How does the UC Santa Cruz campus compare to the other UCs? I’ve visited UCLA and Davis and they have good recreation centers, nice dorms and good dining halls. UCLA is amazing in terms of dining. Both campuses are well laid out and pleasant and have various study areas, coffee houses, late night dining etc. They seem pleasant. UCLA also has concerts and events on weekends.
I am considering attending UC Santa Cruz. How does UC Santa Cruz compare in terms of amenities? I have not visited the campus yet, but my overall impression is that it seems to offer less amenities and more bare bones.
What’s the feeling like there? How pleasant is it? Is there a rock climbing wall? What’s the food situation
I’d appreciate any insight into campus life and the campuse in general.
I have visited UCLA and just visited UCSC today. I’ve toured the majority of the UC’s and they all have similar layouts, housing and dining in my opinion. The food is supposed to be really good. Many of the ingredients come from the campus’ organic farm. The only difference that I noticed with UCSC is that they don’t have as many commercial food options. UCLA has Jamba Juice, Panda Express, Taco Bell, etc. Santa Cruz does not, but I was blown away by downtown Santa Cruz which is literally a campus shuttle ride down the hill and offers all the dining and shopping you’ll need. There are 10 different college housing complexes at UCSC. Think Hogwarts houses. All have their own coffee shop and share dining halls with neighboring complexes. And there are plenty of housing options. There is even an entire housing unit dedicated only to apartments. Amenities/recreation was better than expected. Of course it’s on a smaller scale since its a NCAA division 3 school, but there are plenty of trails, fields and gym complexes. Pool is pretty nice as well. The recreation area has an amazing view of the ocean. The school also organizes kayaking, surfing, etc. if you’re into that stuff. Definitely not bare bones, but has a more outdoorsy feel and of course, is smaller in size than UCLA.
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Both campuses are well laid out and pleasant and have various study areas, coffee houses, late night dining etc.
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If you liked the organized, suburban look of UCD and UCLA, you should REALLY visit UCSC before you consider accepting. It does not look like these campuses at all. While UCD and UCLA value sleek designs, UCSC values preserving the nature-y look of the campus.
UCSC students who like the campus love its scenic and outdoorsy look. You walk along bridges, up hills, and through redwood trees to get to class while passing by deer and other woodland creatures. You have easy access to the beach and hiking trails, and the STEM buildings are similar to those at UCD and UCLA. The actual city and downtown are very suburban and very much like Davis.
But the rest of the campus has a much more rustic feel, is unorganized (because it’s planned around the woods), and transportation around campus is limited to walking/hiking and the shuttles. There are late night dining and study areas, but they are (mostly) school owned and fewer in number than what you’d see at LA or Davis. This doesn’t matter as much if, like most students, you move off campus after a year or two.
I toured the campus and observed what you noted above. It’s definitely scenic, outdoorsy and rustic. I did not notice any large, main central area, other than the bookstore area, Quarry Plaza. I tried the College 9/10 dining hall and it was just mediocre, but maybe that’s what dining hall food is like.
The views are spectacular and it does not take long to get downtown. I’m definitely glad I did the visit and was pleasantly surprised and came away with a much better impression than I had anticipated.