<p>These schools are both great academically, and they are great choices for my prospective major. However I'm unsure which school would provide the best college experience.</p>
<p>So what are your thoughts? UCSB or Penn St? Why would you choose one school over the other?</p>
<p>Penn State by far...it is the much better university.</p>
<p>UCSB is a party school (so is PSU but it is good academically as well)</p>
<p>You have a better shot with UCSB.</p>
<p>You're a Californian, after all.</p>
<p>Penn State does not give admission preference to PA residents, so out-of-state students are at least on equal footing with PA residents; perhaps even better off because students from far out of state bring geographic diversity.</p>
<p>Penn State and UCSB are different in a lot of ways: one is on the beach in Southern California, one is in the mountains of central PA. If you like to surf, go to UCSB; if you like college football, go to Penn State. Penn State is great place, and the campus and the town of State College go really well together, and everything in State College is geared toward college students. On the other hand, Santa Barbara is geared toward rich, retired people. I personally would (and did) choose Penn State because of the beautiful campus, awesome college town, strength in my major, affordablility, big time sports, and a massive number of people my age. At Penn State, there's always something going on. There's a beautiful student union, better than student union in California. The air is clean and there's no traffic. I went to Stanford and UCSC for grad school, and honestly Penn State is a lot more fun than they are.</p>
<p>See I want to live in Santa Barbara at the beach, but I love college football and the big time school spirit that Penn State offers.</p>
<p>I'd pick UCSB over Penn State any day. First off, UCSB has the #1 men's soccer team in the nation, haha. But also because it's in California, which is cool..... and yeah, UCSB is just cooler.</p>
<p>
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See I want to live in Santa Barbara at the beach, but I love college football and the big time school spirit that Penn State offers.
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Yeah, that's the way the world works. Can't have it all :( What I suggest is make a list of things you'd like/dislike at both schools to help get a sense of which is better fit for you.</p>
<p>If you like football there is nothing that compares to a home Penn State game. Just think you could be sitting in the stands as Anthony Morelli tears appart an over rated Irish team come next September, or watch as Dan Connor lays a smack down on a OSU reciever comming across the middle. Just think about how excited the crowd all decked out in pure white will be. Think how loud the student section 21,000 strong will cheer We Are...... Just think about that and tell me you would rather be in California. Also you may want to check out THON. <a href="http://www">www</a>. t h o n .org It is a weekend that may be more exciting than any football game.</p>
<p>Like I said, it all depends on what you like. Imagine waking up on a Saturday morning and there is a dampness to the air and a sense of ocean you can feel on your skin and face ; if you've ever spent a weekend at the beach you know what I'm talking about. The air is scented with the smell of eucalyptus from the trees around campus, maybe a little smell of tar or oil in the air, too, from the natural seepage in the ocean (indians sealed their huts with tar from the beaches for centuries). It's mid-January, but it's still going to be 67 degrees today! And it may even hit 70 this week (<a href="http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/USCA1017_f.html)%5B/url%5D">http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/USCA1017_f.html)</a>. </p>
<p>There's a light cloud layer which filters the light a bit, which some people are grateful for because they're maybe a touch hung-over; but it will burn off by 11 and so will the hangover. You throw on some shorts and a t-shirt (even thought it's January; no freezing weather here!) and after breakfast ride your bike to go see some friends nearby; you're playing a game of softball this afternoon. The air has that refreshing ocean smell as the sun warms you up, and did I mention the girls in shorts and cute t-shirts all around? As you ride by the park in isla vista some garage band is playing a free concert; they're not so great, but you stop to soak up some sun and enjoy the scenery. Tomorrow you'll go do some reading down at the beach and maybe toss the frisbee with some friends, but today it's the softball game. At nite you walk down Del Playa, a street right over the ocean, and just listen for the music because every weekend some apartment complex has passed the hat and hired a band to play in their driveway. No alcohol in public, cops are strict on that, but you know people up and down the block so you have open invitations to stop in and join them for a drink. </p>
<p>The weekend is just idyllic, and then on Monday you wake up and you're still living at the beach! It's all right there, right where you live. You ride your bike along the bike-paths right thru school and go to class, maybe some time in the library. Did I mention the girls in shorts yet? Well, plenty of great scenery at ucsb and not all of it is the cliffs and ocean. On campus you meet up with some friends, maybe visit the UCen for lunch, and everyone is just so relaxed and friendly. Before dinner you lace up your shoes and go for a jog around Isla Vista, right along the bluffs over the ocean. You see people pedaling by on beach cruisers with wetsuits folded down to their waist, surfboards resting on the handlebars or in the holder bolted on their bike. Maybe you'll give it a shot yourself someday. The light sparkles off the water, a dolphin leaps out of the water just offshore, and you know there's no place you'd rather be. </p>
<p>Or you could choose a school that has 5 home football games a year. It's all about what you want ;)</p>
<p>BTW they say a picture is worth a 1000 words. Check out the 3 live cameras at <a href="http://www.bookstore.ucsb.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.bookstore.ucsb.edu/</a></p>
<p>Yah I have taken a tour at UCSB, and it was amazing. I love the school so much. </p>
<p>I just don't know what's more important.</p>
<p>I'd go to UCSB, especially if you are a guy. The social life is incredible there.</p>
<p>Great post mike, and cool cams.</p>
<p>I'm a longshot to get into UCSB, but if I got in, I would definately go.</p>
<p>Yah, I'm a guy. So as of right now, I like UCSB better. I love soccer too, but I don't the experience will be the same as a PSU football game.</p>
<p>But overall, I prefer to live in a more lively city. I don't want to be trapped in some rural city like State College. And I don't think I could handle Pennsylvania weather.</p>
<p>So...so far my list is UMiami, UCSB, SDSU, ASU, and LMU</p>
<p>Here's a question:</p>
<p>UCSB oos or UTexas instate</p>
<p>Definately UTexas in state.</p>
<p>"So...so far my list is UMiami, UCSB, SDSU, ASU, and LMU"
ASU but not University of Arizona? If you haven't already, you should apply to UofA.</p>
<p>UCSB sounds like a better fit for you than Penn State. College football is great, but you'll have an amazing social life anyways at UCSB. Plus the weather is much better.</p>
<p>UCSB no question about it. UCSB's campus is gorgeous, the weather is unbeatable in sunny So.Cal (so are the girls), the social life is good, if ur into partying than look no further, if you're not then it makes no difference, the academics are excellent and nothing to complain about, with 8 noble laureates teaching here. there's just no real good reason to pick Penn state over UCSB in my mind. and i couldnt give a rats about football. but thats just me.</p>
<p>Im not quite sure how you can say that the social life at UCSB is better than at PSU. Penn State is currently the number 2 party school.</p>
<p>
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Here's a question:</p>
<p>UCSB oos or UTexas instate
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UT in-state for sure. UCs are ridiculously expensive out-of-state, as in over $40K/year. For that price you can afford any place in the country, and if you're thinking of spending that much dough go some place where you get smaller classes, personal attention, and so on.</p>
<p>As I'm sure my earlier post shows, I love ucsb. At in-state prices any UC school is a steal. At OOS prices, though, I wouldn't pay it ....</p>
<p>Penn State! The academic programs are fantastic, the facilities are beautiful, there is a remarkable amount of school spirit, and the alumni relations are unbelievable!</p>