UC Berkeley vs. Full Ride to CSULB

rxnnjcbs
Tue, 22 Apr 2014 17:27:42 +0000

It was such a hard decision, but I chose CSULB. At Berkeley, all my loans were unsubsidized and my family would have to borrow $10k a year to make Cal happen for me. I would constantly be worried about money, making sure that I pick a career that pays me back, not necessarily because I have a passion in the area. CSULB is literally paying for everything but my food for 4 years. Also, they take all AP’s, so I would probably enter as a sophomore. Parents said they’d pay for my master’s if I go to CSULB. Debt-free, with a master’s at age 23/24 sounds like a win to me. Maybe Berkeley will be in my future if not, the school doesn’t determine my success and happiness. A prestigious school doesn’t mean I’m an automatic success, and CSULB doesn’t mean I’m a failure. I’m going to miss out on some great opportunities that I would’ve had at Berkeley, USC, or Carnegie Mellon but in the end, I am happy with my decision.

Sorry for my lengthy paragraph and thank you to everyone for your input!