I am really debating between going to the University of San Diego or Santa Clara. I’m from Massachusetts and the admissions office at Santa Clara have been very welcoming. They had an accepted students reception in a nearby town, and I got accepted with distinction and was awarded a merit scholarship. I’m not so hot on the location though. With San Diego I love where it is, but I heard that it’s a lot of snobby rich kids which I am so sick of from high school! What does everyone know about these two schools? Are they good schools?
<p>What don't you like about Santa Clara's location?
It's tough to overlook the city of San Diego's tourist attractions. </p>
<p>Santa Clara U is sort of an oasis in what is Silicon Valley's suburban sprawl, but the Santa Cruz beach and boardwalk is accessible on weekends as is San Francisco sight-seeing and night life. There are plenty of malls, movie theaters, etc. in Silicon Valley, and local night life in downtown San Jose, Los Gatos, Mountain View and Palo Alto (Stanford U). There is not a lot to within walking distance of SCU though. The people at SCU are very nice and generally throughout Silicon Valley are nice. </p>
<p>Someone else will need to speak to SCU's academic offerings.</p>
<p>hey, i don't know much about san diego, but i live like half a mile from santa clara u. and i'm applying to transfer there in the fall. it is a really nice place to live... you're close to downtown san jose, and there are lots of restaurants, clubs, theaters, etc. there. there's a lot to do, plus you're always close to san francisco, the beach and the woods (santa cruz, half moon bay). i think the bay area, especially this part, is the nicest place to live. as far as snobby kids, santa clara is mostly middle and upper class, but i doubt it's as bad as san diego. of course i'm from north cal so i'm conditioned to think southern californians are rich snob surfers.</p>
<p>I did an overnight at USD and the girls I stayed with told me that TONS of kids go home on the weekends which is a huge setback for me, since I'm from Massachusetts. Do you know if a lot of people go home on the weekends at Santa Clara?</p>
<p>About 40% of students at santa clara are out of state people, so i don't think they go home a lot. I did an overnight stay there and i loved it. the campus was beautiful, the people were beautiful (lol) and the dorms were big and roomy. I sat in on the history and psychology classes and it was awesome.</p>
<p>Whether you choose USD or SCU, you don't need tons of people to keep you company on weekends. Just find a dorm mate with a car and a few "good" friends.</p>
<p>Both San Diego and the Silicon Valley/Bay Area offer plenty of social outlets, entertainment and sightseeing opportunities, etc. </p>
<p>In the case of SCU, downtown San Jose, Los Gatos, Mountain View and Palo Alto (Stanford) are popular with college students and provide plenty of entertainment venues. There is always something to do in San Francisco on weekends. Santa Cruz and the beach is just over the hill.</p>
<p>Dorm life at SCU is probably quiet on weekends, but those who do stick around will always find something to do. The challenge is that there isn't much within walking distance of the campus. You gotta find a friend with wheels!</p>
<p>A lot of SCU students drink on the weekend, but there really is a lot more to do in Silicon Valley and the bay area.</p>
<p>Just wanted to warn anyone who goes to SDU that my niece started out there two years ago. Everyone left on weekends and it was hard to get to know people. The kids all went to SDSU and UCSD to find fun on the weekends!</p>
<p>Also, watch out for the dorm situation - they put 4 people to a room - my niece had the top bunk and couldn't even sit up in bed. They kept telling her that it would change once people dropped out - and she was the first to leave the school in December.</p>
<p>UCSC is about 45mins from where I live, and is an awesome location. USC has a nice school, especially the old architecture, but it is kinda secluded and hard to meet people. I would go for UCSC. I think it is better and MUCH cheaper.</p>