Questions about University of California

[Two]

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I have a couple questions about the University of California system. At this point in time, I am seriously considering transferring to a university in the system after I get my AA in psychology from my community college in Florida. I am currently on vacation in California and I have fallen in love with this state, especially San Diego.

Does UC Davis accept more applicants to their vet school that are in the general UC system or more from their own campus?Whoever is currently going to UC Davis, how is the town? To everyone going to other UC campuses, what are the pros and cons of your campus?

 

[moosenanny]

This link may provide you with some insight:

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/studentprograms/class_2014/pdfs/app_stats_2014.pdf

I was accepted to Davis as an IS student, but I'm the one person accepted from Washington University in St. Louis (a.k.a., I didn't go to college in CA).

Not only will your residency perhaps not change for vet school as cowgirla said, but it may be hard for you to get accepted even to a UC campus as an undergrad if you're not from CA.

 

[nyanko]

^^yeah, what my classmate said! 😀

UCSD is hard to get into, too, for undergrad as a transfer with an AA from out of state. Any of the schools in the UC system might be. Probably you'd have to live in the state first for a year, as cowgirla said, and establish residency before applying, even just for undergrad, not to mention vet school!

As far as Davis goes, it's not a lot like San Diego at all.

 

[hellohelloduh]

From what I remember when I went there for a soccer tournament a few years back, UC Davis is a cute, small college town and pretty much everyone has a bike. It also smells like cows (a lot of people call it Cow Town, haha).

UCSD is much more spread out and the town it's in, La Jolla, is mostly filled with older rich people, so there's not much of a college town feel to it. It's super close to the beach though! But if you like San Diego itself, it's probably not that similar to UCSD because UCSD technically isn't even in SD, lol.

I go to UCLA and absolutely love it. Westwood is super cute and the campus is beautiful and the weather is nice and the athletic program is amazing and ahhh I just love it here. Perfect balance of everything 🙂 If you have any questions, let me know!
It's not very difficult to transfer from a California community college.

UC Santa Barbara is a college town and very much into partying, haha. It's absolutely gorgeous though and very close to the beach as well.

Berkeley is kind of depressing in my opinion. The weather pretty much sucks, there are hobos everywhere, it's dirty, etc. lol. It's a very hippy/liberal town and it's quite unique so I guess you just have to see if it's for you. (I picked UCLA over Berkeley.)

UC Santa Cruz is starting to become more like Berkeley in the hippy sense. It's up in the mountains/woods kinda which is pretty if you're into that kinda thing. The actual city of Santa Cruz is adorable, and the beaches are nice.

UC Merced is in the middle of nowhere but it has really good facilities and teachers since it's new. It's pretty easy to get into.

UC Riverside is also pretty easy to get into. I don't really know much about it, though.

I think that's about it? You should also check out Cal Poly SLO...they have a good animal science department and San Luis Obispo is a super cute college town. Also, it's right near Pismo Beach, which is like, the coolest place ever - I loved ATVing in those sand dunes! 😀

 

[StartingoverVet]

Also, for budget reasons UC system is trying to accept more OOS students (undergrad) to raise revenue. The % of OOS increased this year and should continue to do so. It may be easier to get in now than it has been in the past. It is expensive for an OOS student though. Don't be deceived by the IS fees.

 

[Two]

The only reasons I was considering this idea was to get IS tuition fees for vet school and to have an easier time getting into Davis. My GPA is great and I think I will do well academically, but I don't think I will ever be on the same level as the people accepted to the school. The more I look into Davis, the more badly I want to go there. My IS school is UF, but my dream school is Davis.

 

[moosenanny]

Well, if you already have a strong GPA and have fulfilled Davis' pre-reqs, why consider going to a UC campus for more undergrad at all? Why not just move to CA and work for a year, thus guaranteeing residency for Davis? You can accumulate vet hours and strengthen your application during that year.

 

[moosenanny]

My GPA is great and I think I will do well academically, but I don't think I will ever be on the same level as the people accepted to the school.

You're making us sound super-human or something If you have a "great" GPA, a good GRE score, solid letters of recommendation, and varied vet experiences, what more could you ask for?

If you want, you can post some of your stats and people (including myself) will comment letting you know areas to improve upon, if any.

