Hmmm....Hmmm....Possible change of plans?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Santa Barbara
1

<p>Dunno, dunno, the past two days have been sorta revolutionary in terms of my college search. I visted SB yesterday and Davis today. I took the student guided tours on both and have come back with boggling information.</p>

<p>First and foremost, my SB tour was horrible. I felt I was very underwhelmed with the campus and what the school had to offer. It was a Friday afternoon, the campus was not very active, the buildings were old and shabby(they were comparable to a high school campus), and the campus itself was cramped and not organized but rather shoddy. Maybe it was just the tour guide but the info I learned about campus was not fascinating or anything like that, the main thing that impressed me were the seven nobel laureates that teach undergrad students. The actual student population was very un-diverse and not as impressive as I hoped. The main food court was only two stories and had rather shoddy dining options with Panda Express being the main restaurant. Umm, what else, I was just really thoroughly unimpressed because I was hoping for a great tour that would really get me psyched for SB because it was my previous first choice. I also looked for a fair amount of diversity because diversity naturally adds culture to a campus and whatnot, but I did not find much. The only real diversity was found in geeky looking international grad students. The undergrad population, though -the only positive aspect I can bring back from the tour- was very good looking and impressive, maybe I was just sidetracked by the beautiful ladies in my tour and on campus. Either way though the campus was very bland, compact, and unimpressive. The only big trees were in this main science quad and they were rather unimpressive and boring. The campus also had a nasty, old, and rotten little camper type thing that was in the middle of a wide path selling some type of food - I walked past as quickly as possible.</p>

<p>So anyway, my point with all this is that I'm trying to find some counters to my experience that can still keep SB in the running for me, because at this point the tour was a total turn-off and I didnt want it to be in the least.</p>

<p>On to Davis, it was probably the best tour I could have hoped for. </p>

<p>After being dissapointed with SB I could not have been less excited to go to Davis - I was expecting something terrible after the thorough bashing my perspective had taken after SB - something I was expecting would be the holy grail. Instead after being picked up by a friend and being taken for a short tour of the campus from the car I was wowed by the massive amounts of new and beautiful buildings spread all across the open and giant tree filled campus. There was a lot of just finished construction such as the Mondavi Center and the Activities and Recreation Center which was just gorgeous and far surpassed the best buildings SB had, as well as buildings still under construction, like new labs and research buildings. The buildings were large, varied, and designed beautifully, far surpassing my expectatiions. The campus was spread out nicely, with nice wide bike lanes in the middle of tree lined streets with big roundabouts nicely painted and whatnot, it was great. Moving on to the actual tour, the tour guide could not stop pouring out impressive information every minute of the tour. This and that, there are SO many activities, student run, non student run, bands, rallies, fairs, speeches, etc, etc, etc, there are just so many that she talked about the whole tour. The students at Davis are just so incredibly involved, there is never a lack of anything to do. The school spirit is also great, everyone plays a sport and Davis is just going D1 so there are great games coming up to watch. Umm, what else, there is great diversity, I felt very much at home, the numbers are spread out nicely - 40% asian, 40% white, and like a little more than 20% others. It really was a treat seeing people walking about in groups all over the campus even though it was raining seeming to have a great time - I didnt see any of this at all at SB. </p>

<p>I dunno, everything just turned upside down for me and I have to serioulsy reconsider everything that I previously thought I had down. I even created that Gaucho Class of 2009 thread somewhere on the latter pages, haha, that shows how pretty set I was on SB.</p>

<p>So, in conclusion, sorry if I bored you guys, I thought I'd type up as much as I could so that I could be of some help to those still deciding. Please comment on whatever you can guys, I have no idea where I'm heading at this point, I need to do so much more research but there just isnt any time. So those that dont agree with me please attack me and tell me whatever you must. Haha, cheers.</p>

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<p>Well man, you have to follow your heart. Keep in mind you're going to be living on or near the school for at least 4 years, and you don't want to choose a school you regret going to every morning. I too took a tour at both schools and actually got the exact opposite impression, which is really a testament to the fact that everyone should visit the schools they're considering, because it's all in the eye of the beholder and you can't just trust a few quotes you hear in a college guide or online.</p>

<p>I'm going to major in biochemistry too and was also split between Davis and UCSB, so I asked a few friends and family that work the biological sciences field about them. Every one of them says that they're pretty equal in terms of reputation and while a couple gave Santa Barbara the edge academically, they still said it was very close. SB is supposed to have a lot of undergraduate research, but Davis supposedly pimps their students (to companies!) like nobodies business. </p>

