I know you may be thinking to yourself, well, which is better? In this video, I will be sharing my personal experience and discoveries on two extremely popular school systems, which are the California State Universities and the Universities of California Institutions. my story in high school i considered myself to have a pretty good academic standing i was also part of a hispanic dancing club called uno where we volunteered for low-income community and fundraised by being in dance competitions. Additionally, I was in a program called AVID, which prepared students for college and guided them through the application process. I applied to four California state universities through the Common App System, or also referred to as CSUs, and I also applied to one University of California, which are also referred to as UCs.
at the time, UC applications required two essay questions based on academic standing and campus slash club involvement, as well as ACT and SAT scores. The result of applying was that I got accepted into all five universities, which include Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State San Bernardino. and UCR, which is the University of California, Riverside.
With proof of financial need, I was able to get application fee waivers for all of my applications. Based on my research, I found three major facts between Cal State Universities and Universities of California. The first is that CSUs have higher acceptance rates compared to Universities of California, or UCs, which have a lower acceptance rate.
rate. CSUs or California State Universities have more affordable tuition compared to UCs which have higher tuition rates. California State Universities offer a much wider variety of bachelor programs which involve around $2,700 versus University of California institutions which offer about 900 bachelor bachelor's programs.
Well, which is better? And honestly, there's no right answer for that because it just all depends. It depends on the cost and financial assistance, as well as whether you are planning to live on campus or commute there. So your housing situation, it also depends on competitiveness, right? How does your academic records compare to those already admitted students?
It also depends on the size and location of the... the school, whether you prefer to be in a more urban or rural area. And it also depends on the academic interest on the major that is being offered or the major reputation about the school.
So some students that, for example, are looking into being an engineer and an engineer-focused program, I know that Cal Poly... Holly Pomona is really known for their engineering programs. So things like that, that are very important to consider throughout the application process.
Overall, many California-based students apply to both UC and Cal State schools, depending on their wants, their needs, and their career goals. Therefore, my top three recommendations for you are the following. Review the previously mentioned.
key factors for each school. If possible, try to set up a campus tour for those schools so you have a better understanding of the location and whether you see yourself going to that campus. And lastly, try to meet with an advisor, whether that's at the institution, at your current school, or within MOCA, because speaking to someone that has previously been in your shoes and understands the college application process will help you tremendously. I wish you all the luck in your application process.