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Old 07-19-2011, 09:17 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,081,702 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LostinCal View Post
Like the title says, is the prestige worth it? What if it's between attending a CSU and having to take out no student loans vs. a UC and having to take out a lot?
A lot will depend on your major and what you plan to do after college. My thought, if you can avoid huge student loans be happy with CSU. You may not be recduited as heavily after graduation, but 10 years out of school where you attended will make little difference especially when you are still paying off those loans.

Nita
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Old 07-19-2011, 09:22 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,081,702 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BRinSM View Post
depends on which schools you are accepted to. if you get into UCLA, UCSD, or Berkeley then it's worth the extra cash to go those schools IMHO. if you only get into UCR and CPSLO, i'd go with SLO. other than that, it's really on you. i graduated from CSU Fullerton and i'm doing as well, if not better, than friends of mine who attended different UCs (including UCLA).
I will second that: we are products of the CSU program, so are our kids. Hubby did as well (now retired) as his friends who went to UCLA and our kids are not starving. they have done well financually and socially as well as enjoying their careers. I think, unless your major is something very specialized, it is up to you want you get out of your education. The exception: wanting to go to grad school at one of the top universities in the country, but most kids in school are not planning on that type of future.

Nita
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Old 07-19-2011, 09:28 AM
 
Location: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
6,390 posts, read 9,624,497 times
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Pick your school for its major, if you really want a diploma from a UC transfer in for your last Semester.

Remember that after your first job, no one pays attention to where you went to school.
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Old 07-19-2011, 11:18 AM
 
4,307 posts, read 6,225,470 times
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There are always anecdotal examples of someone who goes to a CSU and is more successful than their peers from UCs. However, in general, UC's are higher regarded and more respected globally (very important if you're not planning on staying in your home town after graduation).

Obviously, if money is the primary driver, perhaps the additional cost to go to a UC is not worth it to you. However, if pedigree is important (it often is in some fields and hiring companies), a UC is higher regarded than a CSU, just as Stanford/Ivy's are higher regarded than UC's. It all depends upon your priorities, career objectives and general interest in the caliber of your network.
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Old 07-19-2011, 01:21 PM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,081,702 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roadwarrior101 View Post
There are always anecdotal examples of someone who goes to a CSU and is more successful than their peers from UCs. However, in general, UC's are higher regarded and more respected globally (very important if you're not planning on staying in your home town after graduation).

Obviously, if money is the primary driver, perhaps the additional cost to go to a UC is not worth it to you. However, if pedigree is important (it often is in some fields and hiring companies), a UC is higher regarded than a CSU, just as Stanford/Ivy's are higher regarded than UC's. It all depends upon your priorities, career objectives and general interest in the caliber of your network.
Your analogy is based on first jobs or top grad schools more than it is on overall success. As has been mentioned, down the line no one pays any attention to where you went to school. It becomes more os a snob thing for those who go to certain universities. I can pretty well assure you and I would guess I have seen a lot more in life than you have: there comes a time when the company that is hiring doesn't even look at the university one attended, other than to make sure they really did graduate.

Nita
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Old 07-19-2011, 01:29 PM
 
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
14,129 posts, read 31,113,429 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita View Post
Your analogy is based on first jobs or top grad schools more than it is on overall success. As has been mentioned, down the line no one pays any attention to where you went to school. It becomes more os a snob thing for those who go to certain universities. I can pretty well assure you and I would guess I have seen a lot more in life than you have: there comes a time when the company that is hiring doesn't even look at the university one attended, other than to make sure they really did graduate.

Nita
One thing you're missing here though is the social networking aspect. Most people don't get a job from just talking to a hiring manager. They get one by talking to someone they know, perhaps a fellow alum, who then refers them to a hiring manager. The friends you make in school can often be valuable entrees to opportunity. A better school can give you a better circle of such friends.

