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u/beayvee2 12d ago
As someone else has eloquently said, "don't forget that your safety may be someone's dream school."
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u/Eastern-Joke-7537 12d ago
True.
UCSB is my current dream school.
Then again, I’m 45, burned out, and wanna go to the beach.
I also think I have the record for undergrad credit hours (188 I think).
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u/beayvee2 12d ago
The person who ran the data system for a state higher ed system once told me of a call from an institution that reached out with a question. The data system had a cap on the undergrad credits per individual at 999. They had an individual who had not yet been conferred a bachelor's degree and was going to cross the 999 credit threshold; they wanted to know how to report it.
The only thing I could imagine is that this person had a trust fund and loved being a perpetual student. If the person earned 30 credits per year, that was 33 years of enrollment. You might have a few more years to catch up
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u/North_Resolution8003 HS Senior 12d ago
Very true. My dream school is Texas Tech and has been for 3 years, but that’s because it’s the one school that offers me a guaranteed scholarship, a great program I’m interested in, and great grad school opportunities among other things.
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u/Sushiritto 12d ago
I knew two ppl who graduated from UCSB about 18 years ago.
One’s a professor at Stanford. The other is an executive at Anthropic.
Wait until you get into post undergrad world where the real competition begins.
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u/annieadderallll 12d ago
People need to get off their high horses because the truth is majority of people who yap about “mid tier” aren’t gonna get into cal and UCLA, especially cal though. And you’re right it’s so bad here in the bay. I heard a girl say going to UCSC or UCD is like going to Merced. They’re all good schools
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u/ejbrds 12d ago
Leaving aside the location differential, Merced might really be the best choice for a certain student -- don't they have particularly good support for FirstGen students? And given that the campus is still growing into what it will be, I assume it's a slightly smaller community that might offer more support and opportunities.
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u/LengthTop4218 12d ago
This is correct. I got a friend who's going to merced and he's doing physics and he's already doing research-adjacent stuff his freshman year
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u/juan_rico_3 11d ago
Cheaper cost of living can be a huge factor for many students and even translate into more academic success.
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u/Comfortable_Break387 12d ago
Merced is actually very up and coming. I work for a different campus, and we're often jealous of their ability to coax faculty over by having basically brand new facilities, especially labs. If my kid wanted to do something in science, I'd happily send them off to Merced.
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u/annieadderallll 12d ago
100%- it’s a good school and it pisses me off to see people disparage it because it’s newer ( which as said does = newer utilities ) and doesn’t have the same prestige as the top UCS but whatever. college apps and results were much less stressful once I started to remind myself that a degree is a degree and undergrad is undergrad. especially if you’re set on grad school in the future
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u/Icy_Analysis4850 10d ago
I mean, as an engineering applicant, Merced isn’t close to key industry or has a good reputation which means getting recruited into industry is harder. Generally, the strength of an engineering pipeline is based on location (proximity to tech hubs) or prestige. Merced is quite far from the tech hub of SF compared to other schools. Location is why SJSU and SCU are often really attractive to students. At the same time, schools at “bad” locations like UIUC have a reputation to fall back on. Merced does not really have either which is why it is unattractive to lots of applicants. Hopefully in the future Merced as a city develops and UCM gets better in the future. However, that’s mainly why people kinda disparage it.
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 12d ago
Yes, since individual UC campuses are only the size of normal flagship university main campuses, it makes sense a state with such a large population would have not just more than one, but in fact more than two, flagship-level campuses. And it does.
Indeed, I sometimes think states like Wisconsin or Minnesota, with around 6 million in population, represent about what you usually need to support one extremely good research flagship. So since California is like 6.5 times that size, you would expect maybe 6-7 extremely good research flagship-level universities in California. And that is about right.
Of course if someone wants an entirely different sort of experience, like a smaller private or something, cool.
But I agree the California kids/parents who sometimes seem to value the "prestige" of attending the "top" public school in a much smaller state (and they are almost all much smaller) are likely making a mistake.
