Tips for Picking a College + Why I Chose UCLA Over Berkeley

Hey everyone, congratulations on being accepted to multiple schools! Here are some of factors that are really important to consider when making the decision about which school to attend. Cost of attendance, housing affordability and availability, campus safety and strength of major are all things you may want to give some thought. You may be surprised to find the the level of a school's prestige is not one of the more important factors in the grand scheme of things. I think that admits at schools in the UC system such as UCLA, Berkeley, UC San Diego (UCSD), UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) and more will find this video especially relatable. I also share my story about how/why I chose to attend UCLA over Berkeley. Hope this helps you as you make your decision! Good luck!
About Me
-Name: Hailey Dollar (yes, that's my real last name)
-Age: 22
-CC: West Valley College, A.A. in Liberal Arts
-Current School: UCLA
-Major: Applied Linguistics
-Fun fact: I love astrology! I am an Aquarius sun sign with moon in Aries and rising in Sagittarius.
Let's connect!
/ haileyxdollar
/ haileygoes2ucla
Snapchat: @haileyddddd
Disclaimer: I am NOT affiliated in any way with the University of California, California Community College or California State University, or the admissions departments of these institutions. The information presented in this video is taken from my own personal experience.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Congratulations to all my subscribers who received good news this week!!!!! Comment below with the schools you got into - I want to celebrate with you 🥳 and to anyone out there watching this feeling disappointed with their results keep an eye out bc I have something coming for you too 😉

[@caitlingee642]

I'm so torn rn because I recently got into UCLA (I really didn't think I would), so now everyone is kind of expecting me to go because it's the best ranked school I've gotten into. This video was really great, thank you!!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi Caitlin, congratulations! That's really exciting. I would urge you to put your feelings before the opinions of others. I know it's hard when you're young but remember at the end of the day it's your life so you should live it how you want to. Best of luck to you!

[@angelachapman1960]

Hey Hailey. I'm a high school senior this year and I got into 9 out of the 11 colleges that I applied and I was so torn over UC San Diego for Clinical Psychology/Neuroscience and UCLA for Psychobiology. However, once I visited UC San Diego on Triton Day, I knew that there would be my new home for the 4 next years and I don't regret my decision one bit. Thank you for this video and keep up with the good work

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi Angela, congratulations on all your acceptances! Quite impressive :) UC San Diego is such an amazing school and I'm happy you are at peace with your decision. San Diego is also just a really cool city so I'm sure you will enjoy your next 4 years. Congrats again and thanks for watching!

[@K12LearningCoach]

You deserve 5 stars for all of your videos! They're so relevant, informational, and helpful! I can't say enough good things about this channel!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

That's very kind! Thanks for watching, I'm glad you find them helpful

[@JenniferBellfilms]

Thank you for this. I’m actually from the same area as you, I currently live in Morgan Hill and I go to De Anza College. :) I had been planning on going to SF State for two years but just to see what would happen, I applied to UCLA and UC Irvine. I found out two days ago that I got accepted into UC Irvine and I am still waiting to hear back from UCLA. I agree with what you said in your video, even though my heart was set on living in SF, I think Irvine or UCLA would be the best big girl decision I could make for my future. Best of luck to you!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi Jennifer, congratulations on your acceptance! That's awesome and you should be really proud of yourself! UCLA always takes forever to release their decisions I've noticed. My best friend goes to SF state and it's a really nice school too! How awesome is it that you got into Irvine though? Community college can really do amazing things for you. Congrats again and good luck!

[@pearly_pearl_]

Thank you SO MUCH for addressing other people's opinions and the prestige factor!! Just what I needed to hear and need to hear so often in this process.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Glad I could help!

[@casualgalore]

You helped me realize how a reputation of a college isn’t important as the environment that campus is located. I also needed to get it out of my head how I needed to get into these schools. I’m applying to transfer in Fall 2020, and i’m beyond nervous because I never felt capable nor ready but i’m determined to attend UC for literally a world class education! :D thank you for all your videos and how informative you’ve been. i’ve saved probably like 5 videos on my college playlist hahaha

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Thanks for watching! Glad you changed your mind about college, at the end of the day there is more to a school than its name. Good luck with apps!

[@elizabeth1ee]

Hey hailey! Thanks for making this video. I’m transferring in the fall and I’ve been feeling so confused and pressured by my family. I recently got into UC Berkeley, which is great and I’m grateful for the opportunity, but I feel so pressured to go there just because it’s Berkeley. You made a lot of great points that resonated with me and I’m glad to see your perspective! ❤️

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Congratulations! Berkeley is a great school and you should be proud of yourself! Such an accomplishment. I hope that you find clarity of mind and are able to make a decision that you feel happy with. Thanks for watching and good luck!

