<p>I am a literal teeter-totter when it comes to which I prefer. I like location of UCi and how beautiful the campus is as well as the safe community and weather, but UCD is also slightly better academically and i heard has nice people as well as a diverse community. I don't drink so the party scene is sorta negligible and I'm majoring in International Studies. I really can't compare the two as far as which has the better program but all I know is that UCD has an Impacted IR major. Can anyone give me some insight on their own personal opinions of the schools? OR their knowledge of their International Relations/Studies program or College of Social Science/?</p>
<p>I’d go for Irvine any day. UCI is just a great campus in an amazing location. Close to the beach, great people and a lot of things to do around the campus. From what you describe in your other posts, the International Studies programs seem to be very alike, so it does come down to personal preference in terms of universities.</p>
<p>I’d pick Irvine too.</p>
<p>I’ve been having a difficult time deciding between the two as well. Lately I have been leaning toward Irvine for a few of the reasons musafer mentioned already, especially location. I have lived in northern san diego county all my life but the city of Irvine is fantastic. I have not been to Davis though so I that fuels my indecisiveness.</p>
<p>Flip a coin</p>
<p>I would go with Irvine. I got to take a tour of the campus a week or two ago, and the campus was really nice. I’m actually a little sad to be declining UCI’s offer to go to UCLA or Cal lol. I’ve also heard that some people who go to Davis end up miserable and hating it because of the location. Then again, I don’t know that from personal experience, it’s just what I’ve heard from other students and counselors.</p>
<p>If it was just Davis or Irvine, I’ll go Irvine. I can’t stand going to a school with nothing to do. I have been to Davis many times, and I really feel there is nothing to do there. There are basically no clothing stores, well, none of the ones I shop at. Davis is basically a college town with mostly restaurants, and you are in the middle of nowhere. Now I understand there are people that love SF and the Bay Area, and the fact that UC Davis is a college town. Then these people would love UC Davis. Davis markets their campus by claiming it is two hours away from fun locations, such as SF Bay Area. The funny thing is, most of the Davis students are from the Bay Area. </p>
<p>If you want something to do, Irvine probably holds more opportunity of fun of the two.</p>
<p>Thanks. is there anyone on the Davis side of the arguement that can try to convince me otherwise?</p>
<p>Go to Irvine. I’ve lived in Irvine for 10 years, currently go to UCD, and the only reason I chose to go to UCD instead of UCI (which used to be my dream school) is because UCD has animal-related majors (animal science, animal biology, and Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology) for students wanting to be pre-vet, whereas with UCI, if you’re pre-vet, you have to be a general Bio or Chem major. Irvine, IMO, is the better area. There’s a lot more to do in Irvine than Davis. I love the Davis campus, don’t get me wrong, but I would’ve chosen to stay in Irvine and gone to UCI if UCD didn’t have the major I wanted (animal science).</p>
<p>@ IAmSoCal: there are plenty of clothing stores, especially in downtown Davis and if you know where to go. There aren’t chain clothing stores, but there are cute clothing boutiques.</p>
<p>@IAmSoCal thats why you buy the clothes you want from online if there aren’t any good clothing store up in Davis 
(which probably does have some good clothing store don’t get me wrong).</p>
<p>@TaLLLuDWiG718 I would pick UC Irvine ultimately vs. UC Davis, both are really great school you can’t really complain about it, just because UCI has higher recognition in their business majors and political science majors vs. UC Davis’s (especially accounting, big 4 are there) and you have plenty of job opportunities for internships/career jobs since LA is just above from Irvine, able to stroll around So Cal easily, and you say your international studies? I would go to UCI hands down, Great Department staff over there for Social Sciences Majors. But this is my opinion since UCI has been my dream school as well :)</p>
<p>is Davis really that boring of a city? I chose Davis over irvine bc I have less pre reqs to finish at Davis (3) whereas if I went to uci I would have (5-6) and also irvine expects me to take spanish 3 and 4 and I am terrible at spanish!! you Guys are making me second guess my decision though !! :/</p>
<p>also, I love shopping!! 
if there isn’t a Macy’s near Davis that could be a make or break… I’m googling the nearest Macy’s to Davis right now D:</p>
<p>Which one do you like better? Forget about what you’ve heard, “the rankings”, and other people’s advice for a minute. Which one do you think you would enjoy being at more for the next couple of years? Which campus and surrounding area do you like better and feel more comfortable in? Because in the end, only you will be attending he school, not anybody else.</p>
<p>There is a mall with an ENORMOUS Macy’s 20 minutes from Davis in Sacramento. I grew up in Davis and NOW really like it. It is more of a mature and cultured scene than a youth scene, but if you like farmer’s markets, art exhibits, and riding your bike to coffee downtown then it may be for you. Also, I really like the UCD campus because it is really big, super bike friendly, and has so many different types of architecture and natural areas. UCD also has a better reputation than UCI as a school. I am not sure about your major.</p>
<p>@uchappytrain Davis is a great college, you shouldn’t second guess your decision if you had your heart set. Davis is really good in Science so if you’re in that area then stay at Davis. The thing with me is that my major won’t really have a significant difference between the two schools so it’s basically based on location and which one I prefer to go to. UCI is very beautiful though. UCD is all about Agriculture, Vet, Science, Sustainability, etc. in my opinion</p>
<p>I chose UC Davis over UC Irvine. For me it was a no brainer, but you have to find the one that fits your personality better.</p>
<p>My reasons for picking UC Davis:
- It’s a true college town. Everyone is extremely friendly, the campus is beautiful, the town is small yet vibrant, you’re a (free) bus ride away from Sacramento. Everything is quaint and well-kept. The town caters to the students. I also vastly prefer Northern California over Southern California.
- I heard UC Irvine is a commuter school. I did not particularly like the campus (it was nice, but it wasn’t anything special.) The surrounding area seemed boring, with a lot of offices and whatnot. These have been my uneducated observations of UC Irvine, so take them with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>For me, it came down to UCSD, UCSB, or UC Davis. I just really did not like UC Irvine. Also, Davis is not boring in the slightest, especially if you’re a student. When I started here, I thought the school was extremely boring, but I’ve realized that it was actually just me that was boring. There are literally dozens of things to do, and I’m so glad I’ve started to get more involved. Oh, and anyone who says UC Davis is in “the middle of nowhere” has obviously never actually been in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>Tour both campuses, see which one you like better.</p>
<p>@divzero good. that makes me feel better:) </p>
<p>@everyone else thanks for your input, I’m still going to attend Davis since I have SIR’d and the smaller amount of pre reqs but I would probablly prefer the irvine area. if irvine didn’t have that stupid 4 years of spanish requirement I would have submitted my SIR in a heartbeat. oh well, I guess everything happens for a reason</p>
<p>Check out Sophia’s Thai Food in downtown Davis. You must try their calamari salad.</p>
<p>@JeSuis I really like your description of UCD. Although it does seem sort of like an uneducated observation for UCI, you made good arguments for Davis. Specifically though, what things are there to do when you say</p>
<p>“There are literally dozens of things to do, and I’m so glad I’ve started to get more involved.”</p>
<p>I’m not reading all these pro-Irvine arguments, but as a UCI student who transferred here last year, GO TO DAVIS. The academics are better, and I would imagine that the people and town are way less boring.</p>