Hi guys. My daughter was waitlisted to UCSB, so looking for some other options to keep in mind. We will be in SB in April for Spring Insight, but also want her to check out SBCC and their honors and TAG program. Has anyone recently attended SBCC? What did they think of these programs, the campus, professors?Did you still feel like part of the UCSB community if living in IV? Where in your opinion is the best place for freshman housing and why? Thank you
wait lists are really frustrating. Did she get any acceptances?
I would be hesitant to pay for someone to live near any CC. There are more than 100 so, virtually all of us live within a reasonable commute and,and you really won’t get the traditional ‘freshman experience’. As for SBCC specifically, it is a fine CC but, most of the kids I’ve known to go there have not been able to handle all the distractions of Isla Vista and haven’t done well enough academically to qualify for TAG in 2 years as they had planned.
She got into UC Santa Cruz and Davis. We will be checking them out in a couple weeks as well. We are in Texas, so trying to figure out as much as we can beforehand, and don’t have the insider info that you guys have. Thank you for the insight.
She also got into SDSU, so another option
All 3 are very good schools and IMHO a much better option than SBCC. As a Texan though, you are going to pay full OOS tuition at a pretty absurd rate all 4 years. Are you ready for that?
She has a trust that will help with about half of it. She has her heart set on California and being close to the ocean, and is aware of the fact that she will be dealing with some debt. We kinda took SDSU off our list, but think she may need to reconsider. Have you heard good things about SDSU?
UC Davis is no where near the ocean and although I love the school, it sounds like not a good fit based on her location preference. SDSU is about 20 min from the ocean and about $20K/ year cheaper than the UC’s. Depending upon how much is in her trust, the best gift a parent can give to their student is graduating debt free. This is coming from a Full pay parent of 2 Undergrads, one graduating from UCD and one that will be graduating from SDSU.
@Gumbymom Thank you and I agree. With the financial aid they have already offered, SDSU would be free. Has your child enjoyed SDSU? Felt challenged, good professors, and met close friends?
I agree that the Isla Vista “experience” can derail a student’s success at SBCC.
UCSC, UCD and SDSU are three extremes with respect to atmosphere and environment. Other than being in California and close to the ocean, what are her priorities? For example, is she looking for a school with a large Greek system and social life? Does she want to be in the city or in a remote area? Does she know what she wants to do in the future? How committed is she to that major and path?
She spent the summer before her Junior year at UCSB taking classes and fell in love. Her dream is marine biology/biology and continuing on with grad or vet school. She has a 4.78 gpa but only scored a 27 on her ACT. She was diagnosed with dyslexia this past November. She wants a close knit community with other students who care about their education, but also like being active surfing, exploring, and some parties or just good friends.
@texcalmom Just wanted to send my best wishes to your daughter in getting off the waitlist at UCSB— it sounds like it’s the best all around fit for her interests. I’m a UCSB grad, and my sister is as well. My sister was devastated when she was waitlisted at UCSB, and ended up going to SBCC for two years and graduating 2 years later from UCSB. She lived all 4 years with UCSB students and feels she had a true 4-yr experience. I believe one of the private dorms was sold to UCSB, so I’m unsure what the current dorm options are for SBCC, so you’ll want to inquire during your visit. Best of luck to your daughter and enjoy your college tours over Spring Break!
My son is an Computer Science major at SDSU so he has had a challenging curriculum, some very good and some not so good professors which is pretty much what you find at all schools. He joined a fraternity Sophomore year but made friends very easily so his social life is always busy. SDSU’s Aztec Parent association is very involved, they have a great Mentorship program which pairs students and alumni together in their related field of study and overall do a great job in making a large student body into a diverse close community.
Definitely worth a visit, but unlike UCSB which has the beach at your doorstep, a student does have to travel a few miles for the ocean experience.
SDSU’s trolley line has a station on campus, so discounted student passes will get the students to several shopping areas, Old Town, Downtown Union station and nearby buses for the beach areas. Definitely more urban than UCSB and UCSC campus and the so called “party school” rep is 20 years past. Parties can be found at all schools so in my opinion any school can be a party school.
If she can get through SDSU debt free, she won’t regret it. (I have never met an 18 year old who really understood the long term obligation that is student debt… and I have met plenty of 25 year olds who wish they had understood the commitment much better when they secured their loans) The school is very good and, though not spitting distance from the ocean, nice beaches aren’t far away. The place embodies the So Cal lifestyle.
