msw320

hi everyone, this board is v. helpful. i am v. stressed out about making a decision between the UCBerkeley and San Jose State U MSW programs. Deadline is tomorrow. i am stuck and any help on reframing or your opinions most helpful. i've gone through the pros/cons and i go back/forth. Cal is highly ranked, but also will be potentially $30-$50K more expensive than SJSU. Has anyone out there know anything about the SJSU MSW. I've read through all the faculty bios and I know that many of the faculty got their MSW/PhD from Cal. With low salary and hard economic times, is the student loan debt worth to take on at Cal (I know that if I were to get a MBA/JD, the school name matters...but, not sure if that's the case here). I want to go to Cal, but unsure about the financial burden. I am thinking maybe I could commute from San Jose to Berkeley? I am looking to get a LCSW (aging concentration) post grad...there is a part of me that is interested in policy and an even smaller part in research. I guess, I'm asking, will i get the same quality education and opportunities (networking, placements, etc...) at SJSU v. Berkeley? It's been a bit difficult getting a real firm grasp of the SJSU program since the course descriptions,etc. are very generalized v. Cal's coursework materials/syllabi are all posted. I'm also wondering about the student environment (I was a Cal undergraduate and it could be v. competitive) at the MSW program: I like a supportive, nurturing environment....does this exist at UCB? Help...