UCSD vs. UCSB vs. UCI

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
1

<p>A rather broad comparison, but I’m desperate.</p>

<p>I’m split between all 3…it’s primarily between SD and SB, but I don’t want to completely toss Irvine as a possibility. I’m just wondering what some of you think may be the best choice, or at least what you have to say about these schools.</p>

<p>A lively social scene is huge for me, but it’s also a bit hard for me to swallow my pride and turn down a more prestigious school (hence the SD and SB conflict). Academics are important, of course, but I’m what I like to call a laid-back academic.</p>

<p>Plus, I’m majoring in Psychology.</p>

<p>So…thoughts? Pros/Cons?</p>

<p>Thanks for the help =]</p>

2

<p>my view on this is that sd has more prestige but sb is also a very good school. sb is only ranked 6 spots lower than sd in rankings. if you would like to enjoy a good social scene but also satisfy your academic hunger, sb would not be a bad idea. </p>

<p>you might want to think about where your priorities stand and where you see yourself for the next 4 years</p>

3

<p>UCSD has an excellent psych program <a href="http://psy.ucsd.edu/information/rankings/rankings.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://psy.ucsd.edu/information/rankings/rankings.html&lt;/a> is you wanted to look at it from just that point of view.</p>

4

<p>Well you pointed out the most important part of the decision: ignoring the pride. Choose based on what makes you happy, not on impressing others. Especially in this case because both school are top 50 in the nation (out of over 4,000 colleges), so they will both have great opportunities for you.</p>

5

<p>I recently posted almost the exact same question, and I feel as if I have the same exact dillema as you...
What I'm wondering is possibly going to santa barbara and then transfering over to san diego in 2 years or something</p>

6

<p>I think UCSB sounds better for you, especially since you said you are laid-back when it comes to academics - I've heard the other two are more uptight. And psychology is a popular major here at UCSB</p>

7

<p>I have the same options as you, and I consider myself more of a "laid-back" academic. I'm choosing UCSB over UCSD, because it seems like the right atmosphere for me. We only have about a decade of true adult youth, and spending four years of it in an unenjoyable location is a pretty significant waste. Go to UCSB.</p>