Hey there all you bobcats, I’m really in a bind. My dream has always been to go to a UC in norcal, or as close to norcal as I could get. I applied to UCSC (my dream school) and UC Davis as well up north, but I feel like my best chance of going to a UC is Merced. I just really need some opinions from students on what you think about the school. Right now I only feel like I’m going to get into UC Merced and UCR, and I don’t particularly want to stay in socal to go to UCR. I’d really appreciate some help with this one as I haven’t even visited the campus and I don’t have many opportunities to drive 6 hours to go visit. Please help me!!
I visited UC Merced with my son in the Summer of 2016 before his senior year. It’s a very small, isolated, but VERY new campus with some nice features. My son hated it and my younger daughter loved it. It’s that kind of campus: you either get it, or you don’t.
If you can’t visit, one of the things our counselors recommend (I teach at a high school) is to use Google Earth and Google Street View to take a virtual tour of the campus. Personally, I found this VERY helpful in charting my son’s visits. Anyone who has read my posts on this board know that I place physical location and lay out in my “Top 5 Factors” in choosing a college. People can make the most of almost any situation, but if you have options, go where you are most comfortable. Sometimes a person can get a pretty good, if not too in-depth, feel for a campus just by looking at Street View.
One last thing: it is HOT in Merced. Not all year–just May through October. But then again, so is Davis.
Yes, UC Merced is new and completely rural. For kids that grew up on a farm, it would be perfect. The nearest town is Merced itself which I find to be extremely hot, gritty, and low, low energy. There is essentially NO business support community immediately off-campus. The relatively small campus community of UC Merced will be all you’ve got. Without a car you are more or less stranded on a island surrounded by an ocean of farmland. While a few will find UC Merced ideal, I much prefer seeing kids to Chico State which has the right an ideal balance of size, town, and things to do.
UC Merced is not a new school. It is a new UC campus of the world class UC System. My son, who was a consistent honor student from elementary to high school goes there. He is doing great taking up CSE. He said, Google is now offering him a job as soon as he graduates. It’s a UC and forever will be a UC. Always remember that. It’s not as popular as the other UC campuses now, but it will soon be. Mark my word!!!
My son was recently accepted to UC Merced. Immediately after, we went to tour the campus. It’s definitely in the middle of nowhere but the campus itself is really nice. The buildings, dorms, laundry room, etc still looks pretty new. They are adding on to the campus and is expecting the size to double by 2020. I’m glad we went to visit and not looked down on it becaue it’s a smaller campus. It’s now definitely one of our top choices.
@itsallaboutme Have you ever been there during the weekend because it’s a ghost town
We went on a Saturday. There weren’t many students on campus but there was still life. My son said he could see the potential of it being “turnt.” The dining room was semi crowded and there were students in the quad. It was definitely more students there on a Saturday than I anticipated.
We just got back from a day at UC Merced (following a day at UCSC).
Overall impression: this place will probably be absolutely rocking in 10-15 years. The plan is for UCM to be the largest, landmass-wise, of all UCs. For now, it seems a great school if you’re a star student who wants to be a big fish in small pond. Most impressed with the Engineering schools. Also, their strong drive for diversity and recruiting lower-income students from California’s Central Valley. Kudos!
And yes, the heat would be a major factor for us mere mortals like us who hate temps over 75 degrees! 
We were there during a chilly rainstorm but are very aware how hot it will get there in another few months and during Fall especially. Love the 100% LEED Certified buildings but hope they can find a way to plant more trees or put up sun shades in open areas because walking across campus in the heat of the day will be a scorcher.
Positives: extremely friendly, down to earth students and staff. They know they’re not Berkeley or UCLA and they’re just fine with that. Negative: the dining hall (much too conventional fare for my health-obsessed kid), though the new building going up is supposedly going to feature more exciting cuisine, or at least more exciting cooking, with “chefs” slicing, dicing and sauteing right in front of your eyes.
Yes, the town of Merced is will be a snore for those into big city living and nightlife, etc., but that’s a plus for some students (and parents). Perhaps this is the UC equivalent to Grinnell College?
UC Merced IS new and nicely laid out. The facilities are top notch and they’ve successfully fused modern and efficient architecture with practicality. The campus has been in use for over 10 years and it’ll be another 30+ before this campus becomes the largest in the UC system. Long boards are the order of the day and the best way to get around campus. The biggest problem I have with UC Merced is the campus is all you’ve got. Craving a Big Mac or a Baja Blast? Well cowboy, just hop in your beater and drive 15 minutes to the lifeless City of Merced. Nothing to do? Then don’t drive to the City of Merced because there’s nothing to do there either.
@BennyBop are you a Bobcat? (Another thing I love about UCM–excellent mascot! Re food choices, thinking perhaps in another year or so, Amazon’s drones will be able to pick up better grub in Fresno and deliver directly to dorm rooms. 