<p>I will be graduating Spring 2009.</p>
<p>Gus2009, you really turned down UCLA for UCM?</p>
<p>can you give us a brief explanation please? this just goes against everything I’ve ever heard of about deciding between UCB and UCLA amongst any other UCs being a no-brainer.</p>
<p>It’s just the school I feel I will be the most successful at. I visited all the ones I applied to and it’s the one I liked the best. I don’t look at prestige because I know that even if I went to UCLA I would probably be miserable there because I really don’t want to be there. And that is why I picked UCM</p>
<p>LOL your destine to be miserable if your a natural science or engineer major. Sorry, I don’t think business or management major is that hard because you don’t have to suffer through organic chemistry II, microbiology, anatomy, or therodynamics.</p>
<p>LOL I’m a psych major lol… ^do you go to UCM?</p>
<p>Yes I do and I am majoring in Biological science-human health emphasis. I am about to be an alumni in more 40 days.</p>
<p>Congrats! 10char</p>
<p>i’m attending this fall! =]</p>
<p>me too. :D</p>
<p>^^^^Did you guys go to Bobcat day?</p>
<p>nooo >.< i wanted to but i had something already planned. i’ll be touring sometime soon though.</p>
<p>did you?</p>
<p>Yes I did!</p>
<p>im really deciding between ucm and ccc. any opinions? ultimate goal is to get into ucb</p>
<p>^ I was pushing between ucm and ccc, but I decided on ucm because its hard to get classes at a ccc and its not a definite that you will be let in upon applying for transfer, just take the ucm offer now imo</p>
<p>It is actually EASY to get any class you want at a CCC, and compared to any UC school, they are generally easier. Transferring to UCI, UCSD, UCSB, UCD is extremely easy (You just need 3.3-3.5) and you are guaranteed admissions. It’s also way cheaper…</p>
<p>depends on the person, if you get a full ride… then maybe community isn’t the way to go.</p>
<p>and it’s not always easy to get classes at every CC.</p>
<p>Uh Yeah it is lol… I go to the biggest CC in California and I have never had a class that was “too full” for me. Why would you waste your money and time/effort going to UCM IF your plan is to transfer anyways?</p>
<p>Especially since transering from a CC is so much easier than UC to UC transfer. You’re given top priority. Merced is also much more expensive than CC. You’re paying almost the same money as the people at Cal and LA. In my opinion, not really worth it. </p>
<p>Some people do like the individual attention though. Although honestly, if you were looking for small class sizes, why on earth apply to the largest public school system in the country? lmao. There are plenty of liberal arts colleges for that.</p>
<p>I’ve heard from countless college presentations during high school that only 10% of CC students actually transfer. I’m assuming some of them initially want to transfer, but fall back into their lazy habits that got them there in the first place. </p>
<p>@ Sephorazn18</p>
<p>“Why would you waste your money and time/effort going to UCM IF your plan is to transfer anyways?”</p>
<p>The jump between CC and UC coursework is quite staggering. I chose UCM over going to a CC because I wanted to be prepared for the courseload at my transfer institution. I knew I had to change my studying habits (eh, World of Warcraft) and going to a CC with the other kids I gamed with wasn’t going to help my future. I needed a fresh start and got it here. </p>
<p>I do plan on transferring after next year, but I wanted to make sure I would be prepared for my next institution if I do transfer.</p>
<p>Many of my friends who attend CC say the classes are easier than high school. You would think that this would inflate GPAs, but apparently people slack off. It’s because the classes are too easy, so people don’t care about their grades and eventually dig themselves a hole they can’t climb out of. If you’re focused, this shouldn’t be an issue, but I just wanted to point out this interesting fact.</p>
<p>@ Mercurial</p>
<p>I totally agree with you that the price tag isn’t really worth it (thank god for grants and scholarships). However, keep in mind a small percentage of people who attend CC actually do transfer.</p>
<p>“Although honestly, if you were looking for small class sizes, why on earth apply to the largest public school system in the country? lmao. There are plenty of liberal arts colleges for that.”</p>
<p>Assuming you get into those liberal arts colleges in the first place. To cut the crap, UCM students may not be the brightest or most driven students in the UC system. People don’t go to UCM for the small class sizes. They go here because they didn’t get into anywhere else (although I know a few people who got in UCB and UCLA, but turned those institutions down because they could get a higher GPA at UCM. It’s called “strategy”.). </p>
<p>We all know that going to UCM isn’t something to necessarily be proud of or flaunt when compared to the other UCs. We got here because of our academic shortcomings, but are given a second chance at graduated from a UC. However, making the initial step toward higher education is an accomplishment in and of itself. Everyone loves to be elitist on the internet and comparing school rankings does nothing for you in real life. I’ve probably posted this before, but the only institution that truly matters is your final one (i.e. Medical School, Law School)</p>
<p>Frankly, it’s quite sad seeing all these kids belittling others just because of the institution they attend. Get real and grow up. Although a college education is becoming more commonplace in our society, attending college, regardless of rank or status, is something to be proud of.</p>
<p>That is a HUGE assumption to be making about CC’s being easier than High School. The fact is, most transfer students from a CC graduate with a similar GPA as continuing students at the university (Don’t have the link but I’ll go looking for it later). I agree that most CC courses are “easier” than a typical UC course, but there are varying factors that can change that assumption. SMC for example, is the largest CC in socal, it also has a very good science department that is regarded as being on par with 4 year institutions. This allows students to not only learn and start getting prepared for university level science, it also helps them because there is no “curve” at a CC allowing a large percentage of students to pass with A’s or B’s. CC students also tend to have a higher GPA because there is no differentiation between an A- or an A, B- B, etc. How does this help them? Two words, Grad School. </p>
<p>Overall going to a CC > UCM IF your primary goal is transferring. Not only do you get GUARANTEED contracts to middle tier’d UC’s, you save money. Also, UCLA and Cal give priority to CCC (California CC) students over 4 year colleges and OOS. Honestly, if you work your ass off and end up with a 3.7 at UCM, you could have worked just as hard but ended up with a 4.0 and an admission to Cal/UCLA.</p>