Also, I met with Davis admissions people right before applying, and they went over my application with me. They were really reassuring and let me know that I was a much stronger applicant than I gave myself credit for (the confidence boost definitely helped during my interview). If you can manage to visit the Davis area (which you should probably do if you're considering changing your residency status!!!), you should definitely meet with Kim O'Bryan and/or Yasmin Williams and they will provide priceless guidance.

 

[quantized]

It's not worth moving here unless you manage to change your residency which, as people have said, takes a year. The cost of living here is sky high and the odds of getting in as an OOS at Davis are pretty low...and really unless you don't get into your instate, I wouldn't pick an OOS over an IS, unless it was someplace cheap like Mizzou. The debt difference is huge. In any case even as IS schools go, Davis isn't the cheapest by a long shot. Rent in a meh 2/1 in Davis is well over $1k, we have 9.5% sales tax, and tuition is going to keep going up cause Cali is even more broke than I am (and I can't afford to fix my car's broken a/c or stereo).

As to getting residence after the first year, I think it can be done as long as you are financially independent. I don't think it's easy though, but if you are financially independent and diligent with your documentation, it can probably be done. I was looking at this page: http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/faq/residencefaq.htm

 

[fishbones]

Ouch, no love for Berkeley? It's not all hobos and dirt; it really depends on which part of town you're in. If you are a foodie, North Berkeley is the place to be! There's lots of great independently owned restaurants around campus, and the cold weather is a plus for me. Berkeley is covered in trees and hills and has a great public transportation system. I attended UCB and loved it there, even though the curriculum has was quite tough. The faculty are all amazingly passionate and helpful, and there are a ton of research opportunities. UCB is the only UC on the semester rather than the quarter system, so there's somewhat more time between tests. It is also the smallest UC campus (it takes roughly 20 minutes to walk from one end to another), making UCB more conducive to rallies and protests than the other campuses. Expect to see at least one or two of those every semester. There are some colorful figures that regularly come to campus, but all of them are harmless.

Compared to Berkeley, UCD is large and sprawling. It's very flat and the heat can get quite oppressive (over 100 degrees F). According to my brother who attends the school, the winters can get very cold and windy. He says the public transit system is very good. I've only been there a couple of times, but the town area seems nice and there are a lot of places to eat. The cows are relegated to one area, and I didn't smell anything from the undergrad campus. One of my friends who went to the undergrad school is absolutely crazy about it.

UCLA was too urban for my taste. I don't like large cities, and the traffic was terrifying. A friend who attended UCLA for her undergrad says the public transit stinks. LA has tons of great restaurants though.

UC Irvine has a sweet set up of concrete bridges that link their campus to supermarkets and restaurants. It's apparently a good place to find connections to the computer engineering industry.

UCSD has a huge campus and is supposedly very beautiful. It was cloudy when I visited, so I can't say for sure. The beach is very close to campus, so you can go surfing if you have the time. There is a lot of good food.

UC Merced is the newest UC campus. When I passed through two-three years ago, the town seemed lifeless and lacking in places to get food. I'm sure things have changed since then though.

The UC Santa Cruz area is beautiful, but it is a "party school" according to high school rumors.

I haven't been to UC Santa Barbara, but I have heard that the campus is quite isolated and that you need to drive out of the mountains to get food and supplies.

I'm sure you can all tell what I look for in a college town by now (food ).

Because the UC system has been facing a budget crisis of late, all the UC campuses have been admitting more OOS and international undergraduate students. I'm not sure if this also applies to the graduate school divisions.

If I remember correctly, Yasmin said they accept applicants based on their stats and IS status. They give no preference to their own undergrads or to students from other UC campuses.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, and good luck with your decision and endeavors.

 

[moosenanny]

Not to be rude, but I think providing personal opinions on each UC campus is a waste of time, and can become offensive to some people. It's sweet you guys are taking the trouble to type that all out, but do you really think the OP is going to move across the country and attend a university based on your 👍 or 👎 regarding food options, party reputation, and hobos???

