UCLA vs. SDSU...so confused!!!!

[sph2011]

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So I need some serious advice...My decisions for Fall 2011 have come down to UCLA (community health sciences) and SDSU (health promotion & behavioral science) and I am completely torn as to where to go.😕

$$$ is of particular concern because I will be finishing undergrad this year with about $50,000 in government student loan debt (two private universities in Wash., DC). At either school, I will be paying out-of-state tuition (hopefully not for my second year, as I plan to establish CA residency) but SDSU's non-resident tuition is considerably lower than UCLA's.

Obviously UCLA is ranked much higher and is more reputable/well-known, but that reputation also comes with a hefty price tag. From what I calculate I would easily be more than $100,000 in debt by the time I finished at UCLA.😱 On the other hand I think that I could manage to keep my debt around $70k-$80k at SDSU, especially if I get in-state tuition for my 2nd year.

SDSU would offer a smaller program which in many ways could be beneficial (not to mention the bonus of living in such a beautiful city) but UCLA has the advantage of being in a more cosmopolitan city (with all its traffic and smog) that would offer more networking/public health job opportunities.

Any thoughts advice??? Those considering either school and/or current UCLA or SDSU feel free to chime in!

 

[Big Dog]

....way too much debt to absorb. PH jobs are not that plentiful and don't pay that much.

 

[splashnchaos23]

I'm also considering UCLA. There's a chance that I'll be considered in-state, but even if I'm not, UCLA is actually one of my cheaper options. What all are you including in your $100k estimate... does that include the $50k from previous student loans? I'm looking at just under $51k if you establish residency in time to get in-state rates for your second year.

For what it's worth, I had a chance to visit back in January and got the impression that their MPH students manage to fund their degrees without as much debt as I expected. The staff was also open & friendly. They rattled off a few faculty members that have research interests similar to my own (global health & minority health disparities) on the spot and got me connected to some promising opportunities for research if I attend. I'm not familiar with SDSU, so I can't speak to their program... but I do hope you'll consider UCLA. Maybe it would help to speak to a current student and a faculty member at each school?

 

[sph2011]

I'm also considering UCLA. There's a chance that I'll be considered in-state, but even if I'm not, UCLA is actually one of my cheaper options. What all are you including in your $100k estimate... does that include the $50k from previous student loans? I'm looking at just under $51k if you establish residency in time to get in-state rates for your second year.

For what it's worth, I had a chance to visit back in January and got the impression that their MPH students manage to fund their degrees without as much debt as I expected. The staff was also open & friendly. They rattled off a few faculty members that have research interests similar to my own (global health & minority health disparities) on the spot and got me connected to some promising opportunities for research if I attend. I'm not familiar with SDSU, so I can't speak to their program... but I do hope you'll consider UCLA. Maybe it would help to speak to a current student and a faculty member at each school?

Yeah, I'm including the 50K that I have already. Will you be working during the program? I thinking this might be a way to cover most of my living expenses instead of relying solely on loans. I'm thinking of going to the admitted students day on April 4th to hopefully find out about additional resources and talk to some current students to fins out how they manage the costs.

Thanks for your input, maybe we'll be classmates in the fall! 🙂

 

[Ernie5k]

I also got into both...I've been living in San Diego for the last 3 years and definitely prefer SD as a city over LA (cheaper, cleaner, more nice beaches, fresh air). Like you, I also went to a private college in DC (mostly because of the scholarships I received there) and while I'm a California resident, I'm anticipating being buried in loans as well.

HOWEVER, while UCLA has higher fees than SDSU, the UCLA name is not only ranked much higher, but it also carries with it a higher name recognition and a larger alumni network. While SDSU is great if you plan on staying in San Diego when you graduate, it'll be more difficult to find work on say, the East Coast (or anywhere else outside of SD). I've worked in the non-profit sector in San Diego, and it was actually one of my bosses who encouraged me to go to UCLA over SDSU if I was admitted, as she said she would be more likely to hire someone from UCLA over SDSU if they both has the same qualifications. My friends who have graduated from SDSU's SPH also say that it's difficult to find jobs in public health in San Diego unless you're fluent in Spanish (I'm not), so that's something else to take into consideration.

