<p>I want to attend a UC and I would be able to adjust to a super-competitive college but I would much rather attend one that is not as competitive academically.</p>
<p>For example I have heard that Berkeley is very competitive. What about the others?</p>
<p>Just a note: I know that all colleges are competitive…but just on a relative level which are less competitive?</p>
<p>youre right UCB is extremely competitive and honestly not worth it, i would say go for UCLA if youre at that level because the atmosphere is a lot less intense. with UCB being near the silicon valley though, it does give you the upper hand with getting jobs and internships and opening more doors basically but you can do that anywhere if you really work hard enough. UCSD is a great atmosphere and the city is amazing in all aspects- food, people, community, weather, etc. the campus is average compared to other UC’s but it makes up for it with the academics, which are a lot less competitive than UCLA and UCB. UCD is quite competitive academically due to its recent growth in the last few years and I would actually say that it is quickly becoming more competitive than UCSD. UCSB and UCI are great schools but known for partying and the location more than the academics. UCSB is much better academically than UCI [depending on the major of course] but it is not a good school to attend if youre easily distracted or put off course by the people and activities around you since its a MAJOR party school (like top 10 in the US). but honestly the campus and area is so beautiful that you could get distracted just by that haha. UCR is honestly a great school and is probably the most laid back academically while still having great education and opportunities. the location however is kinda in the middle of nowhere so its not a great place to be if you like the hustle and bustle of a big city and lots of people. but its a great school if you just want to have a relaxing four years while still getting an amazing UC education. plus if the schools dont work out for you, you could always transfer although its a lot harder to do that once youre in the UC system (rather than a community college where its much easier to transfer and you have a guaranteed laid back 2 years where you can grow into an adult and then choose the UC that you prefer)
as for UCSC, its an amazing city with great weather and close enough to the silicon valley where you could spend summers having an internship in san jose and only have a 30-45 minute drive. the beaches are great but a lot colder than the SoCal colleges so if warm weather is your preference then i suggest going to southern cali. the research program is great there and the academics are not competitive at all. some would say that the atmosphere of the school is almost too laid back. its a good school if youre looking to just breeze by, but then again with effort you could make a great 4 years out of it. much easier to get into and you still have a great education without sacrificing your sanity at a more competitive university.
hope this helped! </p>
<p>I believe the 9 undergraduate UC schools are ranked as follows:
Berkeley
Los Angeles
San Diego
Santa Barbara
Irvine
Davis
Santa Cruz
Riverside
Merced</p>