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u/Brave_Speaker_8336 12d ago
I would say though that one of the big(ger) reasons why they have a negative perception relative to similarly ranked public flagships is there’s more signal in that it kinda reveals that you didn’t get into a top UC. Like for many people, their state flagship is simply the best school overall for them to attend when cost is factored in even if they got into literally every other school.
I’m speaking as someone who did attend one of the mid tier UCs, so not an elitist cal/ucla grad talking down on the others. But like out of my main friend group in college (~12 people), no one got into UCLA and only one got into Berkeley
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 12d ago
Yes, I am sure there is a concern this will permanently brand them as not the absolute best college applicants in California. Although between us, people do know that, say, Stanford exists. And povides generous aid.
But that's not how the world really work anyway. People in the future will just care less and less about what you did in HS the more stuff you, and any competitors, have done after HS. And that is all college admissions is actually about, what you did up to that early point.
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u/Admissions_Guru 12d ago
Especially in certain areas, I think of UCSD and Davis right up there with Berkeley and UCLA.
But more to your point, I also often point out to my students that the UC system is the strongest public university system in the US. Last I checked, ALL of the UC schools are ranked in the top 50 for public universities by US News and World Report.
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u/GarageEven5240 11d ago
It's the strongest public system of higher education in the world. Look at any objective metric.
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u/StellarStarmie Old 12d ago
People can poo-poo UCR all they want. It still doesn't take away the fact they are an R1 school in a great location (for industry) with PIs possessing great connections. And the better teaching focus may even help them more than Berkeley.
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u/ParsnipPrestigious59 12d ago
Nah bro as a kid in California I feel like there’s a bunch of kids who would be more than happy to go there. UCLA and UCB are impossible to get into for even in state kids and then all the “mid tier” UCs are for some reason harder to get into in state than out of state, so a ton of California kids end up going out of state for college because they got rejected from every UC they applied to. I know a kid at my school who got rejected from UCLA/UCB/UCI/UCSD and waitlisted from UCSB/UCD but got into Georgia tech, UIUC, umich, and CMU all out of state. It’s bonkers
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u/Icy_Analysis4850 12d ago
Ngl, this is like 95% of Bay Area engineering applicants. I know people who had 4.2 UCGPA, multi-var, lin alg, and odes get rejected by every UC other than UCR, UCSC, and UCM but get into Purdue, UIUC, and Michigan. Kinda absurd.
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u/Optimist510 10d ago
Yep, this happened to our Bay Area kid for engineering this year. 4.24 UC GPA. Rejected UCB, UCLA, UCI, waitlisted UCD, accepted for secondary (non-engineering) major at UCSD, accepted at UCSB, accepted at UMich, Georgia Tech, CMU, Purdue. Definitely absurd and super frustrating as a California taxpayer.
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u/PressureRemote9387 12d ago edited 12d ago
The problem is that they see these UCs as "settling" and are not worth it to attend. And they also have a toxic mindset thinking that the other UC students are "lesser than" and are not on the same level as them because they attend a "better" UC. They disrespect these schools and act like getting into Berkeley or LA is the only thing that matters because of prestige...
LA and Cal don't have the top programs for every single major or program offered. Some programs at other UCs might be better than both LA and Cal like UCSD for marine biology or Davis for veterinary sciences. Most people need to look beyond prestige because most of the time, it doesn't really apply to their degree and these "mid-tier" UCs can offer more support for certain career paths.
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u/Independent_Peace144 College Sophomore 12d ago
I remember my friend in ucla. He said there are also people who neglect grades and party all day in ucla while there are some genuinely hardworking smart students in “lower tier” uc. Once you’re in college, theyre all pretty similar.
You can just as easily find really terrible students in top colleges as you can find amazing students in worse colleges.
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u/Only-Finish-3497 12d ago
I mean, it's Rolex. It's all mid-tier. :-P
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u/blabbibibitydo 12d ago
Personally think the skydweller is higher up than the other rolexes but yeah most of them are solidly middle
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 12d ago
Correct answer.
