<p>I was denied to UCSD, but accepted to UCD, UCSB, and UCSC. I plan on majoring in PreMed and live in Sacramento. I really want to be close to home but I want to be near the beach. I also have a girlfriend at home and I'm not sure if the long distance thing is for me. I don't want to go to Santa Cruz because they only give pass or fail grades so I hear that it is harder to get into med school that way. So now I think that it is between Davis and Santa Barbara. The only thing that is keeping me from Santa Barbara is the remote location that it in. My dad is a pilot for jetBlue so I get free flights but only where jetBlue flies (the nearest one is Long Beach) so i would have to drive down to Long Beach then fly to Sacramento or I could just take a bus for six and a half hours. The thing that is keeping me from Davis is that I don't like the city of Davis I don't think that I can be that isolated but be only an hour away from home. But for medical it would probably be easier to get into Davis medical school if I were going to Davis and I hear that they are more motivated there. And that Santa Barbara is a party school and I might lose focus of school. None of my friends are going to Santa Barbara and a lot of people I know are going to Davis. I dont want to be alone wherever i go. Any help would help me a lot in my decision.</p>
<p>From the 1004-06 UCSC General Catalog:</p>
<p>Evaluating Academic Performance</p>
<p>UC Santa Cruz has one of the more comprehensive systems for evaluating students academic performance of any research university in the United States. The evaluation system consists of two major components: the assignment of a final grade in the course and an accompanying evaluation of your performance.</p>
<p>Evaluations</p>
<p>In each course for which you receive a grade of D or better (or P), you should receive an evaluation of your academic performance. An evaluation may</p>
<p>describe the strengths and weaknesses of your performance in the various areas of class activity (discussion, laboratory work, term papers, examinations)
assess your general understanding of the course content
recognize additional or particularly outstanding work</p>
<p>Evaluations are used at UCSC in academic advising, reviewing scholarship applications, and awarding College Honors and Honors in the major. Evaluations are a permanent part of your academic record. All students may request transcripts either with or without evaluations. An evaluation for your senior comprehensive examination or senior thesis also becomes part of your academic record.</p>
<p>Grades</p>
<p>At the end of each course, you will receive one of the following grade notations:</p>
<p>A excellent
B good
C fair
D poor
F fail
P passing
NP not passing
I incomplete
IP in progress
W withdrawal</p>
<p>The grades of A and B may be modified by a plus (+) or a minus (-). The grade of C may be modified by a plus only. You will not receive credit for graduation in any course in which you receive a final grade of F or NP. The grades I and IP are temporary grades used in special circumstances. The final notation W indicates that you officially withdrew from the course before completing it.</p>
<p>Grade Points</p>
<p>Grade points are assigned to a letter grade as follows:</p>
<p>4.0 = A+
4.0 = A
3.7 = A-
3.3 = B+
3.0 = B
2.7 = B-
2.3 = C+
2.0 = C
1.0 = D
0.0 = F</p>
<p>The grades P and NP are not included in calculating your GPA and so are not assigned grade points. Courses in which the interim grades I and IP are assigned earn no grade points or credit until the interim grade is replaced by a final letter grade.</p>
<p>Grade-Point Average (GPA)</p>
<p>Undergraduates entering UCSC in fall 2001 and thereafter have a UCSC cumulative grade-point average calculated from UCSC courses, courses taken through the Education Abroad Program, and courses taken at another UC campus as part of the Intercampus Visitor Program. (Undergraduates who entered UCSC for the first time in or after fall 1997 and before fall 2001 have a UCSC cumulative grade-point average only if they have elected letter grades in at least two-thirds of the cumulative credits attempted. Undergraduates who entered UCSC prior to fall 1997 cannot have an official UCSC grade-point average calculated.)</p>
<p>A grade-point average is determined by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of units attempted for a letter grade. In calculating your UCSC GPA, the interim grades IP and I are not included in the computation because you do not earn those credits until they are replaced with a final grade. (However, when checking for whether you have satisfied the 2.00 UC GPA requirement for graduation [go to section on Graduation Requirements], these interim grades are included and counted as courses with grade F [or NP]).</p>
<p>If you repeat a course in which you have received a D or F, only the last grade recorded shall be computed in your GPA for the first 15 credits of repeated work. After the 15 credit maximum is reached, the GPA will be based on all grades assigned and total credits attempted.</p>
<p>Pass/No Pass Option</p>
<p>Students in good academic standing may request to take specific courses on a Pass/No Pass basis. Students receive a P (Pass) for work that is performed at C level or better. Work performed at below a C level receives a notation of NP on the students transcript, and no academic credit is awarded for the course. Requests for Pass/No Pass grading must be submitted and confirmed by the Grade Option deadline printed in the Academic and Administrative Calendar (reg.ucsc.edu/calendar). If you request P/NP grading in a course and you are later placed on academic probation, your P/NP grading request will be canceled.</p>
