I’ve already submitted by SIR for UCSB. So it would be a bit of a hassle to change my mind at this point, and it would cost some money, but the more I research the schools the more I doubt. My parents are okay with me changing my mind, it almost feels like they’re encouraging it, as they feel UCSD would be better for biology.
Here’s where I’m at:
I know UCSD has a great biology program, but I’m as a pretty introverted person, I worry I won’t be able to thrive there and find people I connect with due to the school being less active socially. The campus also seems pretty large and spread out, and I worry about it being difficult to get from place to place.
I’m being offered a decent scholarship at UC Davis, and while I’m aware UC Davis has a strong biology program, overall, it seems to be a less selective school and is ranked lower as a whole. Additionally, UC Davis would be much farther from home compared to the other two. But to be honest I haven’t done too much research on UC Davis and am just starting to consider it due to the scholarship.
I really love the campus and location of UCSB. It felt like the right choice when I committed to it, but I’m not sure about anything right now. It’s “party school” reputation kind of worries me though, as I’m an introvert who doesn’t really party, like at all. But I’m hoping that a more socially active campus will help me break out of my shell and connect with others better. At the same time however, I’m unsure of whether or not UCSB’s biology program would present me with good opportunities that would prepare me for a career.
Sorry if this was a long-winded post and that was kind of all over the place. I’m stressed and I’d really appreciate any input.
You need to feel like you fit at any school you attend but you will also find like minded students at any school you attend, so although UCSB has the “party” reputation, they have high achieving students that do not participate so you can find your tribe.
UCD is a great school and their Biology program is tops. Overall it might less selective than the other 2 UC campuses but you will have high achieving students at all the campuses and depending upon what your goal is as a Biology student, all will be competitive.
UCSD also has an excellent STEM/Biology program and again, you can find like minded students at this campus so you should not disregard this school with the perception that it is known to be “socially dead” which is not true.
I personally would not second guess your choice. Go with your gut and your initial instincts that UCSB is the right school for you.
When you say you are an introvert, do you mean you are unlikely to go to office hours, be involved in a study group or take initiative to seek out extracurricular activities?
UCSB is a great academic school. 90% of the students are undergraduates. It has a beachy college town of Isla Vista next door. It is a biking campus. It is more remote in that there isn’t a major airport to get you home (depending on where home is).
UCSD is a larger, more spread out campus but I wouldn’t be concerned about getting from place to place as students do it everyday. It tends to be a more competitive environment, especially for STEM/pre-med majors. It is located in La Jolla so has less of a college town than UCSB or UCD.
UCD is also a biking campus. It is farther away from home but it is only 20 min to Sacramento airport. You mention a scholarship. Did you get Regents ($30K)? Regents/Honors at UCD might give you the smaller cohort that you are looking for. Read post #14 here: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-davis/2178916-uc-davis-dorms.html#latest Socially, UCD doesn’t have the beachy, party reputation of UCSB. It is more earthy and organic but there are plenty of students who drink and party. It also has four seasons so it is cold and rains during the winter, a beautiful spring and then a hot summer. It is not located near a beach like UCSB or UCSD.
Are you thinking about professional school (medicine, dental, etc?). If so, the ranking of the school won’t matter as much as the grades that you receive. Find the right social, academic and financial fit where you will be most successful.
Thanks for the info! When I say I’m an introvert, I mean I get really shy and anxious around people I don’t know well, and tend not to initiate conversations, but I do plan to attend office hours and participate in extracurriculars. My problem isn’t that I don’t go to social events, it’s that once I’m there, I tend not to interact too much if I don’t know the people there well. I’m planning on going into the medical field in case you were wondering.
I would go ahead and rule out UCSD. Trust your gut that you’d be happier at Santa Barbara. There is no “should” about attending UCSD as somehow a “better” biology program. There’s no meaningful difference in what you’ll learn in your classes as a bio undergrad at either school. Also, UCSD has a notoriously low med school acceptance rate. (Google “3 Reasons Many UC Pre-meds Regret Their College Choice” on the Savvy Premed blog - CC isn’t letting me post the link, although I’ve seen the same article posted multiple times in the past.)
The above article also points to why it may be worth switching to Davis if your scholarship means that you’ll be in the Honors program and have more faculty mentoring opportunities. Not mention that med school is expensive, so why not save money now? Also, Davis has a medical center where you can gain shadowing experiences and etc. - Santa Barbara doesn’t.
From how you describe yourself, you might also like Davis better socially - it’s a friendly, bike-centric campus just as SB is, but it’s a little less focused on party/beach/Greek type social life. To be sure you could find your people at either school, but I’d guess that the introvert/extrovert balance swings a little more your way at Davis. People think of it as an arid cow-field or something (I had that impression before we visited) but there’s a lush and gorgeous arboretum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkY_yB1TMoo and a truly charming town, not to mention easy access to Sacramento which has a lot more to offer as a city than you might imagine. What Davis doesn’t have is the beach, so that’s a definite lifestyle difference to weigh.
They’re both great schools and if you’d only gotten into one, you’d be in fine shape either way. But I don’t see a particular reason to pay more for SB when if anything Davis sounds possibly like a better fit, and you’ve got a scholarship and whatever perks come with that. Biology is one of Davis’ greatest strengths, and the variety of major tracks within the College of Biological Sciences lets you specialize more than many other undergrad programs, if you want to. Anyway, at least take a closer look and consider it.
It has been years since I was pre-health at UCSB. I do not know how their pre-health opportunities have evolved. I remember taking a 1/2 unit class where I shadowed at Cottage Hospital once a week so, although there isn’t a med school on site, they do have relationships with hospitals and health care settings in Goleta and Santa Barbara. Their pre-health website is here: https://healthsciences.duels.ucsb.edu/prospective You might scroll down on this page and read through some of their newsletters to see what opportunities are offered at UCSB. https://healthsciences.duels.ucsb.edu/about
Note, UCSB does not offer Human Anatomy & Physiology. Their pre-health website states, “You will need to take these courses at SBCC as UCSB does not offer them with labs.”
You will be able to do whatever you want in your future after an education at ANY of these schools. I really do not think (being a Berkeley alum and with brothers who graduated from UCSB and UCD) that any one is markedly better than any other. Go with the culture you think you will fit into best. I think UCSD, which has a rep of being ‘socially dead’ may not be your best choice.