So I just started the application for the Fall Semester of 2016 and it asked me to rank the following colleges in order. I honestly have NO clue on what I should rank 1st or etc. I’ll be going into the International Relations major and I kinda need some advice 
Revelle
Muir
Marshall
Warren
Roosevelt
Sixth
The college you get into will decide what GEs you will take. You can look up the GE requirements online for each college.
It is the general consensus among students that ERC and Revelle have the hardest GEs due to the amount of classes you have to take. Warren allows exemptions for engineering majors making it have the least GEs for engineering however offers less flexibility. Muir is known as the best college for ease of GEs/flexibility in the classes you want to take and as a result about 60% of students list Muir as their 1st choice.
Look up the GE req’s and see which one would
I would also at the school in which some AP/IB credits could be used to fulfill some of the GE requirements thus reducing the number of classes to take.
Use the Google search function, there have been lots of threads about this particular subject.
Most older threads will tell you similar things: “Don’t choose Revelle, people at Marshall are happy, Sixth is a rising force”. The problem with these threads is that they are ridiculously outdated. Full disclaimer: I am a Revelle College bioengineering major, and this is only my perception of each college. People may get upset. Second disclaimer: the only things that really matter are your GEs (and to a lesser degree the dorms). You might not live in your college’s apartments the second year and you can always visit other colleges for the rest.
TLDR:
Muir (by far)
Revelle
Warren
ERC (drops because of GEs)
Marshall
Sixth
Revelle College
The oldest college, but it doesn’t feel like that anymore. Most dorms renovated in the past five years. Argo and Blake rooms are reasonably sized. Fleet buildings have very small rooms, big suites. Brand new dining hall is beautiful and popular with students not from Revelle: it has decent food that you quickly bore of. Lots of sunny courtyard space for socializing and studying, close to a lot of classrooms. Apartments are spacious high-rises, spaces run out fast. Many study spaces outside dorms. Among the hardest and most structured general education requirements—HUM is hell. 70% science (and engineering) majors, diverse student body. Plenty of traditions and some spirit. Some minor Stuart Collection pieces. La Jolla Shores is walkable.
Residence Halls: Argo, Blake, Fleet Atlantis, Beagle, Challenger, Discovery, Meteor, Galathea
Apartments: Keeling Apartments (10/10), Revelle Apartments at Sixth
Dining Hall: 64 Degrees (8/10)
Cafe: Roger’s Place and Market
Study Spaces: Galbraith-Barnwood, Galbraith-Collaborative, Roger’s, 64°, Revelle Commuter Lounge
Classrooms: York, Mayer, Urey, Galbraith, Natural Sciences, Pacific, Bonner
Attractions: Revelle Plaza, Revelle Anchor, Ché Café
GE sequence: HUM - Humanities (hell)
John Muir College
The second oldest college. Some of the best views you can get in any dorm are on Tioga penthouse. Suite areas conducive to socialization but not hosting kickbacks. Rooms larger than Revelle’s. Very popular dining hall with average/decent food. Cold facades—buildings have a very threatening feel. Close to most classrooms (considered closest to heart of campus), with plenty of space for socializing. Close to old athletic facilities and old student center. Apartments are fine, nothing unusual. Nice study spaces outside dorms. Easiest general education requirements—MCWP is hard, but brief. Lots of in-state students. Plenty of traditions and most spirited. Two Stuart Collection pieces. Black’s Beach is easily walkable.
Residence Halls: Tioga, Tenaya (9/10)
Apartments: Tamarack Apartments, Tuolumne/Muir College Apartments (9/10)
Dining Halls: Pines, Roots (8/10, 6/10)
Cafes: Middle of Muir, John’s Place and Market, Mandeville Coffee Cart
Study Spaces: Stewart Commons, Half Dome Lounge, MoM, Student Center
Classrooms: McGill, Applied Physics and Mathematics, Ledden, Humanities and Social Sciences, Biology, Mandler
Attractions: Sun God, Green Table, Old Student Center, Main Gym
GE sequence: MCWP - Muir College Writing Program (not bad)
Thurgood Marshall College
Third College, but it feels older than that. Spacious suite areas with large triples, but minuscule mini-doubles. Few pretty buildings, lots of lecture halls. Main dining hall is reasonably terrible [remodel coming soon], but burrito shack is campus’s favorite late-night eatery. Not many spaces conducive to socializing, but views from the main study lounge are nice. Apartments are closest to campus center, but dorms are nestled far from everything. Pretty courtyards. General education requirements aren’t too bad, but Marshall students complain a lot about DOC. Lots of in-state students. Some traditions, not a lot of spirit. Some Stuart Collection pieces. Black’s Beach is walkable.
