Should I pick Davis?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Davis
1

<p>-I’m a senior and I’m ELC and I’m guaranteed into UC Davis so yay :). </p>

<p>-I am really considering going there, I am applying to Cal, UCLA, UCSD, and UC Davis. I will get into Davis and I’ll probably get into UCSD and maybe into Cal and UCLA…so anyways I visited Davis and Cal in February and I’m going to UCSD and UCLA in the next 2-3 weeks but so far to me I think that Davis is the most well-rounded UC and the best fit for me. BTW I’m going to Major in Political Science and maybe Economics.</p>

<p>-I just need advice about whether I should go to the best school I get into or the school I feel most comfortable at to get the best college experience I can possibly have.</p>

<ul>
<li>Can anybody at Davis tell me that the social scene is good and that I’ll have the best four years of my life? Tell me everything you can about the school, students, sports, everything, etc… b/c I think that is the school for me but idk what school I’d choose if I got into Cal, UCLA, or UCSD, thanks</li>
</ul>

2

<p>Honestly bro, i was in the same situation as you exactly two years ago when I was deciding which UC to go to. If you get into UCLA, I think you should go there. UC Davis can be sort of quiet on the weekends, but **** can definitely be crackin on weekends if u hang out with the right people. this is key.</p>

<p>i regret choosing to live with sum nerdy ass friends and it cost me big time. my social life is dying. so dont be like me!</p>

<p>Ill give u the breakdown</p>

<p>Who has the edge?</p>

<p>Party scene - UCSB/UCLA</p>

<p>Facilities - UC Davis (The ARC is second to none)</p>

<p>Social scene - UCLA/UCSB</p>

<p>Good mix of everything - UC Davis</p>

<p>That being said, you should choose wisely. if u meet the right people ur freshman year…then u could possibly have the time of ur life for the next 4 years…this happens at any school tho, so choose wisely.</p>

<p>best of luck!</p>

<p>*PS if u were looking for the best social scene u should applied to UCSB. You will hands down have the time of your life there! better than any UC…but of course it is about the total package…!</p>

3

<p>Well here’s what I have to say about UCSD, UCLA, and UCB being “better”. Sure they may have higher rankings in some areas, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right school for you. You want to pick the school that A) Is good in your major and gets you where you want to be in life and B) Is a place you’ll want to live for 4 years. If you think that place is Davis, then go to Davis, don’t let rankings tell you where to go.</p>

4

<p>do you really think that ucd has better facilities than UCSD? UCSD is the best campus bar none, sorry. It does lack in outright party scene, but as it has been discussed on all the forums, its really about if you yourself stay active and social, and plus sdsu is right down the street so if you really need some intense partying its there for you.</p>

<p>i personally dont like UCD, davis is a beautiful town, and its an ok school, but it wasnt for me. if its for you thats all dandy, but make sure you do lots of research on every aspect to get a feel for all the campuses before you decide. Put everything from dorm life, off campus life, social scene, what kind of people, the general area, nearby attractions, even down to the weather. For me, the farther south the better, i F-ING hate rain.</p>

<p>anyhow just be sure to pick which school you like the best for multiple reasons</p>

5

<p>*UCSD is the best campus bar none, sorry. *</p>

<p>That’s quite a statement. I didn’t like the campus at all when I visited. The reason I enjoyed Davis a lot (and my alma mater, UCSB) is that the towns surrounding campus were dynamic, bicycle centered student communities where there were always a lot of activities going on. SDSU is 16 miles away and it takes a while to get there for freshman without cars, while at Davis there are plenty of social opportunities within walking distance of their dorms in town. There’s not a very evident student community surrounding campus.</p>

6

<p>I think UCSD’s campus is the best, but like I said I didnt like Davis, and obviously you and others do… thus my point, its all about what you want in your school. for me UCSD’s campus is friggin beautiful. </p>

<p>Anyhow, do some research, look at points of interest, like some of the ones i pointed out.</p>

7

<p>In my personal experience, I disliked the feel of UCSD while I was there, while I adored Davis, even though they both have a focus in the field I wanted to study - biology. However, I decided that Davis was the best fit for me based on my personal interests, attitude, and opportunities around the area. I’d do some more research and talk to people, you’ll have time to decide, don’t worry :3</p>

