<p>UT, UCSB, Boulder are all on my top ten list of uni's I'd want to spend at least a year attending if I was caught in some sort of eternal college experience (like Groundhog Day, if you've seen the movie).</p>
<p>Having said that, here's my rank:</p>
<p>1) UCSB
2) UT
3) Boulder</p>
<p>I don't know enough about Emory, but I'll confess that I had assumed for an undergrad experience that it would be considered superior to these other 3. BUT it's in Atlanta, and I am turned off by what I've heard about Atlanta: great Southern town that sprawled out too quickly and became a victim of its own success. Though I have no idea where Emory is in Atlanta, and like I said, I would've assumed it was probably superior.</p>
<p>The ranking of UT and UCSB might shift depending on my mood. I realize that probably doesn't help.</p>
<p>1) UCSB: In a beautiful place with mild and perfect weather, solid academics, and a great place for the ladies. Downside: lots of old folks in parts of the area. SB is really beautiful, but more of a tourist center than much of anything else (and parts of it retirees).</p>
<p>2) UT Austin: In a place that passes for more of a city than, for sure, Boulder. Used to have a better music scence, but still has a great one. Students more down to earth certainly than Boulder and perhaps than UCSB. In-area economic opportunities probably the best of the 3; Austin is a big tech center. Downside: Austin is hot, really hot; it's got a side too focused on American football and drinking for me. The music strip, very storied and still great, has become a lot less interesting.</p>
<p>3) Boulder has a serious attitude, apparently. A friend from Boulder who now lives in NYC tells me people in Boulder are on average colder, more with attitude. Boulder used to be an alternative haven, but now its kind of a mountain sports addict/trust fund enclave of sorts. And a lot smaller and ultimately perhaps probably less interesting than Austin. Very white, very liberal, but very homogenous. Not interesting in the long run.</p>
<p>Conclusion: Choose between UT and UCSB. If you like beautiful weather, the beach, the cafe scene and pretty girls more, go to UCSB. If you like music and more down-to-Earth students and greater diversity and rawer and stronger overall culture, I'd say UT. You can't go wrong with either. Both provide solid educational opps. </p>
<p>Someone said UCSB is too California-centric. I don't think that's an issue for someone who is not from California. California is after all, as an economy, the world's 6 or 7th largest and a huge diverse, place. If you were Californian, I'd say go to Texas. As for your friend who says to get a more genuine American experience, I'd say much of what makes these colleges and college towns great is that they aren't the "genuine" American experience. UT is an island of liberalism and diversity in largely conservative Texas, though it does have an American down-to-earth-ness that is nice. Boulder is a resort town, almost. And Santa Barbara is unique and different from the population centers of Northern and Southern California. UT might provide the stereotypical college experience in terms of football and fraternities, if you want that, and perhaps Boulder would too.</p>
<p>If your life is:</p>
<p>a) Go to uni. in America and move back to Italy pretty much right away, I'd go to UCSB.
b) Stay in the US and get some industry experience (esp. in high tech.), I'd say go to UT.
c) Stay in the US, go to grad school in business, I'd probably say go to UT since you'll need experience working before applying to grad school in business.</p>
<p>And if you've been admitted to McCombs, go to UT.</p>