UC Davis VS. UC Santa Barbara VS. UC Irvine...HELP!!!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>HELP!!...
I am really confused about which one of the three i should go to. I was admitted to all three for Chemical Engineering. Eventually, i want to do medicine...
Any help regarding these schools will be really appreciated. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I’m stuck with the same situation.</p>

<p>I tried to get a thread running here:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/679646-ucd-ucsb-uci-hardest-get-into-year.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/679646-ucd-ucsb-uci-hardest-get-into-year.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>It’s quite vacant, though. =/</p>

3

<p>Well, what else matters to you? Do you surf? Do you ride horses? Do you care about football? What ECs do you plan on continuing in college?</p>

4

<p>Make a comparative list for all three schools. Look at the CE websites and course requirements, etc. That is a place to start. Then if you still haven’t decided by major, or if you like all of them, make a list of the school itself, social life, and the surrounding area. List all your +'s and -'s. I’m a list maker:)</p>

5

<p>Previous thread on the topic:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/599272-ucsb-uci-ucd.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/599272-ucsb-uci-ucd.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>UCD if you like the the slower paced feel. UCSB is you like the more beachy party thing and UCI if you are looking for a more southern California vibe. Seriously they are great campuses full of smart kids and good opportunities. I’d base this one on the town.</p>

7

<p>I don’t know where to find undergrad rankings. For grad, the NRC rankings show UCSB #14 and UCD #28. UCI is not listed in the top 50.</p>

<p>[NRC</a> Rankings in Each of 41 Areas](<a href=“http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/nrc41.html#area21]NRC”>http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/nrc41.html#area21)</p>

8

<p>you should visit each school and try to get a sense of what it would be like to be a student at each. You have a few weeks before the SIR is due so you have time to do it. If you know any kids from your HS at each then see if you can visit for an overnite stay; bring a sleeping bag and stay in their dorm room. Talk to the kids at meals in the dorms and find out what they like/dislike about the school in terms of things that are important to you.</p>

<p>The 1st thing you should do, though, is make a list of what’s important to you in selecting a college. Until you have a set of criteria you’re just going on gut feel (like a recent President, and we see how well that worked out). What you’re facing is pretty common for CA students; they just intend to enroll at a UC and so apply to several of them without giving much thought up front to selection. Kids applying to privates have to narrow down where to apply out of the thousands of choices so give this some time (although many just apply to brand-name schools with a safety thrown in).</p>

9

<p>UC Davis is definitely strongest in science out of the three schools. You should visit the websites of all three and look at their programs. </p>

<p>But, definitely suggest UC Davis if you’re getting into science.</p>

10

<p>UCSB for Chemical Engineering.</p>

11

<p>ricemuncher – not true at all. Each of the UCs has its own strenths in different areas of science. Berkeley is strongest in most, but not all. UCSD is strongest in some… at the second level, UCD, UCLA and UCSB are stronger in different areas. I’m not aware of any area where UCI is strongest or second strongest, but that will develop over time.</p>

<p>It is best to be very specific when discussing program strenghts.</p>

12

<p>“UCI if you are looking for a more southern California vibe”</p>

<p>Irvine is a bubble and an insulated bubble at that. It is only one tiny portion of Orange county and not nearly the best one at that. </p>

<p>I would choose between Davis and UCSB</p>

13

<p>UCSB is the best school out of the three, hands down. Excellent engineering department and it is much more than a party school. Employers will give higher marks to a UCSB grad than either of the other two. Plus, you won’t die from boredom on the campus so will have more of a college experience than being stuck in Orange County (UCI) or cowtown Davis.</p>

14

<p>They’re all the same academic wise in my opinion. Just visit the campuses and see which one you like the most.</p>