Torn between UCSC or Davis for comp sci. I am going in as a third year CC transfers. Any help/suggestions/recommendation/tips on where I should go? I would also like to know how the CS program is at Davis. Pros and cons? Thank you
The CS program here is pretty good. I don’t know about Santa Cruz, so I won’t try to draw any comparisons.
One particular negative to keep in mind as a transfer student is how crowded the classes get. It can be tough to get in depending on what class it is and what’s going on that quarter. The good news is that the CS department is very good at accommodating the waitlists, so except in unusual circumstances you’re pretty likely to get into your classes if you’re a junior or a senior. Even if there’s no official size expansions for a given class, if you show up to lecture and stay in contact with the professor a lot of them will do what they can to get you in.
On that note, one big positive is that the majority of the professors genuinely care about their students. You need to put in the effort to see that though, because when most classes are at 100+ seats now it’s near impossible for them to reach out to people. Some professors tend to go above and beyond (Sean Davis and Chris Nitta come to mind), and of course they’re particularly helpful if you take the time to talk to them individually. You won’t get the personalized attention that you’d get in a smaller major, but the professors do care and will work with you so long as you put in the effort on your end.
One thing to look into is course offerings relative to your specific interests in computer science. If either UCD or UCSC has more classes that pertain to your interests, I would go with that one.
If you have more specific questions about the CS program here, I’m happy to help!