Is UCSB still a party school ?
Still? It is pretty hard to find a large school that doesn’t have lots of parties. But there are excellent academics there.
UCSB is still ranked in the top 10 for party schools, but it doesn’t mean you cannot get a good education at UCSB and if you are not into that scene, there are plenty of students that feel the same way. As @BrownParent stated, any school can be a party school. It is your choice to join in or not.
Firstly, the whole “Top 10 party school” thing is like 90% BS (so is the whole STD thing, too). The police presence in Isla Vista can be a huge damper on the party/drinking culture. Cops are huge d***heads here and have a reputation. Second, there is a party culture, but because our university is extremely (and I mean extremely) self aware in this sense, it is very easy to avoid it. Don’t read into it too much. Parties are here but so are six Nobel Laureates. Party culture is kinda here, but so is a #2 international ranking for science research. The slackers and the hard workers are separated out by a strong weed out (all pun intended) mantra that the school admins enforce. If you/your student wishes to come here, work hard, get good grades, and get into a research lab, this is all very much possible to accomplish. They/you just have to care enough (but comparatively not that much), which if you’re reading this, you probably do.
Are you looking for a party school? If so you can find parties there, but you can also find parties at a lot of other schools–almost any really.
But if you are interested in academics then this post might be interesting to you, from a current UCSB student. Don’t be naive like a high school kid and think that students aren’t serious there. The people who are always partying aren’t going to be in hard classes for very long.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1776283-georgetown-vs-ucsb.html#latest
@BrownParent I’m not looking for a party school it’s just that my mom doesn’t want me going there and she won’t let me apply there because of it’s supposed reputation as a party school. I want to go for the programs, the beach, basically everything but party. UCSB seems completely perfect for me, though I am also considering UCSD. I really love UCSB though, I might visit next month.
Visit the school before you decide you love it. Take an official tour with your mom then see what she thinks. They do a pretty good job (on the tour) talking up the academic and non-PARTY aspects of the school. They also talk honestly about student life - including parties. Walk through IV (adjacent the school), talk to some students - and some people on the street. That’s where you’ll both find the truth. If you live on DelPlaya, you’ll have chaos around you most of the time - a few blocks away is a much more mellow scene. The freshman dorms have the same no-alcohol/pot rules you’ll find at every other school of any size.
Unfortunately, the problems are usually caused by non-UCSB students who came from far and wide to experience the IV scene. Lots of SB CC students live nearby as well. As a student, you can avoid it pretty easily or, be on the edge or, in the middle of it.
All good advice from @NCalRent, but a caution… Prepare your parents to be dismayed when they see IV. They’ve cleaned it up some over the years, but it kinda looks like a slum in many parts along the student apartments. Students don’t mind, they like being at a school with all their friends and living right near campus. But seen thru an adults’ eyes (or those of parents) it isn’t going to be mistaken for Palo Alto or La Jolla 