[@yuhoseok47]

Have you decided where to go?

[@elizabeth1ee]

Hoseok Yoo hello!! Yes after a long and difficult decision process, I’ve committed to usc!! Very excited and happy with my decision :))) best of luck to you 👍🏼

[@Am-Not-Jarvis]

It's really funny how for the first 17 years of my life I was begging to move out of my parents' house and get out of my tiny, confined town. About a week into my freshman year, 450 miles away, I had a complete breakdown because I was homesick. I adjusted to it, but it was weird at first because I had never been homesick before and I didn't understanding why I was feeling that way.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Making such a big jump to a new environment is definitely overwhelming. Sometimes you can surprise yourself. But I'm glad to hear you stuck it out!

[@hellahouseplants8414]

Hailey, please do a video about transfer student scholarships!!! I love your videos! Like you I find everything myself...not to mention I’m late starting school so as someone who’s the same age it’s so great to get a mature view!!! Keep doing amazing girl, but please....do a transfer scholarship video

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

unfortunately i don't know much about scholarships

[@timothyorji2048]

you are so amazing and inspiring! tour videos are helping me thru my application process thanks so much!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

I'm glad you find it helpful! Thanks for watching

[@ztebs]

thank you so much for this video!! my heart says berkeley but my mind says ucsd. they offered me a full-ride, the area is nice, i am close to home, and the housing situation is WAYY better than berkeley. i have made my choice so thank you!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Congrats on your acceptances! That's a tough choice, but a good problem to have ☺ I hope you have fun at UCSD and wish you the best of luck on your academic journey!

[@elainevivi]

thank you so much for the part where you talked about parents'/others' expectations, i actually teared up bc my dad has been really breathing down my neck about college and it was such a relief to hear. of course i care about my parents and what they think but in the end this is my life and decision

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

It's not easy! Everyone has their two cents but all that really matters is what you want. I know it's hard when it comes to your parents because they raised you but at the end of the day it's all about you. Hope everything works out!

[@TrustInJus1in]

Hey Hailey, I’m currently a senior in high school looking to transfer in the next 2 years to a UC one day from a ccc. I pretty much didn’t care about my future at all during high school which I very much regret now. But now I have a new burning desire to redeem myself, focus on my grades, and transfer to my new dream school one day which is UCI. For the past week I’ve been doing so much research on the transferring process and I just wanted to say that I’ve been watching a crap ton of your videos recently and it’s given me nothing but hope and confidence for my future so thank you a bunch! Regardless, I have a few things I would like to clarify if u don’t mind me asking: How was your application process to schools like? How many UCs and state schools (if any) did you apply for? When did you start applying? I assume it was during your last year at cc? (I’m pretty new to this stuff) Was the application process as rigorous and stressful as all my friends said it was? Do you think the process is less difficult as a junior transfer student? From being accepted to the two schools that to my knowledge are more prestigious and harder to get in then UCI (I think that’s fair to say?), how was your GPA throughout your time in ccc? I assume it’s close to a 4.0 which I fully intend to achieve my entire time in ccc. I still have a bunch of more questions and comments but I think I bothered you enough. I’m gonna keep watching your videos my entire time in ccc. Thanks for being so helpful and pls wish me luck!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi there! It's good that you are getting a head start on your path to UC! You should definitely check out my "How I Transferred to UCLA" video as I talk about a lot of this stuff in detail. In general, the application was pretty easy for me because I did my essays over the summer so I basically just had to hit submit when the application period started. My GPA at the time of application was 3.73. Hope this answers your questions. Thanks for tuning in and good luck!

[@TrustInJus1in]

Hailey Dollar alrighty, I’ll check it ty for the response!

[@Jackayyramirez]

Hey FYI I am a cc transfer I got admitted to UCI fall 2019 waiting on UCLA but my stats were a 3.7 gpa did the honors program and CCCP program at UCLA hope this helps in any way and I. Applied to social ecology in Irvine and sociology at UCLA best of luck

[@TrustInJus1in]

Jacqueline Ramirez hey thx for the response! Did you go to DVC for cc by chance?

[@Jackayyramirez]

@@TrustInJus1in no what is that a program? lol, I attended East Los Angeles community college if that is what your asking. And I applied the second fall I attended there. When doing the application make sure you go ask for someone to revise it if your cc has some sort of transfer center.

[@loualbright5901]

While my grandson may not decide to go here, it was a great presentation.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

I'm sure things will be great for him no matter what he chooses!