<p>Political Science could be interesting, since Davis is located near Sacramento, but my friends in Cal Economics are having a great time. However, no opinion on other schools’ Econ, since I just happened to know people who are at Cal, majoring in Econ.</p>

8

<p>UCSD is by far one of the worst laid out UCs. There is a reason why the social scene is dead, it doesn’t feel like a community. UCD is by far one of the best laid out UCs. Davis Downtown > San Diego Downtown. UC Davis’s natural beauty > UC San Diego’s natural beauty. UC Davis feels much more like a college town than UCSD. I don’t even go to either school but I have spent enough time at each campus (particularly UCSD) to know which campus I’d rather be at. </p>

<p>P.S. Concrete high rise buildings are beautiful?</p>

9

<p>I applied to UCSB just in case by the way, I’m going to visit all these schools soon, it’s going to be a tough decision, I’m thinking UCLA would be my first choice of the 5 UC’s applied to</p>

10

<p>I went to UCSD out of high school, applied to transfer to both Berkeley and Davis (got into both), and turned down Berkeley to transfer to Davis. I’m a political science major. </p>

<p>Having lived on campus at UCSD for two years, here’s my analysis. It’s a gorgeous campus. There are eucalyptus trees everywhere, some nice facilities, and it’s close to the beach (although it’s a steep walk, because the campus is on top of some tall cliffs). The social scene is lacking, most likely because there is no “fraternity row” like at other colleges. Frats and sororities do have houses, but they’re spread out across the La Jolla/San Diego region, and you usually have to drive to get to them. San Diego State is about a 15-20 minute drive from UCSD (not exactly convenient, unless you have a car and know people at SDSU). In a comparison between social scenes (UCSD versus Davis), Davis wins.</p>

<p>In comparing the campuses of Davis and UCSD, it’s not easy to say one is “nicer” or more beautiful than the other, because they’re so different. UCSD has eucalyptus trees everywhere (which, to be honest, gets a little bland after a while), while Davis offers a wider variety of landscaping (and has the gorgeous arboretum gardens running the length of campus). UCSD has a lot of hills, Davis is fairly flat. UCSD has RIMAC, Davis has the ARC and Pavilion, and a new football stadium (which brings up the fact that Davis has a division I football team, and UCSD doesn’t have a football team at all). Overall, I prefer the Davis campus (although I prefer UCSD’s weather). </p>

<p>As far as political science goes: Berkeley has the best rankings. That’s why I considered transferring there from UCSD. But in my opinion, Davis offers far more opportunities for its political science students to take part in internships than any other university in the state (because of its proximity to downtown Sacramento). Political science is one of those majors which require real-world, practical experience, and completing an internship at the state capitol looks amazing on a college transcript (and your resume). As far as the academic quality of Davis’ political science department goes, I’ve been quite satisfied. The upper division courses I’ve taken at Davis have been more challenging than the upper division courses I took at UCSD, and the professors have been amazing. I don’t know much about our economics program, but I’ve heard good things.</p>

<p>Of course, all of the UC’s have their good and bad points. I never considered going to UCLA and have never visited the campus, but I have friends there who love it. I also know people who love going to Berkeley. And UCSD and Davis are both amazing institutions. UC Santa Barbara is, hands down, the best “party school” in the UC system. In my opinion, that reputation detracts from its academic prestige (even though it’s still a very strong school, academically speaking). The best advice really is to visit each campus, and go where you feel most comfortable. You will get an excellent education wherever you go.</p>

11

<p>It’s really up to you, and what feels “right”. Think Goldilocks.</p>

<p>You’ll know when you step foot onto campus. :]</p>

<p>For me, I absolutely HATED UCLA and UCSD. Definitely stepped onto campus and was like “… No, I don’t think so.” >w<; Seriously. And UCLA was my dream school, as far as the UCs went. Haha. </p>

<p>But Berkeley and Davis… they felt right. Eventually I ended up at Davis, which, I think, in the long run, has actually suited me well. It’s not as prestigious as Berkeley, but the atmosphere is quite nice, and just right for me~</p>