Santa Clara is a top choice for my D24 but we are curious about the social scene. I’m a little worried that it’s a lot of local kids that head home for weekends. She would be OOS. She’s a pretty mainstream kid, outgoing and kinda outdoorsy. Taylor swift type. Lol. Looking for a friendly campus, she is willing to go Greek. Wants some parties and fun but she’s not a big partying type. Ideally she’s looking for some weekend trips to ski, beach trips, trips to SF, etc.
is SCU a fit? Thanks!
@thumper1, I believe you’re a parent of an SCU alum?
I don’t have a kid there, but I can tell you lots of kids from Seattle go there and love it. They say ski trips to Tahoe are a popular weekend activity.
My kid is a SCU alum. She loved everything about the school. She never wanted for things to do on the weekends. Many of her friends were also from OOS. Lots of kids from other states in the west. She was involved in a LOT of activities at SCU, made lifelong friends who she sees at least twice a year (she graduated in 2010).
I think my daughter described it as a work hard play hard place…but not overboard.
And my kid wasn’t particularly outgoing…and really came out of her shell there.
I can heartily recommend the place.
Not an SCU parent, but I can tell you that we know two kids from the Dallas area headed to SCU this fall, and one will be rooming with a student from Chicago. I don’t get the sense that there’s any shortage of OOS students.
According to a family friend from the East Coast attending SCU, there are plenty of OOS students and very active student life on and off campus. SCU is in Santa Clara, borders San Jose, and is accessible (by car) to many popular Bay Area outdoor destinations. There are local students but I don’t think it’s ever been considered a “commuter” school.
I am an SCU alumni from many years ago, and even then we had lots of kids from oos. It was never considered a commuter school, even back then, and had a very lively social scene. The Caltrain to SF was within walking distance, and we took lots of trips to the beach and a few ski trips. I was in a sorority, and we went to lots of mixers at San Jose State and Stanford. I live on the east coast now and haven’t been back to SCU in many years, so I don’t know if those things are still the same, but it’s in great location to enjoy many things that northern CA has to offer.
@OregonMom2024 one of my daughter’s best friends from SCU is from Eugene Oregon. Her maid of honor lives in and is from Seattle. My daughter had friends from all over the country. Definitely not a commuter school (yes, there are some local kids, but plenty of kids not local to SCU).
As noted, the Caltrain station is right across the street from the main campus entrance. There are also plenty of things going on at the school itself.
Here’s info from the school on the class of ‘26.
Half are from CA …but it’s like 10 NE states in size 
)
40% OOS
10% Intl
Thank you everyone! Looks like it stays at top of the list. We used to live in Bay Area and know it well, but it’s never had an overly “fun” reputation so I wasn’t sure. Sounds like it may be a good balance.
Do most kids have a car? I remember the tour guide saying parking was a challenge. Caltrain helps, but Tahoe and beaches need cars…
Don’t know the # and it’s not addressed to me but here is the first year policy
Thanks, good to know they can rent a car if need be
My daughter didn’t have a car. She had one friend who had one. I don’t recall anyone else in her close circle of friends who did. She never had trouble getting around. Uber and Lyft can be used also. There are buses my kid used to get to the airport (the number 10 bus is free I believe between the San Jose Airport and the Caltrain station).
She had one friend whose family was local, and could borrow a car if needed.
My kid was able to get to everything she wanted to get to…I have no idea how…but I never heard a complaint.
My daughter likes to ski. I don’t think she went to Lake Tahoe one time while at SCU. She was there during two summers, and did go to the beach a few times…but really, during those summers she was pretty busy with classes and was also a statistician for one of the pro teams in San Jose.
She found plenty to do around Santa Clara.
In particular, she loved the beautiful weather, and spent a lot of time outdoors.
I think your daughter needs to visit…and speak to some current students. As you know…the campus itself is gorgeous, and the school has put a ton of money into new buildings and resources…all state of the art.
My daughter also really enjoyed the Jesuits who she found very intuitive, and smart…and approachable. She also liked that giving back to the community was woven into many classes.
I have to say…it’s a pricey school, and we were pretty much full pay. We felt the school was worth every single penny.
Yes we visited and liked it but kids weren’t in session so we missed out on getting the campus vibe…
I’m late to this thread but wanted to chime in. My D is finishing her junior year and there is plenty to do at SCU. She was also concerned about the social scene, but it has been a non-issue. She joined a sorority which was a great way to meet people, but she has lots of non-Greek friends, too. She is very active on and off campus and has an active social life. She goes to Santa Cruz, San Jose, San Francisco, Palo Alto and other surrounding areas, but the heart of her social life is on (or adjacent to) campus. I know she feels like SCU has been a great balance in terms of working hard in school, access to jobs/internships, and having a fulfilling and active social life. There is also a very active Outdoor Club for those who want to do organized hiking and camping trips. It has been an excellent fit for D and she is glad she didn’t allow her initial concerns about the social life (or the absence of a “college town” feel) to dissuade her from attending.
Thank you, sounds perfect!
My son loves SCU but he has two social outlets: fraternity and D1 team sport. We live nearby and I have been to campus when dropping off his laundry and the students always look well-adjusted and happy with decent social skills versus some of the other schools that have a majority of book smart students who can barely speak. The academics are inconsistent, depends on the professor but most professors are caring. In general, not easy academics. The campus is absolutely beautiful, clean, and a nice size. The weather is perfect. The school’s reputation is good, it’s possible to attend Ivy League grad schools after graduating from SCU. The student population is diverse. The dining hall food is okay but not great. There are plenty of restaurants around. There is a grocery store (Safeway) and Taco Bell across from campus as well as other eateries nearby. My son orders Doordash often with a DashPass ($5 student fee/month) for deliveries with no fee. There is a huge mall nearby (Westfield) and outdoor mall (across the street from Westfield) where students hangout (Santana Row).
SCU doesn’t allow freshman to have parking permits (but there is street parking) and students must stay in the dorms for two years, they want students to get to know each other. It’s not a commuter campus.
Great feedback thanks, we will be in SC next week for a Niners game and want to do an unofficial visit (we have already done the tour). Where would you recommend for a quick lunch? Hoping to get a feel of the kids in an informal environment near campus. She asked to sit in on a class, but it’s the first week of school so not an option.
Thanks!