- #1
MidgetDwarf
- 1,481
- 617
Here is a bit of background information about myself. Please excuse the winded post.
I started community college in California about 4 years ago. I did not graduate high school and had to leave during the 9th grade for financial reasons. I started working at age 14 in order to support myself. I returned to school when I was 21 got my GED and started community college right after. I placed in Arithmetic (lowest math class offered/ basic addition of numbers, fractions,etc) and have been a Math Major ever since. Eventually, I completed the Mathematics sequence: Cal (1-3), Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Differential Equations. I have completed all of my general education and will be receiving an Associates Degree in Mathematics in the Spring. I am in the process of transferring.
I have no family contribution. My father past away when I was 13 and my mother has a terminal illness. I have a 3.8 GPA. I applied to few a privates and most cal states. I got accepted into USC, but even after cutting my tuition to 26,000, I still could not afford it. The Cal States are within my price range and Financial Aid will cover a small part of the burden. I am majoring in Pure Mathematics but would like to take Physics electives. Mathematical Physics appears to be something I would like to do.
I received admissions for Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Cal State Los Angeles. I have no car, my method of transportation is the bus/train system. I don't mind riding public transit, because I use this time to review course material or as a study break. Cal State La is the nearest campus and Long Beach would me about 2 hours to commute. I know that Long Beach and the Cal Poly's have good Math programs. However, If I attend the Cal Poly's I would have to live on campus. A few of my teachers, who are knowledgeable, said there experience at Cal State La helped them to go onto graduate school. One of them being a Princeton PHD holder and the others UCLA, Berkeley, USC. But I believe since I'm not that smart, It would be better to get as much as rigor possible, and hopefully that rigor would prepare me for graduate work at a outstanding university. I am thinking the Cal Poly's would be a place where I can vastly grow intellectually.
Is it worth getting a loan, I am estimating the loan to be around the $30000 for the estimated 2 years for my BS, in order to attained San Luis Obispo/Pomona? Or should I settle for Cal State LA and maybe Long Beach? I am not sure about Long Beach, because I have to ride the Blue Line to get there, and one of the train stops has a high incident of violence rate. You literally have to pass through Watts and Compton to get to Long Beach. I am a Mexican-American male, I do not look tuff or soft, but I have seen a lot of crimes on this train line. Currently, Compton has a race war going on between Mexicans and Blacks.
If I were to choose Cal State Los Angeles, I can keep my $15 dollar an hour job at my current CC, and will be able to make $18 an hour in 2 more semesters. The hours are flexible. I am looking at 5 thousand out of pocket a year at Cal State LA/LB.
I apologize for the long post, but I really need guidance. Thanks.
I started community college in California about 4 years ago. I did not graduate high school and had to leave during the 9th grade for financial reasons. I started working at age 14 in order to support myself. I returned to school when I was 21 got my GED and started community college right after. I placed in Arithmetic (lowest math class offered/ basic addition of numbers, fractions,etc) and have been a Math Major ever since. Eventually, I completed the Mathematics sequence: Cal (1-3), Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Differential Equations. I have completed all of my general education and will be receiving an Associates Degree in Mathematics in the Spring. I am in the process of transferring.
I have no family contribution. My father past away when I was 13 and my mother has a terminal illness. I have a 3.8 GPA. I applied to few a privates and most cal states. I got accepted into USC, but even after cutting my tuition to 26,000, I still could not afford it. The Cal States are within my price range and Financial Aid will cover a small part of the burden. I am majoring in Pure Mathematics but would like to take Physics electives. Mathematical Physics appears to be something I would like to do.
I received admissions for Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Cal State Los Angeles. I have no car, my method of transportation is the bus/train system. I don't mind riding public transit, because I use this time to review course material or as a study break. Cal State La is the nearest campus and Long Beach would me about 2 hours to commute. I know that Long Beach and the Cal Poly's have good Math programs. However, If I attend the Cal Poly's I would have to live on campus. A few of my teachers, who are knowledgeable, said there experience at Cal State La helped them to go onto graduate school. One of them being a Princeton PHD holder and the others UCLA, Berkeley, USC. But I believe since I'm not that smart, It would be better to get as much as rigor possible, and hopefully that rigor would prepare me for graduate work at a outstanding university. I am thinking the Cal Poly's would be a place where I can vastly grow intellectually.
Is it worth getting a loan, I am estimating the loan to be around the $30000 for the estimated 2 years for my BS, in order to attained San Luis Obispo/Pomona? Or should I settle for Cal State LA and maybe Long Beach? I am not sure about Long Beach, because I have to ride the Blue Line to get there, and one of the train stops has a high incident of violence rate. You literally have to pass through Watts and Compton to get to Long Beach. I am a Mexican-American male, I do not look tuff or soft, but I have seen a lot of crimes on this train line. Currently, Compton has a race war going on between Mexicans and Blacks.
If I were to choose Cal State Los Angeles, I can keep my $15 dollar an hour job at my current CC, and will be able to make $18 an hour in 2 more semesters. The hours are flexible. I am looking at 5 thousand out of pocket a year at Cal State LA/LB.
I apologize for the long post, but I really need guidance. Thanks.