<p>If you were accepted to UC Davis as a Regents Scholar, are you choosing UCD over another (perhaps more prestigious) school? Why or why not? I know the money they give is a plus, but I’m also looking for other reasons… Thanks!!!</p>
<p>I’m considering it. UCD Regents may leave me better poised for graduate school than a degree from UCLA, UCSD, or UCB (if accepted) alone. It grants priority registration (which I heard you typically don’t need for upper division course work). More importantly, I think it will be easier to develop relationships with professors because ultimately I would like to be a participant in some of their research. I don’t know what your major is, but having one of the best vet schools in the country right next door is a nice little perk for me.</p>
<p>D is seriously considering Davis because of the Regents Scholar over Cal. UCLA and UCSD were already tossed out for other reasons. Cal was a tough one to ignore but an overnight there convince her that she didn’t like the overall environment.</p>
<p>Staying that first year at Miller Hall with other Regents Scholars is very appealing to us as parents.</p>
<p>ISHP gives students a huge advantage by way of research and internship opportunities which makes UC Davis the best UC choice for her.</p>
<p>@cahsparent why were UCLA and UCSD tossed out? Regents is the only things giving me pause not to consider those two exclusively.</p>
<p>i chose it over UCSD and CMU. It gives you priority registration, respect from profs, and makes you stand out, not just be one of a class off 5,000+. Also, you get into ISHP, whichgives you awesome housing, a community of all the other regents and smartest students at the school, and you actually get research courses (kinda, dunno how to say it exactly) through junior and senior year. so auto-research, recognition, any class you want, and lots of faculty interaction (you get to meet with them once a month and such) seems really really good. and of course, ive never heard a single bad thing about Davis. go aggies!</p>
<p>My son stayed at Davis in the Honors dorm (Miller) and was incredibly impressed. He is choosing UC Davis with a Regents over UCLA with an alumni scholarship and USC with multiple scholarships (& a bunch of other schools with scholarships) He didn’t like the atmosphere of Berkeley so he didn’t apply. Rockerbsbn & cahsparent both covered it. My son has already made friends with kids on the FB page that have similar interests to him. The priority registration is worth it’s weight in gold. My son has friends at both UCLA & Berkeley that didn’t get classes they needed Freshman year…now they are taking classes over the summer at a local college. Go Aggies!</p>
<p>thanks everyone for the replies! this makes it harder for me to choose…</p>
<p>@Mumstheword2, i’ve been hearing different things regarding priority registration. when i visited ucla, they told me that it’s only a myth and that most people can graduate in 4 years if they stayed on track. i’ve also heard from several people that getting the classes you want isn’t that bad. at the same time, i’ve also heard stories like yours, where people don’t get the classes they want. what’s your take on that? thanks (:</p>
<p>@Mafioso UCLA seemed like being at a County Fair but she said no to UCSD, based on what people had said about the campus. To reiterate Mumstheword2, the priority Registration in this age of budget cuts is alone a deal clincher, to top that throw in a Scholarship worth 25% of yearly fees and best of all, the Student body seems to have impressed my daughter far more than Cal’s did.</p>
<p>I know kids at both at UCD (without RS) and UCLA that didn’t finish in 4 years. Talking to another parent, who’s S graduated from UCD as a RS swears by it and the second S picked UCD RS over Cal.</p>
<p>@goldcarnation…my son’s friends are only freshmen so I don’t know if, in the end, they will be able to graduate in 4 years or not. Taking classes over the summer that they can’t get into will definitely help. I just like the security of <em>knowing</em> that my son will get the classes he will need as an engineering major as a Regents Scholar at Davis. My son also just felt at home at Davis and ultimately that is what helped him make the decision. It’s a great college town and has a laid back feel. You have to feel comfortable where you decide to attend since you will be going there for the next four years. Sometimes the gut instinct is the best to follow. However, I must say that I am also really happy that the regents scholarship of $7500/yr will allow my son to graduate from college with very little debt…a great way for him to start is future.</p>
<p>@cahsparent, thanks for the input. I’m really starting to lean toward Davis now and all of your input makes me feel like I’d be making the right decision if I do. It’s been difficult to wrestle with.</p>
<p>Not to throw a monkey wrench into anybody’s decision, but I think that students are generally able to graduate from UC in four years, even without priority registration. From the Common Data Sets that I’ve seen for UC campuses, the four-year rate seems to be typically around 2/3. Yes, that’s worse than most LACs, and it includes students in very flexible majors. But, still, it seems that most students who don’t change majors late in the game or need remedial work are able to get out in four years.</p>
<p>That jibes with the experience of an engineering major I know at UCD. He’s a sophomore this year, not a Regents Scholar, and so far has been able to get all of the courses he needs when he needs them. That’s critical, and probably most difficult, for engineering majors with their intense and strongly sequenced requirements.</p>
<p>That said, once my daughter was awarded a Regents at a UC campus that she likes, everywhere else that she applied dropped off her radar. For her I think that the Regents gave two advantages. One was the priority registration, because with all the talk she was worried about getting out in four years. Also important was the honors program, which gives her a small group of students to interact with on the large campus. That gives some of the benefits of a LAC, while also having the resources of a large university.</p>
<p>By chance could you share your daughters stats or ECs so I can figure out if my son has a remote chance of getting reagents.</p>
<p>The chances will vary a <em>lot</em> from campus to campus. At some, they’re very number-oriented and give it to the top several % of their applicants. UCSC has to be different, of course, and invites their top applicants to write an essay for a Regents.</p>
<p>I’m doing some of this from memory, but my daughter’s stats are something like:</p>
<p>GPA: ~4.5 weighted, 3.9+ uw.</p>
<p>Class ranking: 5-ish</p>
<p>SAT: 750/760/710 on her second sitting (forget what her first sitting was)</p>
<p>ACT: 35 (she thought it was trivial compared to the SAT)</p>
<p>AP Classes:
Junior: Calc. BC, English Language, US History (5s on all tests)
Senior: Statistics, French, Government</p>
<p>ECs:
Not too remarkable–Red Cross Club, CSF, French Club. I hesitate to mention the ones really outside of school–she does an unusual combination of sports and music, and I’d rather not give too much personally identifying info here.</p>
<p>Don’t treat these as gospel, as in they’re exactly what you need to get a Regents. I’m sure that better in some areas/worse in others is just fine. I also have no idea how my daughter’s stats stack up against other Regents Scholars.</p>