<p>I would say visit both schools and see what feels more comfortable. It sounds like you have concerns about both schools in terms of location, so it may end up being where you fell best when you are on campus. Don't worry about the friends thing. You are going to make freinds and connections wherever you go. That is what college is all about. As for the party school thing, its over rated really. Parties here are no different than parties at Davis or UCLA. Its all about the reputation that people keep passing around. Good luck!</p>
<p>USNEWS compares:</p>
<p>School University of California--Davis*
Public/Private Public*
Founded 1905*
Religious Affiliation N/A*
Total Undergraduates 23,113*
Location **
City/State Davis, CA*
Setting suburban*
Student-to-faculty ratio 19/1*
Full-time faculty 1,621*
Classes with under 20 students 33%*
Classes with 50+ students 29%*
Graduation rate* 81%*
Public in-state tuition and fees $7,495*
Public out-of-state tuition and fees $25,315*
Room/Board $10,791*
Financial Aid** **
Students receiving: 43%*
<em>Need-based grants<br>
</em><em>Need-based self-help aid 35%</em>
Percent of need that was met 75%
Average financial aid package $11,181*
Average need-based grant $8,594*
Average need-based loan $4,557*
Admissions **
Selectivity most selective*
Acceptance rate 55%*
Number of applicants 31,292*
Average high school GPA 3.7*
SAT/ACT (25/75 percentile) 1040-1280*
Student Satisfaction **
Freshman retention rate 92%*
Alumni giving rate 11%*
Student Body **
Diversity* yes*
Fraternity members N/A*
Sorority members N/A*
Students living off campus N/A*</p>
<p>School University of California--Santa Barbara*
Public/Private Public*
Founded 1909*
Religious Affiliation N/A*
Total Undergraduates 18,121*
Location **
City/State Santa Barbara, CA*
Setting suburban*
Student-to-faculty ratio 17/1*
Full-time faculty 919*
Classes with under 20 students 50%*
Classes with 50+ students 18%*
Graduation rate* 77%*
Public in-state tuition and fees $6,952*
Public out-of-state tuition and fees $24,772*
Room/Board $10,958*
Financial Aid** **
Students receiving: 38%*
<em>Need-based grants<br>
</em><em>Need-based self-help aid 37%</em>
Percent of need that was met 82%
Average financial aid package $12,280*
Average need-based grant $9,210*
Average need-based loan $6,092*
Admissions **
Selectivity most selective*
Acceptance rate 53%*
Number of applicants 36,963*
Average high school GPA 3.8*
SAT/ACT (25/75 percentile) 1070-1300*
Student Satisfaction **
Freshman retention rate 91%*
Alumni giving rate 15%*
Student Body **
Diversity* yes*
Fraternity members 4%*
Sorority members 7%*
Students living off campus 71%</p>
<p>Do you think that it would be hard to get home from santa barbara.
I hear that santa barbara has a beautiful campus but the actual college town is pretty bad. Is this true? What is Davis like? Is there stuff to do? I'm going to visit both campuses but I'd like to have an idea of what to expect or what to look for.</p>
<p>And do you automatically get into Davis med school if you go to davis for undergrad school. Or would santa barbara be fine do you think. Do the medical schools look at UCSC?</p>
<p>A few comments:</p>
<p>1) there is no such thing as a "premed" major. Premed is a label you give yourself, meaning you're planning on taking the 7 or so required courses for med school admission. You still need a major, which can be anything from art to zoology.</p>
<p>2) the admit rates to any given med school are pretty low; most people apply to a dozen or so. There is no reason to pick Davis in hopes that it will boost your chances of getting into their med school. And if you don't believe me, call and ask the Davis premed advisor.</p>
<p>3) break up with the girlfriend before college starts. It's fairer to the both of you. In my experience few people who started college in a long-distance relationship made it past Xmas, and almost none thru the 1st year. If it's meant to be you can always get back together at the ripe old age of 22.</p>
<p>4) visit both schools, talk to students. Pick the school that feels right for you. And BTW I don't know why you have the focus on getting home; the whole advantage of a residential college like davis or ucsb is that the students live right there, so it isn't dead on the weekends or at nite. You only need to go home for thanksgiving, xmas break, and spring break.</p>
<p>5) before you make lots more decisions based on med school, you need to step back and ask yourself how realistic your plans are so far. You don't know about what you need to do in college, otherwise you'd know about the "premed" major. Do you have volunteer work yet in a medical surrounding? Any research work? If the answer to these is no, I'd say that medicine is a field that intrigues you and that deserves to be investigated further, which is not the same thing as saying "I'm going to be a doctor".</p>
<p>Thanks Mikemac I didn't think of it like that. What school do you go to and what school do you propose for me?</p>
<p>I think mikemac's comments are excellent. I had a long distance relationship when i starated college, and sure enough, unfortunately, we both agreed to break up at Christmas time. And, I think we were both not wanting to hurt the other, but needing to move on. </p>
<p>As for PreMed, and going to Med School. A friend of mine, who is the mother of a senior at Berkeley, is monitoring the process of her daughter applying to, and attempting to get into Med School. It is not a trivial task. Her daughter, who is now the senior at Berkeley, was Valedictorian in high school, received the Regents at Berkeley 4 years ago, and is still struggling to get in. I am thankful that my son is not interested in Medicine. If you think getting into Tier-1 Colleges is competitive, you haven't seen anything till you start looking into Med schools. (I do not say this from personal experience, but from two friends who have communicated the trials of getting into Med school. The first, is the mother above. The second, is a girl who i went to high school with, who did make into Medical School, and ended up in Pathology, down at UCSD Medical School.) </p>