This isn't to say that going to UCLA is going to give you an insta-job though. Really, the school you go to won't matter at all unless you make the most of your experience there (internships, etc). I know I'm personally going to start networking like crazy come Fall.

There's ways to lower the amount of debt that you're in. For example, I'm probably not going to take out of the amount of loans that they're recommending I take out for cost of living (I'm going to use the bus, walk, find a cheaper apartment) and look into things like GSR positions to lower the cost of my attendance. And there are programs such as the loan forgiveness plan that you can look into if you're interested in working for a non-profit after you graduate. It appears that they have a very open and receptive financial aid office that is solely for the med-students, nursing students, and mph students, so you can take advantage of that also.

Check out both programs though and see which is a better fit. I was going through the same thing as you and I was leaning towards SDSU until I went to the UCLA student orientation and realized what a great program they have. I feel a lot better about my decision now.

 

[hopefulchanger]

Resurrecting an old thread here, but I wanted to see how things turned out!

For the folks considering a Cal Sate vs. UCLA - what did you ultimately decide? How has your experience been now that you're a year (or so) in?

I haven't officially heard back yet, but I applied to both UCLA and SFSU. I had similar concerns on tuition vs. name vs. network. The bay area is replete with community health organizations (I want to work with the Asian Am population), so I feel like I could grow a big network there. However, I ultimately want to work in LA so I'm wondering if it would make sense to just go to school where I plan to work.

Thoughts??

 

[364462]

Resurrecting an old thread here, but I wanted to see how things turned out!

For the folks considering a Cal Sate vs. UCLA - what did you ultimately decide? How has your experience been now that you're a year (or so) in?

I haven't officially heard back yet, but I applied to both UCLA and SFSU. I had similar concerns on tuition vs. name vs. network. The bay area is replete with community health organizations (I want to work with the Asian Am population), so I feel like I could grow a big network there. However, I ultimately want to work in LA so I'm wondering if it would make sense to just go to school where I plan to work.

Thoughts??

I can see either choice can prove challenging but also rewarding. I, too, want to work with the API community - except specifically those in Asia and the Pacific Islands. I am from LA and did by graduate studies in the Bay Area. I am also originally from Southeast Asia. I can sympathize with the appeal to work with APIs.

One question I would reflect on is whether you want to be PART OF the change or BE the change. The Bay Area is indeed filled with community groups; community organizing and grass roots capacity building have deep roots in the Bay. An opportunity to train there and build networks will be forthcoming, without question. On the other hand, this may be less so in the LA area (although this is debatable). If that is so, why not be the trailblazer? Why not BE the change, be the organizer, and be the difference you wish LA has? Why not be the leader in developing those things you feel LA lacks? UCLA is an excellent institution. You will develop the foundational skills to create those networks and leadership potential. Also, through conferences, whether in SoCal or NorCal, those connections will bridge and solidify overtime.

The opposite can be argued. The Bay Area will offer excellent training, of course. Like you said, being part of already established organizations will generate networks, skills, and in depth knowledge. Is it not possible that those networks will facilitate the bridge to a job offer in SoCal where you wish to be? Can an argument be made that by learning from the "motherland," from where grass roots perhaps, well, took root, you are then more competitive as an applicant? He/she learned from the best, let's hire him/her! You can be PART of the change and still may have a chance to BE the change.

It's a win-win. Good luck!

 

[lordchrono]

Have anyone visited both schools? I am from Southern California as well and I've only been to UCLA but not SDSU.

 

[deleted462159]

Have anyone visited both schools? I am from Southern California as well and I've only been to UCLA but not SDSU.

I prefer the UCLA campus, prestige, atmosphere and dining halls. I prefer SDSU for its price, diversity, student life and location (its actual location isn't that nice, but it's within driving distance of a lot of things). For health promotion, SDSU is better if you want to work with refugee, immigrant and Mexican populations. I'm not sure what UCLA's area offers, but I'd imagine their program is strong as well.

 

[hopefulchanger]

Thanks for the reply, porkbunsrule. I can see it being a win-win either way. Just wondering if one school is a bigger win!

I was considering applying for SDSU as well, but decided against it (application fatigue and I already heard back from a school higher up on my list).