I Was Accepted Into UC Berkeley for Free, but Turned Down the Offer

I still remember the day I opened the email from UC Berkeley as if it were yesterday. The message was straightforward: “Congratulations and welcome to the University of California, Berkeley. You have been admitted for the fall semester.”

My heart raced. It was the opportunity I had long dreamed of: the chance to study at one of the best universities in the world. The best part was that they were offering me a full-ride scholarship.

Since I was a child, I have always been a diligent student. Born in Austin, I had good grades, teacher praise, and an aptitude for learning, which marked my academic career in childhood. When I received a full scholarship to UC Berkeley, it seemed like the crowning achievement of years of effort.

I shared the news with my parents, and initially, they were as happy as I was and supported the idea of my moving to California.

But, as I learned on my journey, the most logical decisions are not always the easiest.

Moving to California would come at a steep price

When I started researching the practical details — cost of living, housing, transportation — reality set in.

Berkeley is significantly more expensive than Austin. Even with the scholarship covering tuition, I would need at least $2,500 a month to survive.

In California, even a modest room would consume a large part of any extra income. What if I couldn’t land an internship? How would I support myself without guaranteed internships? How would I cope with being so far away from my family?

My family has always been very close. We have dinner together almost every night, and on holidays, my uncles, cousins, and even neighbors usually come to my house, or we go on a family outing. The idea of spending years away from that made me deeply sad.

My father has always been my biggest supporter. He said, “I know you’ll miss all of this, but I’ll be here rooting for you.”

I debated rejecting Berkeley’s offer

As I contemplated other schools, many friends reacted with surprise. I remember one of them saying, “Berkeley is Berkeley! You’re throwing your future away!”

But they didn’t see the calculations I made at night while my family slept. No matter how many plans I made, the numbers didn’t add up.

That’s when I started exploring the University of Texas, Austin as an option. The school represented the perfect balance I needed: quality education, affordable cost (despite not having a scholarship), and the possibility of maintaining my routine with my family.

I realized we often overlook the value of more practical universities. UT had never been a real possibility for me until that moment, initially because of the tuition fees and because I didn’t really give it the importance it deserved until then.

I finally chose to enroll at UT Austin

As the deadline to accept a school’s offer approached, I told my parents I was scared I’d regret leaving Texas and them behind. They told me they’d support me no matter what I chose.

I had already accepted the scholarship at Berkeley, but giving it up took courage. After that, I enrolled at UT Austin.

Of course, I was sad when I didn’t go to California. It was a difficult decision, but I never really regretted it.

Two years later, I work as a developer at a startup in Austin while finishing my degree at UT. My routine is intense, but I feel I’m in the right place.

Today, I understand that no decision is perfect, but some are necessary. Berkeley may have had open doors, but Austin gave me everything I needed.