UCI or UCSB (both in state, CSE and CS) off the waitlist or stick with current OOS SIRed option [Florida]

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For better community input, please provide the below details about your college offers:

Net price per year at each college, after applying scholarships and financial aid grants.

All 3 are comparable in net price give or take a few thousand dollars (not relevant). No financial aid or grants anywhere.

Maximum parent contribution per year.

Major/division admitted to at each college, if applicable to the college. Also, any special programs like honors programs or combined degree programs (e.g. BA/BS->MD).
CSE (equivalent to EECS) at UCI
CS at UCSB
Both off the waitlist
Committed currently to UF CS OOS

If you applied to regular fall term start, specify if you were admitted to start at a different campus, in study abroad, in an online/distance or extension program, or other than in the fall term.

Standard on campus. No special program.

Desired major and post graduation goals (including if pre-med, pre-law, etc.).

CS and get into industry (FAANG or cutting edge startups). Prefer to work in California long term.

If not a frosh admit finishing high school, indicate status (e.g. sophomore level transfer, junior level transfer, frosh after gap year(s)).

Freshman admission (first year).

International or domestic student (and state of residency if domestic).

In state for California. Bay Area Indian American male.

Student preferences beyond the above (including weather, class sizes, campus culture, college demographics, fraternities/sororities, distance from home, etc.).

Care about academics, internships/placement, campus, diverse demographics but with good Asian/Indian representation also (but not skewed towards just one demographic), school spirit and sports spirit, not socially dead but doesn’t need to be full party school. Don’t plan on joining Greek life.

Preliminary assessment of each college based on the above.

Each college appears to have its strengths and weaknesses. No clear cut choice.

Why did you apply to each college you are considering?
UCs because they are in state. Applied to UF late because they were still accepting apps in February after we had an initial disappointing EA round with deferrals and rejections from OOS public and REA private.

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other than going away to college, there is no extra value in paying OOS fees for Florida.

CSE is not equivalent to EECS. (compare the curriculum with the EECS major at Cal). That said, it’s closer than just CS.

Off of the WL…just confirm that these are direct admits to the major today, and he doesn’t have to apply into the major later.

Academically, It’s a toss up; the correct answer is whichever campus he likes better.. Or, i he wants some Eng, than UCI.

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Like pointed out by others apart from fit there is enough difference in the academic programs as well.
UCI: Inter-disciplinary with access to both engg and cs colleges. has hardware content if interested.
UCSB: Pure CS in the engineering college
UF: CS in the college of science

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In UF, he has the option of CS in the college of engineering or in Letters and Sciences. Neither major is impacted.
Costs are similar even though UF is OOS and the other 2 are in state as UF housing is cheaper.
UF is the NCAA Basketball champ this year and school spirit seems huge so that is the biggest appeal there. Other than its slightly higher ranking in the US news list.

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Yes, he is a direct admit to the majors in all 3 colleges.

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As these offers off the WL, how quickly must he respond to the offers?

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The UC offers are off the waitlist.

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Corrected my previous post -how quickly must he reply?

Is he OK with a summer requirement on UF campus (though sometimes a student can get that waived) and some potential on line classes?

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He has until this Friday to respond. For UF, he doesn’t need to take any online courses and the summer requirement can be fulfilled with study abroad.

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Having spent many years in grad school at UF and now having family in Nor Cal, if weather is a concern, CAL wins. As do the differences in state “choices” IYKWIM. All things considered, job opportunities in the area also a possible thought, if all these are variables, really IMO its a personal choice.

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UCI and UCSB won’t be in the same universe for school spirit. Since cost isn’t an issue, I would let him choose. Which way is he leaning? Although none of us know what the job market for CS majors will be in 4 years, there is no reason he wouldn’t be able to get a job in California from UF.

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True, school spirit is insane at UF.

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He is not leaning strongly towards any option. Maybe UCSB slightly since it seems to be the middle ground between the “commuter campus” UCI and the highly spirited UF that is across the country. The “top party school” label of UCSB concerns us parents though. While we want him to have a fun social life, college is ultimately a place to grow academically and personally (with emphasis on the academics, at least to us). Personality wise, he is a social and smart kid capable of making friends anywhere.

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Did he stay on those WLs because he prefers those options, or is he reconsidering just because he got in off the WL (subtle but definable difference). Will he come home for Thanksgiving, etc? Is that an issue?

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He wasn’t sold on UF initially and only chose it because it was his best option. After we visited, he warmed up to it and also connected with a senior from his HS who now goes there (rising sophomore at UF). TBH, his “dream school” is UCLA and he is hoping he gets off their waitlist. That would be a clear choice while among these others there is no clear choice for him.

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Thanks for the update. Good luck with UCLA! The WLs are active but hard to know what will happen. The reasons you mentioned above are why I brought up the non-academic issues to consider. Is he pretty sure he plans to do a semester abroad?

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I would eliminate UCI, since your son’s desired major is CS, not engineering. Out of the remaining 2, I would choose UCSB over UF. UF is not that standout for CS major and was never his first choice anyway. I don’t think it is worth to go so far if the other choice is UCSB. I will also worry about weather in Florida, storm and tornado … Finally, there should be more intern opportunity in South CA. Good Luck.

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Plenty of people at UCSB study hard and do well without too much partying. Say what you want about rankings, but it’s a top 40 school and its not there because of the party culture.

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I would discount this. I’ve been looking at these rankings for the last 7 years since my older kid, and I have seen some colleges move 30 or so places higher or lower during that time. A difference of a few places on the rankings shouldn’t be a factor in the decision imo.
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Thanks for your perspective. He is not a 100% sure about CSE vs pure CS. With all the AI changes coming up, maybe it is better to have an interdisciplinary dual degree like CSE which combines software and hardware components?

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