<p>It's funny you ask this question because in my Media ad Society class, this girl told our professor that, "All my friends that go to Santa Cruz have changed now. They all smoke and they're kind of weird."</p>
<p>She was annoying as hell.</p>
<p>But anyways, I know 3 people who go/went there. They all liked it, but one didn't like being as far away from his family and didn't like his classes as much. I guess you can only take around 3 classes a quarter or something weird. He told me he felt like he was going to be there forever. He transferred from Santa Cruz to Moorpark College and then got into UCLA's linguistic department.</p>
<p>The other 2 absolutely love Santa Cruz. They're definitely free spirits and enjoy that type of atmosphere. They both are into the whole kissing of each banana slug thing and love the novelty of the school.</p>
<p>I personally would not apply just because it doesn't seem to be as academic as other UC's and I just think I would get frustrated without having too many outside activities. I've also heard it's hard to find a job up there. I feel the same way about the academics of Riverside and it's location is disgusting. Santa Cruz, I'm told, is a really pretty campus though.</p>
<p>Personally, I want to go to Berkeley, but it's not going to happen for me, so I think I will be attending UCSB because I believe in the rigor of their courses and the balance of the social life, even though it is coined a "party school." I feel that if you tell someone, "I went to UCSC" they automatically think 1) Hippie 2)I didn't even know that existed. If you say, "I went to UCSB," people think 1) Party School 2) Pretty selective admissions (not as much so as LA or UCB) but selective enough. UCSC and UCR are a shoe in for high school grads and aren't looked upon with much prestige.</p>
<p>I may be narrow minded and I may be completely wrong. Sell the school to me; I really want to know the appeal to some people. My best friend wants to go to UCSC and I don't get it.</p>
<p>My sister went to UCSC. She started at Utah State University, then attended SJSU when her husband took a job at HP, and finally transferred to UCSC. She liked USU, hated SJSU, and loved UCSC. She is definitely not a hippie, either, but does have liberal tendencies. I think it really depends on which major you are doing - she was a biology major - and also what you put into your own education, which I think is true of any school. I would have applied there, but they don't offer a geography major. Oh, and whenever we mention UC Santa Cruz to people outside of California, they do not automatically think "hippie" or "where?"</p>
<p>Google for
UCSC students review</p>
<p>and, in the first result, you'll find lots of opinions about the place</p>
<p>I have asked people about Santa Cruz and most people that are not students don't even know about it or if they do they think that the school is for liberals and dirty hippies.</p>
<p>This is just my experience though. I can see how other people may know/think differently.</p>
<p>^^Great post, killer22.</p>
<p>From what I've heard, the academics there aren't as traditional as say, UCLA. And the only real thing that makes me not want to go there is lack of prestige, which I'm starting to think might be dumb reasoning anyway. Before this entire transferring process I honestly hadn't heard of UCSC.
The "experience" aspect of the school seems ideal to me, but the academic rigor -- from what I've heard -- isn't as challenging...</p>
<p>Sure it would be hard to get a job up there, but it's especially hard for my major (English), regardless of which UC I go to.</p>
<p>Lord Darwin, </p>
<p>In addition to the difficulty of finding a job that is major specific (after graduating), I meant in my post that it is hard to find a job as a student!</p>
<p>I don't know about most of you, but I need to work while I'm in school, so an area with an open job field is particularly important.</p>
<p>Killer22, there is some truth to the marijuana aspect to UCSC. From my own experiences visiting my friends there (21-23 of my graduating high school class attend), all but 3-4 smoke on a daily basis, and I would say a quarter of them have moved on to further chemical experimentation. And, I have heard a lot of them express how much they want to leave, some even loathing the social atmosphere.</p>
<p>Also, for further proof of the aforementioned, google "April 20th Porter Meadow."</p>
<p>killer22 - Ok, thanks for the clarification. Besides internships and such, I'm not sure if I'll have a job or not while I'm at UC.</p>
<p>hippies, damn hippies</p>
<p>So, now that we know how you all feel about UCSC..what do you guys think about UCD?</p>
<p>I just got into UCSC. Does anyone know anything about their psychology department?</p>
<p>I'm a psych major also. I don't know much but it's supposed to be nationally acclaimed.</p>
<p>Fellow UCSC admits: Are you guys going to that Spring orientation thingy-mabob?</p>
<p>I'll be there April 5th cuz I'll be visiting my friends there the day before. Though in all honesty, it's just for tours and whatnot. nothing important will be at the spring orientation thing... the summer orientation IS the important one for registration purposes.</p>
<p>Right, it's a tour - that's what I meant.</p>
<p>Did you already accept their offer of admittance?</p>
<p>No I'm waiting on my other acceptances just for the sake of my curiosity but I'm almost certain I'll be attending santa cruz. I applied elsewhere to Davis and Santa Barbara.</p>
<p>Nice. For myself it's either SC or Cal, although I applied to LA, Davis, and got accepted to Irvine.</p>
<p>I won't be able to attend the Spring tour because I'm still stationed in Germany at the moment. When is the summer orientation?</p>
<p>I have a question. Under the "Conditions of Admission" tab it says: </p>
<p>"Once you have reviewed your conditions, you must click the "I Agree" button on the bottom of the page to continue accepting your offer of admission."</p>
<p>It then goes on to tell me to keep getting good grades, ect, ect. At the bottom of the page there is no "I agree" button. Anyone else have that issue?</p>
<p>I have a friend who's trying VERY hard to get me to go to UCI (she goes there). What makes you want to go to SC over I?</p>
<p>The "I agree" button is actually under the "Now that you're admitted, what's next?" link.</p>
<p>And the summer orientation is also located under that link and looks like this: 4. Attend Summer Orientation.</p>
<p>As for why I'd probably pick SC over Irvine... Basically, I've lived in Orange County my whole life and I really can't stand it anymore. I'm also more of an outdoors person (ie hiking, backpacking, biking) and SC definitely beats out Irvine in that respect.</p>
<p>I say 'probably' because there are still factors that might convince me to attend Irvine (I could live at home, don't have to pay for a dorm, could keep my car, etc.)...</p>
<p>I'll also be attending the "spring spotligtht" on saturday the 5th. Anyone else going?</p>