thinking about going to ucsb, any advice??

Question

sum pros and cons. any other schools to consider?

yes i live about an hour and a half away from santa barbara and often go up. i have visited the campus and it is absolutly beautiful!! i'm not sure what i what to major in, but i have narrowed it down to a few. thanks for ur input!

Answer 1

Current UCSB senior here...
What are the other schools you are considering?
Pros: 1) Location location location: Beautiful beaches, great weather, no traffic, no pollution = great school environment
2) Mind, Body, and Soul: Very low-key atmosphere, people are laid-back and friendly...stressfree attitude. Seems like everyone likes to keep in shape and be healthy...very nice pool and gym area. Santa Barbara community in general is very alternative....theres like twenty yoga studios and ten health centers in this small town....and large organic supermarkets for healthy eating.
Cons:
1) If you decide to live near campus in Isla Vista...it can get pretty crazy. You'll be living near 20,000 students from city-college and UCSB within a 3-mile radius! Thursday and Friday nights get pretty crazy...but there are quiet parts as well.
2) Reputation: It's disheartening to constantly hear it as one of America's top party schools (Playboy ranked it #2 this year)...and i'll see how it'll effect my job search lol. But i guess it says something about the students ...that we can have our fun and also remain focused on our academics.
It really depends what kind of experience you want from school....are you CA native? Near Santa Barbara? Also, what do you plan on majoring in ?

Answer 2

Get good grades in high school, do well in AP classes one or two will do. Apply to other schools and be prepared to be excited about admission to any of the UC campuses. My son chose UC Irvine over UCSB it was a tough decision, he is now very happy at UCI ready to start his 3rd year there.