<p>This is starting to become a very hard decision. I got in both UCI and UCSB and am trying to decide which one to attend. In a school, i’m looking for balance. I want to have a social life, and attend an academically strong university. I’m majoring in Biology and as far as I can see, UCI is a better school for the Biology major. However, I feel as if I will not like it because of the following:</p>
<li><p>Social factor- Iv’e heard from many friends that UCI’s social life isn’t all that great. There isn’t much to do in Irvine. </p></li>
<li><p>Commuter Reputation- Many students at UCI do not live on campus, which most likely contributes to the lack of a social life.</p></li>
<li><p>Asians- I’m not trying to be racist, many of my friends are Asians, but 50%+ is a little weird for me. I want to attend a diverse campus, however, I would be moronic to say that UCSB more of a diverse because we all know it is not. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>As for UCSB, I hear that you can have much more fun there, along with attending a good school. However, I do not want to graduate knowing that I attended a “party school.” I don’t want employers to look at me and assume that i’m a hard core hooligan. I do not drink, I do not do drugs, but I do want the social aspect offered at UCSB. So, to the con’s for UCSB.</p>
<li><p>Party School- All you do is party? I really hope this is an exageration, if not, I would probably prefer this school over UCI.</p></li>
<li><p>Biology program- How is it compared to UCI?</p></li>
<li><p>It’s mostly whites, but i’m white/latino so I will not complain.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Please, someone give me your input on my situation. Thanks to all in advanced.</p>
<p>let me take ratings. They don't matter! Not one bit. First off, there's not a lot of good jobs that you can get with just a BA in Bio that are directly related to the degree, so you don't have to worry what employers think of it. People who major in Bio typically do so with the intention of going to med school or for an advanced degree in Bio. For either of these 2 purposes, what you do in school matters, not the name stamped on the diploma. If you seek out research opportunities, attend office hours so profs can write a personalized letter instead of the form "Nate took my class and received an A", get involved in clubs, you will be successful at the next step. </p>
<p>Furthermore at the undergrad level the material you cover is going to be more or less the same no matter where you go to school; its in grad school that studying with the leading researchers and at the best labs really matters to your future. And in fact given this pair of schools you'll be taking pretty much the SAME courses with the same course numbers, because the UC system has standardized what the branches offer to a large degree.</p>
<p>But since academic quality is a concern for you, don't just take my word for it; after all, I'm an anonymous poster on the internet. Call the Bio dept at a few top-name U's (UCLA, UCSD, Cal, for example) and ask to speak with someone who handles PhD admissions for the dept; ask them if it matters between these two. I bet you'll get the same answer.</p>
<p>As for partying, sure there are kids who think they've signed up for 4 years of Club Med. Often they are straightened out after they get their 1st quarter grades. But are there people who party a lot at UCSB? Sure. Anytime you have a college campus where most kids live on/near campus, you'll have that. Does everybody? No. You should attend the admitted students weekend and talk to some current students. You'll find that there are plenty of students who are quite serious about academics along with those there for the fun.</p>
<p>And even though I'm quite obviously a fan of UCSB, I'd tell anybody to go to the school that they'd be happier at. Whichever one it is.</p>
<p>Thanks mike for the reply, that is just want i'm going to do. I'm going to check what day is for admitted students to come in and view the campus, and then attend it. Then I'll make my final decision.</p>
<p>I'm facing the same thing. UCI or UCSB. For sure the academics, so I've heard, is a bit better at UCI but I'm not sure if that's all I want as far as college goes. To me, I think it's important to get a whole feel of college, being that I would get the college experience while getting an academic education. But then I'm not sure if it's worth sacrificing some academic reputation for a more fulfilling college experience. UCSB and UCI, at least by what I was seeing by US News Week and other magazines, are ranked right after one another. UCI being the number 4 UC and UCSB the number 5. But previous years before, UCSB and UCI were actually pretty competitive. I just know that both are on the rise. So...I'm pretty stuck about which decision to make.</p>
<p>Since the schools are so close, forget about the rankings, you'll be able to get what you want out of either of them when you put in the effort, and pick the school that best fit you, the entire individual.</p>
<p>nicky, you need to keep in mind that the rankings are not some absolute guide based on decades of scientific research and produced by highly-trained researchers clad in white coats. They are the product of a couple of reporters at a magazine sitting around a table drinking a few cups of coffee and toying with the weights they assign to each factor. </p>
<p>A few things should be obvious. For one thing, the weights are arbitrary. Why is the peer assessment 25% of the final score and graduation rate also 25%? Maybe 35% and 15% would have been better? There is no divinely-given way to set the weights, and yet if you change them so does the score. And they have been <em>deliberately</em> manipulated. Years ago US News ran its process and the top US college was Caltech. This wasn't what their readers wanted to see, so a few tweaks later Caltech was no longer top dog. See <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/34027/%5B/url%5D">http://www.slate.com/id/34027/</a> for more on how ratings are manipulated. And keep in mind that if it wasn't measured, it isn't part of the rankings. Wouldn't you care about whether students think the faculty is interested in teaching undergrads, whether they received effective advising, how helpful the career center has been? You might care, but since they weren't measured they play <em>zero</em> role in the rankings.</p>
<p>How this all applies to you is that you're stressing over rankings as if they're some absolute truth, but they're not. Rankings capture some information about colleges and can be useful as a quick reference to identifying schools you want to investigate in more detail. But to think they've done all the work for you, that you just need to look at the ranking number and pick the highest one, is not a good approach for picking a college! </p>
