Help Appreciated, UCSB/UCD/UCI

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey Guys</p>

<p>With the TAG (Transfer Agreement Guarantee) application coming up, I really needed some help deciding which school I should try to pursue! Although academics are important (I'm a psychology major), I'm honestly really searching for the social and fun aspects that these schools have to offer. I'm an upcoming sophomore at a city college. I've visited all three schools and here's some things that I liked and disliked about them to let you know what exactly I look for in college. </p>

<p>UCD
Pros
-Awesome small college town!
-Loved the campus
-Wouldn't be too hard being sociable since its a small college town
Cons
-Far from home (Santa Barbara) +I'm really family oriented so this is a rather big con
-Davis itself is great, wasn't too crazy about it's surroundings (open fields for awhile, although all I got to check out when I visited was Davis, so I may be wrong, but again, open fields was all I saw up until reaching the school)</p>

<p>UCI
Pros
-Love Orange County
-Awesome dance scene (I am a dancer, so I like all the hip hop dance teams and competitions around the area)
-Close to nearly all of my cousins, would be great getting to be near them
-Good distance from home
Cons
-Commuter school, which leads me to think that everyone's spread out (Being the social person that I am, this was kind of a big con when I heard it)
-I've also heard that there's not much to do past night time in Irvine </p>

<p>UCSB
Pros
-Beautiful campus. Like, wow this place is nice
-There's never a shortage of parties (although I'm not a crazy partyer, it's nice knowing it's a good party place)
-Spending my whole life in SB, I've learned that this place really is paradise, so going to college here makes alot of sense
Cons
-A little too close to home. I always imagined myself leaving SB for college, and thus this con really doesn't sit well with me
-I'll feel like I'm not really going to get that "college experience" I've always DREAMED of having since I'll be so close to home (College experience consists of leaving home, being in a new environment, new people, etc.) </p>

<p>These are just some of the things I've been able to come up with. I really want to reach a decision soon so I could finally start focusing on the school and TAG and what not. Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks for the time guys!</p>

2

<p>You’re in an interesting situation. From an outsider’s perspective, UCSB seems like a no brainer. Come on! Davis vs. Santa Barbara? Santa Barbara is gorgeous, great weather, the beach, etc. Davis is flat and boring, hot in the summer, foggy and dreary in the winter. (Full disclosure: I went to law school at Davis.) Yeah, Davis is a small, cute college town. And BORING. But you live in Santa Barbara, so you can’t stay there and have the “go away to college experience.” So if I were you, I’d go to UCI.</p>

3

<p>When you live in such a gorgeous place, it must be hard going anywhere!</p>

<p>I think you’d have more fun in Irvine even though it is a commuter school. I’d try to live in the dorms the first year to get to know people and get more involved in the campus activities. </p>

<p>Being at a “commuter school” doesn’t necessarily = no community. My son goes to Fresno State - very commuter - but because he lived in the dorms, he made lots of friends and has a great social network. It’s been a great school for him. And Irvine is much, much more interesting than Fresno!!!</p>