<p>My daughter and I visited UC Davis yesterday, took a tour, walked around on our own, managed to see a dorm, and ate lunch in one of 2 on-campus eateries. After visiting Wash U, Vanderbilt, and Emory last month- all campuses with a considerable "WOW" factor, in my opinion- we were underwhelmed. My daughter called Davis "generic U." It had everything it needed, but it all seemed so... blah. The students seemed happy enough, but not excited or enthusiastic. Two of the three students we spoke to told us they went home on the weekends. We're looking for a good target/safety. Davis likely fits the bill, but we couldn't help feeling that the school was "good enough," but not any better than that. Anyone have any experiences/opinions? Should this post go on UC Davis threads?</p>
<p>Davis is a very fine school, but it is not fair/appropriate to compare it to private schools, particularly those ranked far ahead of it. I know of several SoCal kids from our HS have gone there over the past few years and are having a great time. They turned down other options OOS, primarily for the $ savings, since they were in-state.</p>
<p>The other UC with a similar acceptance rate is Santa Barbara. If your D has the stats for Emory & Wash U, both UC's would be a safety.</p>
<p>The private schools I mentioned would be a significant reach for my daughter, and she would likely have to apply early for any consideration, I think. Her current ACT (taken early in the junior year was a 28- with lopsided scores- higher in Verbal, lower in Math/Science. Her grades and academic rigor, EC's, are strong. So we do need to look at real targets for her, and I thought UC Davis was a good possibility. I wonder now about visitng reach schools first and so early, since it does seem to create a bias, but we thought we needed to look at the reach schools to determine if any schools should be an early admission consideration. Wash U rep seems very interested in students from my daughter's California IB school, and Wash U hardly gets on the radar for many of the top students at my daughter's school- so I don't think it's a "ridiculous" reach, but still a very long shot with the current ACT scores. (She's only taken one SAT 2 so far- 740 in History).</p>
<p>I am a UCD alumnus, and can thus perhaps address some of your questions. Beyond the architecture, I am not quite sure what you mean by blah. It certainly doesn't have a Hogwarts-like neo-gothic look; its architectural style is basically 20th century State U.</p>
<p>The school is strong and decently-ranked in nearly all it's academic programs, but its top strengths are clearly biological sciences, engineering, and agriculture. It's not as studious as Caltech, but the overall student culture is to take academics seriously. </p>
<p>Most students do not go home on the weekends. It's overall tone is not that of a commuter school. In fact one of the best things about UCD is the town of Davis - a neat little college town, perhaps the only true college town in California. Everything you need is right there in easy biking distance. Plenty of cultural stuff comes to town. While I was there (decades ago), acts ranging from Whoopi Goldberg to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played Davis.</p>
<p>What are the important things your daughter is looking for in a college? I might be able to tell you whether UC Davis has them.</p>
<p>Thanks for your offer, coureur. She wants a college with strong academics, serious students but not highly driven or competitive students, minimal greek culture, variety of political/social perspectives, and ethnic diversity (but not segregated and clique-y). She would ideally like to go to a mid-sized university with a strong English program. She would ideally like to be a car drive from home (we live 45 minutes from Davis). She would ideally like a residential campus with a strong campus community and culture that facilitates social interaction and is easy to make friends. Her biggest concern about Davis is whether there is enough infra-structure (my phrase, not hers) to support her in making friends and in providing her with a successful academic experience. She thought Davis seemed "impersonal" and "institutional" (her words). She's also concerned about the pressure to find off-campus housing, and then the demands of shopping and cooking for herself. Any thoughts would be really appreciated.</p>
<p>shojomo:</p>
<p>you might take a look-see at Univ. of Pacific in Stockton since its close by. It's definitely a safety for D, who would likely be in consideration for a merit scholarship. Stockton ain't pretty, but the campus has Ivy-covered walls. A friend of ours was accepted to both Davis and UoP, and chose Pacific bcos of the potential of the undergrad experience.</p>
<p>I suggest she check out UCSC. That will be a slightly longer car drive away, but may fit some of her other requirements (it is definitely beautiful) How important is it really to be a car drive away? At least while you are looking, I would also suggest UCI, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Merced. Maybe after she has looked at a few other UCs, Davis will be seen in a different light. </p>
<p>It sounds a bit as though she was disappointed that students went home for the weekend, but she still wants to be able to do it herself.</p>
<p>shojomo -</p>
<p>UC Davis Has:
strong academics - Yes
serious students but not highly driven or competitive students - Yes
minimal greek culture - Yes/No - there is a Greek scene, but it's a small minority.
variety of political/social perspectives - Yes
mid-sized university - No, it's a big university
with a strong English program - Yes, many published authors in residence.
ethnic diversity (but not segregated and clique-y) - Yes, but at least partially self-segregated.
a residential campus with a strong campus community and culture that facilitates social interaction and is easy to make friends - Yes.
