Hello all!
So, I just got news back last night from UC B that it is not one of my options. Now… I am wondering if I should head the route of going to a state university or university. I have heard negative things about state universities, such as there graduates having high unemployment rates, it not being academically rigorous, and being limited in exploration. Is this true? What are the cons and pros of state universities v. universities?
My options:
UC D (close)
UC SC (close)
UC LA (far)
CSU EB (close)
Sonoma State (close)
Cal Poly Ponoma (far)
Cal Poly San Luis (far)
My likelihood of attending either one of these schools is relevant to its proximity to my father’s place. So, how do these schools that are close to me compete with each other?
Thank You
You did not post your intended major since some schools will be better for certain majors than others. Based just on rankings: UCLA>UCD>SLO would be my top 3.
@Gumbymom okay… Ruling out SLO & UCLA because they are far from me, what would be the top three? Also, my intended major is business/financing and a minor in industrial engineering.
UCD does not have a finance nor Industrial Engineering majors. For Business, they offer Managerial Econ. Although UCD is a great school, it does not match your academic requirements. Honestly, SLO would fit your academic requirements but location seems to be an issue. CPP seems to be the only other option since both majors are available but again too far??? Industrial engineering is only offerred at 2 of the Cal states (CPP, SLO) that you have listed so you may want to rethink your minor. I personally think if you are limited by distance, UCD would be best, UCSC next and Sonoma. Again none of these have a true finance major or industrial engineering major. I am an Aggie Mom so UCD is my favorite.
Whoever told you that graduates from state universities are unemployed and are not rigorous obviously is misinformed and really not being truthful. It doesn’t matter where you graduate from because most jobs only care about what you studied.
Go where you can afford to pay the tuition and fees.
CPSLO, CPP, and CSUEB are the only schools in your list that have majors in both business and industrial engineering. Other California publics with both majors are UCB and SJSU, neither of which is on your list.
CSUs admit by major: were you admitted to these specific majors, and if so, which ones/where?
Are you saying you’d live with your father and commute, rather than live on campus - is that for FA reasons (ie., you didn’t get enough FA?)
If UCD and UCSC are close, those are the ones I’d choose. Their “vibes” are very different, so you should visit. The two campuses are totally different and the atmosphere too.
I don’t think you can really make a blanket statement about unemployment rates for state universities, especially since there are hundreds of majors to pick from. Now, I would say that in certain areas, accounting for instance, the employment rate would be much higher than that of art history majors, or a field of study without a direct career pathway.
Depending on where you are living, take your commute into account. I lived about an hour and a half away from UCSC (at the time I was deciding) and would definitely not have wanted to do that drive on a daily basis (windy mountain roads…near-ish to tourist spots).
The downside is that at any of your options, you may have to alter your class schedule based on the commute times, which could be an issue if there are only a few sections open in a class you need. I went to Davis and didn’t notice too many commuter students, but it’s an easy enough campus to get to and spend the day at if you need to hang out in between classes and study. CSUEB is a lot more commuter student heavy, which you can certainly tell by the on campus vibe.