UCSB honors program vs. UCSD

<p>Hi,
I am interested in English/Literature.</p>

<p>I was accepted both at UCSB in the honors program at College of Letters and Sciences, and UCSD (and UCSC, but have already ruled it out).</p>

<p>Considering UCSD is primarily known for Science/math, would UCSB honors be a better choice? Anybody know about their Literature program first hand?</p>

<p>I liked the overall academic feeling better at UCSD, but am confused what I should do…</p>

<p>any opinions?</p>

<p>I would say UCSB honors program, ucsd's english department is pretty weak.</p>

<p>did you try getting into the college of creative studies at ucsb?</p>

<p>ucsb honors program would be much better, and ucsb overall is a good school with a great atmosphere</p>

<p>Hi,
yes, I did try getting into CCS. I did not make it. But I really don't think it is the right program for me. I really want to do some exploring in some other areas as well as English/Literature, but at CCS you are pretty committed to the speciality from Day 1. </p>

<p>I am worried about the non-acadeimc reputation of UCSB, but my gut is telling me that UCSD would not be good for English. The honors program at UCSB is making me consider it more seriously. I could also take classes at CCS, without actually being enrolled in it. I am not a partier...would UCSB be awful for me then? Would I have anyone who I could hang out with that did not drink?</p>

<p>It shouldn't be difficult to make friends who dont drink/party. Wherever you go, you'll find a crowd that suites you. But be careful. People also change vastly there, a lot of people from my town went up to ucsb for college and came back tweakers or alcoholics.</p>

<p>ucsb is getting very selective, the 4th most selective uc behind berkeley, ucla, and ucsd. i'm sure this will weed out most of the blah people.</p>

<p>did you personally visit both campuses?</p>

<p>the honors program at ucsb seems very good. i talked to some honors kids. i unfortunately did not make it but they said after the first quarter and if i get at least a 3.5 overall on 12 units, i can enter the honors program, so hopefully i will do that. you get tosign up for classes early yay, and lower division discussions are with the actual professor, not a ta. and you can do an "honors contract" which i think is pretty cool, give you more one on one with the professor, and help you with recs for grad school. the honors kids i met were very ambitious and focused</p>

<p>Yes, I did visit both campuses.</p>

<p>There were things that I liked and disliked about both. Both had beautiful settings. The thing that really bothered me about UCSB was the bike "freeways" everywhere :)....you could get killed if you don't watch out..lol. But the honors program and being able to take classes at CCS (although I'm not enrolled) really appeals to me. But...a lecture hall for 800+ people...ouch!!</p>

<p>I was accepted to Muir at UCSD. The dorms really do not look that great, which I was dissappointed in. But the community feel was definitely there. I went into the residence office at Muir, and the people there were just amazingly nice and welcomed me....really impressed me. I am worried about the english program, though. </p>

<p>I wish they both had a catalogue to look through. Are you all set on UCSB, awakendream? If so, congrats!! I am sure you should really enjoy it. Santa Barbara is a great town!</p>

<p>obviously on admit day they are ognna try to impress you but both schools are good. I think UCSD is more liberal, but u got into the Honors program at ucsb which means taht you will be able to have smaller classes</p>

<p>ucsb is alot better for english and literature , and if your in honors even better</p>

<p>hanna you are bias thats b/c u are going to ucsb</p>

<p>I'm in a somewhat similiar situation. The thing that worries me is, when employers look at your resume, how likely are they to know that a certain major at one college is better than the same major at a different college? This might sound like oversimplification, but wouldn't most employers look at UCSD as a more selective college, and thus assume the applicant worked harder to get there than say someone from a less selective college?</p>