<p>I am a Chinese student for 2012 fall with great passion in physics. UCB are well known in China, but CCS Program is so attractive. Can any current student give me an instruction on this? Any of your peers go to schools with similar or even better program than CCS for physics? Thanks.</p>
<p>i’m not in CCS, but i am a physics major who has a passion for physis also 
UCSB physics is #6 overall in the U.S. for grad programs. Undergrads physic majors are being taught with passionate professors. As for the CCS program, I believe UCLA does have one, but it doesn’t rank as high</p>
<p>And what about the undergraduate teaching conditions of CCS compared to UCB? Thanks!</p>
<p>even if UCSB is better people wont know that because of how strong Berkeleys name is</p>
<p>Respect to all of you physics majors out there. And I’m sure you’re asking the same at berkeley’s forum so I’ll put in my two cents.</p>
<p>I don’t really know much about the CCS program, but I do know that you’ll be definitely be getting alot more research opportunities at CCS than I would say at berkeley’s. If you want to do graduate school, CCS is a pretty smart choice because it’s pretty common that CCS majors (in the sciences at least) graduate with a publication, in fact maybe even more than two publications. Graduate schools don’t really care about the name at all, and this comes from an actual graduate school admissions officer. If you do alot of research, and have publications, you’re most likely in the top 5% of applicants. Now if you are planning to find a job after college, it isn’t all too different, especially since you will be getting a lot of experience working with professors. </p>
<p>Both schools are definitely very good though. I wouldn’t necessarily choose a school because of the “name” especially since UCSB’s physics program is very well known among the physics community, I mean we have 2 recent nobel prize winners from our physics department. I would say it comes down to really location, the types of opportunities both campuses offer and what your plans are after you graduate. From my friends who are in CCS and also currently being in a CCS program myself (research in china), I would say that CCS is a very smart option if you want to do a lot of research.</p>
<p>I am wondering whether to apply for the ED in Cornell, since it’s a school of good fame in physics, but I feel that CCS may fit me better. And once I got admitted by ED, I won’t have chance to reach the other. Can you give me some advice? Thanks!</p>
<p>@blastie</p>
<p>Just about everything you said was wrong. There is no CCS program anywhere else in the UC system other than the one found at UCSB. Also UCSB physics is ranked #10 for graduate level physics.</p>
<p>I am a current UCSB CCS Physics major and I can say with confidence this program is not for everybody. CCS expects that you have a strong understanding of what you want to do. You don’t go into CCS Physics to see if you will like physics as a major, because being honest, it will make you dislike physics. You join the program because you have a passion for the science, and you want your education to put a strong emphasis on that subject.</p>
<p>CCS Physics has a unique learning style with small classes, private education, and a very in-depth and accelerated learning process. You will be learning things in your first 2 years that would normally be taught in upper-division classes. By the summer of your second year, you start research, and many students their junior or senior year take graduate level courses. </p>
<p>In my opinion, you cannot make a bad decision between UCB and CCS at UCSB, but you will not be getting the same education. You have to choose what is right for you.</p>
<p>according to this email from a professor last year, it ranked 5th or 6th…
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<p>10th was a long time ago, and for the UCLA one, i wasn’t very sure. But yea, i think that UCSB currently ranking 5th or 6th, not 10th.</p>
<p>Notice that it was from Omer Blaes…the chairman. If you think it was wrong, tell him</p>
<p>There are different ranking systems. That said, UCSB ranks very high for it’s Physics program no matter which ranking list you look at The College of Creative Studies at UCSB is one of a kind in the UC System. Any student admitted to CCS is automatically considered an Honors Student. In other words, it is awesome program/college, but it is not a fit for everyone.</p>
<p>I am not a local student and difficult to measure it is a fit or not. I has great passion for physics and will take it as my career. I think my academic record in physics can math is in the top range. What other requirements for a CCS student is necessary? Will you drop Cornell for CCS if it was your choice? Thanks.</p>
<p>Rankings are pretty complex and can vary highly depending on what you are looking for. If you are not looking for anything in particular, I’m not sure you are going to get a measure of ranking by anything other than the name of the school. I’m not sure how this link will come through. But if it works, you can choose different types of physics and get drastically different results:</p>
<p>[NRC</a> Rankings Overview: Astrophysics and Astronomy - Faculty - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“NRC Rankings Overview: Astrophysics and Astronomy”>NRC Rankings Overview: Astrophysics and Astronomy)</p>
<p>I’m also not sure how valid rankings are for undergraduate. The link above relates to PhD programs. How well does that translate to undergraduate programs?</p>
<p>The utmost I care is academic performance, and the professors should be easy to approach.
Second, most of the students in the department should have passion for physics.
third, main part of the students in the campus should be in a happy mood.
others are not so important.</p>
<p>UCSB has a really unique, open atmosphere to it. It’s physics program is one of the best in the country and it’s home to 3 or 4 nobel laureates in Physics. So the physics professors here are top notch. Between UCSB and Cornell, that’s a little tougher. Cornell has it’s reputation over UCSB and a really great physics program too. What SB has though is a lot more opportunity. You’ll have a better chance of getting to know your professors and getting research oppourtunities especially if you’re in CCS. CCS is a really amazing one of a kind program that will give you advantages you probably won’t get at schools like UCB and Cornell. UCSB definitely does not have the same wolrdwide reputation as those schools though so it depends on which is more important to you.</p>
<p>Plus, when you’re studying your ass off, you get to go sit on the beach. Just saying.</p>
<p>UCSB is better than UCB in undergrad physics by far</p>
<p>CCS is probably the only program in the country that offers an open LAC style curriculum for math and science…</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. I really can’t make the decision now, just apply them all and consider again after the results come out.</p>