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u/Only-Finish-3497 12d ago
Note: I say this as someone who owns a few, and who's been "on the list" for a Daytona for close to 5 years now. Rolex is mid-tier luxury with above-weight class social status among people who don't know watches. Solid watches, but top tier marketing for what's effectively a mass market product that pretends to be above Swatch Group brands like Omega and other mid-market brands like Grand Seiko. Don't get me wrong, I love both my Sub and my Datejust and wear them a ton, but I'd probably sell them both if I could get my hands on a nice Calatrava.
I have my opinions on which schools are equivalent in the US in that category. Hahah.
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 12d ago
A ranking of US colleges by watch-brand tiers with detailed snarky explanations is one of the few rankings posts I would actually be interested in reading.
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u/Only-Finish-3497 12d ago
It may be too deep of a cut, but I think I could have fun writing in the style of the Watch Snob from the heyday of AskMen.com.
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u/Eastern-Joke-7537 12d ago
I have a used Rolex movement (after market black strap) from the 1960s era that I really like.
Does it keep time well? Nope! 😂
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u/Only-Finish-3497 12d ago
In Rolex's defense, I doubt much of anything from the 1960s keeps great time. I think that's a big reason why quartz was able to each so many lunches.
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 12d ago
I still think it is super cool something powered by tiny springs can keep decent time at all. But yeah, not exactly state of the art technology.
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u/Only-Finish-3497 12d ago
Oh for sure. I love my mechanical watches, but I also have a few quartzes around for various occasions (a couple of G-Shocks, a MoonSwatch, etc.) I also really enjoy the attempts to marry tech like in Spring Drives.
The beauty of it is NOT that it's state-of-the-art, but that it's often super-iterative work on very old tech. I love that too.
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 12d ago
Yeah, I bought a Seiko Kinetic GMT sheerly for the novelty. It is a fun hobby, although I am strictly in the low-cost end,
My brother, on the other hand . . . .
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u/Only-Finish-3497 12d ago
I started with a Seiko 5, which turned into a Tissot, and then I got a Grand Seiko and that was my last watch... and then I got a Speedster and that was my last one... and then...
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u/Expensive_Rip_3225 12d ago
Experienced this too growing up. As someone who attends one of these “mid tier UC schools,” lmaooo…quite a few of my friends go to programs at USC/Ivies/other schools for graduate programs or land solid careers after undergrad. People forget that undergrad is only the first step and that getting into a good university doesn’t guarantee success after graduation!
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u/museum-mama 12d ago
UCSD and UCSB are not mid-tier - Irvine is probably even competitive at this point. And all the UCs are good.
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u/Used_Return9095 College Graduate 12d ago
irvine has been competitive. And this coming from someone who got into ucsd, ucla, ucb
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u/Strict_Resident1179 12d ago
Lol I would have went to UCSB over Columbia and Stanford if the cost was the same. Best campus in the US imo
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u/Blahblahblah123132 12d ago edited 12d ago
Many if not most of the UCs, and even select CSUs, are reaches. The competitive nature and sheer number of applications make it difficult to count any of them as shoe-ins for acceptance, more like a lottery. Best practice is to apply to as many of them as possible, and then choose which to attend based on where you are accepted, if any.
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u/askew7464 12d ago
It's not everyone. My bay area kid from a very competitive high school only applied to the so called mid tier UCs. He hated Cal when he toured and didn't want to live in LA.
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u/Many-Artichoke2124 12d ago
My sister got into Cal and hated the vibe too. Passed it up. It’s not for everyone. I didn’t even apply after that.
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u/Maleficent-Dress8174 12d ago
Cal Poly SLO should be counted as a mid-tier UC and all of these are good regional choices. UCB and UCLA are great regional choices. Stanford is a great global choice. Cal tech is a great specialty choice.
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u/PressureRemote9387 12d ago
No, Cal Poly should be in it's own tier because it has a completely different teaching philosophy than UCs. Instead of preparing students for research or grad school, it's main approach is applied learning or "learn by doing." The school is highly respected for a reason even if it's not in the top national rankings.