If the OP is truly serious about becoming a CA resident, she probably should move here without attending school. Or, she can try to be accepted as an OOS student to either undergrad or grad programs. Regardless, she's going to have to do the research on her own, draw her own conclusions, and probably visit at least once or twice before truly committing to a move that is such a big deal.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Not to be rude, but I think providing personal opinions on each UC campus is a waste of time, and can become offensive to some people. It's sweet you guys are taking the trouble to type that all out, but do you really think the OP is going to move across the country and attend a university based on your 👍 or 👎 regarding food options, party reputation, and hobos???
.

Gee, and they call ME grumpy? The OP asked for opinions on 👍 or 👎 on the different campuses, so people are giving their thoughts. What's the harm? Certainly people in CA can give a lot better feedback than one random visit to a campus.

Hell, my only visit to UCDavis would have led me to believe it is miserable and rains all the time. Luckily I had other's opinions to disabuse me of that opinion.

 

[moosenanny]

I had a feeling some people would interpret my post as you did. I guess there isn't harm in it, but I think the OP needs to make this decision on her own after thorough research, and not based on short descriptions that are admittedly rumors.

Edit: I'm a very proud Californian and love the UC system, despite not having gone through it myself. It saddens me to see a sentence blurb that diminishes or dismisses an entire school because it is "gloomy" or "gorgeous."

 

[quantized]

If you didn't go to UC and only UC, then clearly your opinion is moot.

PS. Come to Davis earlier!

OP, the CSU schools aren't bad either. Some are better than others, but just remember that those official statistics on the UCDSVM page is for primary undergraduate institution. I did my prereqs at a CSU that doesn't have any acceptances on the stats. I feel sorta bad about that - it's a decent school but looks poop on that list because it had zero acceptances to Davis as it wasn't my primary school...my undergrad degree from 10 years ago got all the credit!

 

[Myotis]

OP, the CSU schools aren't bad either. Some are better than others, but just remember that those official statistics on the UCDSVM page is for primary undergraduate institution. I did my prereqs at a CSU that doesn't have any acceptances on the stats. I feel sorta bad about that - it's a decent school but looks poop on that list because it had zero acceptances to Davis as it wasn't my primary school...my undergrad degree from 10 years ago got all the credit!

I was just going to mention the CSU system. There are some great schools in the system, I'm currently attending a CSU. And they're cheaper than UC schools, which is a bonus.

Quantized, just out of curiosity, which CSU did you attend? My school has had a decent number of acceptances at UCD, but I'm worried about how it'll look to OOS schools

 

[hellohelloduh]

Ouch, no love for Berkeley?

haha sorry, like I said, Berkeley's not for everyone so the person needs to check it out to make sure that its unique environment is right for them! over 60 people from my graduating class went there, including some of my best friends, and a lot of them really hated it at first and now have "come to terms with it" or say "it's okay." Obviously it depends on personal experience but yeah. I'm definitely glad I picked UCLA - I've never met a single person here who doesn't absolutely love it. The actual UCLA area isn't urban at all, by the way...it's about the same/even less urban than Berkeley because Westwood is kind of a rich town, and it's small! and the actual UCLA campus isn't really integrated with LA at all, there's definitely a huge college campus vibe to it. And walking to class takes about 20 minutes as well so that's not a problem. But yeah, the public transportation is pretty ****ty, the only time I've ever used it was to get to Santa Monica (3rd street promenade and the beach and the pier = so pretty, although there are definitely nicer beaches around), Venice (which actually kind of has a Berkeley vibe), and to the Getty (which is free, yay!). sorry I'm writing so much haha but I absolutely looooove it here. (cost of living is pretty expensive though)

As for the describing the UCs type of thing, the OP did say "To everyone going to other UC campuses, what are the pros and cons of your campus?", sooo...yeah. Obviously it comes down to personal preference and you have to visit/do some research, but it's a good way to get some initial basic information.

 

[quantized]

I was just going to mention the CSU system. There are some great schools in the system, I'm currently attending a CSU. And they're cheaper than UC schools, which is a bonus.

Quantized, just out of curiosity, which CSU did you attend? My school has had a decent number of acceptances at UCD, but I'm worried about how it'll look to OOS schools

I did the post-bacc thing at sjsu. I never got any comments on it, and I got into all the schools I applied to but one, so I don't really think anyone cared about it. I can't really complain about the place except for one bad prof (but there are bad profs at the best of schools) and the budget cuts, which the school didn't have control over. I'm lucky I got into the post bacc there before the program was scrapped. It was inexpensive and close to my house and got me into vet school!

