Wow, times change...

However, it's more fun to live in my narrow, time-challenged world where all the rich kids that couldn't get into UCLA got into USC with their daddy's net worth report. I still hate Tommy Trojan though... :D ;)

DO NOT go to any of the military academies if your desire is to fly in the commercial world after your obligated service is up.

ROTC is an option if you want to fly in the military. AOCS (Officer and a Gentleman route) is also just as viable. But four years in a social sump is not the right way unless you REALLY want to.

Why I love my father (among many other attributes): He went to West Point, his father went to West Point...I sought an appointment and was selected. When I received the notice, my father sat me down and and asked me if I was doing this for myself or for the family heritage. He then said that he would have preferred to go to UCB, but the pressure from his family was too great. He buckled. He did not want me to make the same mistake.

I went to UCB...because that is exactly where I wanted to go. I then ended up flying the the Navy, where I am today, almost twenty-four of the coolest years later. Go figure.

Planning if a wonderful thing, but lifes calculus has a way of bending the best laid plans.

Good luck. Besides my wife and family the most sublime, awe inspiring and terrifying moments have been in the air.

Is, was, and always will be U$C-go bears:D

Just talked to a bright young lady this morning who is starting UCSB in the fall. 4.2 GPA. Got rejected by USC.

I didn't ask. She was surprised that USC said "NO" because that was her fall-back school if UC didn't work out.

Is there a website that shows average GPA and SAT for different schools?

UCSB as a SERIOUS SCHOOL U gotta be kidding...it was a PARTY SCHOOL..The Greatfull Dead would peform there every year along with a host of other bands....I think the enrollment is now about 18,000 when I went there it was 11,000 and change....and I swear to Gawd there were more hotties walking around in their bikinis then you could shake your stick at....the other thing was when I was there everybody kind of knew everyone else or knew of....

It really wasn't an easy school when I went there and its some good notices for paticular departments saince then...I used to get the Alumni ***** asking for contributions....

My daughter is going through this also...kinda, she wants to do air traffic control, but the programs are similar. First, do yourself a favor and go out of state. You'll have more fun (unless you're the homesick type). Second...Embry Riddle is big bucks, but in FL which can be fun also. Right now, my daughter's a flight attendent, but talking with the FOs coming out (some with as little as 500 hrs), the N. Dakota State has a nice 4 year program. Yes, you can fly in winter in ND. Final thought, at this time, weather in FL...pesky hurricanes in summer. One FO told her (FL grad) he got delayed because of weather.

For my daughter, no interest in being a pilot (you got to love it to do it), but is thinking Miami-Dade for ATC school. She already has her bachelors, just looking to do the courses in Aviation Management so she can start a new job...about 18 months.

My son got this info from the UC Davis open house he went to a few weeks ago:

UC Berkeley Freshman Admission Profile
Ave GPA - 4.17, SAT I score - 1359

UC Davis
Ave GPA - 3.91, SAT I score - 1247

UC Irvine
Ave GPA - 3.91, SAT I score - 1251

UCLA
Ave GPA - 4.17, SAT I score - 1353

UC Riverside
Ave GPA - 3.60, SAT I - 1137

UC San Diego
Ave GPA - 4.01, SAT I - 1306

UC Santa Barbara
Ave GPA - 3.88, SAT I - 1236

UC Santa Cruz
Ave GPA - 3.71, SAT I - 1199

USC has consistently increased the quality of their students over the past 20 years. It is not the same derided place that it was back then (I know...I was a derider ;) ). The Cinema school is aguably the best in the world, the Engineering, Communication and Business schools are top 10, and the rest are pretty strong. While I work at USC I have no "school spirit" or love for the place. But it is no joke when it comes to academics these days.

Thanks
 

Wow, there is a lot of info here! I'm not too set on flying yet, but becoming a pilot is one of my top choices right now as a career. I just took my SAT 1 two weeks ago and should get my score online in a week. My GPA is a 3.3 and I will be taking Honors Spanish 4 next year. Scott, thanks for the comprehensive write-up regarding colleges and UCs. I would rather stay in California becuase of cost and the weather. I prefer the weather in southern California a bit better than northern California. USC seems like a nice university despite it's area (crime?).I'm not too hot on Embry because I'm not too sure if flying is going to be my career in the future.

Matt, if you and your folks can afford it, consider a smaller liberal arts college. That's an education that will serve you well for the rest of your life. Just one mans opinion, but a liberal arts education is a great cornerstone for a lifetime of learning.

Texas Tech has the best looking girls in the states, UT is a close second.

If I had to do it all over again I would go to Notre Dame.

+1

I went to what might be considered a 2nd tier liberal arts college (University of San Diego), but the education was first rate, and got me into grad school at Caltech.

I taught at Claremont, and had most of my students go on to the med or grad school of their choice. You can get a great education at a large school, but imho only if you are outstanding or very pushy do you get interesting opportunities.

Sometimes the GPAs are kind of weird. For example, the UCD GPA of 3.71 posted above...that would be the equivalent of around a 3.2 or so at my high school. SO, they can really vary. My high school had a maximum of 4.24 (with APs, didn't give out A+s, etc.). Plus, most of the big schools like the UCs have so many students that it's hard to get a truly accurate assessment. I would imagine you would have no problem getting into UCD or SB.

Spanish 4 should really help you if you take the AP. AP tests are really annoying at the end of a hard year but damn! when I got to Berk I had a load of units. Don't know if I can/will graduate sooner than normal but at least it's nice to have the options/have it over with.

keep us posted!

It's too bad high schools can't standardize their GPAs. Comparing someone that comes from a school that does weighted GPA with a standard GPA student inherently puts the standard student at a disadvantage. I like the weighted system, as it rewards students for taking hard classes. I took a lot of AP/college prep type classes, then sat back and watched as a bunch of morons at my school (standard GPA) with 4.0s were nominated for valedictorian.

+2

I went to a liberal arts school (Hamilton College in NY). I double majored in English and Comp sci, and graduated in 2002.
The guys I work with now are often the MIT (sorry Wayne!) and major university types of software engineers, and there is just no comparison in their roundedness (did I make up a word?) compared to the Grinnell guy, the Williams guy, etc. The big university guys are all good software engineers, but they're just not as malleable and agile as the others when it comes to wearing more than one hat.
I've ended up managing the entire development team... a team made up lagrely of the MIT/BU/Northeastern types. I think that outcome is directly linked to the non-technical skills I picked up at my liberal arts school, such as writing and public speaking skills.

i went to texas tech, to visit before making any decisions. hot smoking women, but back then, (i hope times have changed) i did get some lip because of....eff it, never mind.

I think if you look closely you will see that you have some inate skills with people and that technologists don't have those skills in them. Many of us nerds are like that from birth. I have shunned mangement and have no issue with less educated and younger people being my manager. My current VP has a BS from Cal Poly, but he is an inate leader and is very, very good at decision making and working with people.

The path through college just enhances your natural abilities. Some inate leaders don't even go to college. A friend of mine from high school enlisted in the NAVY and last I heard was up for consideration as an Admiral. He again was a natural leader of people.

Some even make it to the Oval Office!

How about Faber?

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