UCLA Ling + CS vs UW CS

It’s admirable of your parents to want to allow you to make a decision separate from the financial impacts.

I’d just say to consider… if they are prepared to “find” an additional $160K to give you the best possible prospects, then consider this decision not as UCLA vs. UW, but as UCLA vs. (UW+$160K).

You want to work in Silicon Valley after you graduate? The median home price here is up to $1.8M. That money could come in awfully handy when it’s time to make a down payment.

OTOH, if you decide that the UCLA experience is too good to pass up, your decision will benefit not only the state of California, as Aunt Bea pointed out, but also someone who will be more than thrilled to fill your spot in the UW CS program. And you certainly wouldn’t be the first to decide that they couldn’t pass up a UCLA offer!

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