I am hearing back from the UCs and I’ve gotten into Davis & San Diego so far. I also got into Santa Cruz, but I don’t really have much interest in going there but for some reason picked a different major for Santa Cruz and a part of me prefers it…What do you guys know about Political Science at Davis and San Diego? Neuroscience at Santa Cruz?
It’s not that hard to switch your major at a UC, so if your interest is neuroscience you’ll be able to pursue it at whatever UC you choose. I’d pick Davis if I were you; they have a very popular major in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and lots of internship opportunities through the med school, MIND institute, and other life science departments.
If you end up Poli Sci, it’s stronger at Davis because of the state capitol and the law and public health graduate programs. All the UCs can participate in the UCDC/UC Sacramento internship programs (although I personally don’t think much of these programs, because they do very little to help you find housing and an internship).
You should definitely consider visiting all three schools to get a better feel for the campuses. Since you’re considering polisci and neuroscience, I’d try to go for the school that’s strongest in both, which is UCSD. The Physiology and Neuroscience major offered by the Division of Biological Sciences is one of the strongest programs in the country (UCSD’s grad program is #6 in the world for neuroscience -US News), and has close ties to the cognitive science department, medical school and medical centers. You’ll also find more research opportunities on- and off-campus at UCSD than either of the other schools. (PS: have you considered majoring in cognitive science?)
UCSD’s political science department is also well regarded: polisci and economics are considered the strongest non-STEM fields on campus. I’ve heard that both fields have a much more theoretical/research-based focus than an applicable one, though. With that in mind, there will likely be way more politics-related internship opportunities around UC Davis than in San Diego.
Disclaimer: I’m a UCSD student