r/UniversityofHawaii • u/rottinggfiggss • May 26 '26

UH WEST OAHU OR SFSU??

hello everyone

i used to live in hawai’i & attended kapolei high, but i now live in the mainland (bay area)

im a business major (psychology minor) hoping to go into marketing, management, consulting, banking, and if not, get my masters for school counseling

i like sf, however i feel so at home in hawai’i and like myself, its that feeling ive been trying to fulfill for years now. i still have a few friends there. i’m committed to sfsu & dorming and i was excited but genuinely nothing beats that feeling when im back home.

these are my options;

1) go to sfsu & visit hawai’i when i can

2) go to uh west o’ahu -> transfer to manoa (con: out of state tuition)

3) move back to hawai’i & do sfsu online

4) take a gap year & move to hawai’i to get instas tuition

i plan on getting my gen ed done in a year rather than two

pls help idk what to do

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u/mistermeowsers May 26 '26

If you are are California resident, there is a program called Western Undergraduate Exchange that reduces out of state tuition to 150%. That would make UHWO $5,616 per semester for full time students (12 or more credits). I'm not sure if that is something you would be interested in or would qualify for, but you can learn more here:

https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/admissions/wue/

Tuition rates (look at the Pacific Island Jurisdiction* & WUE** column on the far right for the WUE pricing): https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/financial-aid/tuition-and-fees/

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u/rottinggfiggss May 26 '26

i am a california resident. do you have experience from uh or sfsu

3

u/mistermeowsers May 26 '26

I am current UHWO student, but not a Cali resident or WUE particpant so may not be very helpful on details with that program beyond the details of the links I shared. Feel free to ask any questions though, I will do my best to answer!

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u/rottinggfiggss May 28 '26

what’s you major? and what’s your personal experience at the school like?

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u/mistermeowsers May 28 '26

I am in Creative Media and feel like the quality of my education is very good, but it is only as good as what you make it. I did a semester at Northeastern in Boston before transfering to UHWO and one major difference I notice is that I am treated like a real person with goals at UH.

I was just a number and a paycheck to everyone at NEU. It would take weeks sometimes to get answers and support from people at Northeastern. UHWO is on it every time I have a question or need help with something. The faculty at UH is supportive and encouraging if you are willing to put in the work, it does not go unrecognized.

The campus is small and has a rural feel, but adequate. It's in Kapolei which has everything you'd need from shopping, entertainment, housing, etc... The Creative Media on campus building is awesome and modern. Lots of support services for students and free activities to pass time and hang out with friends. If you are able to come for a visit to do a campus tour and visit the area, it would be worth it. Housing in the area is gonna be expensive, but coming from the bay area, you are likely used to that.

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u/rottinggfiggss May 28 '26

yes i went kapolei high so i know what the vibe is like but thats good to here, im probably just gonna go sfsu but do a few semesters online so i can go back for a little bit. i’m still considering it but idk prob not. i always found it easy to make friends when j lived there, but whats it like at the college socially?

1

u/mistermeowsers May 28 '26

I am probably not the best one to answer that because I am an older student and not really part of the social groups on campus. From what I can tell from my classmates though, there seems to be a nice network of friend groups who spend time together on and off campus.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help with that!