<p>I need some advice on which you guys think would better. Im completely split between the two and I have no idea which one I’m going to end up going to. I’m going under a bio major so which one is better between the two? Each has its pros and cons socially and academically…</p>
<p>Academically: Irvine (for bio)
Socially: UCSB</p>
<p>what about like location and stuff to do around there</p>
<p>There is definitely more to do in Santa Barbara. </p>
<p>Irvine is dead, especially on the weekends.</p>
<p>Depends on which seems more important to you. The academics, or the social life.</p>
<p>academics are pretty important to me...but a social life is absolutely necessary if i'm living there.</p>
<p>I visited Irvine on a Saturday... very dull. A lot of the food places were closed because there are so few people there on weekends. The immediate surrounding city is pretty boring.... you'd need a car to do anything interesting.</p>
<p>is Irvine really THAT dull?
what do people do on weekends?</p>
<p>I guess you have to set your priorities and see which school fits them better. Although, I'm not sure what your major is, but UCSB and UCI are equally ranked.</p>
<p>A lot of people who go to Irvine are commuters, so a lot of them go home. Some chill in dorms or study, and I guess some find stuff to do in the surrounding city. Even though I'm not much into parties, I'd still rather go to UCSB.</p>
<p>Forgot to add: I'm also a bio major.</p>
<p>UCI can't be THAT bad some people i know go there and love it.</p>
<p>i live in irvine and my bro goes to UCI.
irvine is a suburb.. of course its boring.. its right next to newport beach though..?
most of the places are closed by 9 or 10 pm [even our biggest shopping malls/plazas]
my brother said you'll only have a real social life if you plan on joining any social clubs/sororities or fraternities</p>
<p>i think the only upsides to living in irvine is that disneyland and wild rivers is like.. right there.. knotts berry farms like 20 minutes away</p>
<p>"How many students does it take to change a lightbulb at UCI?
11. 1 to change the lightbulb and 10 to watch, cause honestly, what is there to do in Irvine at 10 pm?"
^LOL i love that</p>
<p>oh it was voted safest city in county for 4 straight years.
so depending on how you look at it... its good, but it also shows how boring it is since nothing ever happens.</p>
<p>ughhh now i'm second-guessing UCI
but i really hope i won't regret it if i choose to go there.</p>
<p>i think i need to take my car with me</p>
<p>noooo its a really good school and a pretty place.
there are no hobos here. the police pick them up and drop them off somewhere away from irvine.</p>
<p>sorry i probably made irvine sound horrible LOL
i'm biased cause i've lived here my whole life and i'm bored of it by now.</p>
<p>lol well that's understandable...
maybe it won't be so bad for me since it's a different atmosphere</p>
<p>As some people mentioned, one of the nice things about UCSB is that almost all students stay on campus for the weekends. Unless you live in the Santa Barbara metro area, it takes like an hour to get to the closest cities, and I'd say about 95% of people stay. Weekends are very lively, and most food places are open till 3am, with a number open 24 hours (such as Freebirds, Super Cucas and Rosarito to name a few). It's a really fun time to relax with your friends, go to the beach, study at the library, or even, yes, party with your buddies. </p>
<p>Compare</a> this to UCI, where about 24% of students are from Orange County, or within half an hour of the campus. At UCSB, only 3% of students are from Santa Barbara County as a comparison.</p>
<p>This is my opinion on both the schools..</p>
<p>UCI:
-You are close to the nicest beaches, LA, and the rest of what SoCal has to offer location wise.
-The student population is kind of split because of the demographics.. If you are asian, UCI is paradise.
-Overall, it is a more prestigious university than UCSB.. It's undergraduate programs tend to rank higher than UCSB by about 10 places.
-For Biology, UCI is extremely respected.. If you are actually planning on going to Med School go UCI
-Socially, the campus is pretty boring, but there are parties every thur, fri, and sat night.. The UCI basketball games are big time.
-Academically, you will accomplish more at UCI
-The only concern is the smoggy air</p>
<p>UCSB:
-The party school, if you want to have a fun college experience go UCSB. Parties every night of the week, Del Playa Avenue is always a destination.
-In my opinion, your gonna work for the rest of your life, so why not have a fun 4 years of college before it.
-Santa Barbara is a beautiful city, and is one of the most desireable places to live in the world.
-Isla Vista, where the students live, is litterally one of the dirtiest places you will ever see haha. Vodka stenched vomit on the sidewalks, empty alcohol bottles plague the streets.. But guess what, its kind of a liberated community. Students aren't controlled.
-A lot of people do get over the partying after 2 years.. Its fun for a while and then people start to wanna be more serious.
-Your UCSB credential, although prestigious, will always be connoted with intense college partying..</p>
<p>Those were my opinions.. To be honest, I got accepted by UCI but im gonna appeal my rejection to UCSB. UCSB is more of an urban, liberal place. But if I get denied, by no means will I be disappointed going to UCI.</p>
<p>great analysis thanks for the helP!</p>