<p>With only about 2 weeks left to decide I am having a hard time choosing between the two. All my friends say SB but I feel that Davis may be a better fit for me but have been turned off by some reviews on students review.
I could probably be fine at either school but I want to find the right one.
I just need some unbiased opinions because all my friends just care about the party school which I dont really care for because I do not party.</p>
<p>Some details on me to help you help me…
-Major is undeclared
-I dont drink
-Like sports and the outdoors
-Not really crazy on academics…Im lazy
-I guess thats all could come up with…</p>
<p>It seems like Davis would be the better school for me but I have read some reviews saying how its very hard to get classes, bad teachers, crime rates very high, administrators dont care about you, the community outside the school treating students bad taking advantage of them, etc… and of course its a cow town. It kinda made me second guess myself so if any Davis people can comment on this that would be “hella”(my friend told me they say that in NoCAL) great.</p>
<p>Basically the only bad (or good depending on the person) for SB is the party scene, lack of diversity, crime,IV, lack of true friendships, and boozeSEXdrugs!!!. I figured if I went there I could just stay away from the parties, join some outdoor clubs, and beat everyone on the tests because they would be hungover.</p>
<p>This is my first post so I dont know if what I wrote made any sense but hope you guys could help me out in choosing. Hella thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Where are you getting info about schools like that? lol, i think with the exception of Merced and maybe Irvine, Davis is probably the safest UC you could go to? I really hope you're visiting the schools, because i feel you're getting very biased reviews of each. Davis is not the bureaucratic wasteland you describe and not everyone in SB drinks their brains out everyday.</p>
<p>I personally go to Davis (from Socal originally) and i love it here, so my vote goes there. But you should check out the schools in person, because it really does sound like Davis is your type of school.</p>
<p>When you step into Davis, you actually have to wonder where these stories come from. Davis is by far the safest place I've ever been (but living in San Francisco, that probably doesn't mean much =). I can roam around the streets at 3 AM alone and feel safe. I'm never worried that if I flash my electronics outside someone will try to rob me.. it just doesn't happen here.</p>
<p>Bad teachers? All universities have their share of bad teachers, better known as professors with tenure. Same can be said about the administration not caring about you at all other schools. The only way they know is you is through your student ID number. </p>
<p>Sports are a win/win at either school. UCSB is pretty good in sports, but they lack football =P</p>
<p>P.S. It's NorCal and we do love our "hella" =P. But it's used in moderation. I personally don't really care for the word, but will occasionally use it.</p>
<p>91% of UC Davis alumni would recommend UCD to another student. That is a very high satisfaction rate. ;)</p>
<p>As to sports UC Davis has 26 NCAA D1 teams. That is the most of any UC. Additionally UCD has one of the largest intramural sports programs in the country. It is a sports oriented campus. If you don't want to play NCAA, but are more serious than intramural UCD has tiered club programs too. </p>
<p>UCD has Outdoor Adventures, one of the largest university outdoor programs in the United States. They run trips and classes in a variety of disciplines year round. Part of Campus Recreation, student fees help support the program, although it still costs money to go on trips. Trips are open to everyone in the general public with discounts to students and "university affiliates". </p>
<p>It is no harder to get classes at UCD than at any other UC. My d has had no problems getting her classes and she is in a popular major in the largest class in UCD history. You will find the advisors are very helpful. All UC's are not going to hold your hand in the same way as a private though. UC Davis has amazing professors. Have you gone to the web site to look at your major? Every major lists the professors and gives their background. </p>
<p>Crime, where do you get your information? Davis is an extraordinarily safe campus. The biggest crime on the campus is bike theft. If you are worried about personal safety:</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. Based on what you guys are saying it could have just been Davis haters writing those reviews because 91% alumni recommendations seems crazy good. By the way about the crime thing YouTube</a> - CBS13.com: UC Davis Tops List Of Dangerous Schools but by what you guys are saying its totally wrong.
I know its seemed like hating on both schools but I just didnt feel like all the pros of them. SB,on the beach,close to home,lots of hotties. DAV,school spirit, far from home, nice collegetown.etc
I should visit both schools but I dont know if I will have the time..so the decision id still a coinflip for me.
