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UC Riverside
Why UC Riverside? Formula 1 racing, diversity, and undergraduate research opportunities are just a few reasons why you need to research this campus.
What’s unique: the only UC campus with a Creative Writing major and a top ranked Etymology department.
This UC campus has the central location close to the LA area, Division 1 sports teams (but no football), and is the #2 Etymology dept. in the US (spider silk research). UC Riverside also has a citrus experiment station and it was where the “Cutie” orange was invented.
Why choose UC Riverside: 2 years of guaranteed campus housing, 18:1 student to faculty ratio, 72% of students live on campus and a new recreation center and the campus offers over 400 clubs & organizations to join. This all creates a vibrant and involved student population. Off campus housing is also very affordable. Undergraduate research is heavily promoted with an Undergraduate Research Symposium and Undergraduate Research Journal as part of their “Student Success Programs”.
Engineering acceptance statistics are lower than most UC campuses at a 3.7 GPA and 1750 SAT average. Undergraduate research is promoted heavily with the Engineering depts. the best funded major. Engineering also offers a “4+1” BS/MS option. Have a passion for race cars? The SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) participate in car challenges yearly. Bournes College of Engineering offers hands on learning: http://bournsdifference.ucr.edu/difference.html
How else can you make this large university feel more intimate: Learning Communities for freshman (optional) offer themed or major specific courses in a smaller class environment. (http://firstyear.ucr.edu/housing.html ) Many “Living Learning Communities” offer upperclassmen mentors from that major, academic advising and priority registration.
University of San Diego
San Diego beauty - private university with a strong alumni base and excellent funding for new innovation in Engineering and Business. Is this the campus for you?
College: University of San Diego – San Diego, CA www.sandiego.edu
Type of institution – Private University, medium sized with 5,700 undergraduates (8,200 students total)
Student population: 56% from CA, most popular majors are Business (Bus.Admin, Marketing, Accountancy, Finance) and Mechanical Engineering , 48% Catholic, over 75% students study abroad
Students admitted: Average statistics of 3.8+ GPA (weighted), 1200+ SAT or 28+ ACT (from 2014 class)
Academic Calendar: 4-1-4 (semesters with a winter break in between semesters)
University of San Diego is a private liberal arts college that is based in “Catholic intellectual tradition". Their academics value undergraduate research, small class sizes, and active learning. Engineering college has a well funded program based on “learn by doing” with their Cymer Ideation Space and Donald’s Garage types of creation labs. Business college has strong ties to the diverse business community in San Diego, placing students for internships and careers in industries from aerospace to wineries (see Career outcomes chart : www.sandiego.edu/careeroutcomes).
Disadvantages to USD: Financial aid does not cover full need, merit aid is generous but only to top performing students (top 10% of your class)
Advantages to USD: Small class sizes (14:1 average), consistent academic advising from freshman year , strong ties to a large city with a wide variety of industries, well supported study abroad program, and beautiful campus.
