Hello, I’m a Senior in High School and I want to major in Computer Science. I am still looking for colleges and I saw UC Merced as a “UC” and easy to get in. However, in school, I’ve heard that a lot of people don’t like this school and aren’t applying here. Why? What’s so bad about UC Merced?
Many students’ college preferences favor more selective schools because they are more selective, and UC Merced is the least selective UC.
UC Merced is a new school, lots of people are skeptical about the success of a new school and it does not have a track record of industry placement. It is the general impression that makes UC Merced less appeal to the applicants.
Thanks! Do you think UC Merced has a good CS Program?
Location is a negative for some.
My son goes there now. He also had the same questions and worries that you did. He only wanted CSE major…I really feel that you have to go tour it, because for us that is what sold it for us.
Some of the good points; brand new dorms, brand new computer building and a new one being built, no problem getting into classes(the major is not impacted like at other schools… yet), the potential to be the first person to do something at your college(start a club), good teacher to student ratio(means that you will be on the radar when research potential comes around), potential to graduate in 3-4 years(because of AP and not impacted), UC professors come from other UC’s to teach there(they have one of the foremost professors in drone research), everything is new, very close to Yosemite.
I feel that because it is new, it has not had the time to rise to the same esteem that the others have. However, UCR and UCSC were in the same boat years back. Now they have built very reputable reputations.
http://eecs.ucmerced.edu/current-students/courses and http://catalog.ucmerced.edu/content.php?filter%5B27%5D=CSE&filter%5B29%5D=&filter%5Bcourse_type%5D=-1&filter%5Bkeyword%5D=&filter%5B32%5D=1&filter%5Bcpage%5D=1&cur_cat_oid=8&expand=&navoid=773&search_database=Filter#acalog_template_course_filter indicate that UC Merced offers the usual expected CS courses (except the compiler course) plus a number of presumably popular electives. You may want to check the class schedules to see how frequently each course is offered.
So yes, UC Merced CS looks good.
Some people like the more rural location, though. However, it may not be as convenient to employers as a school more local to the employers like San Jose State.
Hello, thanks for your reply!
I would love to go tour UC Merced if I get into the Computer Science major. Now that your son is in there, how does he like the school? Does he feel like he has made the good decision to attend UCM instead of the other schools?
Most people don’t like the location. It is not in a “hub” and there is no direct airport access. It is basically in the middle of a cow pasture and can feel isolated.
If you’re okay with that, then you should visit to get a better feel.
Definitely visit to get the best prospective. Like many posters have stated that the location can be undesirable for many students but area around the campus continues to grow. It is important that you feel comfortable at any school you attend, academically, socially and financially.
What about the area around campus - is there anywhere students can walk to?
They are building a ton of stuff close to it. I feel like the area has also had a bad rap. It is out in a valley, but they own like 1000 acres and all of it will be built on eventually which will make it the largest UC campus. It is a 30 minute drive to Yosemite… National Parks are isolated…you are close to the wilderness, skiing, hiking, working as a Park Ranger( they have a summer program to teach you to become a Ranger) Walking will take a while to get anywhere, but with bus and Uber you can get to whatever you want… and after all you are there to get an education. It is clean, new and growing. Berkeley is full of over priced restaurants and bums asking for money. Don’t get me wrong, Berkeley has access to the Bay area and a vibrant night life. But it has had since the 1800’s to grow and develop into what it is and make a reputation for itself. My Grandfather was a Cal alum 1917 and I graduated from UCSD '87. Even UCSD didn’t have and doesn’t have that much close to walk to.
However, you get a bus pass with your Cat card(they are the Bobcats) and you can travel to basically any part of the town. It is on the smaller side but has a Target and a shopping mall with other retail places. Fresno is not that far away and there is a train station close with high speed rail coming in a few years. There is also a municipal airport close. So there ARE flights out of Merced. For Thanksgiving I am flying him out of Merced(Boutique Air) for $19 to Oakland and then Southwest to SD for cheap. It also has really good Mexican food… I point this out because we are from So Cal and my oldest daughter is at Cal and there is NO good Mexican food… yes we are spoiled… Also for future, houses rent very cheaply in Merced as opposed to San Diego and Berkeley…the drive is traffic free, unlike the UCSD and the Bay Area.
