming things will be expensive no matter where I go, but cost of living is always something to be considered
Any other input would be awesome, too!
PS: How might you describe the differences between somewhere like CSULB and Cal Poly SLO? What are your thoughts on San Diego?
I will have taken 8 AP courses by the time I graduate, and I may even go to Iowa for a year for gen ed, which will be much cheaper + I have already earned a scholarship there for $8500/year. So I may only have two-three years of college to attend in California not having spent too much to begin with, and I will say I come from a fairly privileged home. That said, my parents aren’t quick to spend, but they have already looked at California schools with me.
First, water is surprisingly cold in all of California. Compared to the Atlantic, the Pacific is fairly rough, there’s a lot of sea weed, and the water is cold, which is why most surfers wear wet suits even in the LA/San Diego areas. So don’t expect Caribbean-style beaches when you go to California.
Second, do you realize how hard it is to get into the UC system? Especially as an OOS student? Before you get too attached to the idea of attending a particular UC you should find out your odds of getting in.
Third, you do realize how much Calif. public schools will cost you? Are your parents willing to pay $40-$60,000 PER YEAR for overcrowded campuses in the throes of major budget cuts? Which is basically what California schools are now facing. One parent said that while attending an admitted student meeting at two UCs, she heard continued stories of students unable to graduate in 4 years, campus libraries cutting back hours, etc. etc.
Keep in mind that many popular Cal State campuses are largely commuter schools. It will be a different experience than going to a large state flagship with the core of activities tied to a campus.
About Calif: To avoid very hot areas, scratch off inland schools, especially around Sacramento, UC Davis, Fresno, Merced, inland LA (San Bernardino) and, obviously any desert areas.
Monterey and north of there gets cool and foggy in the summer… in fact, summers are surprisingly mild (and foggy) in the immediate Bay Area.
For the best year-round weather, I’d recommend coastal areas from Santa Barbara south.
What’s your GPA?
Safety- Cal Lutheran (Thousand Oaks), Cal Baptist, maybe Chapman and USD depending on your GPA/ACT/SAT.
Check out Occidental for another Match/ low reach.
Most UCs don’t accept sophomore-year transfers - so you’d have to do 2 years in Iowa. And their OOS transfer rates are very low, since their priority are California community college transfers.
Your GPA is a little low for the big-name UCs and your ACT is only a bit above average
Frankly, if your parents are willing to pay for a UC, I would concentrate on privates. Many are easier to get into, easier to graduate in 4 years, and you’ll get better services than at the large, bureaucratic UCs or cash-strapped Cal States.
At the moment I’m planning to go into philosophy/psychology. I really don’t know which schools are good in those categories. Do you know any private schools that are relatively strong there on the central coast? Would they be more open to a sophomore-year transfer? If not, any Cal State schools there instead? Regarding the UCs, I know there’s a tier drop from Irvine-Santa Cruz. Do you think I would have a lot of trouble getting into UCSC?
Irvine isn’t a top-tier, but it’s very good. As is Santa Cruz. (The only UC I would question would be Merced or maybe Riverside.) I think you’d have a shot at Santa Cruz and maybe Irvine, but it’s hard to say. Your stats are also a tad low for Santa Barbara (average GPA 4.0/29 ACT)
Most good colleges and universities will have good philosophy/psychology – they’re kind of basic fields. Look into Santa Clara University, Chapman, Occidental, Univ. of San Diego – all these will cost more than 55K per year… but that’s about what you’d pay for Irvine, for example.
You’d have to ask each school what their transfer policies are. Every school will be different.
Your dream school is a complete match to UCSB based on your wish list, and I’d also look at Cal Poly SLO as well. Cal State Monterey Bay might be a good safety. Best of luck with your senior year and applications!