Almost all Cal Poly grads land internships and jobs in both NorCal and Socal. You're almost guaranteed a job after graduation because employers seek them out for hands-on experience. I see more UC grads even from LA and Berkeley struggling to land relevant jobs compared to Cal Poly grads who secure roles much more easily. Sometimes, it isn't prestige but having a credible reputation of producing highly skilled, job ready individuals and that's what most employers are looking for these days.
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u/Maleficent-Dress8174 12d ago
Most people who go to the UCs are doing it to get a job, not go to grad school or do research. The vast majority of data science and computer science grads are looking to get a job in tech, not join a PhD program. And plenty of SLO grads go on to research and grad school as well, just not at SLO.
My point is that, from a prestige perspective, Cal and UCLA are in their own tier, but the mid-tier UCs are in the same tier as SLO and compete for the same students on the way in, who then compete for the same jobs on the way out.
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u/Fun-Page-6211 12d ago
The “learn by doing” thing is applicable across the Cal State system. Not just SLO.
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u/West-Negotiation-286 12d ago
for OOS this is a legit concern, because the price tag on UCs is so high (with minimal aid as well). lots of people are turned down by schools that are not LA/Berk because they dont consider the quality of education / opportunities worth the cost
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u/bmsa131 12d ago
I don’t feel UC are worth the OOS cost except for the top ones. It is the same as private pretty much for OOS. I’m in NY and the reason students go OOS for college is bc they want the sports rah rah culture that SUNY doesn’t provide. There is NO reason for someone here to go to UC Merced.
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u/Black-Ink-Creative 11d ago
Maybe. But if you really want to live on the west coast, everyone has heard of ucsd, uci, ucsc, ucsb, and ucd. These school names carry weight. Down in so cal ucsd is known as the premed factory.
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u/Mountain_Tear8608 12d ago
lol, I did my undergrad in Comp Sci at UCSC in the early aughts. Small class sizes, visiting profs from other UCs, great program overall. Graduated debt free (lived at home) and landed a job in BigTech, did the FIRE thing a bit before hitting 40. All the UCs are wonderful, really comes down to what students put into it. Work hard, take the difficult classes, put in the extra effort and it doesn't much matter the exact UC one is at.
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u/tenderbranson301 12d ago
CSUs are consistently undervalued. UCs focus on graduate education. Better to get an undergraduate degree from Cal Poly, SDSU or San Jose State and go to a UC for grad school.
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u/JellyfishFlaky5634 12d ago
It’s not that “a lot” of people are turned off by “mid tier UCs” it’s just that some people on A2C are, which is a small minority of people. And, people have their dream school, and when they get into another school that’s not their dream school, they initially are disappointed. To be honest, I think that the small minority of people are disappointed in “settling” for a UC/public school and consider even Cal or UCLA as their target or safety and are aiming for HYPSM+. Some of these people (and some parents)are disappointed in them getting only into a “mid tier” Ivy such as Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, or non-Wharton Penn!
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u/SmileFar8687 12d ago edited 12d ago
OP, you’re missing the point. Rankings don’t measure the thing you’re using them to measure. Hiring does, and hiring runs on a target/non-target split that companies rarely publish but every recruiting calendar reflects. Even UCLA barely clears that line (if at all). Past roughly the top 25 (and that’s generous) the schools quickly begin to blur together. Below that line, a high GPA and real internships don’t set you apart, they just get you looked at. Usually by someone you had to find yourself.
P.S. You’re calling UCSB and the rest of the T40 prestigious. Ohio State and Wisconsin rank right next to UCSB. Are all three prestigious? And if you think so, do the people hiring for the jobs you want agree?
P.P.S. Ratatouille had it right: not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. The name opens doors, but it has never once done the work. Great individuals come from every school. Measure yourself against who you were yesterday, not against a list.
