I am a transfer student accepted to both UCLA and UCSB for Geology major. I have visited both schools and visited their department websites. I am still not able to make a decision and I have until Jun 1 to make a final decision. Any pointers will be greatly appreciated.
Very different campuses. Which fits you better ? Have you been ?
Congrats.
Loved both campuses. UCSB definitely has better location and vibe. UCLA has the prestige. Trying to figure out which one will prepare me better for higher studies and career opportunities.
If you might like to attend UCSB, then this site would support that choice:
You have two days to decide so there’s not really a lot of investigation you can do regarding opportunities for research. It isn’t clear what you have in mind for “career opportunities”; do you mean a job right out of undergrad? At higher-ranked colleges such as Cal or UCLA some employers view having a degree from those schools as a proxy for potential, so if you’re looking to do something completely outside of your major then UCLA would be stronger.
One other thing I’ll mention is that by and large colleges don’t “prepare you”. It’s on your shoulders, especially at a large public, to make your own luck. Nobody at a UC is going to call you up to ask you to work in their lab, to take a look at the job postings for internships or fulltime work, to stop by office hours to chat about an area they thought you had a bit of trouble mastering or so they can get to know you better so they can write strong recs for grad school.
It’s geology and you want to study further. Ucla or Utah wouldn’t matter. Grad schools will see these two UCs equally. Pick the right one for you.
Sounds like Santa Barbara.
Two outstanding options !
From the life is too short camp: UC-Santa Barbara
From the worldwide prestige camp: UCLA
It sounds like you prefer the campus culture and location of UCSB, so I would go there. UCLA is more prestigious overall, but it looks like UCSB is a little higher ranked for your major. Plus if you want to go to grad school it’s not going to matter at all which one you go to. Both are great schools and you really can’t go wrong, but in your case I would choose UCSB!
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