Of these California schools, which would you choose based on LOCATION only and why?

[Anonymous]

I realize I may be the only person here who can directly compare UCD and Cal Poly SLO, since I moved from SLO to Davis as a kid and have spent a lot of time in both places.

UCD is an urbanist's dream - bikeable everywhere, gently beautiful with trees and gardens, funky little shops, pretty quaint houses downtown. But in the summer and droughts, gets dry and apocalyptic, and there are no landscapes to see in town. The vibe is intellectual and the campus feels very integrated into the town and downtown. You can bike forever and you can reach some prettier landscapes more easily by car. It gets chilly in the winter and HOT in the summer - it's not a tropical beach idyll.

SLO has stunning landscapes, surrounded by mountains, and a gorgeous climate almost all year (although getting hotter/dryer due to global warming.) Climate and scenery-wise beats Davis no question. There is a bigger town/gown divide and the campus is less integrated into the town than Davis. It is more isolated than Davis and has more of a cow-town feeling, but not a small town either. Harder to get around on bike.

If you want to be in a college town where it feels like the whole town is an intellectual utopia - Davis. If you want to be in a California dream, SLO.

[Anonymous]

Not the OP, but I think 10:32’s post is really useful. The problem with “which would you choose?” is readers don’t know who “you” is and what “you” want in an environment (and what’s a deal-breaker).

Irvine’s not my first pick, for example, because I really dislike suburbs (and because I grew up there). But OP’s (or OP’s kid’s) MMV. If safety and convenience are top priorities, it’s an excellent location — beaches and mountains nearby, close enough to both LA and SD for day/weekend trips, diverse local communities, a decent range of arts venues. It helps to have a car to access some of this (especially at night).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you have UCLA on the list, especially if you're moving the CA? It has a beautiful campus and a great location. Some of its departments are especially strong.

I already have plenty of opinions on both UCLA and Berkeley thanks. That's why they're not on the list.
I am looking for information on these, less competitive UC colleges, which unlike Stanford, are also not charging private tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you have UCLA on the list, especially if you're moving the CA? It has a beautiful campus and a great location. Some of its departments are especially strong.

I already have plenty of opinions on both UCLA and Berkeley thanks. That's why they're not on the list.
I am looking for information on these, less competitive UC colleges, which unlike Stanford, are also not charging private tuition.

First poster to mention UCSC here: California is truly blessed with public options! Two members of my family went to UCSC, two to UCSB, one to Davis. 100 percent UC! I recommend taking a road trip to visit all the UCs, plus a few CSUs. Some are not in the prettiest places (Merced 😳) but I think your kid(s) can get a really strong education at any of them. At that point, they can just decide which one has the vibe they like best.

DCUM, or maybe the whole east coast, has a bizarre approach to higher ed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Side note about Irvine (not my first choice) — excellent bike infrastructure, decent bus system, very convenient airport. There are more interesting places nearby to live/visit than Irvine itself. Lots of good (not expensive) things to eat and it’s easy to shop there.

I'm not the OP, but I grew up very close to Irvine (Mission Viejo.) "Back in my day" it was a commuter school--mostly students with very strict immigrant parents who wouldn't allow their kids to move out of the house. Is it still like that?

Immigrant kids could not afford Irvine. It's orange county, one of the most affluent counties in the country. It's next to Newport Beach, home of the varsity blues scandal where parents are flush with cash. You'll see as many immigrants in Irvine as you do in mission Viejo.

The MV poster is right. You don’t know WTF you’re talking about. There’s an interesting recent ethnography that (among other things) discusses the educational politics of immigration to Irvine. It’s by Sean Drake and called Academic Apartheid. Only about 60% of the population of Irvine was born in the US. 80+% of those born elsewhere (naturalized citizens and non-citizens) came to the US from Asia. https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/irvine-ca-population As Drake’s book indicates, Asian immigrants to Irvine are generally affluent and motivated by the educational opportunities in this locale for their children.

It will be hard to find a state university anywhere in the country that's primarily a residential school where most students stay on campus over the weekends. Most state universities are commuter universities. UC Irvine is no exception.

That said, the school is large enough that there's always some students who stay on campus. In fact, the school seems to run 24/7, 365 days a year. Many students must take courses over the winter and summer breaks to fulfill requirements. It's definitely not a residential university where the school is nearly empty during winter, spring, and summer breaks.

[Anonymous]

The CSUs are generally commuter schools; the UCs aren’t. That said, the UCs have lots of students who live off campus (typically with other students rather than with their families).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The CSUs are generally commuter schools; the UCs aren’t. That said, the UCs have lots of students who live off campus (typically with other students rather than with their families).

A lot of them are but some aren't -- Cal Poly SLO is not, Cal State Chico is not. Generally the ones not in a big city seem to have more of a traditional college town vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The CSUs are generally commuter schools; the UCs aren’t. That said, the UCs have lots of students who live off campus (typically with other students rather than with their families).

I'm a PP. I agree with this PP, but the vibe I got when my DC and I visited UCI was that it was commuter-campus-y. Anyone have experience on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stanford and USC are the only ones worth applying from East Coast.

Californians aren't all that enamored of these schools. One school is for the jocks and the other one is for the jocks. Serious students consider UCLA over USC. Serious students consider Ivies, Caltech, MIT over Stanford.

Key word, Californians.
OOS kids don't need to aply to the overcrowded schools for Californians.USC and Stanford if considering West Coast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stanford and USC are the only ones worth applying from East Coast.

Californians aren't all that enamored of these schools. One school is for the jocks and the other one is for the jocks. Serious students consider UCLA over USC. Serious students consider Ivies, Caltech, MIT over Stanford.

Key word, Californians.
OOS kids don't need to aply to the overcrowded schools for Californians.USC and Stanford if considering West Coast.

OP said kids will be IN STATE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stanford and USC are the only ones worth applying from East Coast.

Californians aren't all that enamored of these schools. One school is for the jocks and the other one is for the jocks. Serious students consider UCLA over USC. Serious students consider Ivies, Caltech, MIT over Stanford.

Key word, Californians.
OOS kids don't need to aply to the overcrowded schools for Californians.USC and Stanford if considering West Coast.

OP said kids will be IN STATE.

California in state person asking DMV folks about California?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stanford and USC are the only ones worth applying from East Coast.

Californians aren't all that enamored of these schools. One school is for the jocks and the other one is for the jocks. Serious students consider UCLA over USC. Serious students consider Ivies, Caltech, MIT over Stanford.

Key word, Californians.
OOS kids don't need to aply to the overcrowded schools for Californians.USC and Stanford if considering West Coast.

OP said kids will be IN STATE.

California in state person asking DMV folks about California?

OP here. I am in the DMV currently and we are MOVING to CA. Ok. Do you want my SSN as well now?

[jsteele]

Locking per Original Poster's request.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stanford and USC are the only ones worth applying from East Coast.

Californians aren't all that enamored of these schools. One school is for the jocks and the other one is for the jocks. Serious students consider UCLA over USC. Serious students consider Ivies, Caltech, MIT over Stanford.

Key word, Californians.
OOS kids don't need to aply to the overcrowded schools for Californians.USC and Stanford if considering West Coast.

OP said kids will be IN STATE.

California in state person asking DMV folks about California?

OP here. I am in the DMV currently and we are MOVING to CA. Ok. Do you want my SSN as well now?

From the number of responses, clearly not an unreasonable place to ask. The DMV is transient, plenty of people mention they're in CA. I am. I have college students in CA, but also lived in the DMV for 20 years. (already responded to the actual question)