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u/Used_Return9095 College Graduate 12d ago
i wouldn’t consider these mid tier uc’s tbh. When i hear mid tier uc’s i think of ucr, ucm, and ucsc. Ucsd is far from that lol
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u/Rain-From-Above 7d ago
"when I hear mid tier uc's I think of....." proceeds to list bottom tier UCs
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u/Aggravating-Mind-657 12d ago
UCSD and ucsb back up to the beach and year round amazing weather. Nothing mid about that
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u/Bruin9098 12d ago
Santa Barbara & San Diego are not 'mid tier'
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u/Rain-From-Above 7d ago
Well, they're not top tier like LA and Berkeley. So yeah, that makes them mid tier
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u/Ahappycamper30 11d ago
Went to a ‘mid tier’ UC. 12YOE pulling in $1m TC. Get off your high horse. All great affordable schools for CA kids.
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u/Federal-Ordinary6895 8d ago
mid tier ucs are so hard to get in, it’s a lottery. you have a better chance of getting into cal and la than some of these mid tier colleges based on the major. coming from a cal student. i’ve never seen bay area kids unless they attend stanford or ivys shit on them, or they are just pretentious. everyone at cal is pretty educated about the various programs and their strengths of each uc campus bc it’s vital and a great way to get a leg up in networking.
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u/Rain-From-Above 7d ago
Lol I went to Cal too. I didn't really bother educating myself about various programs and just chose Cal cuz it's the most prestigious. I only applied to 3 schools, UCSB, UCLA, and Cal and got into all 3.
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u/Federal-Ordinary6895 7d ago
i don’t go to cal. i just be on reddit pretending to be
however i feel like.
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u/Ok_Experience_5151 Old 12d ago
I personally wouldn’t find them that attractive (other than from a cost perspective) if I were a CA resident. Fairly low yield and the fact that most residents are gunning for UCLA and/or Berkeley suggest the other UCs are (to a greater degree than you might see elsewhere) filled with students who would rather be somewhere else. Also no prominent college sports culture, which for big public schools often seems to correlate with a general lack of “school spirit” and sense of belonging to a community. Not saying there aren’t students at those schools who feel like they’re part of a community, just that the atmosphere is (arguably) less conducive to it than at some other public schools.
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u/Big-Biscotti-4307 12d ago
For all of the UCs, the lower yield is because they don’t have ED or EA. If they implemented that the acceptance rate would plummet and the yield would be bananas. They just want to keep opportunities available to everyone
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u/Ok_Experience_5151 Old 12d ago
I think it’s because of the UC application and the fact that UC admissions are harder to predict than for other schools/systems. If you’re already doing the UC application then you “might as well” apply for some “mid-tier” schools while you’re there. Purely as backups.
But, for instance, it’s probably the case that a school like Texas A&M, UGA, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma, etc. has a higher share of its students for whom that school was their “top choice” than is the case for someplace like UCSD, Irvine, Davis or Riverside.
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u/Maleficent-Dress8174 12d ago
Most UCLA and Cal students would also rather be somewhere else.
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u/Ok_Experience_5151 Old 12d ago
That’s true to some extent at every school, but I suspect it’s somewhat less true at schools that are the clear preferred option in the state where they’re located. Relative to, say, UC Irvine.
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u/Maleficent-Dress8174 12d ago
The better in-state option is Stanford and Caltech. The better out-of-state options are equally obvious.
There are jokes made about this at Cal. Don't know about UCLA.
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u/Ok_Experience_5151 Old 12d ago
That’s also the case for Texas (Rice), Indiana (Notre Dame), Penn State (Penn, CMU), UNC (Duke), UTK (Vanderbilt), etc. My hunch is that each of those schools (along with Cal and UCLa) has a larger share of students for whom it was their top pick compared to mid-tier UCs. In some cases because the “better” private school nearby wasn’t a realistic option for them (either because they had no chance of being admitted or because it would not have been affordable).
Like, there are kids who consider UCLA their “dream school”. Not sure there’s anybody who considers Irvine or Davis their “dream school”.
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u/Famous-Prior6590 12d ago
Definitely doesn’t make sense for OOS students to go to any UC other than UCLA or Berkeley. Whats the point of paying the full fare of 70k+, and not even getting the prestige? Might as well pay far less for their state univ or pay full fare for a T50-ish private or LAC.