[@CALISUPERSPORT]

That's pretty unacceptable that there's Berkeley students that are homeless. With as much money as that college must generate.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

yeah it's no good :/

[@NyiMaung-u8b]

What subject do you recommend if I will come

[@EnterNameMusic]

Hi! I have been watching a lot of your videos recently, but I just decided I will ask you my question straight up. I got declined from every application. This may be due to capped majors and being unlucky, or some mistake, but I will sadly never know. As I am in the top 7 students at my high school in San Diego, I got an offer by UC Merced, and it is now the only university that has accepted me. My end goal and dream is to stay near home and attend UCSD, with UCI, SDSU, CalPolyPomona, and UCSB being my backups. My exact question is, should I go to CC and trust the TAG program and push myself to transfer, or should I go to UC Merced and transfer to one of my choices from there. What would be a higher chance. Keep in mind, I have above a 4.0GPA and never get grades lower than an A, so I believe I will be able to push myself either way. Also, take price out of the picture to make it easier.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi there! Sorry to hear that. It's an unfortunate situation that many high schoolers face, as the competition for high school is so steep. Don't beat yourself up over it too much - so many deserving applicants get denied every year. In terms of Merced vs. CC, you have a lot to consider. The experience between these two and where you end up transferring to (if you go the CC route) will be very different. If you go to Merced and try to transfer, you will have a much harder time because the UC's prioritize CCC transfer students as they have not had an opportunity to attend a 4 year university yet, and the whole purpose of CC is to transfer. You can check out the stats online but the overwhelmingly majority of transfer students come from CCC. The other thing to keep in mind though, is that San Diego is not available for the TAG program. Only Merced, Irvine, Santa Barbara, Davis, Riverside and Santa Cruz are. Also, depending on your major, you may not be eligible for TAG at these schools (ex: Engineering or Nursing). So ultimately it comes down to personal preference, so you'll definitely want to sit to down and really think about what you want your college experience to look like. If going to San Diego and having that school on your diploma really matters to you that much, then CC might be a better route for you. Hope that helps. Good luck!

[@Sokei]

Hi Hailey! Thank you so much for all your videos! They’ve been really informational and helpful 😊 I’m currently a community college student and I was admitted to UCLA and UCB and I was hoping to major in Linguistics (UCB) or Applied Linguistics (UCLA) like you! If it’s okay / if you have time to answer, I wanted to ask you a few questions! I was wondering how you feel about the applied linguistics program there so far! I heard the applied linguistics department at UCLA closed down a few years ago and joined the linguistics department and I’m worried that maybe the department isn’t as strong as before or is still having issues? I know you mentioned some of your professors being quite young/new too... I’m also from the bay area and I hear a lot about socal people being very different from norcal! Did you feel it was hard to fit in or find people you could click with? Thank you so much again 🙏 looking forward to your next video!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi there! Congratulations on your acceptances! How exciting. I personally really enjoy my major and feel like I am learning a lot. The AppLing department merged with regular Linguistics bc there was so much overlap that there was really no point in having two separate departments. So to answer your question, there aren't any issues with the department - UCLA actually has one of the most distinguished Linguistics departments in the world. I do have young professors from time to time but I also have really well known professors in the field, such as Bruce Hayes, who is one of the most famous phonologists out there. I've also had opportunities to work with other well known people like Susan Curtiss, who you may know from the Genie Wiley case. There is definitely a difference between norcal and socal people, but I knew that before I moved here. Personally, I don't really care about making friends. Lol that sounds really harsh but I'm a true introvert so it's just not a priority for me. I've still met a lot of amazing people though! Hope this answers your questions. Good luck with your decision!

[@Juiceboy3005]

I’m from San Jose too!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

small world!

[@anag3912]

Can’t decide 🤷🏻‍♀️ UCLA or Cal? Political Science

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Sounds like a big decision!

[@yulianabarronperez476]

Same 😭

[@anag3912]

Went with UCLA 🐻🙌🏽

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

@@anag3912 Great choice go Bruins!!!

[@yuhoseok47]

Same... for stats major

[@nataliyachepurnova29]

Thank you!!! This was sooo helpful. I’m confused why people don’t emphasize these realities more.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@Pabloescobar20245]

Just committed to UCLA for biology over Berkeley! Go BRUINS! Maybe I'll see you around campus!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Go bruins!!!!

[@joice2871]

How’s it been bro

[@joice2871]

It’s been 2 years & did u ever see her on campus

[@ljaven1962]

U really make an effort answering questions for us, that’s amazing of you!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Thank you!

