Going to a California State University (CSU)
Parent Q&A
Consider CSU Channel Islands. It's a small school, they accept >70% of applicants, seem to have good resources for kids with special educational needs.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Questions
- Deciding which CSU
- Sonoma State versus Sac State?
- Choosing between CSU campuses for freshmen daughter
- CSU's and UC's: really graduate in 4 years?
Deciding which CSU
March 2016
My daughter has been admitted to a number of CSUs and is trying to decide where to spend the next 4 (or 5 ... sigh) years of her life.
Cal Poly Pomona has a well-regarded hospitality management program and a ''hands-on learning'' approach that is appealing and could be a good fit for her, but she seems reluctant to live in So-Cal (heat, smog, culture, not much going on near the campus, fear of going ''so far away'').
She is also considering SF State and Sonoma State (and possible Chico). She is an athletic and real-world-competent kid who struggles academically, and frankly doesn't really much want to go to college -- but she does want to have a degree in her pocket.
She doesn't want to discuss her options, won't do any research or comparisons, rejects any suggestions of a gap year or going to community college. She has done a number of college visits and there are a couple more preview days coming up before she has to make a commitment by May. I thought it might be helpful for her to talk to someone outside of our family, maybe she would open up more and could explore her options and concerns with a thoughtful advisor. Any recommendations for a career counselor or other helpful person whom she could talk to?
Just a few more weeks ....
I have two children. One went to Chico and the other Sonoma State so I feel I can give good feedback on those schools.
Sonoma State is very pretty but on the sleepy side. There is no 'there' there. It lacks the ''college town'' feel of Chico. The social scene is quiet too. Small Greek system. No real 'town' to go to. My son likes it mostly due to the intra murals.
Chico is much more active. Adorable town. Strong Greek presence. The social scene there is much more 'happening.' My daughter was in a sorority and loved it--learned a lot in her leadership role there. After 4 yrs she was ready to leave though as coming from Berkeley it started to feel too small.
I think- academically- they are both similar. But the feel of the two schools is very different. Have you visited? If not I hope you do before decision day. That might help. mom of two
Hi. You probably already knew that SF State is a real commuter school for East Bay kids, not very good for the ''college experience.'' It's also ''impacted'' (took my niece 6 years to get the classes she needed). Another niece and a nephew went to Sonoma State and were/are very happy there. Its small size and relative nearness are HUGE advantages. Students get better attention from professors, the dorms are small and friendly, the campus is pretty, and it's easy to come home for a weekend. Best of luck with your decision.
My daughter is a junior at San Jose State University and is very happy there. She was able to have the full campus life experience that kids tend to desire and yet be close enough to home when she was feeling homesick. From San Jose she comes home whenever she wants to. which has been a real blessing, specially the first year. She takes the bus to Fremont and then BART to Berkeley where I pick her up. There is a lot to do around campus, Santana Road is great and my daughter has attended many concerts at the SAP center. It has been a great choice for her. They do have a Hospitality Management program for your daughter. My daughter will be delighted to talk to your daughter and maybe even show her around the campus.
We did look at Sonoma State which has a great campus and dorms, but we decided that it was very isolated unless you had a car, which my daughter doesn't. Chico is also extremely isolated and the rumor among students is that there is a lot of alcohol going on there. My general opinion is that unless she knows of a specific program that is specially better at a particular CSU, all of them provide basically the same education for your buck. The one exception being California Maritime Academy, which is specific for the maritime industry. Plus, we couldn't afford last minute homesick/crisis plane tickets from say, San Diego, San Mateo, or any SOCal. And we had many of those. I hope your daughter can relax a bit an allow herself to talk to somebody about her choices. Feel free to contact me. Gladys
Sonoma State versus Sac State?
April 2014
Our daughter was accepted into several of the Cal State campuses and is trying to decide between Sonoma State and CSU Sacramento. Wants to major in one of the social sciences - Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice or related major.
She really liked the Sac State tour - the campus and atmosphere - I did also; it really reminded me of UC Davis where I graduated from. There seemed to be excellent internship opportunities also due to being near the state capital. The only aspect she did not like was that it is more of a commuter school. She will not have a car at college, so will have to reply on public transportation.
She also liked the Sonoma State tour. I was amazed at how gorgeous their campus and buildings are. Definitely a private college feel. They also have the 2nd highest 4 year graduation rate in the CSU system (according to tour guide) and the class sizes are smaller than Sac state, which would be really helpful for our daughter and her learning style. It is also a much more residential campus. The only thing that she didn't like was how quiet the campus was. We did do a 10AM tour on a Monday, but the campus was extremely quiet (almost eerie) and there did not seem to be many students walking around, especially compared to the other college campuses we have toured. She also has heard there is not much to do in the area, and is afraid it could be too dull for her after having lived in SF. I told her with studying, the friends she will make and joining clubs and a sorority she will have plenty to do (emphasis on studying).
