USF questions (San Francisco, Merced, Orland: to rent, homes, transfer to)

[lapollita93]

Hi all! I was raised and am now going to college in Orlando, Florida. I am majoring in Mass Communications and am nowhere near done with my AA yet. I truly believe that I was meant to live in California and I would love to transfer to USF when the time comes. I would obviously plan a visit to the campus and the rest of sights within the next year to confirm that this is what I truly want since that would be a huge move for me.

I had to get my GED to finish high school since I became ill in the middle of my sophomore year of High School and had to be homeschooled while I was undergoing hospital testing and just feeling horrible all the time (I am now fine since finally being diagnosed 2 years ago!) I am not a star student, but I am a pretty good college student so far. I maintain a good GPA and I try to build relationships/connections with professors and students. I think that my overall concern was the admission rate at USF and to also just get reviews on the school on a more personal level, through this thread. I know admission to any school isn't a piece of cake but I would like to know what I can be doing now to make things better for myself later on when I apply. Please leave responses below! I am looking forward to hearing a west coast point of view.

[ColinC02]

I went to USF. It's honestly not that hard to get into. I was an average student in high school, but transferred in with a 3.9 gpa from a community college, but I know plenty of people that have gotten in with a 3.0 or slightly less. Communications will be an easier major to get into, so that's a plus. It's not a bad school at all, but if I did it all over again, I'm not sure that I would go. It's almost $60k a year now plus SF housing which is crazy expensive right now. I had a little bit of a scholarship, which helped. (I went for Computer Science), but I still have a ton of student debt. The student body is kind of diverse in terms of race and nationality, but economically not so much. Similar to LMU, USD, etc. its a private school where a lot of very wealthy kids tend to go. With that being said, that's not the case for the entire student body. Its just very visible with lots of international students driving Maseratis, Lambos, AMG Mercedes, etc..and people living high dollar social lives. I'd choose a UC school instead if I did it all over. Not trying to ruin your dream, just giving my point of view. It's a good regional school, but I wouldn't say it's $60k a year good. I wouldn't say any school is that good unless its maybe an Ivy where the name may actually help you. That seems to be changing too though.

[alliance]

All that matters is if the check clears.

[NorCalLover]

My ex's sister went to USF- but on a full scholarship. It's a quality University, as Jesuit schools usually are, and in a nice area of SF. However, as others said above, you're paying Harvard prices for a school that's not all that well known and will accept most students. If your family doesn't have a lot of money to spend on your schooling and you're set on SF, you might want to look into San Francisco State University as an alternative.

[lapollita93]

Thank you for your honesty! I am a very down to earth person so being surrounded by "snobs" would be annoying but after a while I'm sure I would find my kind of people. The price does concern me though. I had no idea that it was THAT pricey. I better start saving now and I will definitely look into the State University. I appreciate your response now I have a very realistic overview.

[ColinC02]

Yeah, I've heard good things about San Francisco State University. That would probably be a better option. It's really not a good time to be a student in SF because rents are now the highest in the country and there is very little supply. A couple of my friends that are finishing this semester have been couch surfing for their entire last semester..not because they can't afford to rent a room, but because its so competitive to find a place to live right now. Just some stuff to keep in mind. Its definitely worth visiting though.

[bmw335xi]

I went to USF and my GF currently attends SFSU. I'm pretty well connected in the finance field in SF and I can tell you USF has a great reputation while SFSU is just okay. USF has a great success rate for its students. All my friends got great paying jobs. I don't agree with the snob remarks. Some people just hate you if your family has money. I found most students to be friendly, well mannered and came from "good" homes. If you can choose between USF and SFSU, go with USF if you can afford it. At SFSU, you are just a number to them, while at USF you have tons of resources and attention. It comes with a price of course, but generally you get what you pay for. If you don't believe me, just talk to professionals around San Francisco and ask them if given the choice which university has the better reputation USF or SFSU.

[Bisaro TMF]

Most of my friends went to SFSU and they pretty much hated it. When you think you're about to graduate they'll actually tell you , you have more units you need to take. There are so many students there I think it's unorganized. I went to USF and was able to go for free so I can't complain. I had a great time and I like the small school atmosphere. Most Classes with 20-40 people and good professor involvement. It is expensive if you're not on scholarship.

[eureka1]

For God's sake , don't major in Communications. You'll graduate knowing zero.

[lapollita93]

Ok. What did you major in? I plan on entering the field of Public Relations. Communications courses are a must. I asked about the school not about who should be deciding my career path. Thank you for your input.