[@Simsrockslol]

Hey Haley this might be a little off topic but do is the scholarship you got from berkeley called the “ Berkeley Transfer Scholarship” because I got it and I don’t know if it like my cal grant mixed with scholarship or if it’s a real scholarship???

[@user-eg5od1cu2y]

Yeah where do you find the scholarship?

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi Chis, I honestly don't remember what scholarship I received since it was over a year ago. I'm pretty sure that the Berkeley Transfer Scholarship is separate from your Cal grant but I'm not 100% positive. You can always reach out to your admissions rep and have that clarified.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

You should be able to find it on the application portal. Sometimes it takes a few days after the acceptance to be released.

[@denissev3975]

You have no idea how much you helped me! I am a transfer student as well, and I got accepted into UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis. It is being extremely hard to decide because of the whole COVID-19 situation, but your video truly made me consider some very important points! I know that UC Davis is offering me a better financial aid award, it is safer, and the housing situation is a lot better. However, it is hard to say no to such prestigious schools like Berkeley and UCLA. Anyways, thank you for making this video and for sharing your experience!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi Denisse, congrats on your acceptances! You should be very proud of these big accomplishments. I'm really glad that I could provide some clarity on the decision making process. As I said in the video, prestige isn't everything. Anyway, the fact that you even got accepted has earned you bragging rights for life 😉Have fun at Davis and good luck on your academic journey!

[@sebastianmanrique6536]

I’m wondering what your GPA was when you applied to UCLA and did you do any extra curricular activities?

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi Sebastian, my GPA was 3.73 and I didn't do any extra curriculars as I worked full time.

[@shelleyn2884]

Hi Hailey....after watching your videos here for at least a year my daughter has been accepted to UCLA from community college. As amazing as that is she is struggling a bit with the decision. UCSC offered regent scholarship which gives priority class enrollment and a 5,000 a year stipend and other nice perks like research and faculty mentor. She was invited to apply for UCLA’s regent award and is honored and working on the essay due tomorrow.. but odds are against getting it and just in general giving a lot of thought to pros and cons of each school pretty much like you’ve laid out here in your video. We are already realizing that travel to and from LA and hotel etc and either long day on I-5 from NorCal or plane tickets are going to rack up really fast. Going to admitted transfer Bruin day mid May, then orientation in summer, then move in day would be expensive. Anyway...your video on decision considerations is timely as your videos always are.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Congrats to her!

[@shelleyn2884]

thanks!@@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege

[@sallykim8120]

hi hailey! so i’ve been following ur videos for a while now and i’m so excited to say that i got in to both uc berkeley and ucla for transfer this fall!! i wanted to ask a question regarding the topic u touched upon about how good the school is at ur particular major because this is where i’m conflicted. ucla is my dream school and my top choice by far BUT ucb has the #1 program for sociology whereas ucla is around #6 or #7 and i want to make a guided and smart decision especially bc i want to go to grad school. is that difference significant enough or is not that important? (for context, ucla is giving me a little more financial aid and i would be starting in the spring for berkeley)

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi Sally, congratulations! That's awesome. Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not that difference bothers you. Keep in mind UCLA and Berkeley are both tied for number 1 public university in the nation. Both will present you with amazing opportunities, so at this point you might want to just focus on your personal feelings towards each school.

[@Am-Not-Jarvis]

If you want to go to grad school then it barely matters. Grad schools care more about the faculty connections to your undergrad institution and the quality of previous students who came from your undergrad institution. A difference of #1 versus #6 is negligible.

[@christopherperez423]

I really like yours videos👏👏

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Christopher Pérez Escobedo thank you!

[@christopherperez423]

@@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege Wow, I thought you were not going to answer me.

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

I answer everyone!

[@martapeavey7322]

Hi Hailey, My daughter has narrowed her choices down to UCLA and University of Santa Clara, near your neck of the woods. She is currently leaning towards a major in business. She has attended small private schools her entire life. She is intrigued by living in the LA area, big school, and prestige of UCLA. Santa Clara on the other hand is in Silicon Valley, known for a strong business program, a couple of hour drive from where we will, so no flying, and she was offered a significant annual scholarship. The difference is about $14k less per year to attend Santa Clara over UCLA. I would love to get your opinion. Thank U!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

Hi Marta, it's a big decision that she will have to come to on her own. Since it will be her life for the next 2 or 4 years (not sure if she's a freshman or transfer), she should have a serious conversation with herself and consider the pros and the cons of both. I wish her the best of luck and whichever she chooses will undoubtedly be excellent!

[@colu1806]

Very informative and thank you for this video!

[@HaileyDollarGoesToCollege]

thank you for watching