(May 24, 2013) — “This was easily the hardest decision of my life,” said Evan Keum about his decision of where to go to college. Admitted to his three top choices of UCLA, USC, and UC Berkeley, Keum faced the daunting task of choosing which college he’d attend in the fall.

According to Keum, cost of tuition was a major deciding factor in choosing his college. Keum said that he ruled out USC as a contender for his college choice, because even with scholarships, USC’s private education was much more expensive than its public counterparts.

Narrowing it down to UCLA and UC Berkeley, Keum used campus ambiance and his desire to get out of his comfort zone influence his choice. With UCLA’s shorter distance from home and its festive atmosphere, Keum said that UCLA seemed like a tempting choice. “But after visiting Berkeley, I felt that Berkeley had more of a prestigious, Hogwart’s-type feel,” Keum said. “And by attending Berkeley, I’ll get out of my comfort zone and live somewhere a little farther from Glendale.”

“I don’t know if I made the right decision, but I know that my experience at UC Berkeley will shape me into being a more mature person.”

Accepted to UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Davis, USC and Pepperdine, Christina Davidian faced a wide array of options for her college decisions. Like Keum, Davidian felt that she mainly struggled deciding between UCLA and UC Berkeley.

“I want to pursue a degree in Biology, and eventually go into either health administration or become a pediatrician after medical school,” Davidian said. Davidian said that UCLA’s amazing research opportunities, numerous resources in biology, and study abroad programs in England and Italy mostly persuaded her to choose UCLA.

Another factor of Davidian’s decision was the location of both schools. Despite having family near Berkeley, Davidian said that she felt more comfortable at UCLA because she has many friends attending UCLA with her, and that it would be better to network in UCLA with its amazing research opportunities.

“Although my family consists of all Trojans,” Davidian said, “they are very proud of my accomplishments and decision.” Davidian says that she is proud of her decision and advises underclassmen not to stress out over college decisions. “Once you visit a college, you’ll feel like you belong,” Davidian said.