<p>I really do NOT say any of this to discourage you. Not at all. However, as my friend, who is now the doctor, communicated to me: You darn well better know what you are getting yourself into, and what your chances are. Because, as she put it, you won't have a life, for the next 8-10 years, as you are working your way down the path.</p>
<p>I don't think that my friend, the doctor, monitors this website. And, I trust that she won't mind if i post a few of her quotes. I edited out anything that might allow you to actually figure out who she is, or where she is:</p>
<hr>
<p>"As far as credentials, i had a near 4.0 in high school, played varsity volleyball in high school & my first year in college, went to UCLA where I had a 3.8 gpa, worked in my friends fathers pediatrician's office on Saturdays, & received a national science foundation grant to study during a summer at ucla in a lab of a guy that ended up getting the nobel prize for (text removed). I'm explaining all of this because it takes more than a high gpa, good mcats (med school admission test), etc.. to be accepted. You need to be well rounded & have significant extracurricular/leadership activities. I have been mentoring 2 undergrad pre med students for the last 3 years & one just got in & the other didn't....i have urged the one that didn't to have a back up plan as she had attended 3 different schools in 3 years.</p>
<p>There are lots of challenging fields out there & I would recommend encouraging your son in whatever areas he enjoys. The training required for medicine is onerous, you basically have to give up your 20's while the rest of your friends are playing. You have to be goal oriented & focused & like to work hard."</p>
<hr>
<p>^ the above was a portion of her email to me, in response to my asking her what she went through to finally get into Medicine. I have removed portions to keep her identify private.</p>
<p>Which college do you think would be best for me then in this case?</p>
<p>
[quote]
What school do you go to and what school do you propose for me?
[/quote]
I'm not in college, BTW. I'm posting here because I graduated from ucsb and want to help future students if I can. Which to me means giving advice to help them make their best choice, not serving as a ucsb cheerleader.</p>
<p>As for what school I propose for you, let me pass along some friendly advice. College is a time of transition into adulthood and responsibility. Up until now your school and parents have probably made or strongly influenced any big decision you have to make. I know it seems a little unfair for them to say "ok, now its up to you" without explaining how you're supposed to decide, but that's life. </p>
<p>And this is especially true at a UC school. You won't have a faculty advisor, close contact with counselors, and classes (especially lower division) will be large. If you want advice you have to go ask for it. If you want to get to know some faculty (VERY important for med-school reqs, BTW), you better go to office hours. Want to participate in research? Start talking to profs until you persuade one to let you in. In short -- ready or not, like it or not, you're on your own 2 feet now.</p>
<p>So neither I nor any other poster can decide what is best for you. It's your call. Earlier I alluded to what I think you <em>should</em> do. Visit both schools, talk to the students. In preparation start by figuring out what YOU want in college. Location, type of students, atmosphere, etc. With UC schools as choices you aren't going to get a lot of choice in class size, advising, etc. between your options. So figure out what is different between them, and pick the one you like better.</p>
<p>I'm going to go and visit UCSB and Davis later this month but what was UCSB like? I heard that the campus is beautiful but that the college town is bad? Is the college of letters and sciences the college for me? Is there something that I should look for or any teachers that are bad? Are there any places that I should look at at the campus before I make my decision? Are there any tips that you can give me? (more than you have already done). Thank YOu very much.</p>
<p>What college of Santa Barbara did you go to? And what did you major in if you mind me asking?</p>
<p>
I'm going to go and visit UCSB and Davis later this month but what was UCSB like? I heard that the campus is beautiful but that the college town is bad?
"Bad" is subjective. What kind of neighborhood did you grow up in? Isla Vista to me isn't so bad after seeing some rough and ghetto areas back home. I can understand how it can be a bit raunchy and at times wild than one is used to. Compared to the campus, yes it is far "ghettoer."</p>
<p>Do you like it? (UCSB that is) WHat college do you go to?</p>
<p>I'm definitely enjoying my time here.</p>
<p>I'm in the College of Engineering.</p>
<p>Am I in the right college if I'm trying to be a doctor</p>
<p>Jetblue will have service to Burbank airport in the greater LA area starting in June of this year. That's a little closer than Long Beach. You would catch a bus for the ride to UCSB.You can get into med school from either SB or D. You must do yourself a favor and tour both campuses. You will know in an instant which one is for you. congrats. both are excellent for premed.</p>
<p>To find out about professors look at:
ratemyprofessor.com</p>
<p>I agree that you need to visit the school's to see what you like best. I do think that UCD has the best reputation in the sciences between UCSB, UCSC, and UCD.</p>