Student needs advice some advice on colleges (Pomona, Pasadena: credit, transfer to)

[rhoadsalive]

Hey!

I'm currently an out of state student in a medium sized city not very exciting city and I want to transfer to a college in SoCal, preferably LA or OC.
Besides studying I'm mostly interested in a lively music scene, with a lot of opportunities for artists.

Since the out of state tuition of the UCs is extreme I want to go with the CSUs and I'm not too sure where to go, I got the following choices :

CSULA, haven't heard too much about it, doesn't look that good on the outside though and the location seems to be kinda controversial. A plus would be the close proximity to Downtown, Hollywood etc. can anyone tell me anything about this college ?

CSULB, seems very popular and well established, also people tell me constantly how good the location is, never been to LB though.

CSUF, looks very promising, heard only good things about it, good location in OC from what I've heard, the only thing that I kinda fear is that it could get boring there and that the opportunities for artist could be rather limited.


I'd be so grateful for some advice, thanks in advance!

[happee2bmee]

Hi Rhoadsalive,

First, congratulations on making the decision to further your education.

I can't say anything about CSULA but I have visited CSULB and CSUF.
You want to transfer to a school which offers your major and one that can offer you internship and work assistance if needed when the time comes. The Cal States are in HIGH demand, especiall LB and F, because of the cost and reputation.
It is very challenging to get into those schools because of the amount of applications they receive yearly vs open spaces.

Since you mention you want to transfer - do you mean once you finish HS? or will you be a college transfer?
The entrance requirements are different and are listed on their websites.
If you transfer from college, you will need approx 60 credits min. with a min GPA and depending on your major you might have to have completed certain classes AND also you must have completed the "golden 4" classes regardless of major, regardless of campus, which are listed on the sites.
If you transfer with an associate degree then you have other requirements and GPA is weighed slightly different.

Campuses are very nice but consider your major and what else the school's offer before making a decision.

Your best bet would be do review the information on their websites and call admissions and speak with someone who could answer your questions and better direct you.
Speak with someone in financial aid who might be able to give you some ideas or ways to minimize cost if you find you're better suited for other schools.


Good luck!

[nightlysparrow]

If you're willing to consider going as far from LA as Orange County, have you looked at CSUN? Good rep, good neighborhood.

[genjy]

Cal Poly Pomona is the second highest ranked school in the CSU system (Cal Poly SLO is #1).

Cal Poly Pomona is only 15 miles north of CSU Fullerton, so you might want to give CPP a look too.

CSULB is the most reputable out of the three on your list.

[rhoadsalive]

Thanks for the fast replies, I'm actually an international transfer, I can literally get into all of those schools without much of an issue, I will transfer from a decent university.

I looked CSUN up as well, but it has the highest tuition out of all of those and I heard from people that the Valley would be a kinda boring place to be actually.

Thanks for the Pomona tip, I haven't thought about this one yet, looks promising.

As I said, the only thing that kinda worries me about being so far from LA is that there's less options for artists.

It's interesting that literally no one knows anything about the CSULA, it's so hard to find anything out about this college.

[Joe Van Fossen]

I don't know if art school is an option for you, but it may prove more useful if you're looking to work professionally as an artist. Places like Art Center in Pasadena and the Laguna College of Art and Design (Laguna Beach), especially Art Center, have had some very notable graduates.

I have a friend who is a working artist and has a studio in downtown LA. His work tends to take him all over the place though, so I don't think the city where you study will necessarily help or hinder your career. You will have to network with other artists and hustle either way.

[s0nginmyheart]

Originally Posted by rhoadsalive

Thanks for the fast replies, I'm actually an international transfer, I can literally get into all of those schools without much of an issue, I will transfer from a decent university.

I think that's a bold statement. Just make sure your major isn't impacted - during my hey-day, a lot of CSULB programs were (are).