University of California-Riverside Top Questions

Why did you decide to go to this school?

Melody

It's close to home, and financial aid is pretty good.

Melody

It's close to home, and financial aid is pretty good.

Dalayna

Straight up, I went to UCR because they give you so much financial aid. Out of all the UC's it is the most giving in aid.

Rebecca

Money and academics. UCR gave me the most financial aid, and it had the best program for my major. Campus beauty, opportunities, and events were an added bonus!

Marsha

I did not have many options and I wanted to get away from home.

Kaitlyn

I decided to go to UCR because I wanted to go to a college that was good for business, and UCR has a very good business program. It was also close to home, and had a beautiful campus, which was really important to me in finding the right college. When I went to orientation, I liked how energetic and passionate the students seemed to be about their school, and it really encouraged me to attend UCR and become a part of the Highlander family. So far, my decision has led me on the right path and I'm extremely happy I chose UCR!

Ashlyn

I decided to go to UCR because I love that it was far from my hometown and also I just loved the atmosphere of the campus. During a 2 day orientation we got to go to lectures and see the campus and meet new people and I loved it!! Now I get to do it for 2 more years. :)

Reissa

I decided to attend UC Riverside because it offered the best package in terms of financial aid and distance from home. I've also heard that students choose it because of its great business program, the upcoming medical school, the Thomas Haider medical school program, the entomology department, and the huge amount of diversity within the student body. UCR was not my original college of choice, but I realized after being a student there that UCR offers many more opportunities than I'd first thought. I've met amazing staff members who are willing to work with me on projects I want to implement on campus. I had the chance to apply for other schools in my sophomore and junior year, but I decided that the contacts I had made at school were more valuable to me than switching colleges. I can say that I have few, if any, regrets on attending UCR.

Tonia

To be blatantly honest, when I was applying for college out of high school, I had no idea where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, what I wanted to study or how much I was willing to pay (or my parents were willing to pay). Being from Northern California I knew that I had an urge to go to Southern California for a change. I got into most schools in my area, but my dream schools in Southern California, I didn't get into. When I got into UCR and realized how much financial aid they were giving me (the most out of all colleges I applied to) it seemed like a clearer option. Then I looked deeper into their programs, such as the fact that UCR is the only UC with a Creative Writing major (the major I eventually chose!), or that they have a wonderful performing arts program and an awesome basketball team, it became more and more appealing. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when I first chose this school, but looking back I wouldn't have had it any other way.

JAMES

I chose to go to this school because it is one of the most diverse UC's there is. UCR has tons of diversity all throughout its campus. One of the first things they tell you at orientation is that UCR has one of the most diverse campuses out of all the UCs. I wanted to be able to make different kinds of friends and have a lot of diversity in my life.

Vicky

UC Riverside has a distinguished business program, and it was my major reason deciding to go to this school.

Jackie

Honestly, UC Riverside wasn't my first-choice school. I was set on going to a college that was out-of-state, but I realized in my senior year of high school that these schools weren't economically feasible. I hadn't really heard much about UCR before, only that it was a part of the University of California system. When I did my research, I discovered that UCR was the only UC that offered my original major, Creative Writing, and it's proximity to Los Angeles was a definite plus. Although I ended up changing up my major to Theatre, I am so unbelievably happy to have chosen UC Riverside. I've made the most amazing friends here, the weather is always perfect, and I'm being academically challenged in a way that I can growl & learn.

Joshua

I decided to go to this school because UCR is the only UC that offers Creative Writing as an undergraduate degree and not only that but those within the Creative Writing department are some of the most prolific authors of this time.

Kayla

When I was applying to colleges, I honestly had no serious passion about one particular school. I was just hoping that any school would accept me. I knew my GPA and SAT scores weren't that good so I just applied to mostly Cal State schools in my area, a couple of UC's, and then an art school called Otis in LA. The only three school I got accepted into were UCR, Otis, and Cal State Fullerton. I knew right away, I did not want to go to Fullerton, so I cut that my from my options. It was now between UCR and Otis. It was a tough decision because I personally did not know what I wanted yet. My parents let me make the final decision, but I knew they wanted me to go to UCR. Otis is a great and well known art school, but at that time, I didn't feel ready to be so devoted to art. UCR also offered a creative writing major, something I was extremely interested in and they also had studio art. My parents also wanted me to be well educated and not just trained to do one particular thing. In the end, I chose UCR because it had more opportunities for me. I could major in something else besides art, take a wider variety of classes, meet more people, and do more activities. Even now, sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I chose to go to Otis. But in the end, I am happy I chose UCR because it feels like home to me. I also feel like I'm getting a good education and overall and most importantly, I am happy there.

