Indecision at the Crossroads - UCSB vs CalPoly SLO vs Berkeley for Applied Math or Nuclear Engineering or Biomedical Engineering

First - congratulations to your D, all awesome acceptances.

They also are very different majors. Is there any one that your D likes more than the others? Berkeley will open the most doors, applied math is the most versatile degree, while biomedical engineering is probably the field which is the most vibrant these days.

However, I was wondering about your thoughts regarding how your D will navigate college life as a minor. She’ll be 16, surrounded by kids who are mostly older than 19, while her classmates will mostly be 18 and older. Where is she thinking of living, and again, much of campus life is based on the assumption that students are 18 and older, so there will be activities and venues that are either not accessible or not appropriate for kids who are younger than 18.

As an aside - how is she a private pilot at 16? Based on the schools that you targeted, I assume that you live in California, and the age requirement for a private pilot’s license in 17 (I remember when my nephew wanted one). Is there such a thing as a pilot permit (like a driver’s permit) for kids younger than 17?

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