UCSB or UC Davis??

College Search & Selection
1

As SIR deadlines are nearing (may 1st), I am still not sure about where I exactly want to go. I have narrowed my choices down to UCSB and UCDavis. I will list all the reasons I would and wouldn’t want to go to that particular school.

Major:Biochemistry (Davis), Pre-Chemistry (UCSB)
I am thinking about becoming a pharmacist and would love to go to UOP after I graduate

UCDavis:
Why I want to go to Davis:
-30 Minutes away from home
-Good Biochem Program
-Know more people that go there
-Heard Davis is more reputable and UOP prefers students from Davis over UCSB.
-Heard that teachers are very helpful
Why I don’t want to go to Davis
-Financial aid estimate is 23k in grants, a decent amount but UCSB offers alot more (I’m instate)
-I still have a part of me that wants to get away
-I am not a biking person, I prefer a campus where everything is close
-I am getting a little tired of Norcal and in my opinion there’s not much to do in Davis

UCSB
Why I want to go to UCSB
-A good escape from home, I love socal
-Heard it has a good chemistry program
-$120,000 Promise Scholarship over the course of 4 years if attending (One of the main reasons I am even considering UCSB)
-Very close to LA or so I think
-The area is very nice and everything is very convenient
Why I do not want to go to UCSB
-Was told that UC Davis has a better reputation and graduation rate, etc
-Not familiar with the whole area (visiting on the weekend)
-I want to be able to go back home for family emergencies (I am 6 hours from home)
-May be a small problem but I would like biochem over chem

NOTE: If it wasn’t for the 120k scholarship I would choose Davis. However it has really swayed my decision and the only thing about UCSB that is really bothering me is the fact that I got into chemistry and not biochemistry.

2

'Heard Davis is more reputable and UOP prefers students from Davis over UCSB" I doubt this is the case, but you could always call UOP admissions and ask if they rank applicant colleges. My bet is Davis is in N. Calif as is UOP so they get more applicants from the broader region than they do from SoCal; UCSB kids likely want to stay in their region and look for Pharm schools down that part of the state.

“Know more people that go there” Davis has about 27,000 undergrads. I hope you don’t cling to the friends you have, a small handful comparatively, but go out and meet new people regardless of what college you attend. Millions of kids head out to colleges each year where they know nobody, and they do just fine. So will you.

“Very close to LA or so I think” Not really. Its about 100 miles away and unless you have a car you’ll not go there. Even then few people will spend 4 hours driving to do so. People like UCSB (and other residential campuses) because their friends are there and its a fun community. If you want the big-lights atmosphere you should have applied to some UCs and CSU campuses located in urban areas.

“Was told that UC Davis has a better reputation and graduation rate” The standard measure is 6-year graduation rate which gives people time for change of major, absence due to illness, etc. Davis has a 6-year rate for frosh of 87%, UCSB is 90%. As for reputation, your HS pals are not a reliable source of info about the reputation among grad schools or employers

IMHO the 2 schools are indistinguishable in terms of the education they provide, their reputation, etc. The real differences come down to the more intangible factors such as location and environment. I would find the financial difference compelling, but this is a decision you need to make. There is no wrong choice here.