Davis seemed "impersonal" and "institutional" - UCD is not an LAC, but the profs are available, hold office hours, and genuinely care about their students.
pressure to find off-campus housing, and then the demands of shopping and cooking for herself. - You can stay on campus if you want. Most upperclassmen move off campus, but meal plans are available for those who wish to dine on campus.</p>
<p>Anecdotal, but maybe helpful. I just talked to a couple of parents whose freshman son loves Davis. He plays viola and didn't make the cut for the orchestra, but found an ensemble to play in. He has taken up fencing for the first time too. Getting involved in things like that can make a large university seem more intimate/friendly, IMO. Davis has a good academic reputation around here, and a reputation for being a friendly place. Some of the best and brightest from the area choose to go there.</p>
<p>Univerisity of the Pacific has a very pretty campus. I know a couple of kids that have chosen to go there because of the music program.</p>
<p>Shojomo: for contrasts, you might look at St Mary's College in Lafayette or at Santa Clara</p>
<p>dadofsam-- you mean St. Mary's in Moraga? Very pretty.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the suggestions and comments. We will look at U of Pacific, and plan to visit UCI next week. We also plan to look at Pitzer and Scripps, and the University of Puget Sound. I think we might go to Davis on a Saturday night some time soon and see how lively the campus and town feel- to perhaps counter the "everyone goes home on the weekends" impression we got. I agree that sometimes having a comparison helps perspective. I think that's why looking at the "WOW" colleges first may have been a mistake. She went to yearbook camp the last 2 summers at UCSC and didn't like the feel of the place- too woodsy, no campus center, far to get to town, run-down. Too bad she didn't like it, my husband (her dad:)) graduated from there and has deep fondness for UCSC.</p>
<p>Has she also looked at UCSC? Beautiful campus, ethnically diverse, residential colleges. A longer car ride, but a car ride, from where you live. Because of its setting, in the middle of a redwood forest on a hill overlooking the Pacific, it has a much less generic feel than Davis. It might make a good match or safety for her. It has some excellent departments and it certainly is a community with many writers, though I don't know specifically about English.</p>
<p>One of the beauties of the UC application process is that you can check off as many campuses as you want (and are willing to pay to apply to) on one application. A second is that you can apply even though you choose to apply ED to another college, because the applications are due in November. A third is that if you don't get in ED, you will hear from UCs before you hear from the RD round and may very well have a college acceptance that makes the misery of waiting for the rest a little easier to bear. I also always urge students to consider whether or not they might like to take a year abroad when thinking about the UCs, because all the campuses feed into a fabulous education abroad program in about 28 countries at the cost of a year at a UC. </p>
<p>I've noticed that my son's friends who stayed in the UC system stay in good touch with each other and visit each other on the various campuses. They also get home more. That can be good or bad. But, I think the coming home on weekends dies down a lot after the first year.</p>
<p>I know kids who like Davis and kids who don't. But it does have an excellent creative writing program if that is her interest within English. Farther down the line, she might check out what the undergrad opportunities in that might be there. It could make all the difference.</p>
<p>guess we cross-posted.</p>
<p>too bad about UCSC!</p>
<p>sac, she's definitely interested in creative writing. Didn't know Davis was strong in that area. I thought UCI was best known for English/creative writing. Hmm...if Davis is strong in creative writing, that might just sway her opinion a bit.</p>
<p>Shojomo: if she doesn't want a commuter school Irvine is supposedly more of that than Davis.</p>
<p>The novelist Pam Houston is the director of the creative writing program at UC Davis. Her first book was "Cowboys Are My Weakness," a book of short stories. She wrote a fascinating piece for The New York Times a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Creative writing majors have an opportunity to work with distinguished professional writers of fiction and poetry.
[/quote]
from the UC Davis English depatment site for undergrads</p>
<p>They have had some very good poets over the years.
Interestingly, though Berkeley has one of the highest ranked English departments, it does very little with creative writing and does not offer an MFA. She'd probably have more opportunities in that regard at Davis.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. I'm going to show my daughter this thread.</p>
<p>Random UC Davis stuff:</p>
<p>In my day, the Davis campus was usually the most popular among UC applicants - oddly enough because of its location. It's flat and rural around Davis itself, but it's about half way between the bright lights of the Bay Area and the ski slopes of Tahoe - a very popular combo. And since your daughter will have a car she can avail herself of both options.</p>
<p>UC Davis was founded in 1905, making it the second-oldest UC campus - older than UCLA even.</p>
<p>When you visit Davis, get a pizza at Steve's Place in the downtown area --> Great pizza.</p>
<p>Too bad you just missed Picnic Day by a few weeks. Any alum you meet anywhere will fondly remember Picnic Day. It's the annual campus open house, with all sorts of fun: <a href="http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu/2005/%5B/url%5D">http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu/2005/</a>
(turn on your speakers)</p>
<p>There is a great Farmers Market every Saturday where you can get every kind of produce for great prices - a bag of 20 kiwis for buck and things like that.</p>
<p>The city bus system was started and run not by the city but by the UC Davis student government. They bought up used red double decker buses from the city of London, refurbished them, and trained students to drive them. In my day you could ride all over town for 25 cents. The double deckers have since been supplemented with modern buses, but the red London bus is still one of the symbols of Davis. They have also now partnered with the city of Davis. But students still drive the buses. You normally expect a bus driver to be some overweight 50-year old. But in Davis your bus driver will be some 19-year old blonde from San Jose named Brittany.</p>