UCSB vs UCSD?
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Anonymous
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Two comparable universities with some really excellent departments. Freshmen admit data from the past 10 years tell me that student gpa and test scores are fairly similar, and have similar application numbers and admit rates.
UCSD is in beautiful La Jolla, but does not have a great social scene. UCSB is in a more isolated city, but has a true college town and vibrant student life. UCSB has on average (over the last 10 years), ranked higher than UCSD on U.S. news. But generally people might consider UCSD to be a bit more “prestigious.” FYI… I hate the prestige battle and ranking colleges in general. But this is just for fun! What would you pick? Thinking of making this into a fun university vs university topic now that college admission decisions have settled. |
Anonymous
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Visited both with older dd, who is a freshman at a private college on the east coast. I’d go to UCSB in a heartbeat, the buildings aren’t anything special but can’t beat living on the beach. I don’t think you get more college town ish than Isla Vista, and SB proper is a free 15 minute bus ride away.
UCSD disappointed us. I think it would be better to live there than tour, La Jolla itself is great. But darn if half the college aren’t built in the most despressing style possible. |
Anonymous
| Gotta go with the Banana Slugs 🐌 |
Anonymous
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UCSD is 10x safer and 10x more reputable (and similarly funded, from a research dollars perspective) in most STEM fields.
If either of those things matter to you, it's the Tritons in a rout. |
Anonymous
| In Socal, most kids would choose UCSD over UCSB, but the real prize is UCLA. |
Anonymous
| UCSD has the residential colleges so a student gets a smaller college within a college. For science majors UCSD is excellent for premed and has a lot more research opportunities. |
Anonymous
| Cost of living at UCSB is brutal even for students |
Anonymous
| get in first. then ask. posts like this waste everyone's time |
Anonymous
| College on the beach vs UC Socially Dead. Hmm... |
Anonymous
| San Diego is more urban/crowded. SB on the central coast of CA, slower vibe there and surrounding areas, still lots of agriculture. Both are really great places. |
Anonymous
Go slugs! |
Anonymous
Banana Slugs are UC Santa Cruz. |
Anonymous
| I went to UCSD in the 80s and it was parties on the beach all the time…. But now it’s socially dead? |
Anonymous
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I prefer the city of San Diego over Santa Barbara. But if I had to choose a university, I’d pick UCSB.
UCSD doesn’t have a great social reputation. Have a family friend who attended and they did not recommend it. I think social life in college is important for young people to grow out of their shell. Academically, they are about equal to me. I dislike the UCSB mascot though. Like seriously, a gaucho? Even a banana slug is better than that. |
Anonymous
I don’t know what UCSD was like back then, but yup. Very socially dead now. UCSB is more party, but I hear it’s toned down quite significantly over the last 10 years. Soon all of these top schools will be socially dead if we don’t teach these kids to get off their XBOX 😂 |