As a high school senior in CA, I applied to UCSD, UCM, UCLA, UCSC, and SDSU with Chemistry as my major (I want to be a Lab Scientist)… Only SDSU and UCM accepted me.
I’ll go to SDSU since I won’t have to pay any tuition or housing (Cal A + FAFSA), however I’ve read so many people stating that SDSU isn’t as academically good as any UC, and this discourages me.
I was planning to transfer to a UC (UCSD is my dream school) after 2 years in SDSU but I haven’t seen positive things about this either. My another option was to go to a CC but UCSD doesn’t have TAG anymore, and I really don’t want to waste any time in only my GE, I want lab experience and SDSU has some opportunities for this.
So after all the background, my questions: do you think is possible for me to get admitted in a UC school from SDSU? How could I increase my chances?
Best way to transfer to a UC is through a CC. CA CC applicants are given priority. It is not impossible to transfer from Cal State to a UC, but more difficult since many of the GE’s do not line up with UC GE requirements.
If you are looking into a CLS program, SDSU is an excellent option with a lower cost overall. Going to UCSD will not give a distinct advantage for a CLS program. You just need to complete your required classes with a competitive GPA and then apply. Being a CLS myself and having attended a Cal State (many moons ago) for my undergrad, I found the academic environment challenging and laboratory opportunities abundant. I have some co-workers whom orginally started at UC’s and ended up the Cal States such as Dominguez Hills to get into the CLS program. I also have some coworkers that attended UC’s such as UCLA for CLS. When it comes to jobs, there is no distinction on where you went for undergrad, but what skill sets you have to do the job. SDSU is a great choice and their CLS program is coordinated with UCSD. Good Luck.