<p>At the very least, you owe it to yourself to look at the factors that were used in calculating the ranking and think about how they matter to you, to think about what is NOT measured in rankings and decide if they matter to you. As you'll do this you'll realize the rankings are a short-cut, a Cliff's Notes if you will. And just as Cliff's Notes don't capture the full essence of the book, neither do rankings capture the full measure of a college.</p>
<p>Yeah, the rankings need to be taken with a grain of salt. I remember a few year back, The University of Notre Dame complained about the unreliable nature of the rankings. Notre Dame claimed that US News reports, in their complicated formula to create the rankings, factored in Avg Salary of the Professors at the school. Notre Dame's argument was that since there are a significant number of Priest at there school who were professors, and since Catholic Priest technically do not receive a salary per say, it brought down the school's average salary for professors, thus reflecting negatively on Notre Dame's ranking. Notre Dame claimed that if it was not for that factor, Professor salary, that their university would be in the top 10. Now whether or not Notre Dame would gain 10 spots to be in the top ten is another story, however I believe the fact that factors such are peer review( which can be bias depending upon who you ask) and professor salary are factors considered in creating a school's ranking, that to make an informed decision about a school, you have to look a little deeper into a school. This is done by visiting a school, see how they present themselves, talking to current students, and talking to alumni. After all of that, you must, which is the most important activity, consider what is most important to you, independent of what anyone says about a school. Then make a decision, submit your deposit and be happy.</p>
<p>ok ok rankings don't count. UCSB and UCI are sooo close every year anyway, it is a matter of choosing between the campus life, class size, whether or not you can see yourself here or there....etc...Soo which do you think is better? UCI or UCSB?</p>
<p>The best thing to do is stay on campus for a least two days with friends. They can show you around the campus and they know the ins and outs. With friends you can meet other people who go to the school and have honest talks about the good and bad of the campus. Also your friends are more likely to share some of the same interests as you so your experience will be more in line with your interests. The tours are nice, but if you don't relate to your guide it can really jade your experience. So call em up or facebook em and go visit.</p>
<p>Looking at it that way, I guess UCSB would be the better choice. More hot chicks, more diversity (in comparison to the overall us ethnic groups), not a commuter school, more social, more caring professors, and overall more balanced.
I'm going to take a couple more days to look over my decision before I send in my SIR. Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>Oh well get a facebook going and meet some SB people. Maybe next year you can house a few seniors you know who are interested in wherever it is you end up. I consider this an important public service, lol.</p>
<p>i've been accepted to sb and i'm still waiting for i but after everything i've read about the two schools so far, i'm really leaning towards sb right now. i think i might go for pre-med and i know i is supposed to have a better bio program than sb. however, the other aspects of i (location, social atmosphere, etc) dont appeal to me very much. is i really that much better than sb for bio? what do you guys think?</p>
<p>I'm not entirely sure. But i remember hearing that UCI has a medical school and such--and that it's Bio programs are pretty top notch.
I'm leaning towards UCSB too...but i just want to know..like...let's say that UCI is known for Bio/med...what is UCSB really known for?--I just want to know more about UCSB...because i haven't really looked into it until recently. And so far i really like what i hear about it.</p>
<p>At this point, with offers in hand, it pays to visit the places you may spend 4+ years. You can explore the area and get a sense of what its like, both the campus and the surrounding area. The schools will present a lot of info on what they have to offer, and its also a chance to talk with some current students and see what they think. Don't be afraid to talk to some students around campus and ask them about their experiences, what else they wish they had known when they were deciding on where to go.</p>
<p>Have you visited both? UCSB is badass even if you don't go to the beach. UCI is like a giant business park with marble floored lobbies and huge parking lots. So it just depends on whether or not you are lame, lol</p>
<p>i haven't read other people's replies but i know a lot about both schools. i attend ucsb, but do spend a good amount of time at uci because my boyfriend goes there</p>
<p>it depends a lot on your personality. both schools are very good with a lot different atmospheres. biology in both schools is very strong.</p>
<p>Okay, I visited both schools and find that UCSB is the one I would prefer IF it didn't have that party school reputation. I'm a very serious student and want to be taken seriously after graduation. I feel that UCI is stronger in biology. I am planning to go to UCLA or USC for dental school.</p>
<p>Some pros for UCSB:
1. Well Balanced (good academics and has a social life)
2. Near the beach
3. Good physics programs...
4. Further from home
Cons of UCSB:
1. Party school reputation</p>
<p>Pros for UCI:
1. Good bio program
2. New looking campus and a greater chance to move up in ranks
Cons of UCI:
1. Social life
2. Too close to home
3. Lack of diversity</p>
<p>What do you guys think I should do? I really cannot decide. Does anyone know how the bio department is at UCSB as I could not find any information about it on the 14th. Do you really think that the party school reputation will hurt me in the long run? Please, any input appreciated.</p>
<p>I'm in THE same exact position that you are now. I'm thinking about majoring in bio and am completely torn between irvine and santa barbara</p>
<p>I visited the two campuses recently, and believe it or not i actually like the irvine campus better (i'm not digging the whole bike riding thing). HOWEVER, it's true that there are A LOT of asian people at irvine, and i really do want more diversity than that. I love SB, but the only con i have against it is that it seems like the people there are a little more superficial and i can see myself having a harder time getting to know people/fitting in. I'm DEFINITLY not saying that everyone there is a snotty rich person, but it seems as if there are more of those gucci purse chanel sunglass toting girls around campus. (I guess i'm kinda thinking MTV Laguna Beach here- CANNOT stand those freakin girls)</p>
<p>Let me know when you make a decision, because i am seriously torn :(</p>