<p>I was set on going to UC Davis and majoring in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, but was rejected. I was accepted into UC Irvine (Ecology/Evolution major) and UC Santa Cruz (Ecology/Evolution major), and am unsure of what to do...</p>
<p>I am thinking of transferring to UCD as a junior later on, but heard it was difficult to do so from a UC, but easy to do so from a California Community College.</p>
<p>I was also accepted into CSU Humboldt (Wildlife major), but this is really just a last resort.</p>
<p>Should I go to UCI or UCSC? Try to transfer?</p>
<p>Any advice/opinion is greatly appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>Bump. Any advice/opinion?</p>
<p>I know a graduate student who actually transferred from Berkeley to Santa Cruz, because he liked the atmosphere better. He gave me this huge, impassioned speech about the benefits of UCSC compared to Berkeley, which is what inspired me to apply to Santa Cruz in the first place. (I know that was totally irrelevant, but stay with me here.) From what he told me, Santa Cruz has a fairly strong science program and it seems like they don’t give grades there (only pass/fail) for all the classes EXCEPT the science ones. Of course, keep in mind that this grad student may or may not be in his 30’s already, so the Santa Cruz he went to might be different from the one now… But I’m hoping that helps in some way! (:</p>
<p>& I got into Santa Cruz too!</p>
<p>^ they do NOT do that anymore (grading system) all classes now give letter grades, or at least have the option to.</p>
<p>UCSC sounds like the better fit to me. I guess you could also consider appealing your rejection to UCD, it might very well work…</p>
<p>Very different campuses. Have you visited either or both? For what you are looking at UCSC is a better fit. UC Irvine will be more of a commuter school. Transferring from a UC to a UC is very difficult and appealing UCD is not likely to work. I would not go the Humboldt route.<br>
Your options would be to go to a CC for two years and transfer into UCD or go to UCSC. In my mind either would be a good choice.</p>
<p>^ Agree with ebeeee. However, Humboldt has great programs in your fields of interest…it’s also cheaper than UCSC.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the advice - it is much appreciated.</p>
<p>I became quite set on UCI because of its better reputation - however, I will now seriously consider UCSC from your suggestions.</p>
<p>I considered appealing UCD’s rejection but decided against it for several reasons (lack of time being the primary one - within one week after decisions).</p>
<p>I have not yet visited UCI or UCSC but will do so, probably when I am on spring vacation. I suppose that will determine which I choose in the end… Either way I believe I will at least try to transfer to UCD, but who knows what will happen by then.</p>
<p>Congrats yeefongyy on getting into UCSC. :)</p>
<p>"I would not go the Humboldt route. " No? Why not? Just because it is a CSU or because it is Humboldt? One can get a very good education at Humboldt. I know my son did (geography) and he has been continually surprised at the lack of practical experience others he has worked with from UCD and Berkeley have. CSUs can provide wonderful labs that are uncrowded compared to ones at the UCs (I know- I graduated from UCD) plus, since CSUs are undergraduate focused, students are given a wealth of opportunities, should they seek them out.<br>
From Humboldt’s wildlife website:
Undergraduate Program “Our undergraduate program is nationally recognized, as evidenced by the outstanding record of our “conclave team”, which has won 21 out of the 33 years it has competed in a regional competition with schools from other western universities. The Wildlife faculty is comprised of ornithologists and mammalogists with expertise in population ecology, animal behavior, wildlife-habitat relationships, disease, environmental ethics, animal energetics and community ecology.”</p>
<p>Plus Humboldt is absolutely gorgeous… I’m a CC transfer and although I also applied to Berkeley if I am accepted I doubt I will choose Berkeley over Humboldt…</p>
<p>UCSC and UCI could not be anymore different. That said, I think given your intellectual pursuits and its locale UCSC sounds like a great fit.</p>