Does anyone have children who are/have attended either campus recently and have any feedback? The May 1 decision date is looming! Parent of stressed senior
Hi -
I just wanted to put in my two cents about Sac State and Sonoma State. My brother in law attended Sac State in their engineering program. He lived in the dorms as a freshmen and it was his first experience away from home. When he visited us (on weekends and occasionally on holidays) he always commented that while the school worked hard at providing a community atmosphere he felt that it was very much a commuter school and that the majority of the kids were local and already had some friends upon entering. We encouraged him to join a fraternity and find some activities outside of classes but the fraternity ended up being solely about partying (no real organizational standards like I saw when I experienced the greek system in college). He ended up returning home after one year to finish up at another school. I think the biggest thing to remember is that students at Sac State need to be able to advocate for themselves. No one is going to hold their hand and if they are struggling they need to be able to recognize it and seek help.
Sonoma State on the other hand is where my sister in law attended (she is finishing her sophomore year now). She too was skeptical about the lack of excitement on campus when she visited but once she moved in the dorms she felt completely differently. She lived in the apartment style dorms (which are beautiful) and the school made a huge effort to get all students involved in campus activities. She was also in their teaching program which has given her an instant group of people who are working on the same goal (teaching credential). She has truly blossomed at SSU and this Fall even decided to join a sorority. We actually just attended a philanthropy event that they put on (a lip-syncing contest between sororities and fraternities) where they raised almost $20,000 for diabetes research. Her experience has been wonderful, she is on target to graduate with a BA and credential in 4 years.
Another major difference is that SSU is more ''traditional'' aged college students and while that may seem like a small issue it can often be overwhelming to be away from home for the first time and feel like you have very little in common with their classmates.
All in all, I think both schools have their advantages and disadvantages but I think that for a first experience away from home Sonoma may be a more comfortable option.
Good Luck and Congrats! Christina
Choosing between CSU campuses for freshmen daughter
April 2013
Hello, My daughter just got accepted to San Marcos State and San Jose State. She wants to persue a career in Nursing. Mostly because of the proximity, we are leaning towards SJSU. But she insist on visiting the San Marcos campus. I have read reviews that are not too flattering for San Marcos State. She wants to be in a rather larger campus full of opportunities for social activities and sports (just as an audience, she does not do any sports) The complication is that she was accepted as an Undeclared major at SJSU and as a pre-nursing student at San Marcos, so she may have better chances at getting the classes she needs at San Marcos. We are trying to save ourselves the expense and time wasting of going to southern california for a 20 minute visit to a campus that might not be the place for her and where the pre-nursing program might be just as good as the one at SJSU. Plus all the future expenses of getting her back home for the holidays etc. (we are in Berkeley) In my mind if there is nothing special about San Marcos, why bother going there. So my question is, does any of you know anything about San Marcos, in terms of academic, social/physical environment, student body, proximity to a larger town and quality of life as a student. Or can give some wisdom about the choice between these two campuses? Thank you so much Trying to help my daughter decide
If your daughter really wants to pursue nursing, I think you should be carefully investigating whether she can actually get into that program at SJSU. Nursing is hugely competitive. A young friend of mine had to leave SFSU in order to get into some sort of community college nursing program, because she couldn't get into SFSU's nursing program. She was working on a health-related BA as a backup and couldn't make the switch. The CSUs are so overloaded right now, the rules have become very tight, and you should make no assumptions that just because your daughter attends SJSU, she can get into ANY particular program she's not already accepted to. So, if nursing is what really matters, research that and decide from there. San Marcos might be the better choice.
I believe that an in-person visit to San Marcos (as well as SJSU, if you haven't already) is necessary. This is your daughter's future, not yours. She needs to decide which place will fit her needs and wants.
We took two summers touring colleges in California, Oregon, and Washington, and my son based his decision upon the in-person visits. He chose OSU and has taken ownership of his college career and has felt very vested in his university.
No matter how much on-line research you do, until you walk the campus, talk to students there, and talk to the folks in the campus tour program, you can't get a good feel for the culture at the university. Plan ahead and make sure you get a campus tour and talk to advising/admissions folks for each school before your daughter decides.
Travel costs for holidays should not even be a factor in your daughter's decision. This is the beginning of her adult life and career. Parent of a college senior
CSU's and UC's: really graduate in 4 years?
