I never really felt like I’d thrive in a UC environment from what I’ve heard and seen. What have you heard about them ?
Each of the UCs is very different. It kind of depends on what you are looking for in a school.
The one commonality is that they are rigorous in their coursework yet extremely popular statewide and in the rest of the nation.
Have you heard anything about Louisiana Tech? Would you recommend that or a UC
If you’re more specific about what concerns you, you might be able to get better responses. No one can comment if you will do well or not in the environment without knowing anything about you.
I went to a UC for undergrad and grad school, and I would do so again. I was very happy with the environment, but I agree that they are all different schools. It may be hard to generalize across all of them. I don’t know anything about Louisiana Tech. Where you want to end up afterwards may have some influence in the decision of California vs. Louisiana. If you eventually want to live and work in California, then going to a UC may be beneficial.
I had never even heard of Louisiana tech. If you plan on returning to California, however to find a job, you need to know that the kids graduating from California schools will be competing for those same jobs.
My eldest went OOS and returned to California. It took her 6 months to find a job because the corporates in California didn’t seem to want to take a risk on a non UC or Cal State kid. She was asked a lot of questions about her coursework but she eventually found a job and her starting pay was less than her UC counterparts. How did she find that out? They gave her a raise after 3 months; her supervisor told her that in proving herself, that they were raising her pay to be commensurate with the new hires who were hired with her as instate kids! She also volunteered to do tasks that were unpleasant, working long hours and being efficient.
I didn’t find any discrimination when I went OOS. But to be totally honest, it depends on the major too, I’ve heard about Louisiana Tech.
The exception would be applying to an Ivy league because they are generally respected everywhere, right? I personally want to become a high school chemistry teacher so idk if the name of the school matters for that.
@“aunt bea”
@baktrax
I am shy and socially awkward so I didn’t want a school that’s so big. I went to a small high school and thrived there. In addition, I want more personalized attention which LA tech seems to be able to provide since most classes are 9 and under.
A close friend of mine is thriving at Louisiana Tech. I’ve heard of it.
Do you think I’d be able to find job opportunities in CA if I graduate from there? @Vctory
Louisiana Tech has a large scholarship for entering frosh with a 3.0 HS GPA and 32 ACT: http://admissions.latech.edu/tuition_fees/pdfs/freshman_scholarships.pdf (Presidential scholarship)
As its name implies, it offers engineering: http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=249 .
When you submit your resume for a chemistry teaching position in a California school district or to the high school Principal, they will be looking mainly for two things:
1). Subject Matter Competency/Credential: They want to know you understand chemistry well enough to be able to teach it. This can be accomplished either through a chemistry degree or by passing the required science CSET tests. You would also need an additional certification, or credential, which lets others know (students, parents, principal) that you have some pedagogical background about working with teenagers in a classroom setting.
2). Classroom management: They (especially the Principal and Vice Principal) want to know that you will be able to handle and control a classroom. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Well, in a real classroom setting, it’s a whole different story. If you list that you were able to do some volunteer work in an actual classroom (through programs such as Teach for America and other volunteer organizations), they will gladly invite you for an interview. This will make you an attractive candidate, as many new teachers have a really hard time managing a classroom (they end up leaving the first year or so because some of the kids can be so undisciplined).
Now, notice that I didn’t mention that they will scrutinize the college from which you graduated from. True, coming out of Stanford, Harvard or Yale will probably earn you some bragging rights, but if you can fill those two needs for the Principal or school district, you will be in a good position to interview for a potential teaching position.
Given that science and math tend to be the most positions available (especially in the Los Angeles School District, and for other districts), you’ll find opportunities that present themselves year-round.
@UCLAalumPro gosh, thank you so much for the reassurance!! Did you graduate from UCLA? Would you say the UC academics are better than LA tech academics? I mean, of course UCs are more research based and rigorous in that way but I’m not sure.
Although I graduated from UCLA, understand (from what I hear) that the undergraduate science courses there can be demanding (classes can be large too). As far as comparing academics, it’s hard to say as I can’t speak for the other UC’s, especially UCLA, given that I wasn’t a science major there. Moreover, I haven’t taken courses at LA tech as well, so speaking first-hand about the comparative academic rigor in detail would be short-sighted of me (not sure if anyone here can).
This probably won’t make sense now (won’t blame you because I was in your shoes before), but at the beginning, college name recognition will probably dominate your thinking and decision making. It will consume your every waking thought. In the long run however, you’ll find that having the knowledge base (i.e. degree) in your career of choice is more relevant and important (again, graduating from Ivy leagues has it’s perks, but its not the end of the world). Any of the UC’s, CSU or OOS colleges will fulfill and complete the degree requirement, so it’s hard to make a clear comparison as to their future marketability (if that’s what you’re also trying to get at).
Still, you may ask, what’s the comparison between UC vs LA tech academics?