So yes, he does feel like he made a good choice… the classes are challenging: Vector Calc, Com Sci- C++, physics, and a writing class(GE). Plus he had no problem getting those classes. I have heard horror stories about the CS’s and not being able to graduate on time because you couldn’t get into the class required for your major.
He has made some good friends there… he is on the shyer side so this is good for him. He is playing tennis… so he has joined clubs and sports(an inter college team as they play UCSC, UCD, and UCB.)
So, you said that “I have heard horror stories about the CS’s and not being able to graduate on time because you couldn’t get into the class required for your major.” What does that mean and why is that?
@EvilRonald it means that you have specific classes required by your college to graduate in that major… specifically CSE in this case. So let’s say you need one more class to fulfill all needed to graduate. That class is only offered in Spring… everyone else needs that class too…and there are too many students in Computer science(impacted)… so you don’t get in to the system to sign up for that class… because… Honor roll, athletes, others get to the site before you… you don’t graduate… you have to wait until it is offered again. Many classes… upper div ones have to be taken at the institution that you will graduate from…you cannot take it at another college and transfer it. Therefore, a four year BS/BA turns into a 5 year Bachelors… I have friends whose children went to San Jose State, SDSU and SF State who I have heard this from. A non impacted major means that you can get the classes you need to graduate in 4 years or less.
Oh and one other thing… CS= Cal State …I may not have been clear on that
UC Merced lacks status because it lacks a track record (young school). To some people, that is a major turn-off. To others, that is an opportunity. Decide what kind of person you are and schedule a tour (or don’t).
I took my son (and younger daughter) there when we were touring schools the summer before his senior year. We had visited Fresno State for the day and just stopped into UC Merced on the way home to grab a cup of coffee and take a look around. No tour, just a quick peek. My son didn’t even consider applying, but both my daughter and I really liked the appeal of the campus. Small, clean, and VERY new. It’s “isolation” added to it’s charm. As a parent, I want my kids to understand that they are at college to GO TO SCHOOL, not necessarily hang out in town.
The three things I consider most when choosing a school are quality of education, value/cost, and location.
UC Merced is a UC, and along with the rest of the UC’s and the schools in the CSU system, it offers a quality education.
Value is basically about getting what you paid for, if not MORE. People often overlook two important considerations on cost: How long it takes to graduate and how much it costs to live off campus. UC Merced is VERY competitive when considering those two factors.
As for environment, you have to be comfortable. UC Merced and the town of Merced are not for everyone. But neither is L.A. or Santa Cruz. Even when you think you like a “type” of campus/town environment, there can be subtle differences. My son didn’t even consider applying to Chico but he chose to go to school at Cal Poly in part because of the town. Both are “college towns,” but there was enough of a distinction for him. My daughter, on the other hand, has UC Merced and CSU Monterey Bay in her top three choices right now because their campus (not geographical!) environments are similar.
Sooooo, the short answer is GO ON A TOUR. It’s the best advice anyone ever gave me as a parent of a prospective college student.
UC Merced is not a new school, it is a new UC Campus of the UC System. I don’t understand why a lot of people can not comprehend that!
The first day of classes on the actual Merced campus was Sept. 6th 2005. By university standards,12 years old is a school barely out of it’s infancy. Nothing against the school AT ALL, but that is very new compared to other schools. The next closest UC is fifty years older (UCR). The next closest of the CSU’s (San Marcos, Monterey Bay, and Channel Islands) are all older, yet still considered “young, growing” schools. It takes decades to flesh out a campus and the surrounding areas. CSUMB is a full ten years older that UCM and is still in the early phases of its full development.
It’s not a criticism that a school is young or new. It just presents some logistical facts that affect the campus environment. Places like SLO, Davis, and Chico have had a hundred years or more to integrate the university and the town. It makes a difference.
To add on to my previous post, NEW can be very good. Schools like UCM and CSUMB have NEW dorms and NEW libraries, and NEW dining halls. The other California public campuses add those things at various times, but the fact is that my son lives in an almost 70 year old dorm in San Luis Obispo. And it smells like a 70 year old dorm. Cal Poly is adding new dorms next year, but UCM has a beautiful NEW everything on its campus. That’s one of the reasons that UCM is on my younger daughter’s top 3 list of schools.
@AMCdad my coworker’s DD wasn’t happy when she got accepted to UCM, but then immediately fall in love with NEW everything environment and extremely friendly and helpful professors! Her dad really has high remarks of UCM and strongly recommended this program to me.