So I was doing my UC applications, and I got asked to rank the UC San Diego colleges. I tried reading the descriptions of each online, but I quickly became confused. Furthermore, when I looked at similar past discussions on here, I noticed that they were all outdated as none of them talked about “Seventh College,” which I’m assuming is new… What I mean to say is, instead of six colleges, there are now seven.
So how would you recommend ranking the colleges? If possible, I’d like a brief description of each. I do want this information so I can form my own personal ranking, but I’d also like to hear your rankings.
Thank you in advance!
“Earl Warren College”
“Eleanor Roosevelt College”
“John Muir College”
“Revelle College”
“Seventh College”
“Sixth College”
“Thurgood Marshall College”
Seventh College is new this year so no information other what you find on the website.
I would start by looking at the GE requirements for each college. If you have AP/IB or DE credit, see which colleges GE’s can be fulfilled with these credits.
https://admissions.ucsd.edu/why/colleges/
Some information from other discussions on the college rankings. This post is fairly comprehensive but a few years old.
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It is the general consensus among students that ERC and Revelle have the hardest GEs due to the amount of classes you have to take. Warren allows exemptions for engineering majors making it have the least GEs for engineering however offers less flexibility. Muir is known as the best college for ease of GEs/flexibility in the classes you want to take and as a result about 60% of students list Muir as their 1st choice.
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Revelle College
The oldest college, but it doesn’t feel like that anymore. Most dorms renovated in the past five years. Argo and Blake rooms are reasonably sized. Fleet buildings have very small rooms, big suites. Brand new dining hall is beautiful and popular with students not from Revelle: it has decent food that you quickly bore of. Lots of sunny courtyard space for socializing and studying, close to a lot of classrooms. Apartments are spacious high-rises, spaces run out fast. Many study spaces outside dorms. Among the hardest and most structured general education requirements—HUM is hell. 70% science (and engineering) majors, diverse student body. Plenty of traditions and some spirit. Some minor Stuart Collection pieces. La Jolla Shores is walkable.
Residence Halls: Argo, Blake, Fleet Atlantis, Beagle, Challenger, Discovery, Meteor, Galathea
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John Muir College
The second oldest college. Some of the best views you can get in any dorm are on Tioga penthouse. Suite areas conducive to socialization but not hosting kickbacks. Rooms larger than Revelle’s. Very popular dining hall with average/decent food. Cold facades—buildings have a very threatening feel. Close to most classrooms (considered closest to heart of campus), with plenty of space for socializing. Close to old athletic facilities and old student center. Apartments are fine, nothing unusual. Nice study spaces outside dorms. Easiest general education requirements—MCWP is hard, but brief. Lots of in-state students. Plenty of traditions and most spirited. Two Stuart Collection pieces. Black’s Beach is easily walkable.
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Thurgood Marshall College
Third College, but it feels older than that. Spacious suite areas with large triples, but minuscule mini-doubles. Few pretty buildings, lots of lecture halls. Main dining hall is reasonably terrible [remodel coming soon], but burrito shack is campus’s favorite late-night eatery. Not many spaces conducive to socializing, but views from the main study lounge are nice. Apartments are closest to campus center, but dorms are nestled far from everything. Pretty courtyards. General education requirements aren’t too bad, but Marshall students complain a lot about DOC. Lots of in-state students. Some traditions, not a lot of spirit. Some Stuart Collection pieces. Black’s Beach is walkable.
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Warren College
Fourth College, lots of engineers. Spacious suite areas with probably the largest rooms on campus. Nice enough buildings, but dorms are nestled far from the rest of campus. No beach views, but overlooks a cool canyon. Below average dining hall, closest to Price Center and Canyonview Gym. Some nice study spaces, close to several classrooms but very far from some others. [Ridge Walk colleges (ERC, TMC, JMC, Revelle) don’t really pay much attention to Sixth and Warren.] Pretty small rooms in the apartments, shabbier than most. General education requirements are reasonable—fantastic college for engineers. Diverse student body. Few traditions, plenty of spirit. Two major Stuart Collection pieces. No beach.
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Eleanor Roosevelt College
Fifth College, looks and is the newest. Gleaming buildings and spacious suites and rooms. Nice enough views and best party scene. Average dining hall—thankfully they stopped serving waffles for each meal. Closest to RIMAC, RIMAC Annex, RIMAC Field, and The Village transfer housing, as well as the Village’s great dining hall (The Bistro at the Strand). No classrooms; far from most major lecture halls on campus. More or less enough study spaces. Best looking student body. Apartments are similar to dorms in quality. International theme, hardest general education requirements, even more so than Revelle as of November. MMW is hated. Few traditions, pretty decent spirit. No major Stuart Collection pieces. Gliderport is walkable.
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Sixth College
Youngest college, looks straight out of the 1860s. Dorms have a log cabin summer camp feel (nicknamed Camp Snoopy). No views. Spacious suite areas for socializing, average to small rooms. Dining hall has no indoor seating and is far from dorms and rest of campus, nestled in the apartments. Apartments are very pleasant. Not many study spaces, but plenty of open space for socializing. Not near most classes. Reasonably easy general education requirements—CAT isn’t that bad. Few traditions, surprisingly quite spirited. No major Stuart Collection pieces. No beach
For a more tongue and cheek list:
[quote]
UCSD college personalities:
Revelle:
- tryhards and nerds
- GEs way too hard
- lotta international students
- smarter than Muir
Muir:
- hippie environmentalists
- too much spirit
- looks like a prison
- dumber than Revelle
Marshall:
- social justice warriors
- diversity or something
- they don’t have to take DEI
Warren:
- engineers
- smells like engineers
- food tastes like it was cooked by engineers
- cool bear tho
ERC:
- hot and spirited people
- fit bc they walk a mile to get anywhere
- GEs way way too hard
- parties
Sixth:
- there are no people here
- sixth is completely inhabited by raccoons