<p>So it seems either way you could do very well if you set your mind to it, and you should just pick whichever school you could really imagine living at for the next several years.</p>

3

<p>Really? That's really interesting. I hope it wasnt just that I got a bad tour guide during ****ty weather.</p>

<p>Can you elaborate more on your tours and what you liked/didnt like about each? I don't understand how you say "opposite," because we did see the same schools, right? Haha. Just trying to make sure I make the best decision, you know, because Davis is like a 4 hours drive from my parents, so that's really catching my throat right now. I want to be sold on SB.</p>

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<p>UCSB is where I'm heading, and I'm very very stoked (heck, i made a myspace group for ucsb 09: <a href="http://groups.myspace.com/ucsb09%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://groups.myspace.com/ucsb09&lt;/a> haha). I never visited Davis so I can't comment on that.</p>

<p>I went to UCSB back in 2004 during spring break, my friend's sister went there and we stayed in her apartment. UCSB was the first college I ever really visited and I was so impressed and immediately fell in love with it. Of course, that was the first school, so naturally that would be the impression because I don't know anything else. My friend's sister showed us around (we didn't take an official tour) and my spring break was different than UCSB's so school was in session. I was amazed at everyone biking around, and the atmosphere to me seemed very relaxing and welcoming. People were lounging around, sleeping, studying, chatting, everywhere. The proximity of the ocean makes everything even better. I love the ocean, and I don't go to often, so I'm very excited at the prospect of living right near the ocean for 4 years. My friend and I went inside that University Center building and just sat down and "people-watched". It was very entertaining watching everyone. This hot gay guy even tried to get us to sign some political petition, haha.</p>

<p>I was also impressed because all the girls were wearing pretty normal clothes, I was expecting like those super short skirts or some provocative attire, but they were just wearing jeans and normal tops. Everyone we talked to was very nice and helpful. I also met a lot of ambitious people.</p>

<p>Fast forward a bit, I also visited UCSD (loved, but sadly I didn't get in, and now I'm not too sad about it because I love UCSB), USD (ugh, horrible, horrible), and UC Irvine (eck, hated). And then I went to UCSB recently for the Spring Insight.</p>

<p>I really liked the tour. We had a very sweet, bouncy, enthusiastic girl. She was very knowledgable and patient. I like the school campus. It's not that huge, the buildings look fine to me, and most people are good looking haha. At first I was prejudiced cuz I thought UCSB was just a "party school" where people weren't too concerned about academics, but I met lots of very bright people who answered my questions and they were very driven, taking advantage of all the opportunities, double-major students, and more.</p>

<p>As for the diversity, I am Asian (Pacific Islander?, Filipina) but the ethnic composition of UCSB is basically the same ethnic composition as my high school, so I'm not too concerned. It seems though, that more Asians are coming to UCSB, from some of my observations and people I've met.</p>

<p>Ehh I don't really know if any of my observations are helping. But just thought I should share.</p>

<p>By the way, megathunder, are you a girl or boy? For some reason I always thought you were a girl, but it seems like you are a boy? lol</p>

5

<p>I can't believe that you think that about UCSB. I'm a first year student here. That little shabby looking trailer that you saw in the quad was The Arbor. That is the temporary store and they are building a permanent one right across the walk way. This whole place is under construction. By the time that you actually got here and when I get back, this whole campus is going to look vastly different. This place does not resemble a high school and is really far from it. The science area is really what won me over about the school. That still is my favorite area on campus. SB is building new bike lanes also so that is going to make things a lot better also. We just got the nicest recreation center that I have ever seen. It just opened behind the old one, so now we have 2 gyms and a really nice pool area in the same area. Don't let one day of bad weather ruin your tour. We have had two days of clouds in the past month. Besides, Davis reeks of cows. Down here, you have nothing but clean, ocean air.</p>

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<p>4 hours away in what direction? If UCSB's not that far away you could always take another look.</p>