Believe me, I'd hire someone who went to Cal over a similarly qualified Stanford grad.
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Old 07-19-2011, 01:33 PM
 
4,307 posts, read 6,225,470 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita View Post
Your analogy is based on first jobs or top grad schools more than it is on overall success. As has been mentioned, down the line no one pays any attention to where you went to school. It becomes more os a snob thing for those who go to certain universities. I can pretty well assure you and I would guess I have seen a lot more in life than you have: there comes a time when the company that is hiring doesn't even look at the university one attended, other than to make sure they really did graduate.

Nita
Agreed that once you get into a company, nobody cares where you went to school. However, if switching jobs, especially in fields and/or companies of prestige, there is some weight to the school caliber. It may not substitute professional accomplishments, but can be a good tie breaker. What it shows is a track record of exceptional accomplishments (if your professional accomplishments are also exceptional). It tells the recruiter that you were a top student prior to attending this university. This track record can be also seen in continued success/career progression.
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Old 07-19-2011, 01:53 PM
 
812 posts, read 1,462,835 times
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From my semi-distant memory of having once been a reasonably high-achieving high-school student looking to matriculate to a CA public university, don't underestimate the "grueling effort" factor it takes to graduate in the Top 1%-3% of a high-school class. It simply takes so much effort to achieve the academic credentials required by the "elite" UC undergrad (and then grad/professional) schools that the large majority of high-achieving students who CAN go to the "elite" UC school are just going to find a way to do it.

That's not to say CSU students can't/won't be hugely successful in life. Heck, the top tech-jobs require skills, not degrees. Most top UC students COULD have been accepted to a hugely expensive private Ivy-type school but prefer the (comparatively) low-cost UC option. At that level, its not really a choice between UC and CSU, its between UC and Ivy-type. Top 1%-5% students who come from serious money go to the Ivies/Stanfords of the world; top 1%-3% students who come from moderate money (or less) go to UC.

At least that was my experience and observing the choices my high-school friends made. For better or worse, it often does make a difference. I live outside CA and the partners in my small firm all have Ivy League quality degrees, undergrad and grad. I would not have been invited "in" had they not perceived me to have a "fancy" educational background. It just is what it is.
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Old 07-19-2011, 02:10 PM
 
Location: South Bay
7,226 posts, read 22,093,996 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smdensbcs View Post
I live outside CA and the partners in my small firm all have Ivy League quality degrees, undergrad and grad. I would not have been invited "in" had they not perceived me to have a "fancy" educational background. It just is what it is.
the thing i like most about southern california is that people don't give a **** about where you went to school (generally speaking of course). if you have a degree and a proven track record, you will be just fine. i'm sure the 'old boys networks' exist, but certainly not to the degree of what you see on the east coast. pedigree and alma mater are simply not that important here. i think this stems from the entertainment industry, where creativity and 'who you know' are valued above education which gives us sandbagging CSU alums opporunities that may not exist elsewhere.
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Old 07-19-2011, 03:01 PM
 
577 posts, read 998,538 times
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It needs to be reiterated that the answer to this question is highly dependent on your major. We can speak in general terms and say that in general UC's are better than CSU's, but for someone making the choice to follow a specific career path that generalization is much too broad.

I had a choice between Berkley and Cal Poly, and I chose Cal Poly for my specific engineering major. Had I chosen another major, I would have probably attended Berkley. Some schools really have a great program in certain majors, regardless of whether or not they are a UC or CSU. The company I currently work for hires from both schools, but if there was a preference I would say we hire more from Cal Poly.

Lastly, really think about the financial aspects of your choice. A lot of people don't even think about the massive loans they are incurring each year, and those loans can be crippling post college if you haven't placed yourself in a field that has a high earning potential. Don't go six figures in debt, if the prospects of that field are a 30k career. In that case you'd be much better off going to a cheaper school. Some fields may warrant a better/more expensive school if the post graduate placement and connections warrant it.
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