<p>Hey everyone,
My acceptance letter came from UCSC today which I had as my "back up" plan. I had also signed a TAG agreement with UCD, so hopefully everything stays on track and goes through the way I hope it would.</p>
<p>Personally, I feel:</p>
<p>UCSC
Pro: Environment, 1.5 hrs from home, Mountain Biking
Con: Lack of prestige. Doesn't seem like there's much of an emphasis on Biology.</p>
<p>UCD
Pro: Prestige, few friends that go there, parents influence, Biology.
Con: campus life, for me at least, seems like it'd be dreadful. 2.5 hrs from home. No mountain biking</p>
<p>Basically, I'll most likely be happier at UCSC while I'm there as an undergraduate. But, will be unhappy if I cannot get into med school. The exact opposite goes for UCD.
What do you guys think? Any suggestions?</p>
<p>go to a school where YOU will be happy or you will fail. ive seen it over and over again. ucsc also had lots of students who get accepted into med school, so just work hard and going where you want to go, for you.</p>
<p>UCSC is a pretty well regarded research university. In case you were unaware of that.</p>
<p>Also, if you’re thinking about health sciences, be aware that it requires you to do a year of medical Spanish (I believe you have to be at Spanish five level to take that course, maybe four?) and a field internship.</p>
<p>I’ve read about the acceptance rates but it’s difficult to compare them to other schools as they usually measure that differently… (from what I’ve seen).</p>
<p>I don’t want to admit it, but Mountain Biking is also a huge factor. It’s all I do other than school and that’s what makes UCSC much more appealing. I’m constantly told, don’t go to a school just for better cycling. While it is true that UCSC has better cycling surrounding the area, it’s also (like I said above) the environment (people/social) life that’s appealing too. Academically, I don’t feel it rates as well as UC Davis, but that’s just me.</p>
<p>What would you guys do? Is it wrong for me to be wanting to choose UCSC for non academic reasons?</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s wrong at all to chose UCSC for non academic reasons. Like ajdavidson said, you would do better in a school that you actually enjoyed. </p>
<p>If I were you, I’d go to SC, and I think you’ll get into med school just fine after graduating from there. I don’t know if it means anything, but isn’t biology on of the most popular majors at UCSC? (This is according to collegeboard)</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s wrong either. Go where you feel comfortable!
We have great biking trails as well as a biking team here!
My friend is on it and he always has a lot of fun challenging himself at the races and moving up in class :)</p>
<p>Also, biology is currently our tenth most popular major.</p>
<p>look, i have multiple friends that ended up going to a university that they werent really excited about… they stayed for a year, ended up with a 2.5 gpa or something ****ty, and ended up coming home to go to CCC so that they can transfer into the school that they really wanted. </p>
<p>1 friend left cal because she wanted to go to haas but got in for psychology…2 years later she is now going to sac state for business because thats what she really wanted to do. </p>
<p>1 friend went to cal poly because she didnt get into UCSD…now working on a TAG for next year so that she can go where she really wanted.</p>
<p>the academics arent lacking at UCSC so you arent taking a hit to the books. if you are going to be happier there then go there. you weighed your pros and cons, you are being smart about it. dont worry about what other people will think, after all its you that has to live there for four years, not anyone else!</p>
<p>ps UCD is a really nice place… Davis is probably one of the best cities ive ever been to. everyone is so nice and its really clean. everyone bikes there (not mountain, but street) and everything is nice. but, i wouldnt go there because for some reason i just dont feel comfortable there. its all about personal preference, if UCSC is for you than do it!</p>
<p>I had a friend who went to UCD and majored in biology. She’d been accepted to both UCSC and UCD and she chose Davis for academic reasons. She was absolutely miserable for 4 years and hated Davis.</p>
<p>I was accepted to both UCSC and UCD as well (way back in 2004). Davis had a stronger overall bio program but I knew that I would not fit in well in Davis and I had been in love with UCSC since I was about 8 (my mom is UCSC class of '71 and I’d been to the campus a lot). I had an absolutely amazing time in SC, I got to spend a quarter study abroad, I got to take forensic anthropology classes and bioinformatics and and learn how to sail. Lots of stuff I’m wouldn’t have done in Davis. College is more than academics and if you aren’t happy in your personal life, I think your academics may suffer.</p>
