<p>Hi, I’m currently a junior hoping to major in something related to environmental science. I think my dream school would be Davis because I love the idea of the small town and the bicycles and greenness of the area and the Farmer’s Market but I live in Southern California and it is 6 hours away so I’m a little shaky on it now.</p>
<p>I’m wondering which UC is best for environmental science majors and which UC has the best environment where there is a lot of greenery and such and I prefer not to be in areas not close to nature and around buildings. </p>
<p>Right now I’m just seeing if Davis is worth the travel back and forth as well as if there are any other alternatives. Any inputs?</p>
<p>UC Santa Cruz and UC Santa Barbara are very well-known for environmental science research, especially since both locations are by the ocean :)</p>
<p>Also: the environmental science majors at Davis are heavily impacted, so unless you have a 4.0+ unweighted GPA and a 1900+ SAT, it’s going to be very hard to get in.</p>
<p>thanks! For my grades, I have straight A’s except for one B 1st semester of sophomore year and I took 6 AP classes sophomore and junior year so I think I’m okay but I’m still working on SAT’s. Hopefully I’ll get at least a 1900!</p>
<p>@silverwolf: UC Davis hands down would be the best UC for Environmental Science. Within the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, there are 12 different Environmental majors to choose. My son is a current freshman is the Environmental Science and Resource Management Major. Within his major, there are 6 areas of emphasis you could pursue. Environmental Science is a multidisciplinary major so you take classes in Chem, Bio, Physics, Calculus, Stats, Econ etc… and is very flexible in terms of your specific interest.<br>
The Davis campus is the largest UC campus (acreage) and arboretum runs through the campus with bike and walking trails. The college offers many internships and volunteer opportunities and the professors are very supportive. UC’s are more focused on GPA vs. SAT/ACT but to ensure an acceptance, do well in both.
Regarding the distance, we live in SoCal. My son flies home during breaks from Sacramento via Southwest Airlines to Ontario within 1 hour. I got a Southwest Visa card to accumulate points toward free trips. You can take a shuttle or the Yolobus to Sacramento airport. We only drive up twice a year for Move-In and Move-out days from the dorms.
Good Luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information on the flights! </p>
<p>Almost all of the UCs have strong environmental science programs. Davis is obviously superb but so too are UCLA, UCB, UCSD, UCSC, and UCSB (UCI’s is decent but not as comprehensive, and I don’t know enough about Riverside to comment). Remember that environmental science is an incredibly broad field which covers everything from ecology to geology to urban development. When choosing between programs look at the field work opportunities each school provides. </p>
<p>Six hours away isn’t a big deal. It means you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in on campus life while still being able to come home for major breaks. </p>
<p>Thanks for the reassurance! Davis is sounding better and better! hopefully I’ll make it in!</p>
<p>Apply to all that interest you so you aren’t dependent on one. Better to have choices.</p>
<p>@silverwolf4: You might also want to consider Cal Poly SLO. They have a very good Environmental program. My sons final decision came down to UCD vs. SLO. One of the biggest reasons he did not pick SLO was the difficulty of changing majors (just in case) and less flexibility in the major.<br>
FYI: UCSB also has a lot of flexibility in their Environmental Studies program.</p>