I asked some other friends today and once again it was another unanimous SB but here I get a unanimous Davis so yeah.I dunno. At least one my friends told me to not go where everyone tells me to and to go where I want Then he chose SB..</p>
<p>Well thanks for all the help so far, I wont mind more persuading to go either school because theres only about 15 days left to choose.</p>
<p>GO DAVIS! Seriously, it's all about the Aggie Pride. I don't think you can beat this place. Sure, it's not by the beach, but it's such a college town. Students are everywhere; basically any store/food place/any place that sells things or provides services is practically staffed and run by students. There's a ton of school spirit, the majority of the professors that I've had have been great, and most people are very chill. Plus, Davis has tons of internship/research opportunities for undergrads. The university is the heart of the town, and that makes us just that much cooler :)</p>
<p>My friend showed me that video. From what I remember from the comments on the news article about it, it is because of how much easier it is to report crimes and that it is counting the UCD Medical Center, located in Sacramento. From what I hear, it is a pretty bad part of town. It really sucks how misleading the media can be.</p>
<p>I don't think very many people can argue that UCD has a lot of supporters on CC.. we really do have Aggie Pride =)</p>
<p>I had check twice to make sure I didnt post this in the Davis forum. All of my friends say SB and all of CC says Davis. Looks like wherever I choose Im going to be disappointing a lot of people. Only if one of the schools would have rejected me my life would have been much easier.</p>
<p>Academically, I don't think you can really distinguish between the two. So I think for you, it comes down to environment (beach or collegetown). As SB alumni myself, I see the benefit of sunshine and the beach weather (but that got old after like the 1st year haha).</p>
<p>Lol I'm going to be a freshman at UCD in the fall. :] I was accepted to UCSB too, and maybe the partying is a bit exaggerated, but the Davis community overall seems less wild and more friendly. My friend went up to visit and she said the people there are wonderful. I think the UCD campus is more attractive than the UCSB campus (I've heard horror stories about Isla Vista). And yeah, school spirit is fun--Aggie pride! :]</p>
<p>I looked further into the youtube story and it is sensationalism. This is from the UCD web site and deals directly with this issue.</p>
<p>Why are UC Davis statistics for reported sexual assaults relatively high?
The Campus Violence Prevention Program at UC Davis is nationally recognized as a model program. The higher number of sexual assaults reported at UC Davis is attributed to effective outreach programs and services that make it as comfortable as possible for survivors to come forward. Research shows that without efforts such as those implemented at UC Davis, victims are less likely to report incidents and seek services. In other words, unlike other college campuses UC Davis makes it easy for the victim to report a crime. cvpp:</a> about</p>
<p>There is a web site called the dark side of UCSB that reports campus issues with a similar sense of sensationalism. The</a> Dark Side Of UCSB</p>
<p>Be wary of all of this kind of stuff. I agree with jmilton90 though. The two schools are essentially equal while being quite different. Hopefully you will be able to visit.</p>
<p>"Davis is MUCH better, not only in academics/rankings, but also in terms of friendliness and the college life!!"</p>
<p>Right... the difference of 2 spots on US News ranking surely dictates that Davis is "MUCH" better. If this were true, then the same logic can be made to support the statement that Princeton (rank 1) is "MUCH" better than Yale (rank 3). Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. The academics of Davis and SB are comparable.</p>
<p>As for friendliness and college life, Davis and SB have different atmospheres. Having attended parties at both SB and Davis, I'd have to say SB has better parties. The students at SB are more relaxed about academics than the students at Davis. If this isn't the college life that you're looking for, then attend Davis.</p>
<p>Visit both schools and make your decision. No one on CC can give you an real tangible reasons to choose one over the other, because it is ultimately a person decision.</p>
<p>
[quote]
"Davis is MUCH better, not only in academics/rankings, but also in terms of friendliness and the college life!!"</p>
<p>Right... the difference of 2 spots on US News ranking surely dictates that Davis is "MUCH" better. If this were true, then the same logic can be made to support the statement that Princeton (rank 1) is "MUCH" better than Yale (rank 3). Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. The academics of Davis and SB are comparable.</p>
<p>As for friendliness and college life, Davis and SB have different atmospheres. Having attended parties at both SB and Davis, I'd have to say SB has better parties. The students at SB are more relaxed about academics than the students at Davis. If this isn't the college life that you're looking for, then attend Davis.</p>
<p>Visit both schools and make your decision. No one on CC can give you an real tangible reasons to choose one over the other, because it is ultimately a person decision.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I didn't say they weren't comparable, I said Davis is much better, which it is.</p>
<p>@Glue: =P I guess I am a little crazy. Are you getting me back for the Dead Poets Society thing or something lol? Can't trust a glue eater anyway. o;</p>
<p>Interesting ranking there. You <em>assert</em> that Davis is MUCH better than SB academically, yet, you offer a ranking that doesn't emphasize academics. I mean, come on, look at the ranking itself-- Penn State University is ranked 4 while Harvard is ranked 27. It is quite futile to defend this ranking as a reputable source when comparing academics. And by the way, if you're going by this ranking, Davis would be the #7 public university, not #8.</p>
<p>I am by no means trying to bash on Davis, but seriously, what the hell is it with this fanboy worship of the university? It's a mid-tier UC that is on par with UCSB and UCI, but why is it that in every thread, people spew forth Davis propaganda like no other and puts down other UC's? I don't see any convincing reason to dub Davis as a "MUCH" better school in academics/rankings (in comparison to UCSB) when nothing reputable shows this.</p>