Should I Accept My CSU Fullerton Acceptance for Physics Undergrad?

[Arixal]

I've been accepted to Cal State University Fullerton, but I don't know if I should accept it as that's really the only school I got into. Alternatively I could wait another year and apply to UCs seeing as I do have another two semesters of classes I can take at a CC. Which would be the best option for undergraduate studies in physics?

 

[Vanadium 50]

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

 

[Arixal]

I suppose. I'm just worried about the prospects about getting into a good graduate school with a BS from a CSU.

My chances of getting into a UC don't seem like the lowest either. My GPA is currently about a 3.5, with it increasing every semester and I can fulfill TAG agreements. The only reason I got into a single CSU this year is because I only have 58 transferable credits due to not realizing I had taken a four credits in a nontransferable course my first semester.

I should also probably mention that if I were to stay at a CC for another year that would be my fourth year.

 

[jesse73]

Im going to try to give more detailed analysis of your situation instead of a proverb and look into some of the numbers.

I am assuming you are a california resident since CSUs don't get many out of state applicants.

UC/CSU admissions from California CCs are very favorable (almost 7 out of 10 for UCs).

"The University of California works in partnership with the community colleges to make admission attainable for transfer students. UC gives California community college students first priority over other transfer applicants, including those from four-year institutions and UC's own intercampus transfers."
https://secure.californiacolleges.edu/admissions/university-of-california-uc/advice-for-california-community-college-transfer-students.asp

Despite the fact you already have been admitted to a CSU and have the "bird in the hand" if you want to go to a UC you don't really lose much by going to a CC. A CC will also be cheaper with the only downside being the availability of seats in some classes which you can just pay for priority registration. You would need to have a bit of a drop to not be able to get into the same CSU as a california CC transfer and if you stay the same or get better you will have a good shot at a UC which is shown by the 70% admission rate for CC transfers which isn't near the HS grad admissions pool acceptance rate you just competed with.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I am concluding you are at a CC now. (Jesse73 has made a differnet assumption)

1. You have an offer now. You have no guarantee that that offer will be around next year.
2. You failed to get an offer from a UC this year. There is no guarantee that you will get one next year.
3. Plenty of people go on to grad school who didn't go to UCs.

 

[Geezer]

I suppose. I'm just worried about the prospects about getting into a good graduate school with a BS from a CSU.

Professor Larkin at UCLA got his undergrad degree from CSU-Hayward. It didn't stop him from getting into Caltech for grad school.

 

[Geezer]

Despite the fact you already have been admitted to a CSU and have the "bird in the hand" if you want to go to a UC you don't really lose much by going to a CC. A CC will also be cheaper with the only downside being the availability of seats in some classes which you can just pay for priority registration. You would need to have a bit of a drop to not be able to get into the same CSU as a california CC transfer and if you stay the same or get better you will have a good shot at a UC which is shown by the 70% admission rate for CC transfers which isn't near the HS grad admissions pool acceptance rate you just competed with.

I agree. I know many people who've transferred to UC schools directly from local community college.

 

[mathwonk]

I have known people who were turned down by a college for no good reason, e.g. a bad letter, in spite of deserving to be there. But in most cases one should assume that the school one is accepted by is the correct one to be at, based on talent, background, and achievement. To decide if there is some reason this omission was a mistake, one could compare his own background to that of enrolled students at the more desirable school.

But what is lost by enrolling where one is wanted, and doing well? I.e. start from where you are and progress. it is hard to imagine a college where one cannot learn something from someone.

 

[Arixal]

I have known people who were turned down by a college for no good reason, e.g. a bad letter, in spite of deserving to be there. But in most cases one should assume that the school one is accepted by is the correct one to be at, based on talent, background, and achievement. To decide if there is some reason this omission was a mistake, one could compare his own background to that of enrolled students at the more desirable school.

But what is lost by enrolling where one is wanted, and doing well? I.e. start from where you are and progress. it is hard to imagine a college where one cannot learn something from someone.

Yeah, in other circumstances I would have just followed that logic. The only reason I'm questioning it was because trying to transfer with only 58 units immediately disqualifies me from the majority of institutions despite my academic standing. So, I was wondering if it would be better to reapply after a year when I won't get disqualified solely for technically being a lower division transfer and can be judged upon my actual academic standing instead.

I don't think I'd particularly lose much, if anything by going to a CSU. It's just I have a year left I could do at a CC and it would be cheaper to do that then transfer now anyway since it's the same classes and if it gives me a chance to get into a "better" institution it may be better to just stay at a CC, save money, and at worst get into only CSUF again.

 

[jesse73]

The advice I gave doesn't apply in any other situation. It doesn't apply for turning one private university to go to another private university or turning down a college from one state to go to another state. It only applies to the case that you are a graduating high school senior accepted to go from HS->CSU and are considering doing HS->CC->UC in which case the programs/partnerships I mention and the favorable admissions terms I described apply.
If you are going from CC->CSU right now then that is a different case but it sounds like you tried to transfer prematurely in which case you should reapply. It seems like a waste of time to apply to transfer before you were ready in terms of units since it was bound to work against you.

 

[Arixal]

The advice I gave doesn't apply in any other situation. It doesn't apply for turning one private university to go to another private university or turning down a college from one state to go to another state. It only applies to the case that you are a graduating high school senior accepted to go from HS->CSU and are considering doing HS->CC->UC in which case the programs/partnerships I mention and the favorable admissions terms I described apply.
If you are going from CC->CSU right now then that is a different case but it sounds like you tried to transfer prematurely in which case you should reapply. It seems like a waste of time to apply to transfer before you were ready in terms of units since it was bound to work against you.

Yeah. I only did it because I wasn't aware that one course I took during my first semester wasn't transferable. I thought I had 62 transferable units when I applied.