dear people of the forum

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Santa Barbara
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<p>I need help. And I will probably sound like a whiny little kid and I apologize (don't post something about how I'm whiny, I already pointed that out to get it out of the way).</p>

<p>UCSD or UCSB? I've visited both colleges, setting wise, I liked SB more. What-it-has-to-offer, it seems like SD had a bigger promise. Is anyone else going through this?</p>

<p>I want to go into business, but I have the fear that SD wouldn't be able to give me a solid beginning because technically, they don't really have a business school (therefore prestige, strong ties, speakers like USC). My major for SD is managerial science and my major for SB is business administration. I want to possibly get my MBA at Haas, Marshall or even UCSD's new Rady (which will be done in two years or so).</p>

<p>and the people...I'm not a big drinker but I seriously like to get out and have fun. I know, I know, SD has some life, I just would have to go out and look for it but at SB I'm sure I'd have fun. Then again, I've been pretty reckless my high school years just managing to pull it together last minute and get into college. I don't care about people's looks so triton eye blahblah is weird.</p>

<p>I sound like I'm leaning towards SB but I really like the prospects of SD...This is embarrassingly long but I've asked every person possible and combed through every last thread (I'm going to post this on both the SB and SD forums), and my parents frankly don't care where I go. they won't talk to me about it. PLEASE HELP ME. If you have made the choice before, what can you tell me??? ahh I have about a month or less, PLEASE HELP. it's my next four years, and your opinions are priceless.</p>

<p>[yes, I know that there is a current thread on the whole ucsd/ucsb debate here, but that focuses on poli-sci (which I heard that UCSD has a great top notch poli-sci, which is making my ucla-admitted friend consider it over la), but I want to talk business, I know that I could learn business from SB because my successful neighbor went there...so please help anyways]</p>

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<p>I hope somebody with knowledge of your particular major choices will respond. On a more general level, you are going through the same thing that every student goes through. Will I regret my choice? Buyers remorse. Make the list. Columns down a sheet of paper. Pros and cons of each school. You like UCSB's setting more. Check for SB. SD has bigger promise? Not sure what that means, but, check UCSD. And so on. The side with the most checks wins, and no cheating!</p>

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<p>Sorry this is slightly off topic, but UCSB has a business administration major? I couldn't find that anywhere on the website....</p>

<p>Are you going to the admit student day? I know you've already visited but maybe something extra will catch your eye. I am in the exact same position as you, I know how hard it is!</p>

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<p>cheer, see UCSB</a> Economics - Undergraduate Majors for info about the business econ program. Also spend some time searching around the UCSB website for more info.</p>

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<p>oh snap, nevermind, you're right, it's pre-business economics. but still. I remain stuck. adultparentmom, thanks so much but I've tried that too...and it just keeps seeming like maybe some things should weigh more than others. Like reputation over the good social scene... haha, and with promise I meant that it seems like there's more to offer. okay, I make no sense, but I just feel so torn, it's basically the time I get to decide my future and I feel like I have so much power!</p>

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<p>Biz Econ (UCSB) and Management Science (UCSD) are pretty much the same thing.</p>

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<p>Thank you mikemac for the info!</p>

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<p>im going through the same situation and i think you should attend ucsd if youre not going to go to graduate school, if so then i suggest ucsb</p>

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<p>You've heard the expression "making mountains out of molehills". I think it applies to a lot of the angst people are going thru. Sure, there are differences in perception/rankings of different schools. But once you start to focus on those differences all of a sudden what are minor differences in the big scheme of things become huge because you're paying so much attention to them.</p>

<p>So how do you decide what differences matter, which are minor? If you're concerned about job prospects or grad school placement, then get some facts. Too many kids start with "A is ranked higher than B" and start to predict all sorts of things this 'must' mean. Without checking. If it turns out that top-name employers recruit (and hire) more kids from one school than the other, this is worth knowing and taking into account. But has the OP or others in a similar situation spent time looking at the career center websites to see who comes? (BTW which may be hard, at too many schools now you have to be a registered student to even see who is recruiting on campus) Or called the career center to ask about placement statistics?</p>

<p>If it turns out that a stronger list of employers recruits at UCSD than UCSB, I'd agree that's a significant difference. I don't know the answer. I think most people worrying about the decision where to go don't either, which is less comforting.</p>

<p>Additionally people seem to give far too much weight to the name on the diploma. Do you think each graduate from UCSB or UCSD is equally successful? Probably not. The factors that account for the difference are how hard they worked in school, whether they invested the time to get to know some profs and perhaps find a faculty mentor, whether they spent the time to get involved in research/internships (depending on their future goals). </p>

<p>I think part of what underlies the worry is thinking that choosing a college is like buying a talisman, that attendance at a "better" college is going to ensure future success. Of course the people thinking this way say they don't believe in magic, its that higher ranked colleges somehow do something the other colleges don't, or that the prestigious name brings success. In short, a belief in magic. In a not entirely unrelated area of worry to many HS students, which college to go to for the best chance at med school, I think Amherst answers this best on their website
[quote]
Amherst College has no magic touch that automatically elevates a student's chances of entering medical school simply by virtue of the student's coming to Amherst; no college or university has that kind of magic touch. What does elevate a student's chances is to go to an institution (1) that energizes and challenges that particular student academically, while providing good teaching and academic support so the student can meet the challenge satisfactorily; and (2) that provides opportunities for accomplishment and leadership in extracurricular areas. Of course the student must take advantage of these educational and extracurricular opportunities - in the end it's the student's accomplishments that count, not the name of the institution.
Amherst</a> College Premedical Outcomes

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