UCd or UCSC? (this is killing me)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Davis
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<p>Yeah I know there are a bunch of these topics on this forum, but I am considering these schools and they are neck and neck with me. Furthermore, I have only a vague idea of what my major will be. </p>

<p>My major is either going to be a biological science or physics. I was mostly leaning towards physics as my major, but evolutionary & ecological biology also interests me, as zoology was my idea of a major for a long time. However, I took AP Physics this year and had quite a bit of fun, in addition to beasting it. I heard that UCsc has a boss astrophysics department with lots of funding and an observatory, while UCD is stuck with telescopes. On the other hand, UCD has well-funded bio laboratories, as well as a reknown bio departpment. I guess the question is, if i cant decide b/w these majors which school is better?</p>

<p>Onto the atmospheres of each school, I’ve visited both and liked both. However, UCsc has an edge over ucd for me here. Ucsc’s redwood forests are absolutulely nice, and while UCd with its abundence of trees is a vast improvement over my existential SoCal suburb, it still does not compare to ucsc. In addition, I prefer UCsc’s hilliness over ucd’s flatness. More importantly, UCsc feels more spaced out, relaxed, and less hectic. Ucd seems to have people all over the place, and for a shy person this can cause me some anxiety.</p>

<p>As for the people, UCSC interests me because of Crown college which seems like a place id fit in great, while ucd seems to just have nice/quite ppl overall. I guess either college could work if I put in the effort to find new friends, but I’ve usually have had problems with that. So between my dorm floor, classes, clubs, and hiking would I have enough opportunities to make friends? I’m not a very social person.</p>

<p>And finally, just a quick question about the outdoor activities. Ucd seems like it has a lot to do, but to me a problem seems to be that for all of the hiking, you have to drive to go everywhere since ucd is located in the country, while for ucsc there are great trails right in the backyard. Are the hiking spots for ucd like really close or is driving there not a problem? </p>

<p>As for some other info, I have a 2060 SAT and a 4.1 GPA so I guess that kinda makes me above average for a ucd student but far above average for ucsc.</p>

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<p>Well ecology and biology are top notch in Davis. It’s actually really well known for ecology, vet program, and environmental sciences. Davis didn’t seem that hectic when I visited it was just right between social and calm unlike Berkeley. There are a lot of things to do in Davis along with 23 division 1 sports which SC doesn’t have. Being flat makes Davis very easy to bike around and skate around unlike SC and SD. I found there’s a lot of things to do regardless of Davis being in the “country” and the food at Davis is superb. </p>

<p>Santa Cruz’s drug scene is pretty bad… the guide told me I should of visited on 4/20. I guess SC is actually more isolated than Davis because I’ve been told you can go to the woods and you won’t run into anyone until you reach the end making it a perfect place to get lost and explore without outside disturbance. SC’s not really close to anything except SF and you can go up time to time. I don’t think you should be worried about being shy in Davis or SC. you’ll fit right it. And maybe Davis will give you that college experience of becoming less shy with it’s school spirit Aggie Pack.</p>

<p>I think the education in Davis is better than SC and has more resources too. Being that it’s one of the oldest UC’s (opened with berkeley as berkeley’s agriculture department) Davis is known well around the world for it’s education and really coming out of Davis with a degree in biological sciences/ ecological biology will be really nice. You should succeed in both schools. </p>

<p>But really besides the academics, it’s nice that you’re taking consideration of the atmosphere and just go to the one you see yourself spending 4 years of your life in & making close friends, etc etc.</p>