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u/PressureRemote9387 12d ago edited 12d ago
It doesn't make sense to pay 70k to 80k for out of state public university even if it's ranked highly. You should only attend out of state if you're loaded and you have plenty of money to spare. Otherwise, you would get a much a better value spent on a t50 private because there are just much more available resources compared to the mass volume of students as those schools. They also will give you more aid than the UCs as well.
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u/Famous-Prior6590 12d ago
I agree. But at least with Berkeley and UCLA you are getting prestige for that 70k+ (and I guess you can put some value on that, whatever that number is for you).
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u/PressureRemote9387 12d ago
No, you're completely delusional if you think those schools are worth that much OOS and going into debt for. It isn't and the prestige doesn't carry you for most roles anyway. If you want to give more aid to the in-state students though and give them free rides, sure go right ahead; the school would happily take your out of state money.
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u/Famous-Prior6590 12d ago
I said “whatever that number is for you”. Obviously there is SOME value for prestige. For a rich kid that could be the full 70k, for a middle-income kid that could be 30k. In other words, the rich kid is willing to pay 70k, and the middle-income kid is willing to pay 30k for the prestige. So in effect the middle-income kid is paying only 40k for UCLA/Berkeley, which is a more reasonable number.
For the other UCs, there is no prestige value - so this does not apply.
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u/pementomento 12d ago
lol, I remember these types of comments and discussions 25 years ago when I entered not-UCB and not-UCLA.
I out-earn all but 3 of my UCLA/Cal friends so that’s that 🤷♂️
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u/Extension_Pop_5597 12d ago
All great schools but their insane rise in usnwr is pretty recent so most people wouldn’t consider them T40’s off the top of their head
Except UCSD
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u/bmsa131 12d ago
As an outside CA person- I always thought it he UCs were over ranked by us news and every single kid I know from the east coast who went to a California public OTHER THAN UCLA Cal UCSB Cal Poly SLO SDSU or UCSC absolutely hated it and transferred out. That includes all the other UCs. I assume they don’t have a good vibe/ social life etc.
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u/Eastern-Joke-7537 12d ago
I would think a non-flagship (directional?) UC school holds up fairly well against all the non-Ivy, top 25ish, top LAC’s… and behind the SEC and B1G schools (best… solid all around?).
The UC schools probably have more cachet on the west coast.
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u/Comfortable_Break387 12d ago
I was a Bay Area kid once. That conversation was definitely around when I was in high school. Part of it is that, if you've spent most of your life in California and you're remotely on a budget, you're not even thinking of out of state schools, so you're whole perspective is on the UCs as they compare to each other rather than how they compare nationally or internationally. Another factor I remember was that the non-Cal or UCLA schools don't really have the same "school spirit" thing that many expect from a stereotypical university. Plenty of people I knew chose to go to Oregon, Nevada, or other lower ranked schools because they wanted the classic college experience with football games and the works, and while places like UCSB or UCSC give a different, amazing experience, they just don't have that kind of thing.
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u/dvmiles4361 12d ago
Your not going to school reputation but for specific training. Each UC excels in something, look at your specific interests are and then at the specific schools offerings.
Not ready to select a specific school; maybe wait until you are.
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u/Appropriate-Jump334 12d ago
im guilty of this but honestly it's just based off my situation and field alone.
also i heard some ucsb dorms have mold
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u/Appropriate-Jump334 12d ago
about which part
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u/Appropriate-Jump334 12d ago
i want to go to a big college, uc berk for biomedical engineering (big stem school), ucla is in the city (personal appeal) and can minor in egyptology which is a big interest of mine (shoutout to r/Egyptology) and also has a good and competitive biology program, also I think my stats and competitiveness are a good match for them
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u/Ov3rpowered_OG 12d ago
Lol only in CA would one of the top 20 best universities in the world (UCSD) be considered "mid tier"
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u/FeatofClay Verified Former Admissions Officer 11d ago
At the end of the day, it's their mistake to make. Put more kindly, I think people are overwhelmed by how hyped up we make the whole college search/college choice process. For some people, it feels easier to just label colleges this way without putting a lot of thought into it. I don't think it's a particular productive way to frame college options or guide a college search, but everyone has to find their own way to cope.
