I am a senior accepted into both UCSB and Tulane and trying to decide between the two. UCSB is in a phenomenal location, the weather is great, there seems to be a lot going on, and the people are very friendly. My major concerns are that coming from Connecticut, I might feel a bit out of place- as 88% of the students are in-state. I also worry that it may become overwhelming since the class sizes can get so large. Is it difficult to stay on track/ get extra help? I like that Tulane offers on-campus housing for all four years, whereas only freshman live on campus at UCSB. Can anyone speak on life in Isla Vista? I am not a partier and am wondering whether this would be a problem socially. How crazy does it get? Is the school academically rigorous or is partying more of a priority for students? Lastly, Tulane seemed to be well integrated with the New Orleans community and offers many service opportunities. What is the relationship of UCSB with Santa Barbara? Are there opportunities to do volunteer and service work? Is it difficult to get around without a car?
Any advice on both Tulane and UCSB would be very appreciated!! Sorry for all of the questions haha
I’m on a mission to raise $1,000,000 for the UC system. I just need 20 OOS kids to attend. Sure, you’re getting an impersonal large public at a price that would put you at most privates in the country with advantages like smaller classes and an actual advisor assigned to you, but hey, its in CA! And on a beach! So come on out!!
Don’t listen to him @ctgirl16, I think people from CA don’t want OOS students to attend. UCSB is a fabulous school and it isn’t crazy big (around 20,000). The weather is great and the West Coast is paradise, and yes,it has its own beach -you are not stupid to want that. I think that CA residents are getting nervous that their dirt cheap, world class universities are accepting more OOS students because their legislature won’t adequately fund the schools. It’s more difficult for OOS and international students to get in, so they are usually better qualified and do better than the CA kids. The same holds true for other state schools that limit OOS students. Look at the college rankings and you will find the UCs, even with OOS tuition, are a better value than same priced privates that no one has heard of. Tulane is a great school too, but ranking wise not as good as UCSB for the same money. Plus, it rains a lot in NO, it gets cold, lots of crime, shady politics, hurricanes, and racial discrimination is still rampant. Both towns have a large homeless population so there are plenty of outreach opportunities to help in those areas. You can always find a way to help people no matter where you are. How far away are you willing to go? What are the logistics to travel home? Both schools have nearby airports with shuttles. A bicycle is all you need at both places and you can rent a car if you want to travel farther (CA beats Louisiana hands down in places to travel). What is your intended major? Where do you want to end up? UCSB is not the party school it was 10 years ago - it is probably less of a party school than Tulane. Very few students have a car at UCSB or at Tulane. NO has a trolly system and and everyone bikes at UCSB. Tulane will have more people from the south, who can be intolerant towards LBGTQ, racial minorities, non-Christians, and Yankees (that’s you, sweetie) - I’ve lived there so I speak from experience. CA people seem to be much more open and accepting of others. Either way, it’s a good problem to have. Both are great schools and you will get a good education at both. Also, UCSB has a quarter system while Tulane has a semester system (I believe). That could make a difference according to your learning style. Visit both if you can and that should seal the deal.
UCSB has free tutoring called CLAS for a lot of the basic undergrad classes such as math, chem, and physics, so that can help you stay on track. Housing is not just for the first year - they have a 2+2 program where if you live on campus the first 2 years you’re guaranteed university housing (likely apartments) for the next two years. Students can ride the local buses for free, so you can get to downtown Santa Barbara easily. There’s also an Amtrak station a couple of miles from campus. To stay in the Honors program students have to do some volunteer work, so there are opportunities for that.
If you look at the UCs website you will find that the minimum requirements for OOS students are higher than the minimum requirements for CA residents. Granted those minimum standards are very low (3.0 in state, 3.4 OOS), and maybe some highly qualified OOS students are admitted over other highly qualified in state students for the money and geographical diversity. So what? Happens at other schools all the time. OOS kids shouldn’t feel badly because the CA government won’t properly fund their universities. The OP question was which school would be a better fit. I know both schools quite well and have friends at both. Whether someone doesn’t like OOS students attending the UCs sounds more like a personal grousing than helpful information.
Previously you wrote " It’s more difficult for OOS and international students to get in". Meeting the minimum requirements is not the same as getting in, as the UCLA 17% admit rate demonstrates.
As for your claim OOS and international “do better”, any evidence you can point to on that?