<p>I’m just curious if anyone here has chosen UC Davis over UC Berkeley. I’m sure there must be someone else out there! I’m in the process of possibly turning down Cal in favor of Davis.</p>
<p>If more of you do exist, could you tell me some of reasons you had for chosing Davis over Berkely? (ie community feel, proximity to Tahoe, biking, etc).</p>
<p>My parents and friends are giving me a hard time about rejecting Cal when it has such a good reputation. However, I personally see a lot of pros to UC Davis that might not exist somewhere like Cal. </p>
<p>In any case, I’m still torn but will be making a decision shortly.</p>
<p>I turned down UCLA and Berkeley to go to Davis three years ago…and have never regretted the decision one bit. I wish I had time to elaborate, but for now I just wanted to get a word in…</p>
<p>I chose Davis over Cal and UCLA w/ Regents, so it does happen : D (SIR’d 3 days ago) I was debating primarily between Davis and LA, but decided that Davis is a better fit for my career goals. I got a whole bunch of reactions, but if prestige doesn’t matter to you, choose where YOU want to go : )</p>
<p>^ This rule applies to graduate school for all other disciplines as well. GPA is king and your GPA at Cal is, in all likelihood, not going to be as good as it will be at Davis. That is, if you’re anything short of perfect.</p>
<p>I turned down Cal for Davis. While Cal has better name recognition, the academic quality really isn’t that different, especially at the undergraduate level. Either way, you’ll walk away with equally respected degrees in the professional world. </p>
<p>Obviously everyone’s opinion is different, but I prefer the atmosphere on the Davis campus. It might have something to do with the smaller, college-town feel, which creates a more intimate feeling. The campus itself is beautiful (so is Berkeley’s, but in a different way… Davis has more of a sprawling, relaxed feel, dotted with brand-new buildings and 100 year old oak trees). </p>
<p>Depending on your major, Davis also has certain strengths which rival Cal. Our law school is ranked 28 in the nation (not too far behind Cal and UCLA), and our medical school and school of management are highly ranked too (which may not have much of an impact on you as an undergrad, except for the fact that you will likely come into contact with graduate students working as TA’s, and professors affiliated with the graduate programs). Our close proximity to Sacramento is great for Political Science and International Relations majors, and for internships for a huge number of other majors as well. That’s an advantage Cal can’t beat. </p>
<p>I could probably list dozens of reasons why I chose Davis. I’m not saying Davis is better than Cal - it’s really just one’s opinion - but I think Davis has a lot of things which could make it more appealing. And I have met several other people who chose Davis over Berkeley. It isn’t as rare as you may think.</p>
<p>Hey Andrew, about how many people that you know chose Davis? I keep telling people that say they would choose Cal or LA in a heartbeat without considering other schools that it’s really not all that unheard of. But thinking about it…we have the options, so it might be different for someone who got into the schools vs. someone who didn’t xD</p>
<p>I have a housemate and a friend who both turned down Cal for Davis. They seem to enjoy the Davis atmosphere and I have never heard of any regrets from them for choosing one over the other. My housemate even brought her friend over from Cal to experience Picnic Day. Her friend LOVED the college atmosphere that Berkeley lacked.</p>
<p>Expect to be challenged academically at both schools. It’ll all probably weigh down on where you feel most comfortable at. Good luck on your decision :)</p>
<p>I got into all of the UC’s including Cal and UCLA and I chose Davis. Reason why? Well, my parents lived in the east bay at the time and I wanted to stay close enough I could come home often (narrowed it to Cal, Davis, Santa Cruz). My sister is only one year older and she was going to Cal and frankly I was tired of being at the same school as her so that eliminated Cal. Plus, I hate the city of Berkeley - one way streets, impossible to find parking, homeless people roaming around campus and sitting in on classes, and oh yeah - wannabe hippies, and rent is outrageous. Rent is pretty expensive in Davis too, but Cal beats it hands down. I came and visited Davis and I liked it so I stayed. Now if I could just get out of Davis… Ph.D. apparently stands for Permanent Home in Davis.</p>
<p>If Cal accepts me I am still going to Davis lol. Why? When I visited the campus I felt good. The students were friendly and everyone seemed to be relaxed. The campus is beautiful and offers a healthy lifestyle (if anyone is overweight go to Davis and just by virtue of attending classes you’ll lose weight!!!) not to mention the beatuiful ARC. I fell in love with the indoor track and envisioned myself jogging there. </p>
<p>Davis was also ranked as one of the top 5 friendliest cities in the nation. . .I don’t think Berkeley has that reputation. Additionally, I was born and raised in the East Bay and I have nightmares of living there again. </p>
<p>I honestly think that when you chose Davis over Cal you are truly choosing a more relaxed yet still academically competitve lifestyle.</p>
<p>Hey maylix, I can think of at least five or six people (just off the top of my head) who chose Davis over Berkeley. </p>
<p>And flwrgrl, I think that’s a good choice (you obviously are going with the campus you’ll feel more comfortable at - and in the end, that’s what really matters). You’re choosing your home for the next 4(ish) years, not just a learning institution.</p>
<p>I also chose UC Davis over Cal! Of course, my family keeps complaining a bit, but they’ve accepted it. I just like it better at Davis, the whole atmosphere and everything. It seems really… chill. And it seems more college town-ish with the small community (half the population of the town are college students, I believe). Berkeley on the other hand… Eh, I can’t really say the same.</p>
<p>I’ll be attending Davis in the Fall, but in my few days of being an Aggie (SIR-ed earlier this week), I don’t regret it one bit. :]</p>
<p>I had a moment of indecision earlier. I got accepted to CAl even though I applied out of whimsy (I had a fee waiver for 4 universities so decided “why not?”) What I didn’t expect was the huge amount of gift aid Berkeley offered. I was like ^O^</p>
<p>But I remembered the large crowds, busy streets, and everyone for themself atmosphere of Berkeley. My bro and my sis are going to give me a hard time, their response: “It’s Berkeley”</p>
<p>My parents want me to go wherever I want to go. I am first generation so going to the nearest CSU would probably be a big deal to them. Heck, they were proud I finished cc.</p>
<p>And yet I am a person who enjoys peace <em>cheesy, I know</em> and I think I feel more at home with the trees and open fields of Davis. I know that Berkeley has an area that has trees and a little creek but it is nothing compared to Davis and its sprawling campus with a lovely arboretum. Plus, I am a kick back and mellow type of gal. I saw too many young men balding at Cal. . . that can’t be good, right?</p>
<p>How could I forget the squirrels???
Davis was my first choice to begin with and Its great that I got accepted to CAL and all but I am going for a lifestyle I prefer. I think that loving where I live, feeling good about the campus, and making friends are all going to contribute to my success at Davis. </p>
<p>We all contribute to our own success no matter what school we choose to attend. Davis is a great school that continually gets better and better. I SIRd and I feel great that I did ^^ </p>
<p>I’m in the same boat right now! and SIR is due today! I really want to choose Davis over Cal, but I feel I’ll miss out on a lot of opportunities Cal can provide. But Davis has an amazing campus and ,like what everyone else said, a relaxing lifestyle. This is going to be a long day for me =/</p>