April 2011
My son has been accepted to a variety of schools and we are now wondering which schools of the ones he likes will be the most economical. Does anyone out there know if you can really get your classes and graduate at CalPoly and/or UC Santa Cruz in 4 years? He has been accepted to a few privates with aid but they run a bit over the UC tuition for us, so it wouldn't be worthwhile unless the others really don't let a student get the classes needed to graduate. CalPoly would be the cheapest and he likes it, and he could take some city college classes in the summer. I'm just wondering if it's hype or true or not, and if anyone has experience with these two schools in particular.
Our well-respected private college counselor told us to expect it to take five years if our son selected a UC or CSU school. I don't have any other experience, but wanted to share her opinion. We are taking it seriously. Remember that much of this worry is due to current and expected budget cuts, so the experience of kids just who graduated, for instance, may not be as relevant. They attended under a different budgetary situation. Best of luck with it. It sure doesn't make the decision any easier! Anne
YES. Your son can definitely graduate in 4 years from either UC Santa Cruz or Cal Poly SLO. This is a reasonable question given the horrible budget reductions looming at both UC and CSU. But Santa Cruz and Cal Poly are still great deals and the students lucky enough to be admitted will get excellent educations.
UC has a very good record on graduation rate and time-to-degree. At UC overall, the majority of students graduate in 4 years or 4 year plus one quarter and 80% graduate in 5 years or less. For students who take longer than 4 years, the issue is generally not an inability to get classes but rather a desire to take more classes than the minimum needed--for example because a student is completing a double major, is taking additional courses to help prepare for graduate work, or was away from the campus for a term or more studying abroad or whatever. This is not to say that individual students don't have frustrating moments trying to get into a needed course. (I'm sure at least one UC parent will write in with a horror story.) But students who persevere (register for classes early, put themselves on waiting lists, appeal to professors, and try again if closed out the first time) and are flexible (willing to take an 8:00 a.m class!) can generally get what they need.
At CSU, the picture is a little different: courses can be tough to get into, graduation rates are much lower, and many people take longer. But Cal Poly is not a typical CSU--its stats look a lot like a UC campus. There are a number of factors at work here: the drive and preparation levels of students matters a lot and they tend to be high at UC and at specialized CSU campuses like Cal Poly; additionally the culture at private institutions and UC/Cal Poly has an expectation that students will graduate in 4 years (less true at many CSUs). And don't forget the price effect: data shows that the more expensive an institution is, the more motivated students (and their parents!) are to finish on time.
My guess is that unless you are getting great financial aid offers from the private institutions you're looking at, UC or (especially) Cal Poly will be less expensive. And the best way to ensure your son does well in school is to send him to the place he really wants to go. Congratulations on having these options--as budget reductions shrink the size of public education in California, they will be available to fewer and fewer students. Higher Ed expert
Our student is graduating within 4 years at UCSC. It means being on top of your requirements. If necessary taking summer classes or student abroad options for credit will help add up the necessary credits. But when you consider the difference in tuition at a UC over private ''splurging'' on a summer abroad course may be affordable as well as a great experience.
Will this get harder? Anyone's guess. But if you read catalogs carefully you will find it is also fairly common to take 5 years at a private school which may also have many requirements and not offer enough sections to cover the demand. At $35 to $50K per year - that is an even bigger ''ouch'' if money is a consideration. Depending on the private school and how rigid the degree you still need to stay on top of the requirements to graduate.
UCSC students can take classes at any UC in the summer ( unless this changes )- even Berkeley - and there are transfer options within the UC system if Santa Cruz is not his first choice. Though Santa Cruz is a stunning Campus and the Administrators and Staff provide a lot of service. Read over the website carefully for all the options and requirements. Good luck. Banana Slug MOM
They are all great colleges. My advice would be to attend UC Merced. It has had a reputation as the last of the UC's but the admit rate gets tougher each year and I believe it will hold more prestige in the coming years. Also, it is a newish campus and has great facilities.
My child recently graduated from college, and one thing to keep in mind is how often they might want to come home for the weekends, Merced (Amtrak) and Sonoma State (rail to bus to Bart), are pretty easy to navigate. Monterey Bay is pretty far and involves several transfers before finally getting to Berryessa Bart, although there might be an Amtrak bus that would make it easier. Do they all have teaching credential programs, or would he complete his undergraduate degree and then need to apply somewhere else for the credential? That may be a factor to keep in mind as well.
My child graduated from Berkeley High in 2023 and is completing their first year at UC Merced. We've had a positive experience overall. My child is an English major, and English classes have been small- 30 students or less. Professors have been accessible and easy to meet with during office hours. My child has had consistent support from their Academic Advisor. They are in a triple room originally designated as a double ( the dorm was built in 2020) so housing is cramped. My student has not had a party experience- but they weren't partiers coming into it. My student is not an athlete so I don't know anything about sports or athletics. Whenever I have visited, the campus has been calm and the students have been extremely friendly. It is HOT in August during move-in, but it was well organized.