<p>If you’re worried about research opportunities and prestige, UCSC has a tiny graduate division and so there are a lot of undergrads in bio research labs because there’s a lot of space for them. As for prestige, it’s still a top 150 school and graduate schools look more at GPAs and research experience than the name of your alma mater. I got admitted to two top 10/15 microbio/biomedical sciences PhD programs.</p>
<p>(Also, our mascot was the fighting banana slug! Davis’s was a purple cow)</p>
<p>defeintely do not pick your school on prestige, we’re not talking CAL vs. UCSC… DO pick the place where you will feel comfortable and has a social atmosphere to your liking.</p>
<p>It really depends on the kind of person you are. If you grew up in a very liberal household and/or really enjoy being around ‘weird’ people, there is no better school. However, if you are more ‘middle-of-the-road’ or conservative, you may feel differently. You gotta visit both campuses to make the right choice. Simple as that.</p>
<p>I can tell you from experience that there are many students who have had negative experiences at Santa Cruz. There are just as many students who could not imagine themselves being anywhere else. </p>
<p>@Variola
At least you see Davis’s mascot more than once a quarter (they have sports).</p>
<p>Cali, I’m sorry, but you come off as a UCSC basher. AKA you didn’t get into the school you wanted to so you used UCSC as a community college. Don’t blame the liberal leanings of the school on your failure to get into your top choice.</p>
<p>Spend 5 minutes at UCSC, and you can tell what kind of campus it is. Did you even visit before coming here?</p>
<p>Also, it’s false to say that people from liberal backgrounds like it here. False. I came from a conservative family background, lived in Orange County for years, and still love and have excelled at UCSC.</p>
<p>: > Actually I think Cali is right. Cali used generalizations, but I think they’re pretty true. Most people who grow up in a liberal household will want to be around liberal people, which are plentiful at UCSC, right? : ) From what I know, Davis definitely has less quirky people and seems to be a liiiitttllleee bit more conservative. I’m not actually clear on that, because the people I know that went to Davis are liberals. It could be just because of the fact that I only know people from San Francisco, though.</p>
<p>It’s also true that people DO have negative experiences at UCSC. My brother actually advised me against deciding to go to SC because his ex-girlfriend hated it there.</p>
<p>Louis XIII, I don’t think there is a need to attack Cali so quick! : > From his other posts, I think he is enjoying his time at UCSC! </p>
<p>Every school has good points and bad points. It’s not wrong to be completely honest about his opinions. : )</p>
<p>Actually, UCSC was my top choice for a variety of reasons and yes I visited the campus a half dozen times before attending. I saw more of the campus than most. I had other choices, sure, but the beauty of UCSC was awe-inspiring. It is a great school.</p>
<p>As far as my statement regarding whether you are liberal or conservative goes, I believe my observation is fair. It seems that you had a different experience. I envy your situation if that is the case. For me, and many of my close friends, speaking openly about controversial issues is not looked well upon if your beliefs are not aligned with the ones that the majority of Santa Cruz students agree with. </p>
<p>For example, I remember one day when I was in a small discussion of students talking about the recent UCSD ‘racism outbreak.’ Basically, I sat there as my peers told me about how UCSD tries its best to keep African American admissions low, and about how the white male fraternity that hosted the Compton cookout party rapes black girls, but UCSD ignores the situation. Then, others shared several more 100% factual stories. You don’t need me to tell you about how they reacted when I suggested, and I quote, “While the situation definitely raises some red flags that we should look into, I think this party was just started by a couple of dumb college kids that didn’t know what they were doing. Maybe this whole racism thing in UCSD is being blown out of proportion.” </p>
<p>Am I bitter? Perhaps. But I don’t have some agenda against UCSC. Hell, I may even complete my undergrad here now that I have gotten very involved with the Economics Department. I am not on some bashing campaign, but rather, I want to make sure students know what they are getting into when they SIR. It is an excellent school, but admittedly, the school isn’t for everyone.</p>
<p>I want to make sure students know what they are getting into when they SIR. It is an excellent school, but admittedly, the school isn’t for everyone.</p>
<p>I agree. Before I signed my SIR, a close friend told me about how much her brother hated going to UCSC (he’s a city person), so I visited the campus a few times and went on tours and such. I loved the atmosphere and do tend to lean liberal.
I’ve loved it so far and can’t imagine myself anywhere else. You can’t just base it off of other people’s opinions, and certainly shouldn’t base your decision entirely on what we are saying here online. See for yourself whether it is the right choice for you!</p>