UCSD or UCSB

Applying to College
1

<p>I've been accepted to both schools. Before I applied, I was positive that I wanted to go to UCSD but I'm not sure anymore. I know UCSD has a more prestigious reputation and the education is more involved, but I also heard the school was dead boring. Santa Barbara isn't as highly ranked but I know that the social scene is better (no I'm not a big partier or anything). I'm worried that if I go to San Diego I'll hate the atmosphere and want to transfer.</p>

<p>I'm just wondering how different the two schools are educationally and socially. If I get my degree from Santa Barbara, will my opportunities for grad school be all that much lower than San Diego? How much better is UCSD?</p>

<p>I'm going to be a Psychology major by the way.</p>

2

<p>La Jolla is a pretty town, right by the beach (like SB) and if anything similar in atmosphere.</p>

<p>Opportunities in grad school won't matter really from which school you come from :\ It's really about personal performance over anything else.</p>

3

<p>Which one has a better psychology program? I don't have a car either. How hard is it to get around without one at both schools?</p>

4

<p><a href="http://psy.ucsd.edu/graduate/introduction.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://psy.ucsd.edu/graduate/introduction.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>too lazy to find UCSB's department :P but from the looks of it, San Diego's is pretty good.</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
La Jolla is a pretty town, right by the beach (like SB) and if anything similar in atmosphere.

[/quote]
Wrong, and wrong. While La Jolla is a pretty town, UCSD is not situated on the water nor is getting around as easy. It is inland a bit, a long walk up a hill. UCSB is on a flat bluff overlooking the ocean, and its easy to get around on a bike, skateboard, or on foot.</p>

<p>More to the matter, the atmosphere at the 2 schools is completely different. At UCSB the kids live either in the dorms (usually only the 1st year), or in Isla Vista, the town right off campus. It has the real college-town feel, and all your friends are going to be a short stroll or bike ride away.</p>

<p>While living in the SD area is attractive, the campus does not have anywhere near the same feel. Most students after the dorms live in Pacific Beach or Mission Beach and drive to campus. Consequently they are all spread over the area.</p>

<p>UCSD also has the "college system". Make sure you understand it and enroll in the best college for you.</p>

<p>Both schools are good, UCSD has a slightly stronger rep but that just isn't going to matter for an undergrad degree. What will affect your ability to get into grad school will be your grades, GRE scores, and the recs you get by spending some time getting to know your profs. You can do this equally well at either school.</p>

<p>My advice is visit both schools. As a CA resident, you probably know people at both schools in the dorms. So get in touch with them and spend a nite at each (take a sleeping bag and crash on the floor), spending the time to get a feel for what it would be like to be a student. Talk to everyone you can at meals in the dorms (they will allow you to buy meals as a guest). Pick the school you like best.</p>

6

<p>mikemac has nailed things down pretty tight there, listen to what he is saying.</p>

<p>UCSD actually has a famous psychology program and some amazing stuff going on in experimental psychology/philosophy/cognitive science. So you should keep that in mind.</p>

7

<p>Isn't UCSD located right by a large marine base?</p>

8

<p>That was really helpful. If I do end up choosing Santa Barbara, is the psychology program there still pretty good?</p>

9

<p>I've been to UCSD, and the beach really isn't far at all from Muir college.</p>

<p>On the other hand, yeah, if you want to have a good time you have to know the right people and places to go, otherwise things might get stale after a while.</p>