UC Campuses?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm definitely going to apply to University of California, but I'm not sure which campuses I should apply to. I don't have a specific major in mind. I think the ones that appeal to me most are San Diego or Santa Barbara, but I'm also considering Davis and Santa Cruz. If anyone who knows about these campuses could let me know which sounds like a better fit for me I would appreciate it:</p>

<p>-My SAT is 1800 combined/1230 composite, GPA is 3.36 but I will be receiving the IB Diploma. I realize these scores are pretty low...
-I am vegan, and I would prefer to live in a city that is somewhat vegan-friendly
-I would like to be within a half an hour drive to an urban area. I don't want the campus to feel isolated.</p>

<p>In general I think I would prefer a more "liberal" school, but diversity is also appreciated :P</p>

<p>Thank you :)</p>

2

<p>I can speak for Davis as a current student, but I’ll let others comment on specifics for the other campuses because I don’t know as much about them.</p>

<p>Scores-On the lower side for UCD based on last year’s averages, as you’ve said. You still have a decent shot, particularly if you do really well on your personal statements.</p>

<p>Vegan-Davis is very vegan-friendly. For instance, the dining commons mark everything that’s vegan and let you customize your food to accommodate your preferences. I’m guessing the other campuses have something similar to this?</p>

<p>Close to an urban area-Sacramento is less than half an hour away. Davis itself is a smaller town, as you’ve probably heard.</p>

<p>Davis leans to the left, though as is the case at most places political views are all over the spectrum.</p>

<p>Oh, and if you visit Davis, be prepared to see a lot of bikes. Seriously, I don’t think I’d seen that many in the same place until my tour. On that note, it’s not necessary to bring a car (and freshmen aren’t allowed to anyway); taking the buses and/or riding your bike will get you everywhere you need to go within town.</p>

<p>Hope at least some of this helped! :)</p>

3

<p>For UCSC, the campus dining hall menus are here, with vegan items marked:
[This</a> Week’s Menus](<a href=“http://nutrition.sa.ucsc.edu/]This”>http://nutrition.sa.ucsc.edu/)</p>

<p>Some local restaurants are listed here:
[Vegan/Vegetarian</a> Restaurants, Healthy, Organic, Santa Cruz, California, CA](<a href=“http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/california/santa_cruz/]Vegan/Vegetarian”>http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/california/santa_cruz/)</p>

4

<p>I would aim for ucr, uci, ucm, uscs cause those are the ones you might be able to get into anyway.</p>

5

<p>ucsc is very liberal and with vegan menu items. San Jose is maybe 45 minutes away. But the campus itself feels very woodsy. If you don’t like a rural/isolated feel, you need to visit because it’s about as far opposite of an urban campus as you can get. </p>

<p>Your scores are very low for San Diego. Santa Barbara is also a reach but you might get lucky. </p>

<p>You have the best shot at Santa Cruz, Irvine, Merced, and Riverside. Possibly Davis, possibly SB.</p>

6

<p>UCSC seems to be the best choice for you.</p>

7

<p>Thanks so much, your replies were all very helpful :)</p>

8

<p>I agree with osakadad that UCSC sounds best fit with liberal and vegan. However (and I can’t emphasize this enough) you really REALLY should visit. People either tend to love it or hate it. There are trees. Many many trees. The campus is literally built in a forest. You will encounter wildlife on the way to classes. When you said you don’t want the campus to feel isolated, this raises a huge red flag. This is a great campus for students who like to feel lost in nature. Not an urban feel AT ALL.</p>

9

<p>I’ve been to all the UC campuses. UCI doesn’t strike me as the right place for you in terms of look/feel/student body. Your scores are too low for UCSD, and UCD and UCSB are reaches. You might fall in love with UCSC though, and your scores should get you in. Go check it out in person.</p>