<p>Anyway, what I found:
Davis had a very "nature preserve"-like atmosphere, which I, personally, am not a fan of. Nature is nice and all, but it must be caged and beaten into submission :D.
Davis is really big compared to UCSB, and didn't feel as easy to find your way around (of course after a couple years I'm sure it get's easier). At UCSB it seemed like a bike was a convenience, while at Davis it was a necessity. Of course the lanes and round-a-bouts were nice to see.
It was a very grey and concrete campus, it felt a little unfinished while UCSB felt more polished and vibrant. The buildings at Davis were big, but I didn't think any of them were architecturally stunning or anyting. Maybe our tour didn't cover the same places as yours.
Walking around the campus at Davis I felt like was having the energy sucked out of me, and the students I saw there (I took the tour on Friday) didn't seem all that energized or friendly. The weather when I visited Davis was probably an influence (Davis was foggy, SB was nice clear day), but even still, it just didn't have the vibe I was hoping for. I went to Santa Barbara on a Saturday, so I didn't see many students, maybe all UC students are burnt out on Fridays.
The tour guide at Davis was pretty good, I guess, and gave a lot of statistics and such, while the tour guide at UCSB gave more social, "what life's going to be like when you come here," information.
The students at Santa Barbara were all extremely friendly. One of the desk clerks at the hotel we stayed at was a junior year biochem major, and was more than willing to sell me on the idea of going to UCSB. I also talked to a waitress at the Sizzler who was an English major who gave her insights. I didn't get a chance to talk to any students at Davis other than the tour guide because we had to rush off the pick up my brother. Our tour did get a lot strange stares from some people biking by, don't know what that was all about.
One positive about Davis: I honestly expected a lot of cows on the outskirts of the campus, or at least that farm stench, which I can happily say I didn't experience.</p>

<p>So obviously we saw very different things at the same schools. Like I said, it's all the eye of the beholder.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for the responses guys, keep 'em coming, I really want to go to SB, convince me.</p>

<p>Basically what I'm worried about is not finding my niche at SB. I'm worried about the virtually nonexistant Indian population(i'm Indian) because it's basically easier for Indians to get along with eachother because we share the same interests and backgrounds, etc, etc. I looked it up and there are 171 undergrad Indians overall, ugh, that's terrible. What are the chances of me finding an attractive Indian girl in my grade and of the same interests? Whereas at Davis there are about 700 so that's not an issue.</p>

<p>Aside from Indians, diversity as a whole is pretty low, with only 40% of students being of "color." It's not that big of a deal to me, but the fact is when I visited I hardly saw any diversity in the population(I hope I'm not coming off as borderline racist, heck most of my friends are white) and it's something I'm really looking for in a college.</p>

<p>About the buildings, a lot of them weren't bad and many were really nice, like the new bio sciences building theyre building(the blue one) but the fact is most of them are pretty old and shabby looking. The rec cen looked nice but the u cen, you have to admit, was underwhelming for being the center of campus. I was really not impressed with the food joints there and the bookstore looked like a street side mart. I didn't get the feeling of being in the intellectual and great university that SB is, and so I'm doubting whether I can find my place.</p>

<p>Anyway, lemme stress that I'm not trying to find an argument or whatever, I just want to express all my cynicisms to make sure I clear all my doubts if I do attend.</p>

<p>Faulkster, can you talk about some of your experiences or whatever, try to get me interested, you know.</p>

<p>Anyway, thanks for the comments guys...</p>

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<p>All I can tell you is that I love this school...I wouldn't go anywhere else for the world. I love walking through this campus, seeing the ocean when I walk to breakfast in the morning or when I am sitting at the UCEN studying outside in the sunny weather. People party hard here but when need be we hit the books. Why would you let the lack of places to get food at the UCEN influence your decision to come here? (btw, I love that UCEN. The building was built in the 90's. And how can you say that the bookstore looks like a "side street mart?" There is nothing "mart" about it.) IV is the place to go anyway for good fast food. Anyone that comes to visit must go to Freebird's for nachos. I guarentee that it will be the best fast food that you have ever had. I do agree about the diversity here. While there are a lot of white people, there are many other different ethnicites too. But just make an effort to meet other people. We are intellectuals here. How can you say that the SB community aren't intellectuals just from walking around the campus and seeing the people without actually talking to them? I love this school, and would recommend it to anyone.</p>

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<p>I picked UCSB over UCSD and still have no regrets. It's hard to express how much I love this school. To this day I wake up every morning happy and excited to go to classes. Biking around this campus is breathtaking...hiking over the hilly point right by the lagoon to watch the waves pound the big rocks is just amazing to see. Hearing band music on friday and saturday nites coming from IV electrifies my weekend. There are a lot more.........." If only I could lend you my eyes, you'll see how beautiful and great UCSB"</p>

