<p>Is the hippy population too big? Does it rain a lot? How often is it foggy? How many people attend athletic events? How far is the closest beach where you can surf? What is the atmosphere like?</p>
<p>I’m just wondering if I should consider this school when it comes time to do my applications?</p>
<p>my cousin works there and calls santa cruz the town of "rich, aging hippies" :p.<br>
i visited him a couple times during break, so i can't tell you about students or the infamous drug life :p. but the people in the collegetown and the staff were very friendly and quirky. the setting is absolutely beautiful - there's trees everywhere and herds of deers running around the dorms. and the beach is literally right next to you - not like sb where the dorms are on the beach, but a bit like sd if you live in one of the inner colleges. shouldn't be more than a 5-10 minute walk away.</p>
<p>I'd recommend visiting if you can. It is such an incredibly beautiful place and you can schedule a visit and get all your questions answered.</p>
<p>lol santa cruz...i live in monterey, which is about 40 minutes away and i visit a lot. it is usually foggy around here, especially in the colder seasons (fall and winter) and sometimes it burns off during the day. the rain is pretty decent, it just rains in winter and it's usually not too bad, but forget wearing shorts or skirts except in about one week in july :P there aren't really "hippies" so much as there are earthy people, and yes, there are druggies but you can avoid them, or join them if you're into that. beach is very close, and the monterey bay can get some nice swells if you're a surfer. atmosphere is pretty chill and laid back, the campus IS pretty if you like forest. hope i helped :)</p>
<p>I have lived in sc my whole life and I love it here. yeah it can be "different" but UCSC is so beautiful and the people are great- really nice and chill. There are defintiely hippies, but I don't think there are too many, it is usually foggy in the mornings. Sports are not that big of a deal at UCSC ( there is no football team or stadium) so you won't find a lot of hard core UCSC sport fans. I'd say the closest beach to surf is about 10 minutes away. Like said before, there are druggies but usually just harmless potheads-- again the chill atmosphere. You should check it out!</p>
<p>Our son resisted looking at UC Santa Cruz because he says "its always so cold there" So I looked up the stats; the nearest I found were for nearby Monterey, but it gives you the idea--</p>
<p>Avg. temp Jan. 59.9 max, 43.5 min, 51.7 avg.
Avg. temps Sept 71.7 max, 53.0 min. 62.3 average. </p>
<p>Note, Sept was the hottest month!! Serious lack of heat for we "valley people" from inland CA.</p>
<p>Avg. rainfall: 17.09</p>
<p>Data showed extremely foggy weather in the summer, but that isnt when school is in session (again this is for Monterey, fog can be localized so SC could be somewhat different)</p>
<h1>fog days, 22 in July, 21 Aug, 17 Sept., 14 Oct....but 6 in Dec, Jan, Febr.</h1>
<p>Compare (as a counterexample) San Diego weather, a la SDSU and UCSD:</p>
<p>WEATHER:
Mean temperature by month, since 1914:
56.36 57.44 58.85 61.05 63.30 65.83 69.57 70.96 69.76 66.08 61.39 57.29<br>
Mean annual rainfall: 10.7 </p>
<p>Ps to last message: when it is warm and sunny, Santa Cruz (the town) is really beautiful! Beautiful gardens/flowers around town, quaint old homes, clear air....character that is lacking in many other locales (such as Irvine)</p>
<p>Son goes to SC every year for band competition, complains of cold ocean temperature at the beach, etc. But again, he is a "valley boy" (Sacramento Valley that is), we are used to 100+ degree weather in summer, lol.</p>
<p>I really suggest you visit because Santa Cruz is beautiful. It is right smack in the middle of a forest and I think it is one of the most unique colleges I have ever seen. It sort of feels like christmas all year round because of all the tall trees lol, but it is really relaxed and the people there seemed really easygoing. I've heard of its hippies and liberal people, but I just think that adds to its environment! If you have the chance really go see it and see if you feel comfortable there, because though someone may love it, you may feel claustrophobic or intimidated by the forest around it!</p>