<p>I dont understand. Ive heard all of the negativety towards it so naturally i didnt think it was a good school, then i visited it the other day. The campus is beautiful and technologicly advanced. I know the down town area is a little....ya, and i understand that people dont want to go to a cow-town for college. I know it is easier to get into compared to most other uc colleges, but it is on the up-and-up. (Went from 80% acceptance to 64%). So why so much negativety? Granted i havent heard too much hate from recent forumns (mostly from 2011-2012). Does merced still lack prestige despite being an accedited uc college? Thanks for the help, i am trying to decide where id like to go and after my uc merced tour i might have decided.</p>
<p>Because it’s new. They need time to build a reputation.</p>
<p>When do you think it will become reputable?</p>
<p>Partly because it’s new, partly because Merced isn’t geographically desirable, partly because they used to accept a higher percentage of students. </p>
<p>But I agree with you that Merced is up-and-coming. And it is a UC, which implies a certain set of high standards. It is a good school. If you like it, I think you should strongly consider going. You will thrive at a place you love.</p>
<p>UCM has no love because its still such a new school. Additionally, its selectivity is lesser compared to the other UCs, which although isn’t indicative of the education, elites like to rub in other people’s face “they” got into a more selective school. As for time, atleast another 20 years, but I see between 30 and 40. This assumes they become more selective as they get older. If they stay at the UCR course, being more generous in acceptances they’ll always be looked down upon regardless on how strong their academics are. </p>
<p>Mostly: location, location, location. Nothing to do there. Have you seen the smog during extremely foggy days compounded by the winds when they crop dust? The kids use it as a stepping stone to transfer out to their first UC choices.</p>
<p>Take a look at the incoming freshman profile statistics; <a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/merced/freshman-profile/index.html”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/merced/freshman-profile/index.html</a>. Not at all impressive. This is one of many reasons for UC Merced having a bad rep.</p>
<p>calpolybruin: only on College Confidential would a 3.61 GPA be considered “bad.”
OP – Merced is a UC. It’s a good school. If you toured it, you liked it, and it offers a degree program that interests you, don’t worry about what other people think, especially people who are so shallow that prestige matters more to them than anything else when choosing a college. </p>
<p>LongRangePlan: I certainly didn’t intend to come across as shallow nor was I implying that UCM is not a good school. UCM is most often compared to other UCs and the freshman profile is one of the metrics people often take notice. I was just trying to explain why UCM has a “bad rep”; justified or not. In addition, I agree with you that one should not worry about what other people think. My d selected a less “pretigous” school and could not be happier; and as a parent that is what it’s all about.</p>