Running Out of Time... UCI vs UCSD vs UCSB

Leviathan245
Thu, 27 Apr 2017 08:07:36 +0000

I have been accepted to these three UC’s for electrical/computer engineering and despite thinking about it for a long time, I am still undecided and really only have today and tomorrow to decide before I send in my SIR. At the moment I am leaning towards UCI for convenience but there are still other factors of other schools that are preventing me from making a decision so I made a list of pros and cons so that perhaps someone could give me some insight.

UCI Pros
-Campus I close to home so I can still see my family and pets every so often and also the area is very familiar since I have been in OC my whole life.
-From what I have read and observed on my visit, most people here are chill and not cutthroat which is a little of what I am looking for. Plus it seems the chill people from my high school are coming here while the elitists are going to SD.
-It is a very safe environment to learn in.
-The Arc and beach are close.

-Can gradually become more independent.

UCI Cons
-At the moment, I am having trouble with the financial aid office after trying to report a change from living at home to on campus so I might not be able to see my aid offer until after May 1st (Current aid is about a 9000$ net cost based on living at home which should change soon.) Since the price of living at home at UCI is similar to living on campus at UCSd, it would probably be the most expensive in the end.
-I keep reading that this school’s engineering program is not really that good
-AP Physics C and Gov credit is useless so I would have to essentially retake mechanics for a third time and electricity for a second time. (I think it is the same with UCSB)
-Food isn’t very vegetarian

UCSD Pros
-John Muir College seems to be a very social environment for learning along with easier ge requirements
-Good price with about a net cost of 10000 a year and an estimate of around 24k in loans.
-Not too close to home, but not too far
-Beach is right there
-AP Physics credit, unlike the other two, would actually be accepted here allowing me to go straight to new physics material
-Possible Spic program for early friends?
-Lots of research opportunities to get involved

UCSD Cons
-Socially Dead?

-Seems too competitive and cutthroat like my highschool. From what I have gathered, people here are not as cooperative and seem like the people who would try to get ahead of everybody else for curves and grad school rather than working together. As a first gen student and completely new to engineering, I feel like I wouldn’t belong or like this type of atmosphere since I clearly didn’t at my school and am too introverted and shy to probably take advantage of various opportunities anyway.

UCSB Pros
-Cooperative environment and still prestigious
-One of the most clean and beautiful campuses I have ever seen with lots to do and the beach.
-Great engineering program.
UCSB Cons
-Way too far making it inconvenient if I need to go home.
-At the moment is the most expensive with about 12k a year and 30k loans at the end,
-Don’t think I would fit in with eh party culture and probably wouldn’t make any friends here.

Anyway,my current preference is UCI>UCSB>UCSD since it is still close so that I could gradually become more independent, smoothly transition into college, and still learn how to drive (yeeeeahhh there’s also that) and if I feel if wanted to go to UCSB or UCSD, i could eventually go to grad I would also like feel more inclusive and cooperative with fellow classmates and possible dorm mates since the type people here seem to be what I am looking for and I can see a decent future here. Despite that, the cons are what are preventing me from submitting my SIR and I have to decide, so I am going to have to talk to my counselor and possibly post this somewhere else. While I feel like going to a school based on ranking is one of the dumbest things ever, I still want to get a quality education with a combination of good academics, inclusion, and new life. Some of these pros/cons are probably bad and I might be missing something important since I made this relatively quick so let me know if that is the case. I guess I might as well ask a few last questions.

1.) How important is the prestige of a college when applying for grad school? I feel like as long as I get involved as much as i can, it wouldn’t make much of a difference but idk
2.) Should i already have submitted my sir? I know the deadline is May 1st but would i be at a disadvantage for something since it is so late?
2.) How hard would it be to transfer from a UC from a UC assuming it is one I already got into from high school? (In case i have a change of thought or something).
3.) Would the curriculum all be the same, but of different quality?
4.) Does the name of the school on the degree really matter for a job? I feel like I need to go where I would be most comfortable and happy rather than some highly rigorous and prestigious college and feel depressed.

Sorry for the long read, but your input is greatly appreciated.