<p>i go to UCSC and would reccommend it. even if you don't like the town, it has a VERY different perspective as a student instead of a tourist. besides, if you live on campus there's so much to do that it doesn't matter what's going on in town. i would suggest applying and then you can reconsider in the spring. you'll probably change your mind between now and april about what you really want to do for the next for years of your life.</p>
<p>also, i'm from SoCal and it's VERY different than up here in santa cruz. if you're seriously applying to schools in socal be aware that it's like a living in another world. i think it would be more of a shock moving south than it was to move north.</p>
<p>if you wanna talk about santa cruz at all lemme know.</p>
<p>My daughter is planning on applying to UC Santa Cruz and I would welcome any comments regarding the school. I am very interested in what you think are the differences between SoCal and NoCal because we are also in SoCal and daugher hates it here. I really would be interested in anything you could tell us about the students, academics, atmosphere, etc.</p>
<p>My dd did have a culture shock moving from nocal to socal in 9th grade. She thought everyone was valley-girlish, did not talk about serious issues, didn't get around much outside of their suburb, and she was shocked that kids call people fag and retard as a casual insult. Maybe it was 9th grade stuff because the upperclassmen are not so much like this.</p>
<p>OP- you will only get somewhere on your essays by sitting down and writing. By free associating, you might generate some ideas. Then you can try a short answer (or essay.) You don't really write by thinking about writing...you have to do it.</p>
<p>A friend of mine went to a College Night for parents and there was an admissions rep from UCLA BUT, and this is very important, he made it very clear that he was talking about ALL the UC's, not just UCLA. He told the parents that unless their child was a top, top, top student to not even bother to apply and just go to their local cc for a couple of years and then transfer. The ONLY exception to this was UC Merced and he said they would take anyone. </p>
<p>However, as Shyboy stated above, obviously there are students with lower SAT's that are accepted. I would apply to at least a couple of the UC's. Can you take the SAT's again in December or would that be too late?</p>
<p>I don't really know that you have to be a genius to go to a UC. Just look at your stats. If you have around the average for a school, you have a chance.</p>
<p>Weaksauce: There are a lot of things you could do with a chemistry major. However, from your first post it seems to me that you are not at all certain about what to major in - many possibilities. Be aware that if you want to major in one of the liberal arts or social sciences, you can take different courses in the first year or two, then settle into a major even if you have (for example) taken only one course in that subject, because you can take a number of courses in that subject simultaneously. However, if you think you want to major in chemistry, math or computer science, then you should start taking courses in that subject from the beginning, since many of those courses are consecutive, i.e. build on previous courses. The alternative is to need more than four years to graduate.</p>
<p>As for an essay topic: if you can't think of one, then ask people who know you for ideas. Or check some college essay requirements and choose a topic you like. If you just don't want to write an essay, then you'll have to find colleges that don't require any. That could include community colleges - but - come on now, are you going to let your desire to avoid writing an essay be the deciding factor in where you go to college??</p>