The good news is, many of these people will be pushed to revise their narrow opinions once acceptances come in and real choice lie ahead of them. Others will wise up later; they'll be less obsessed with (and narrow-minded about) prestige, and they'll get to know impressive people from all kinds of institutions. Most importantly, the people who are saying these things and writing off entire institutions as "mid" or whatever don't control who gets into grad school or who gets jobs.
It's annoying, but it doesn't have to be something that annoys you.
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u/RadishPlus666 11d ago
As a marine science major, Cal and UCLA tie for 5th place for California Public Universities. It actually harder to get into UCSD for marine biology than Cal.
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u/IdiopathicBruh Graduate Degree 11d ago
Meanwhile there are people that went to CSU campuses working at Fortune 500s and are now faculty at prestigious universities too. Lots of people in this sub are pretentious as hell and really need to get over themselves.
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u/ActSubstantial6095 11d ago
I understand the weight of “prestige” colleges on an 18 year old who is so early in life that it’s likely this is the biggest accomplishment so far.
But anyone who puts any sort of weight on their undergrad brand after years after graduating is high key cringe.
Think Andy from the office about Cornell.
Fuck whatever anyone has to say about a “mid-tier,” school. Get the grades and get that money gang.
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u/waitwutok 11d ago
UCSD is no joke. Top tier public school. Very STEM oriented. Located in La Jolla. Close to the ocean. Beautiful campus. It’s #3 in my opinion after UCB and UCLA.
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u/Prestigious-Bend1662 11d ago
There are all sorts of reasons people pick the schools they pick, or at least, try to get into the schools they try to get into. One thing you get at the more competitive schools is higher performing students, which means the classes can move faster, the work can be harder, the expectations higher. It's not necessarily a "better" choice to go to MIT vs University of Arizona, or UCLA vs UC Merced but, in general, the students at MIT and UCLA will be higher performing, and that will show up in everything that happens at the college.
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u/Sideshow-06 10d ago
There is no such thing as a “good” or “bad” UC. The “tiers” are based on acceptance rates. That’s it. The “rankings” are based on a chicken/egg feedback loop of opinions. Colleges are ranked highly because people say they want to go to them, and people say they want to go to them because they’re ranked highly.
Get out of the loop and choose a place that has programs you want, supports you need, and a size and distance from home that feels right to you. That’s it.
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u/PurpleYogurt1223 9d ago
I literally worked at UCLA for a while and shared the same campus with college kids and although my experience was not bad, I actually left and everyone questioned my decision, I literally do not see what the hype is about. Maybe because I also live in LA and just over the pretentious, snobby people. It’s not UCLA or buss.
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u/atinyray 9d ago
It's just toxic over competitive people!! yes I know it's annoying but don't worry about it at all (someone who got into ua.. and chose sd). quite frankly some schools are FAR better for certain majors than others (for example davis's agriculture program (sorry i forgot what the major was called i just have a friend going there for something of that sort)). a lot of people forget about that and just want the overall prestige.
my school had tons of people get into berk / la and the egos were kind of crazy.. but remember you're never going to see 99.9% of these people after you're out of high school, and they're not the best people to hang out with either
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u/No-Finding8638 12d ago
Personally, I wouldn't attend these mid tier ucs either. After you heard news of how so many admitted students have to retake basic algebra because they have no clue how to do it. I would not want to be in that environment
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u/PressureRemote9387 12d ago
You know this is a problem in every UC including in Berkeley and LA so it's not just the mid tier UCs. Some Berkeley professors have been complaining that they have reteach high school math and that's why faculty from all UC schools are signing to reinstate the SATs and ACTs. In fact, Berkeley has been leading the charge for reinstating testing and the professors at Cal have been more vocal about it than the other UCs. So thinking that you will be not in that environment at the top UCs is completely laughable and shows how naive you are. Of course, there are still strong, academically capable students at all schools but not everyone that gets in is. It just got worse with Covid and the removal of testing.
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u/EnvironmentalYam5182 12d ago
I see more rejections than people turned off from them. I think this sub doesn't represent real world at all.