Academically:
Marine Bio give gives an edge to UCSC. UCD actually has a Marine and Coastal Science major but the school is definitely not on the beach. That said, Davis has a phenomenal animal science/pre-vet program. So, if she wants to do pre-vet, Davis might be the better choice for her academic goals. If she wants marine bio, UCSC might be the better academic fit.
Socially:
Davis has the tight knit student community similar to UCSB although not as much partying. It is also a biking community like UCSB. SDSU has a similar social scene to UCSB but it is more urban with a football team, larger Greek system, etc. UCSC is different in that the campus is divided into smaller colleges and they don’t have the central hub or place to congregate. I had read that it was designed that way intentionally after protests and riots were happening at Berkeley. Not sure if that is true or not.
Financially: As has been said, SDSU is better financially.
Visits will definitely help. You might also look at the student newspapers to get an idea of the different campuses. I went to UCSB and Berkeley and follow both papers on FB. The Daily Nexus (UCSB) and Daily Californian (Berkeley) portray such a different student experience.
It does sound like UCSB is the best fit. But I personally don’t think I’d send a freshman across the country to live in Isla Vista. Too many distractions unless your daughter is VERY disciplined.
Speaking as the parent of a Santa Cruz student, it is an amazing school. The vibe is fairly quiet and zen. Not a lot of parties though they could certainly be found in some dorms more than others. Lots of outdoor classes and activities. There is a student center with things like surfboards and wetsuits for rent. But it’s not right on the beach the way Santa Barbara is. Santa Cruz is definitely a unique school that should be visited, as students tend to either love or hate the campus.
We are currently trying to nudge her to really consider SDSU because of the price. Hoping “Surfing and Sustainability “ community will solidify that for her. We are heading out next Friday and doing the trek from SDSU, to UCSB, to UCSC, and ending in Davis. Hello Cali!! She is going to have to learn to manage her social life at all of these colleges. This is going drive me crazy
Have a good trip, and please let us know the outcome!
Davis is a friendly college town located in the spectacularly flat Central Valley, surrounded by miles and miles of vegetable fields and orchards. It is oriented more strongly to agriculture than other UC campuses; in fact UCD students are nicknamed the “Aggies” (a term that may possibly be familiar to Texans). The university is noted for engineering and life sciences, as well as agriculture.
UCD tends to attract hard-working students who take education more seriously than partying. There is a relatively strong sense of community in the college and town, possibly because Davis is not very large and is physically separated from the bigger cities. The community is famous for bicycle culture, also a great farmer’s market.
What Davis doesn’t have is beach access. In fact, UCD might be the top pick in the category of “schools in California for people who are allergic to the ocean”. Students looking for fun in the water would probably go eastward for rafting or tubing on the American River, rather than westward to the coast.
Santa Cruz is an eclectic (i.e. weird) coastal town containing a mix of college students, tourists, aging hippies, surfers, retirees, and high-tech refugees from Silicon Valley (on the other side of the mountains). Many residents fall into more than one of these categories. The funky vibe faces an existential threat from rising rents and property values. Texans may find it reminiscent of a miniature coastal Austin; in fact, the UCSC Fight Song, which commemorates the school’s famous mascot, was composed by the Austin Lounge Lizards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhBndP2TgOM
The town has a beach (like Santa Barbara) and a long tacky boardwalk (definitely not like Santa Barbara). The beach, like most of California, has cold water; if you want to spend a lot of time in it, you will need a wetsuit. The water is noticeably warmer along the southernmost part of the coast, from San Diego to Santa Barbara.
The UCSC campus is not on the beach, or even in the town; it’s in a hilly area overlooking the town and the ocean. Buildings are scattered throughout the redwood forest and the adjacent meadows. Some compare it to a summer camp, although it also resembles the Ewok village in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”. Cars are strongly discouraged; you will probably be instructed to park at the bottom of the hill and to take a bus up to the campus. Students typically take buses to get to town or to the beach.
" Students typically take buses to get to town or to the beach." Yes, and it should be noted that the bus system is free to students and very easy to use.
Lol I never heard the fight song before. It may be rumor but I heard that the famously pacifistic students chose the slug as a political statement, when forced by the school to come up with a mascot.
Ewok village. Haha! Yes, it’s a unique campus for sure. Personally I adore it but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.