Hi! I was accepted into UNC Chapel Hill this month as an in state applicant. This past year, I have been really interested in attending UCSB because of the gorgeous campus and also because I want to have a new experience in a new place. Obviously I don’t know if I will be accepted into UCSB because decisions don’t come out until March, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on which school they think I should attend if I do get in! Btw, I’m pre-med!
I don’t think I could choose one over the other, but I’m from CA and considering Chapel hill! If this makes any difference, I really want to get out of california just to experience something different, but Santa Barbara is the only CA school I would consider 
I hope that helps. Good luck!
Haha thanks for the help! It’s such a hard decision!
I’d recommend UNC-Chapel Hill in your case. Natural sciences are historically strong at UCSB, but the overall undergraduate student body is somewhat stronger and more focused, and the academic strengths a bit more well-rounded at UNC. You’d also be paying a costly premium for UCSB.
If it were a choice between, say, Berkeley and UNC, then I might reconsider. There’s always southern California for grad school. I was accepted to UCSB many years ago, but when I toured, I was a bit turned off by the impression that not all the students took their studies seriously. That may have changed somewhat in the intervening years, and YMMV. However, I doubt you would find much of that attitude at UNC, whose students are generally near the top of their H.S. class, and the admissions stringent.
@anhydrite I’m touring the school soon so maybe I will get a better feel for UCSB to know what you mean! And I think California for grad school is a great idea, thanks for the advice!
First off I’m going to say, I attend UCSB and it is one of the top research institutions in the nation, we do take our studies seriously, but we also have a great social aspect and amazing vibe here, the only down side is that UCSB doesn’t have a med program or school, but we do have a pretty kicking Bio program
@edgarawrr Thanks! Would you say that it would be harder to get into med school from UCSB than UNC Chapel Hill since they don’t have a med program?
No. It would not. Where you go for undergrad will have very little effect on where you get into for med school. Med school admissions committees care about GPA, MCAT scores, and experience (either medical or research). Both schools are research institutions and you would have no problem getting experience at either of them. I know a couple of people from UCSB who majored in different sciences (different branches of biology and chemistry) and now attend ivy league colleges for med school. They got into really good programs because they had near perfect GPAs and stellar MCAT scores and did undergrad research as well. So long story short, it doesn’t matter where you go. Just make sure both schools offer opportunities for extracurricular experience. And do well in college. I cannot stress that enough. Getting into a top tier med school requires a very high GPA.
And please do not try to choose undergraduate college based on “ranking”. Choose it based on how well it fits you and take cost into consideration as well. You’ll find as you get older that where you go for undergrad doesn’t really matter. I have friends who went to UCLA/UCB who are still unemployed/haven’t gotten into any grad schools and friends who went to lower tier UCs like UCR/UCSC etc who are more well off, employed or getting their masters/PhDs at some really good graduate schools. Undergrad is what you make of it. If you just cruise through and you don’t do anything substantial you won’t get very far. Do well in school, do lots of internships, and you will succeed.
The OOS cost for UC schools is about $100K so make sure your parents are ok with that, although if you’re coming out to visit UCSB I guess money may not be a problem. There is no financial aid available for that amount. A lot of kids think that after a year they’ll qualify for in-state rates, but UC writes the rules so this isn’t possible.
Personally I think you’re better off going to school at UNC. If you love CA then your parents could even send you on a grand vacation to CA each summer and still come out $80K+ ahead, plus you’d have more fun during the summer when school doesn’t get in the way of play. But if you are going to have your parents send you, let me be the first to thank them for their $100K donation to the UC system 
@KalvinKalvin Thanks for your insight! And thanks for talking about people you know that were pre-med at UCSB!
@mikemac I know that UC schools are crazy expensive haha, but if I went there I wouldn’t be paying OOS. It’s a long story as to why I wouldn’t be paying that much if I went there, so I won’t go into it haha thanks for your advice though!
I live in San Diego and have spent lots of time in Santa Barbara! I applied to UCSB and am definitely interested in going there, but I also applied to UNC and would love to go there. I have a strange infatuation with north Carolina, but I have no doubt in my mind that I will end up in Southern California after graduating from law school. SB is incredibly gorgeous and the school is amazing, but if you’re a partier be careful! It’s easy to get sucked into that lifestyle at that school. Also, if you’re a sports fan, keep in mind that UCSB doesn’t have strong athletic teams. Soccer is a big spot there, but they don’t even have football. There are also better options in terms of schools that are located in areas with more internship opportunities, SB is small town so there wouldn’t be many practices to work at. But I have never heard of anyone regretting going to UCSB, and regardless, wherever you end up you’ll love it!