Hello everyone! So I was extremely blessed/lucky to get into several schools, and now I do not know which one to pick. I think that I want to major in environmental engineering.
Accepted to:
CU Boulder–Environmental Engineering
UC San Diego–Environmental Engineering
UC Davis–Environmental Engineering
U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign–Environmental Engineering
UC Santa Barbara–DENIED from engineering, accepted into undecided sciences.
Waiting for:
UCLA
UC Berkeley
Notre Dame
It is pretty disappointing that UCSB doesn’t have an environmental engineering program, but I was further disappointed when I was denied from the engineering program altogether. Regardless, I really love the campus with its ideal location.
Please give any opinions on my options regarding academics, fun (parties, intramurals, clubs, etc.), location, and really just anything you have to say. Thank you!
Price does make some difference. I’m from California, so in-state is a bonus financially. For this post though I’m not really thinking about prices
In terms of what you’ve already been accepted to, I’d go for UC San Diego or UC Davis. They are both great schools, have the programs that you want, and are a very good deal for a California resident.
what do you like to do for fun? Do you care about weather? Do you want a big Greek scene (UIUC)? Would you rather have a college town with cafes and restaurants in walking distance (Davis, Berkeley)? Or no, but be able to drive to the beach (UCSD)? Have you been able to visit the campuses?
I love soccer and sports in general and video games, but I have assumed that almost all schools are fine for these. I want some existence of a “party scene” and may or may not rush, haven’t decided yet. Weather I am very lenient, not much preference. I don’t want to be near a boring town, and I have heard that the area around UC Davis is pretty lame (could be wrong) which is worrying. Living by the beach is definitely a bonus, but not a necessity. I’m planning to visit all the UC’s in a couple weeks.
I would say UC San Diego.
UIUC is better ranked for engineering, close to Berkeley. But that wouldn’t really justify paying OOS when UCSD is also well ranked.
If you get into Berkeley though, definitely choose that!
Do you know UCSD’s rank compared to UC Davis’s?
UCSD is usually only between one and four spots above Davis in overall undergraduate rankings. Its engineering, graduate, and research programs are usually ranked significantly higher.
If you’re planning to rush, the party scene at UCSD will be good enough for you. There aren’t as many massive ragers but there’s always something going on.
Don’t make your decision on rank, though! Your campus visits should help a lot.
Ya I’m planning on visiting them all soon. Any chance you attended either? And do you know if Davis is generally a boring area? Thanks for the reply
Davis is a cool college town, and not too far from big cities (you can easily go on friday night for example, or for the weekend). Of course, San Diego has everything - weather, activities, etc.
@BigMike97 I go to UCSD, but spent a month at a program at Davis a few summers ago. I love UCSD; Davis was pretty cool too. The social scene at Davis seems a bit better, and the town itself is actually a more lively place than La Jolla, the upscale neighborhood of SD where UCSD is located. The city of San Diego shits on Sacramento though. I also like UCSD’s location, academics and campus better and I don’t regret anything here at all
Thanks! The social scene at Davis is actually better? I heard Davis can be pretty boring at times. Ya I love San Diego, do people always go to the beach?
Davis is a college town, so the social scene is centered on students’ needs, wants, and lives. Better than LaJolla, where students can be treated as an annoyance :D.
(I do love San Diego though. But perhaps Davis is better for college life, and SD for breaks and later, for work?)
Very true, are you a Davis grad by any chance? And by college town you mean the surrounding restaurants, neighbors, and whatnot are all welcoming?
No I’m not a Davis grad, so I have no dog in this fight. I just know colleges quite well. 
Yes, I mean the town surrounding the campus, where students spend most of their time when not on-campus
Do you know which has a better party scene?
Well, UCSD has been known, much to my chagrin as I do love SD, as UC Socially Dead, but the Greek scene is “decent” if you’re into parties.
Essentially, ALL colleges in the US will have parties, so that shouldn’t be a primary criterion.
Lol. Ya I know it’s not my primary concern, but I do want some experience of social events. Hmm, I really need to visit Davis. I might over spring break. I love San Diego but wasn’t a huge fan of the campus (I did visit when school was out of session though which could give a different vibe). I’ve only heard great things about Davis, but the opposite about the surrounding area. They are opposites in that sense
Davis is nice for college students - it has everything you might want or need. And Sacramento or San Francisco really aren’t far away if you crave a big city for the weekend (whether you live in a big city, a college town, or a rural area, during the week you’ll be doing college as your full-time job so you’ll be in class, in the library, in your room, on the fields, on campus, or nearby.)