UC Santa Barbara vs. UC Davis

College Search & Selection
1

Hello everyone,
So I got waitlisted for UC San Diego, my 1st choice. I’ve decided to regard it as a near rejection, making me chose between UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara the other two UCs I applied and got admitted to. I’m going into the Ecology major (Or Pre-Biology for now) and am looking over both programs. So I guess I’ll compare the two as I see it:

UC Santa Barbara

Pros:
The area is breathtakingly beautiful with awesome weather (I’ve been there a few times)
Environmental Science/Ecology program is very good
The ocean is RIGHT THERE. I also happen to like to surf…
SB is an amazing town with a lot of charm.

There is a better social vibe around the school
The National Center for Ecological Anaylsis and Synthesis is located in SB-Research opportunities
SB has it’s own zoo-Research opportunities
SB is by the ocean and near the Santa Ynez Mountains-Different environments to study/Research oppurtunity

Cons:
Reputation could harm my chances of getting into a good grad/Ph.D program and later job (Very crucial for me)
I’m not a party person. At all.
Did I mention bad rep. and too many parties?

UC Davis

Pros:
Feels more prestigious?
One of the best Ecology programs in the US
Quieter campus with less parties
People are more personable (From what I hear and have experienced)
Closer to the Sierras (I love the Sierras for fishing and hiking)
Marginally cheaper
Larger Campus=More room
The school has a botanical preserve-Research opportunities
Has a pretty solid music program (I want to minor in music)

Cons:
I don’t like the area (I didn’t like Davis when I visited)
Davis is pretty isolated. I feel this would limit what opportunities I would have.
I come from a small town. Davis is a small farm town. I would like to go somewhere a little different.
Davis is kinda secluded and doesn’t have much going on besides a lot of farming
I feel research opportunities and internships will be harder to come by
The Central Valley is not my kind of weather (Hot summers with no water nearby)
It’s in Northern California but has no snow…
Has a football team
No beach…

So this is a basic rundown of my conflicting ideas. I’m leaning a little more towards UCSB because of opportunity for research and internships, but I feel UCD’s slightly better reputation and program might be better in the long run. UCSB reputation might also lead people and future employers etc. to not take me as a serious researcher which also hurts UCSB’s standing to me. In terms of locations, Santa Barbara destroys Davis in nearly every way so…

Which one would be better for me? I’d really appreciate any help with or without experience. Thanks so much!

2

Both schools are about the same academically (UCSB #40 vs UCD #38 in National Universities on USNWR), so I would pick UCSB since you seem to like it more and it would probably afford you more research opportunities. Prestige doesn’t really matter here. UCSB vs. Harvard? Sure. But Davis and SB are comparable, and it’s hard to say that your career will be affected by attending one school vs. the other.

Regarding the social scene, I know plenty of people at UCSB and most don’t party very frequently. If you want to avoid parties, just stay away from Isla Vista. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of pressure placed on non-partiers, and there’s always something going on on-campus so it’s perfectly possible to have a fulfilling and vibrant social life without the party scene.

3

You will have no less chance getting into grad school from UCSB vs. UC Davis. UCSB is very well respected in STEM fields. I think you are overemphasizing the party scene…

4

ACCEPTED
Major: Anthropology
AA-T expected June 2015 from Foothill college.100% of classes online.
GPA: 3.62
TAP: NO
EC’s: a few in hIgh school
IGETC: Complete
Prereqs: Complete
Personal Statement: 9/10
Applied: UCLA, UCB, UCSB, UCD, SDSU, Cal Poly SLO, SJSU, SDSU, Chapman, USD
Accepted: UCLA, UCSB, UCD, SDSU, Cal Poly SLO, SJSU, SDSU
Waiting: UCB,Chapman, USD

Congrats to all accepted!! (less)

5

@Eldar333 I live in Davis and it’s not isolated. Davis is 20 minutes from downtown Sacramento and the Capitol. There are many internship opportunites at State of California agencies. UCD’s top Ecology program will get you many more connections in your field. Snow is less than 2 hrs away at Lake Tahoe. It only gets hot here in July and August. The rest of the year is beautiful. SF is 1.5 hrs hrs away.Santa Barbara is more isolated in terms of internships, 1.5 hrs from L.A. Only upside I see of Santa Barbara is the beach and surfing. Davis has a cool town adjacent to the campus and Santa Barbara does not. You have to drive to Santa Barbara. Davis is more down-to-earth if you’re into the environment. Santa Barbara has a more So Cal image feel to it. JMHO. Just my humble opinion.