Kayla

When I was applying to colleges, I honestly had no serious passion about one particular school. I was just hoping that any school would accept me. I knew my GPA and SAT scores weren't that good so I just applied to mostly Cal State schools in my area, a couple of UC's, and then an art school called Otis in LA. The only three school I got accepted into were UCR, Otis, and Cal State Fullerton. I knew right away, I did not want to go to Fullerton, so I cut that my from my options. It was now between UCR and Otis. It was a tough decision because I personally did not know what I wanted yet. My parents let me make the final decision, but I knew they wanted me to go to UCR. Otis is a great and well known art school, but at that time, I didn't feel ready to be so devoted to art. UCR also offered a creative writing major, something I was extremely interested in and they also had studio art. My parents also wanted me to be well educated and not just trained to do one particular thing. In the end, I chose UCR because it had more opportunities for me. I could major in something else besides art, take a wider variety of classes, meet more people, and do more activities. Even now, sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I chose to go to Otis. But in the end, I am happy I chose UCR because it feels like home to me. I also feel like I'm getting a good education and overall and most importantly, I am happy there.

Kayla

When I was applying to colleges, I honestly had no serious passion about one particular school. I was just hoping that any school would accept me. I knew my GPA and SAT scores weren't that good so I just applied to mostly Cal State schools in my area, a couple of UC's, and then an art school called Otis in LA. The only three school I got accepted into were UCR, Otis, and Cal State Fullerton. I knew right away, I did not want to go to Fullerton, so I cut that my from my options. It was now between UCR and Otis. It was a tough decision because I personally did not know what I wanted yet. My parents let me make the final decision, but I knew they wanted me to go to UCR. Otis is a great and well known art school, but at that time, I didn't feel ready to be so devoted to art. UCR also offered a creative writing major, something I was extremely interested in and they also had studio art. My parents also wanted me to be well educated and not just trained to do one particular thing. In the end, I chose UCR because it had more opportunities for me. I could major in something else besides art, take a wider variety of classes, meet more people, and do more activities. Even now, sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I chose to go to Otis. But in the end, I am happy I chose UCR because it feels like home to me. I also feel like I'm getting a good education and overall and most importantly, I am happy there.

Kenneth

UC Riverside was close enough to commute to, cheaper than most other UCs (though the costs are rising quite a bit), and it was the only one in California that I recall as having a creative writing department that stood alone. It was the only school I applied to, though I know others use it as their backup.

Gabriel

Creative Writing. On top of being a UC that is not too far away from my hometown, UC Riverside is also the only UC that offers the Creative Writing major which I preferred compared to majoring in English which is offered everywhere.

Elizabeth

UCR is affordable, diverse, and has excellent academics. My personal reason for going here though is that the are the only UC with a Creative Writing major option, and that is the field i am going into.

Portia

I decided to enroll in UC Riverside because I heard that their Creative Writing department was very good. They offered exactly what I wanted. I actually plan on double majoring in Media & Cultural Studies as well.

Joanella

I decided to go to UCR for a number of reasons: 1) I was offered a spot on the UCR softball team. 2) The strong Creative Writing program. 3) I wanted to get away from home (I live in the Bay Area, about 45 minutes from San Francisco) and experience the Southern California lifestyle. 4) UCR is only an hour away from most of the must-sees of SoCal. 5) It's a UC.

Leticia

I decided to go here first off because of my major, which is creative writing. it's hard to find any school with a direct creative writing program others have english with emphasis on creative writing, second because of the diversity and size of the campus. one thing i know if that you will never know if the campus is right for you until you set foot on it. once i got here i knew it was the right school for me

Leticia

I decided to go here first off because of my major, which is creative writing. it's hard to find any school with a direct creative writing program others have english with emphasis on creative writing, second because of the diversity and size of the campus. one thing i know if that you will never know if the campus is right for you until you set foot on it. once i got here i knew it was the right school for me

Danielle

UCR is the only UC with a major of solely Creative Writing. I want to become an author, so naturally, this was the only school for me. I'd heard so many great things about UCR that I figured I HAD to check it out for myself. It was love at first sight!

Arveen

Would save over $10,000 a year from commuting. Closest UC campus to my home.

Albert

Besides getting rejected from nearly every school, the financial aid grant I received from UCR was greater than those offered from other schools. Housing is cheap in Riverside and it's close yet still far enough for me to commute back home (Orange County) on the weekends.