Residence Halls: N, O, P, Q, R, S, T/U, V (6/10)
Apartments: Marshall Uppers, Marshall Lowers (8/10)
Dining Halls: OceanView Terrace/future halal-kosher spot (6/10), Goody’s Place (9/10)
Cafes: Goody’s Place and Market
Study Spaces: OceanView Lounge, Fireside Lounge
Classrooms: Economics, Peterson, Solis, Cognitive Science, Communication, Social Science Research, Sequoyah
Attractions: Goody’s
GE sequence: DOC - Dimensions of Culture (lotta reading, but fulfills DEI requirement too)
Warren College
Fourth College, lots of engineers. Spacious suite areas with probably the largest rooms on campus. Nice enough buildings, but dorms are nestled far from the rest of campus. No beach views, but overlooks a cool canyon. Below average dining hall, closest to Price Center and Canyonview Gym. Some nice study spaces, close to several classrooms but very far from some others. [Ridge Walk colleges (ERC, TMC, JMC, Revelle) don’t really pay much attention to Sixth and Warren.] Pretty small rooms in the apartments, shabbier than most. General education requirements are reasonable—fantastic college for engineers. Diverse student body. Few traditions, plenty of spirit. Two major Stuart Collection pieces. No beach is walkable.
Residence Halls: Harlan, Frankfurter, Stewart (8.5/10)
Apartments: Goldberg, Douglas, Brennan, Black (6/10)
Dining Hall: Canyon Vista
Study Spaces: Student Activities Center, random spots in Jacobs School
Classrooms: Warren Lecture Hall, Powell-Focht, Engineering-I, EBU-II, Computer Science, Atkinson, Literature
Attractions: Warren Bear, Fallen Star, Canyonview
GE sequence: WCWP - Warren College Writing Program (eh)
Eleanor Roosevelt College
Fifth College, looks and is the newest. Gleaming buildings and spacious suites and rooms. Nice enough views and best party scene. Average dining hall—thankfully they stopped serving waffles for each meal. Closest to RIMAC, RIMAC Annex, RIMAC Field, and The Village transfer housing, as well as the Village’s great dining hall (The Bistro at the Strand). No classrooms; far from most major lecture halls on campus. More or less enough study spaces. Best looking student body. Apartments are similar to dorms in quality. International theme, hardest general education requirements, even more so than Revelle as of November. MMW is hated. Few traditions, pretty decent spirit. No major Stuart Collection pieces. Gliderport is walkable.
Residence Halls: Asia Hall, Africa Hall, Europe Hall, Latin America Hall, North America Hall (9/10)
Apartments: Earth Hall, Oceania, Middle East, International House (Geneva, Kathmandu, Cuzco, Asante, Mesa Verde) (9/10)
Dining Halls: Cafe Ventanas (7/10), The Bistro at the Strand (10/10)
Market: (none: Village Market is closest and huge)
Study Spaces: GPS Library, RIMAC Annex, Middle Earth
Classrooms: Social Sciences
Attractions: RIMAC, The Bistro
GE sequence: MMW - Making of the Modern World (hell^2)
Sixth College
Youngest college, looks straight out of the 1860s. Dorms have a log cabin summer camp feel (nicknamed Camp Snoopy). No views. Spacious suite areas for socializing, average to small rooms. Dining hall has no indoor seating and is far from dorms and rest of campus, nestled in the apartments. Apartments are very pleasant. Not many study spaces, but plenty of open space for socializing. Not near most classes. Reasonably easy general education requirements—CAT isn’t that bad. Few traditions, surprisingly quite spirited. No major Stuart Collection pieces. No beach is walkable.
Residence Halls: 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, 709, 710 (6.5/10)
Apartments: Sixth College Apartments, Matthews Apartments (9/10)
Dining Hall: Foodworx (6/10), Flavors of the World truck (?/10), Incredi-Bowls truck (3/10)
Market: Sixth College Place and Market (6/10)
Study Spaces: Dogghouse?
Classrooms: Pepper Canyon, Structural Engineering, Visual Arts
Attractions: …yeah
GE sequence: CAT - Culture, Art, and Technology (not bad)
Wow! Great info groverrohan! My son just informed me that he wasn’t prepared to chose colleges when he applied and chose them at random! He made a last minute decision to apply to UCSD because he was told about the stellar Visual Arts program. He is interested in the Media Design degree. He will be submitting his portfolio this week through the optional supplemental application. Now I am concerned about his “college” choices. He doesn’t even remember which order he chose. Does anyone know if you can make changes after submitting your ranking? Should I create a new thread for this question? Thank you.
Found my answer on UC website. In case anyone else needs to do this:
Update your name, social security number, college ranking, test scores, or major
(Available mid-January)
Use the Contact Us link in MyApplication to notify us of a change to this information. Official SAT and ACT test scores must be submitted no later than January 31.
I wouldn’t be too worried about this actually. You’d be surprised how many students choose colleges completely at random, and it always works out just fine. All of the colleges are great, and if you’re son goes to UCSD, he will be absolutely fine in any college.
My son is interested in the Design program at UCSD and it seems the colleges’ GE classes are geared toward students’ majors. Sixth seems like a good fit, but he chose Sixth as a 3rd choice.