NoCal Universities (San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco: apartments, home, dorms)

[Valleyboy]

Im starting College in the Fall. I got into San Jose, San Francisco, and Chico State and im having trouble picking a school. Can u guys help me, like tell me about the school and the community and stuff,like what the school has to offer and what kind of stuff there is to do for fun around there.I'm 17 . Thanx.

[bigdave01]

I think that Chico would be your best bet. I dont know much about SFSU but I assume that it is just a commuter school just like SJSU. Chico, on the other hand is in college town with lots to do.

As far as academics I would guess they are all fairly equal (depending on your major), but if you are looking for the college experience go to Chico.

[gizmo980]

I'm actually a SJSU Alum (Library/Graduate School), so I'm tempted to vote for them. But I voted for SFSU, simply because it has the best reputation of those three, and is in a fabulous city! It's in the Sunset district of San Francisco, which is a quieter part of town, right near the ocean... it's very foggy & far from downtown, but has Muni (bus) lines that can get you there quickly. San Fran is a great place to live, especially if you can get cheap student housing. I actually used to live next-door to SFSU, in the Parkmerced apartments, and really loved that part of town. There's TONS of stuff to do there, depending on what you like... that area is fairly close to Golden Gate Park, Fort Funston, Haight St., the zoo, and the beaches. Btw, I'm about to move to southeast SF, which would be a few miles from Sunset.

As bigdave said, Chico would be the best "college town", if that's what you're looking for. Academically, I think it's probably at the bottom of those three, but still not a bad school. I haven't actually been to Chico, though I've heard it's a pretty cool place to live! It would be much more rural than SF or SJ, and also a LOT cheaper - things to consider. Good luck in whatever you choose!

[tande1n5]

I'd say it depends on what you want. I'm from Norcal down in San Diego right now at SDSU. I wouldn't care for the small town feel, so I picked an urban campus, but those campuses do tend to have a lot of commuters, so you'll meet folks that are locals that still live at home oftentimes... but any of these schools are decently sized, so it's not like you're going to be the only one not commuting. SDSU's got 35k, for example, and although it's billed as a "commuter school," 35k people leaves plenty of room for us noncommuters to be going also.

[jessemh431]

go to collegeboard.com and look them up. SFSU is not the brightest university. my cousin went there because it was his only choice. Chico is the best one i think

[SoCalMomma]

They are all Cal State Schools, so probably all pretty comparable. Check out http://www.studentsreview.com/ for some reviews by students. It's a pretty interesting website.

I have no direct experience at any of the schools, but if I had to choose..

I would choose SFSU only because living in San Francisco would be such a great experience. I have also heard it is the harder of the three to get into, so that might mean its 'better'. There is so much in the San Francisco area to do & see.

People love Chico State, but that area is not as lively as San Francisco. Chico State also accepts a huge amount of people who apply, so I don't think they are very picky (no offense meant towards you in any way!)

Know nothing about San Jose, never been there and have never heard anything about the school.

Ask your parents to schedule a visit to each of the schools, while school is in session. That will give you a good idea of what the atmosphere is like, what the general student population is like, etc. Look at the posters hanging up around campus and see 'what is going on'. See if you can see the dorms, the cafeteria, library, etc. I'm assuming that this is where you'll be living, make sure you feel comfortable! Some schools allow you to sit in on classes, that might be a good opportunity to get a feel for the school, too.

Good luck, I am sure you'll end up loving whichever school you choose!

[NYSD1995]

Academically it's a wash. Chico is probably the most fun school in the best location.

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

I voted for SJSU just because that's where I'd choose. Wealthy city, smart people, and lots of job opportunities.. I believe that Chico probably offers a better experience and education than the others.