UC Davis or UCSB?

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

Hello guys,

I’ve admitted from both UCD and UCSB as of today.
I major Political Science. I know that UCSB has higher rank than UCD but I want to know which school is better for me to study. Please advise your thoughts!

Thanks!

2

I feel like there are a lot of political science transfers this year on the forums, so hopefully you hear back from some of them :slight_smile:

I’m a math major and don’t know much about poli sci but I would recommend not caring that much about the ranking of the school. They rank the school based on the graduate programs and based on the school as a whole, instead you should look at the actual poli sci dept’s of each school and see which you prefer.

  1. Check the degree requirements. If you look at the catalog and see the classes they offer maybe you'll find you like one program more than the other.
  2. Consider extra-curricular activities available at both universities. Davis is right next to Sacramento and the Capitol. Are you interested in maybe internships in the area? Does UCSB have exciting/interesting opportunities related to your major that you'd like to take part in?
  3. Consider the difference in the universities as well. UC Davis is a much larger school (34,500 vs 23,000 students) which is something to take into consideration, as well as where you think you'd fit in better (the cities are very different). Being happy with the school you're in might significantly affect how well you do academically.
  4. Is there any difference in how much financial aid they've both offered you? If you like both schools very well and they seem comparable to you, maybe this might make one appeal more to you than the other. Davis also is generally a cheaper place to live, but Santa Barbara is a beautiful city.

I would recommend visiting both schools if possible and talking to other political science majors. Remember you have a whole month to decide :slight_smile: