Originally posted by: dr150
Davis and Santa Cruz are both great schools.
I'd say Davis is harder to get better grades, b/c Davis has some reeeallly smart/competitive students (LOTS!). Grades run on bell curves, so your GPA will be lower at Davis (unless you're some nerd hot shot).
Since your GPA SHOULD be higher at Santa Cruz, I'd go there so I'm more competitive for grad school applications. It makes a difference. The reps don't matter (unless you go to Cal).
Plus, the fact that Santa Cruz is BEAUTIFUL, more laid back, better parties, it's a no brainer.
You should also check out UC Santa Barbara--just like Santa Cruz but warmer!
With the exception of UC Riverside, Merced, Irvine (all ugly/boring) I'd recommend ANY UC.
Whatever you do, get good grades and take advantage of your resources.....college is a platform that will set you up for the next decade. Also, major in a skill set that employers value (like engineering/science/business). Unless you plan on a PHD or go to law/MBA school on the back of a SOFT degree (i.e. History/Spanish), you'll have a MUCH leaner salary in potential misery/frazzleness.
Had I a 2nd chance, I would have manned up and worked on an engineering degree instead of partying my way on the easier soft degree. It all worked out for me, but the path is a lot tougher!
This is a horrible post. It really is.
Every UC has some
reeeeallly smart and competitive students. I would NOT hesitate to say that the top students at every UC campus are on the same level. These are students who will - despite their professors and classes - study on their own and push to learn no matter what.
You can't say that everything runs on a bell curve. Each own professor institutes their own method. My lower division classes generally followed a bell curve - but because the grades on tests were low it helped to normalize everyone. I know people who are Bio majors and bell curves hurt them because everyone tries hard to score high. Other professors have their own personal systems - some are required to follow the grading in a given department. My control systems professor did not even follow a bell curve because he stated that the theory is not well supported.
He should - realistically - go where he would feel more comfortable with.
And your comments are absolutely stupid on which UC to go to.
I don't to Riverside, but to deny that it has good academics is retarded. I will agree that the area is not as desirable, but the campus is far from "ugly". Boring - maybe. Only because it takes time to get to any places where things go on from Riverside, but even then the longest drive probably won't top 2 hours...more like 1 hour.
Merced was JUST BUILT! What do you want out of it? The type of culture that other campuses have taken fifty years to build!
And your final comment on Irvine is totally unfounded. It is a very beautiful leafy campus with plenty of trees. Construction, as with most UCs, is always going on. It has a wonderful Barclay theater where a lot of performances occur. Right next to the school is the massive San Joaquin reserve for those who are more "nature founded" as well as its own Arboretum. Within 15 minutes of campus is the beach, great places to shop like Southcoast. Many places are easily and quickly accessible from Irvine. SD is an hour away if you take the 5 south. LA isn't very far either - generally most the LA area is easily within an hour of Irvine.. And the entire Long Beach/Huntington Beach area is also just 15 minutes away and is great for those who love to surf.
You have to be unfamiliar to with the area to say that the campus is boring. True, UCI gave up a football team for the Science Library - which is the largest science lib in California (and I believe the 2nd largest west of the mississippi) and is easily worth it.
and the only valid point you may bring up is that all the places around the campus require driving to get to. Well guess what? This is southern California - everywhere has to drive to really get places. Even UCSD is not immune to this.
It's pretty sweet, man, I'm not gonna lie.
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