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<p>****, the only reason I can think for you guys having such different perspectives from me is that I had a bad tour. Maybe the tour guide didnt really take us around the right places. I guess the only thing I can do is try and visit again. The problem is its not right around my corner, I'm about 3 hours away(redondo beach). So lets see, if I can make it Im really hoping for a completely breathtaking experience. Maybe Ill go around isla vista, too...</p>

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<p>Don't come visit on a friday. Most students have 3 day weekends. Mon-thurs are cool as you'll see what's really going on around here. If you want to check out the IV scene, drive up here on a friday or saturday evening with your friends and crash in one of the house parties. It's mainly a party for all in IV. BUT don't drive back to LA drunk!</p>

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<p>wellendowed, could you talk in general more about your experience at the school. Eh, this is impossible.</p>

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<p>megathunder, what was it that first drew you so much to SB? If you hadn't yet taken the tour, what made you so set on going there? Remember that as it gets closer to May 1st.</p>

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<p>I dunno meggs, basically things I heard from word of mouth. The campus was supposed to be really beautiful, good studen body, good weather, good education, etc, etc. Basically the whole package. But when I went there I just didnt feel it. I dunno.</p>

<p>Also, update, I cant go for another visit, so within the next couple of days Im going to have to make my decision based on my current info.</p>

<p>The only thing holding me back from accepting Davis at this point is the distance away and weather. Eh, if only SB was more diverse and had a better campus :(.</p>

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<p>Maybe you mistyped previously, but didn't you say you're 3 hours away from SB and 4 hours away from Davis? Is that one hour difference really that significant?</p>

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<p>Might have mis-typed. SB is two hours without traffic and I was right with Davis - 4 hours. SB is just close enough for it to be practical to go home on weekends and such. Davis is just so far that it takes a whole day just to make the trips and gas prices reduce the feasability significantly.</p>

<p>Its crazy what a difference two hours can make, eh? I dunno, I dunno, such a tough choice. The thing is, people are going to colleges across the country and internationals in a different country in and of itself! And they are just having so much fun deciding what to pack, getting the addresses of nearby stores, saying a VERY hearty last goodbye to their parents, etc. After reading about all that(check: BU forum) I really feel it will add an aspect of well-roundedness to my college experience if I move away, because itll make those trips back home so much more meaningful and whatnot.</p>

<p>So I dunno, Im so conflicted at this point, and with APs coming up I just have no time to figure out what to do.</p>

<p>This time next week Ill either be the happiest person or the saddest person depending on the choice I make. I hope I make the right one...</p>

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<p>i really don't think you can go wrong either way. you can have an amazing time at either school. they are both very good universities with plenty of opporunities for research, academics, and social life. good luck though in deciding, i'm sure it's very stressful with may 1st coming up.</p>

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<p>Hey, good luck!
The reality is either one is a solid, strong university! I chose UC Davis last year because I loved the college feel to it! Still happy with my decision, but its up to you- some love it here- some hate it! Read my other posts to see why Davis may be right for you. Don't worry, though- either way you're in good hands! SB is too partyish for me, but hey the beach is right there. Davis is a college town and everything was just perfect 4 me. Plus WE have a football team! Hey whatever works 4 you.</p>

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<p>Hey, when I went to SB my soph year, I had a wonderful tour guide and a wonderful experience..which in turn brought me back to visit my junior year. This time my experience was completely different, I had a horrible tour guide and it made the school seem ever so uninteresting. However, I visited again in fall of my senior year, this time I stayed over night..I loved it. I really got to know people who went there and even talked to some faculty. I know you only have a few days left, but for anyone stuck deciding I would say, try to spend the night at each school, it is so worth while. I was so happy when I got into UCSD, i thought i would love it. However, after spending 3 nights in the dorms and going to classes and talking to people at UCSD, I met a lot of unhappy students and the feel just wasn't right for me. I did a 3 night stay at UCSB also and it sealed the deal. Aside from just feeling at home on the UCSB campus I also chose UCSB because I was admitted to the honors program and I loved the idea of having discussion sections with a professor instead of a TA. Plus, UCSB doesn't have the grad student population so it is truly an undergraduate campus.</p>

<p>by the way, I visited Davis my junior year and hated it, so I didn't even bother applying. So that just proves that it really is personal preference.</p>

<p>Hope this helped, good luck, feel free to message me if you have any other questions or want to talk!</p>

<p>-natasha</p>