College choice
Hello, my son is trying to choose between Cal State Monterey Bay, Sonoma State and UC Merced. He is very social and an athlete. He loves to play sports with the majority of his free time and is not concerned about a party scene. He is leaning towards a career in teaching/coaching. Any advice would be much appreciated!!!
Apr 4, 2024
Parent Replies
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.