Well, it’s like trying to compare apples and oranges, and I like all fruits. 
@UCLAalumPro would you say that UCLA’s name has helped you out with your first job and is going to a CA school easier for you to find a job in CA? Also, this may be personal, but if you were low income, which I am, how much did you have to pay? My mom believes it’s free tuition for all low income but it seems too good to be true
@anionforanion: UC’s really do not offer a “free ride”. If you are low income, you usually get substantial aid from the UC’s but if you do not have an EFC of $0, you will be expected to pay some of your college costs. Also most FA packages include student loans which could total $31,000 over 4 years and Parent Plus loans if your parents qualify. Not all aid will be grants that do not have to paid back. Run the Net price calculators for the schools of interest and show the information to your Mom.
look for the video “UC STEREOTYPES EXPLAINED” on youtube
“@UCLAalumPro would you say that UCLA’s name has helped you out with your first job …”
To be honest, my very first job was an off-campus office position during my sophomore year at UCLA (I wanted to save up even more for a used car down payment, as borrowing my older bother’s car was getting old). After graduating, my resume for my first real job (if you will) was considered behind closed doors. It’s really hard to say with certainty if those four letter words helped to catapult my resume to the top of the consideration pile. Even to this day, your guess would be as good as mine.
“ … and is going to a CA school easier for you to find a job in CA?”
Let’s say you’re struggling with math class and you’re thinking about getting some help (preferably from a senior high student) with your homework.
There is this one senior student at another, nearby high school who is advertising her tutoring services. She got “A’s” in all her math classes, can tutor all the way up to calculus and above all, it’s free! It just so happens that another senior student is offering the same exact thing, except she attends the very high school that you do (must be that push for new extracurricular activities for their college application). She has the grades to prove it (all A’s), she’s well liked by her teachers/peers and she competes on the school’s Academic Decathlon team. Who will you choose or gravitate towards?
Chances are, you may have somewhat of a slight preference towards working with the senior student who attends the very school that you do. Maybe it’s because you don’t have to worry about finding a way to get across town to the other tutor, or maybe - just maybe - it’s because you share something in common with that student (i.e. same location, same prior teachers, same bell schedule, same school).
In a way, it’s sometimes like that outside of high school when job hunting.
Companies and employers may have a slight regional affinity to prospective candidates who are applying with college degrees from the same state/region they are in. They have something to relate to and have something in common with the applicant without having to meet them at first glance (just like you did with the tutor at your school). Not the world’s best example, but the boss for the office position nicknamed me “Valley boy” (as she grew up in that area of California as well) and cited this reason (among my other skills/experience) when considering me for the position. It seemed a bit odd at that time (though I was grateful), and while I took it in stride, I realized and understood from that experience that people in general like to do business and work with people they know.
But that’s not always the case.
Lots of companies have a diverse workforce. The boss of a company may have relocated from New York to help expand a business in California. The assistant boss, who originally grew up in a rural Midwest town, decided to take a vacant position with this company, as this was one of those rare opportunities she was searching for to escape to city life. A worker moved to California from Oregon to tend to her ailing parents, and she was able to find a starting position with this company. If all three of these individuals were to collaborate and read your resume, they probably won’t have that strong of a regional affinity with the college of your choice. They may be more interested that you be college educated and have the necessary skills and experience to carryout the job responsibilities instead.
Furthermore, to add to the above examples let’s add a couple more curve balls - say, the industry of choice, scope of company (international or local), size of workforce (100 or 10,000 workers). Now it becomes a bit difficult to address your question properly.
So, to answer your question (“ is going to a CA school easier for you to find a job in CA?”): it depends.
“Also, this may be personal, but if you were low income, which I am, how much did you have to pay?”
Like most students, I applied and received federal assistance when paying for my college tuition (and so will you). While I received a generous package of state aid and grants (coming from a family of four can be tough!), I did end up taking out some student loans (not a lot) to help pay off the remainder of the cost towards the end of college. Do note that final loan tally was no where near the average debt ($36,787) that students at a rival cross town private college (school shall remain nameless) amass after graduation!
But by being enrolled in a public school within the state I grew up in, this really helped trim the cost, no question. It also helped that I took some transferable classes at a community college when I was in high school, such that I was able to shave off some required coursework in my undergrad (saves even more $$). Try to keep these tips in mind when planning for college and to do everything you can to control and manage the cost. This tip may not register on your mind now (again, I don’t blame you as I was a bit college starry-eyed), but it will make your life a whole lot easier (and less stressful) in many ways later on down the road.
How much tuition you would shoulder will be unique to your specific financial situation, so be sure to use the available resources to determine ahead of time what the costs may entail. But again, be assured that there will be some form of assistance available for you, so try not to let that worry you too much. Fill out any necessary financial aid paperwork when the time comes. For now, concentrate on being a student and do your best. The rest will fall neatly into place.