9 California Universities on List of Nation's 50 Best (Riverside, Berkeley: dorm, living in)

[Fisherman99]

Originally Posted by NewbieHere

Not true. My kids friend from high school who only got into UC Riverside got accepted to all UCs after 2 years there, he picked UC Berkeley. But it took him 3 years to graduate and he said it was hard. Major was chemical engineering.

Enjoyed my time at UC Riverside...studied very hard and worked out in the gym consistently...had a little fun when there was time.

Still has that "personal touch" which a lot of other UC's lack along with better financial aid...in many cases and is one of the fastest growing UC's for a reason.

Fall 2019 average freshman admission stats are 3.9 GPA, 26 ACT, and 1265 SAT, with a 56.3% overall admit rate...getting tougher each and every year. Go Highlanders!!

[ImmerLernen]

Originally Posted by saybanana

California has shifted its higher education funds to Community colleges and less towards Cal States and UCs. This keeps tuition costs low for Community colleges and offers more classes to the mass population of students but also gives community college transfers good transfer admits to CSU and UCs. Often times in the past you see some CSU and UC students take general education classes in the summer at community colleges and transfer them to their schools saving a lot of money.

This is the route I *hope* my kids take! It's so much more practical to get your GE's done at the CC level and then transfer. Not only does it save a lot of money, it allows the student to mature a bit (assuming we're talking about right out of high school) and get a better idea of what area they really want to study. I don't know why more people don't immediately see the advantages.

Based on my own life experience, I would also say there's quite a bit of peer pressure, especially among "good students," to try to get into a 4-year school right away (and/or, "Hey, my kid got into ___!" like it's some status symbol)...as if going the CC route is somehow slumming it.

And guess what: No one cares where you started your college "career"! If they care about what school you attended (vs. simply having a certain degree), it's about where you finished-up/got your diploma or went to grad school if that's necessary for a career field.

[Fisherman99]

Originally Posted by ImmerLernen

This is the route I *hope* my kids take! It's so much more practical to get your GE's done at the CC level and then transfer. Not only does it save a lot of money, it allows the student to mature a bit (assuming we're talking about right out of high school) and get a better idea of what area they really want to study. I don't know why more people don't immediately see the advantages.

Based on my own life experience, I would also say there's quite a bit of peer pressure, especially among "good students," to try to get into a 4-year school right away (and/or, "Hey, my kid got into ___!" like it's some status symbol)...as if going the CC route is somehow slumming it.

And guess what: No one cares where you started your college "career"! If they care about what school you attended (vs. simply having a certain degree), it's about where you finished-up/got your diploma or went to grad school if that's necessary for a career field.

Agree for the most part.. However if you put "Harvard" on your resume as attended for 4 years versus only 2 years...there is a difference.

[waltchan]

Originally Posted by CCbaxter

As someone going through the process of having a child bound for college next year I can attest to aslowdodge’s point that UC system schools are very competitive to get into. What makes it worse though is that many STEM degrees are capped. Meaning you can be accepted to a college, but not gain entrance into the field of study you wish to pursue. My kid may have to go out of state to get a biology degree.

I was lucky to go to UC Riverside that once had a 85% acceptance rate for fall 2002 undergraduate applicants. Back then, it was a dummy school with dumb students dressed in gangster style clothing when I was there. Today, it's now down to 56% acceptance rate, and when I went back there again recently, there are now less parties, and more studious people than before.

[waltchan]

UC Santa Barbara used to be 85% acceptance rate for fall 1993 students. Today, it's now down to 29%.

[nmnita]

I think CA can be very proud of it's higher education programs. I have said this before. Now, to be honest and I have a few years experience in the working world, as the years go by, where you got your degree from is not nearly as important as your previous work performance or the fact you have that degree. I am seeing this now from my kids and grand kids as they move up in the corporate world.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by waltchan

I was lucky to go to UC Riverside that once had a 85% acceptance rate for fall 2002 undergraduate applicants. Back then, it was a dummy school with dumb students dressed in gangster style clothing when I was there.

While UC Riverside has had the highest acceptance rate of the UCs (at least until UC Merced opened), I'd hardly call a minimum GPA requirement of 3.7 for acceptance a "dummy school."

[Fisherman99]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

While UC Riverside has had the highest acceptance rate of the UCs (at least until UC Merced opened), I'd hardly call a minimum GPA requirement of 3.7 for acceptance a "dummy school."

https://admission.universityofcalifo...dmit-data.html

I attended UC Riverside a LONG time ago when there was no UC Merced yet...smart, hard working, friendly group there. Had only 5 thosand students with that "personal touch" many UC's lack...3.9 GPA average now. Used to be the redirect school along with UC Santa Cruz (3.96 GPA average). A bit easier to get into, but you still had to be in the TOP 10% of high school students and fulfill the other admission requirements. UC Merced is the newest redirect school now (3.7 average GPA)...moved up 32 spots on 2020 US News (#104 National, #45 Public)...biggest jump of ANY college in the NATION! My alma mater UC Riverside now has 25k students...one of the fastest growing UC's for a reason...go Highlanders!! You really cannot go wrong at ANY of the 9 UC schools...still relatively affordable publics...they keep getting tougher to get in each and every year!

[bad debt]

Originally Posted by Fisherman99

Agree for the most part.. However if you put "Harvard" on your resume as attended for 4 years versus only 2 years...there is a difference.

I've never seen an applicant put how long they attended a college for on their resume. Even if you transfered you would leave off the community college and just just put:

A.B. Womyn's and Gender Studies - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 2019

However, I only know one person who transferred from a community college to Harvard. And according to him, he's the last person to have done so. Not sure how true that is. Maybe he's the last person to have done so from his junior college.

[Fisherman99]

Originally Posted by bad debt

I've never seen an applicant put how long they attended a college for on their resume. Even if you transfered you would leave off the community college and just just put:

A.B. Womyn's and Gender Studies - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 2019

However, I only know one person who transferred from a community college to Harvard. And according to him, he's the last person to have done so. Not sure how true that is. Maybe he's the last person to have done so from his junior college.

True...some will try to hide if they attended only 2 years without dates. Those that attended 4 years straight out of high school more likely to put 4 years. Doesn't really make a difference in most cases as long as they have the degree though.