 

[Ausheya]

Man, I haven't heard a lot of the rumors in here since high school and everyone was talking about the different UCs.

I can give my opinion on UCSB, since that's where I'm currently attending.

Santa Barbara and Goleta (the latter of which is where the campus is actually located) are both really nice, in general. The campus is literally on the beach--a few of the freshman dorms have a view of the beach from the rooms--which is convenient if you like going to the beach. I'm from LA, so there are times when I feel like Santa Barbara is a little too small-town compared to where I grew up. No one who grew up in an actual small town will feel like this. It's a fairly good-sized city, my perceptions are just skewed. Things tend to close kind of early, except for in Isla Vista, the neighborhood right next to campus. I really like it here and would consider staying after graduation. The campus is not completely isolated and it's pretty easy getting anywhere you may want to go. I didn't have a car for the first two years and still managed fine. There are some things that I wish were closer or more convenient to get to. Public transportation is sort of okay, but some places require a transfer (or even two!) to get to. Having a car is way more convenient, but not entirely necessary.

Classes-wise: I like the professors. They're all really interested in the subjects they teach and totally willing to explain anything that may be unclear. The classes themselves are pretty fun, too, in my opinion. Not sure about the quality/rigor as compared to other UC campuses as I've never taken classes anywhere else.

I love the campus. It's really pretty, the right size (especially since I don't bike), and people in general are pretty friendly here. And, again, right on the beach.

Not gonna lie, though, I absolutely hate Isla Vista (better known as IV). It's far too loud on the weekends sometimes. I've been fortunate in that I've never lived in the main part of it and now I live in a different neighborhood of Goleta so it never affected me as much as it could. I'm not much of a partier by any stretch of the imagination, so sometimes I feel like I don't really fit in with some of my classmates, but most of the time I like everyone I meet. The majority of the time, I love being here.

If I could do it all again, though, I'd probably look into CSUs more. I fell into the "I've never heard of it so it's not important" mindset for the majority of them and didn't apply to any non-UC schools. You can get the same level of education for much less. All in all, I'd say do your research on the campuses and decide based on the opinions you form.

Wowww, I didn't mean for this to be so long. 😳

 

[Two]

Thanks for giving me your opinions guys, I really appreciate it. I'm only just starting out as a sophomore in community college, & I'll have my AA when the winter/spring semester ends. By the time I finish my AA, the only pre-req I will have done is CHM1045. I plan on taking an extra year in college to get everything done. (5 years instead of 4 years) Thanks again for all your help 🙂

 

[Minnerbelle]

UC Santa Cruz is starting to become more like Berkeley in the hippy sense.

I think Santa Cruz has well surpassed Berkeley in it's hippy-ness (at least in its student population). I don't think I've ever seen so many people in dreadlocks toked up and congregating on a picnic table in the woods as I did there! And the campground feel of the campus along with their banana slug mascot def adds to that.

 

[Myotis]

I think Santa Cruz has well surpassed Berkeley in it's hippy-ness (at least in its student population). I don't think I've ever seen so many people in dreadlocks toked up and congregating on a picnic table in the woods as I did there! And the campground feel of the campus along with their banana slug mascot def adds to that.

You should check out Humboldt State University if you think Santa Cruz is bad in the hippie department . Shoes are seen as unnecessary, dreadlocks are everywhere, unicycles are considered a normal mode of transportation, the town plaza always has at least one person dancing, hula hooping, or juggling in it, and we're located in the middle of the "emerald triangle". Our mascot is the Lumberjack, not very hippie, but still pretty random

 

[hellohelloduh]

I think Santa Cruz has well surpassed Berkeley in it's hippy-ness (at least in its student population). I don't think I've ever seen so many people in dreadlocks toked up and congregating on a picnic table in the woods as I did there! And the campground feel of the campus along with their banana slug mascot def adds to that.

haha, I guess. and their "first rain" naked runs and such. but Berkeley is still the original, SC is kind of recent. and Berkeley still probably has more crazy protests and such (tree man).

 

[fishbones]

@hellohelloduh--It's all good, everyone's allowed to have their own opinion! Anyways, it's good to see that we both love our own schools, and that's all that really matters.

@Two-- Good luck!