Thank you for suggesting these
yeah it’s Ohio State. The reason why UIUC was not getting stronger condiersation was I applied architural study there.
I am not a domestic student but I had visited most schools I applied.
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I’m not living in New Jersey and there’s no any financial limitation.
What about the East coast is attractive to you?
Which school is better known in your home country (for job prospects)? Or is neither school known?
OP I would follow 10 basic rules…
- Cheaper isn’t always better and the cheapest option should not be the de facto starting point for preference.
- Social, academic and financial fit are all very important in determining happiness and eventual outcomes and should be considered equally.
- You can’t attend a school unless you can afford to pay for it, but sometimes modest amounts of debt are worth it.
- Prestige and name recognition don’t always matter but often they do. For international students and those interested in specific careers, certain top tier schools out perform lower ranked schools. This difference becomes more acute as the disparity in ratings, prestige or name recognition become greater.
- These decisions and discussions are personal and based on family value systems and unique financial circumstances. Consequently no one should pass judgement on the conclusions or priorities of others.
- While it may seem helpful to hear about other kids specific experiences assuming that your experience will be the same is a fool’s errand. Your response to any comments beginning with the term “my kid” should be taken with a grain of salt in terms of its personal relevance.
- No matter how well intended, anyone giving you advice will be basing that advice upon their own biases and as justification for their prior decisions. It is human nature.
- If someone always offers the same answer they aren’t listening to the question.
- The value of free advice from strangers is often equal to what you are paying for it.
- Listen to and respect everyone but only follow the advice of GCs, confirmed experts, your parents and others who know you the best.
Good luck.
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the answer to first question is a secret but important😂
UCSB is better known in my home country but Rutgers is also ok I think
Thank you for suggesting these rules🙏
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IIRC, over 80% of Rutgers students are from NJ. Is that an issue for you, plus or minus?(and yes, many of the UC students are from California as well but that’s a separate question).
The GIS comment wasn’t off-topic, as it was raised in response to your assertion that a geography degree “won’t likely bring great outcomes.” The commenter was pointing out that a geography grad with GIS skills could indeed be employable with an undergrad degree.
Anyway, it turns out that “distance from home” is not the issue here; OP is international and will be far from home regardless. Given the whimsical response to the “why east coast” question, I’m guessing perhaps a significant other will be studying on that coast, but I could be wrong. Regardless, OP will need to weigh their own priorities. I agree that the institution’s reputation in their home country is a factor worth considering. It may also be worth looking at the specific majors available within the Geography departments at the schools under consideration, to see which, if any, qualify for the STEM OPT Extension, if the OP hopes to work in the US after graduating.
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I believe, at least 80% if not more.
Yes, my guess too 
To clarify: OP can work one year after graduation on an OPT, which is available to all students regardless of major (assuming they can find an employer who’s willing to take them on for a year - and that’s a big if). If the major qualifies as STEM per USCIS, the STEM OPT extension allows for an additional 2 years of work.
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a good guess but not the real case
For UCSB 2023, 68% of applications and 80% of enrolled freshmen were CA residents.
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Yep, makes sense. Just didn’t have a chance to check that stat and didn’t want to split hairs 
. So, wondering if the op cares that over 80% of classmates will be from NJ or CA.
Comparing percentages of in-state students between UCSB and Rutgers is a little bit apples-to-oranges, though, as California covers an area larger than the entire mid-Atlantic region.
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I’m an international student so I don’t care about it actually
That is worth thinking about, IMO
@Kyeewee_27 you aren’t sharing much information about what matters to you. If you want to be on the east coast, go to Rutgers. If there are other factors/attributes/considerations that are important to you, please share them.
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(1) I may apply Japanese or European univerisities for my graduate study, and I don’t know the reputations of UCSB and Rutgers in these regions and how the reputations of schools will influence my graduate study application (in US, Japan or Europe).
(2) My GC and some reliable advicer told me that is relative easy to earn a high GPA in UCSB, and I plan to transfer to other east coast schools, I don’t know earning a high GPA in Rutgers is “easy” or “hard”, and how the GPA will influence my transfer app.
(And in my home country, US News ranking and other similar things is a very important factor influencing people’s ideas to a school, wondering how natives judge a school)