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<p>First of all, I don’t know if you can generalize UCSD to the rest of the UC system. But true, I think UCSD is well known for around 50% of the students majoring in engineering or some sort of science. I think biology is the most popoular major there - I bet around 20% of the students start out majoring in that. </p>
<p>As far as the physical sciences, I bet it totals out around 20%, and engineering also around 20%. So “approximately half” of the students majoirng in engineering or physical sciences doesn’t indicate a huge self selection of college. It is pretty much a representative slice of the campus population as a whole. But you are correct, I bet social science students probably congregate in one college or another. In fact, when I went there, Thurgood Marchall was known as “Third College”, and it was primarily where most of the minority students enrolled. By happenstance, they ran out of dorm rooms at Tioga and Tenaya (the Muir dorms) and I ended up rooming at Third my freshman year. I made lifetime friends. I’m assuming (and hopefully) this sort of self segregation has changed, but I don’t know.</p>
<p>All that said, if you are looking for some super residential dorm experience, I’m not sure UCSD is for you. THe surrounding areas are beautiful, and most kids move off campus after the first or second year. At least they did when I attended there. It may be too expensive now.</p>