UC Davis vs UC San Diego as an undergrad

[Thundathighs]

I'm having a hard time deciding between the two schools for my undergrad. I applied as transfer student out of community college and I'm planning to go into Microbiology and Religious studies in a joint double major, but I don't exactly know how the program is like at either school since I don't have any friends that have majored in them. Can someone that's been to either school give some feedback about the professors/community there?

The end of this spring will be the end of my 3rd year and I'll be going to one of the two for Fall so what would you guys recommend? I'm pulling a 3.5 right now with a fairly strong science GPA, I'm just a bit slower at taking the classes than some. I'm a bit behind in math too seeing as how I haven't taken Calculus. Just looking for some feedbacks about the school and if one choice would be better than the other for me or not. Sorry if this is in the wrong forum by the way, I'm pretty new to the SDN (first post)!

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[JJMrK]

JMO, but La Jolla >> Davis. I'd go to UCSD, unless there is a cost difference.

 

[Thundathighs]

It's a bit pricier living in SD than in Davis in most cases. From what I've been reading and finding, the price is anywhere from 3k-4k difference/year between the schools. Financial aid couldn't possibly cover the entire cost of either place so I'll be taking out student loans.

 

[JJMrK]

It's a bit pricier living in SD than in Davis in most cases. From what I've been reading and finding, the price is anywhere from 3k-4k difference/year between the schools. Financial aid couldn't possibly cover the entire cost of either place so I'll be taking out student loans.

Even if you live in student housing?

If it were me, I'd go to UCSD unless it was going to cost more than 5 grand total. You'll have fun at both and get the classes you need.

 

[Appless]

same id go SD end of story. Unless you have some overriding reason to go to davis. You cant really compare the 2 areas. Both are fine schools but me personally, id go with the la jolla area over davis. I went to UCI for undergrad but in a lot of ways i wish i would have transferred to SD instead!

 

[rHinO1]

UCSD just opened some awesome transfer student housing. Some even have ocean views.

 

[the duck]

I'm in almost the exact same place, except its Davis or UCLA...Personally I'm not a huge fan of the UCSD campus, I also hear the social scene isn't all that hopping at UCSD...and Davis there are tons of cool cows to hang out with

 

[TyrKinase]

I'm going to buck the trend and say Davis.

A little background: I attended UC San Diego straight out of high school and thought it'd be great: beach just down the street, mountains not too far away and weekend trips to Mexico if necessary. I'm from a smaller southern California beach town so I thought I'd feel right at home in La Jolla.

Fast forward nine months and I couldn't wait to leave. The fragmented nature of the college systems meant that each community was it's own enclave. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the fantastic selling point UCSD makes it out to be. The 'vibe' on campus, for lack of a better term, was also off-putting. It was incredibly competitive in a cut-throat, no-you-can't-ask-me-what-the-professor-just-said way. Perhaps you're suited for that kind of environment, but I certainly wasn't. La Jolla isn't much of a college town, and the housing prices definitely reflect that.

I ended up not returning to UCSD (grades were not stellar but I wasn't on academic probation or anything) and instead opted to attend a community college for a year. I applied to transfer all over and ended up attending UC Davis, a school I was accepted to as an applicant in high school. I wasn't thrilled about going to Davis for the usual reasons (small town, not close to bigger cities except Sacramento, perceived lower status than UCSD) but in retrospect, it is easily one of the best decisions I've ever made.

The community is phenomenal and is incredibly student-friendly. There are countless opportunities to do pre-med stuff (six student-run clinics, a great advising center, lots of clubs), great facilities (the Arc is the athletic center and it's about 6 years old), relatively inexpensive housing, and top-notch faculty. It's about an hour from Berkeley/SF and 2.5 hours to Tahoe.

Further anecdotes: of the six people who started at UCSD from my high school class, only one person graduated. Four transferred and one quit school all together, and those who left cited similar reasons to those which I've shared.

TL;DR: Davis is great, don't write it off until you get a feel for what's actually going on there because UCSD isn't all it's cracked up to be.

 

[Appless]

I'm going to buck the trend and say Davis.

A little background: I attended UC San Diego straight out of high school and thought it'd be great: beach just down the street, mountains not too far away and weekend trips to Mexico if necessary. I'm from a smaller southern California beach town so I thought I'd feel right at home in La Jolla.

Fast forward nine months and I couldn't wait to leave. The fragmented nature of the college systems meant that each community was it's own enclave. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the fantastic selling point UCSD makes it out to be. The 'vibe' on campus, for lack of a better term, was also off-putting. It was incredibly competitive in a cut-throat, no-you-can't-ask-me-what-the-professor-just-said way. Perhaps you're suited for that kind of environment, but I certainly wasn't. La Jolla isn't much of a college town, and the housing prices definitely reflect that.

I ended up not returning to UCSD (grades were not stellar but I wasn't on academic probation or anything) and instead opted to attend a community college for a year. I applied to transfer all over and ended up attending UC Davis, a school I was accepted to as an applicant in high school. I wasn't thrilled about going to Davis for the usual reasons (small town, not close to bigger cities except Sacramento, perceived lower status than UCSD) but in retrospect, it is easily one of the best decisions I've ever made.

The community is phenomenal and is incredibly student-friendly. There are countless opportunities to do pre-med stuff (six student-run clinics, a great advising center, lots of clubs), great facilities (the Arc is the athletic center and it's about 6 years old), relatively inexpensive housing, and top-notch faculty. It's about an hour from Berkeley/SF and 2.5 hours to Tahoe.

Further anecdotes: of the six people who started at UCSD from my high school class, only one person graduated. Four transferred and one quit school all together, and those who left cited similar reasons to those which I've shared.

TL;DR: Davis is great, don't write it off until you get a feel for what's actually going on there because UCSD isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I have heard this soooooo many times from UCSD students, especially about the cutthroat insane psychos that are pre meds there...I guess that is one thing to consider. UCD is likely where im going for med school and i must say its a lot better then people give it credit for. As far as a pre med goes its def going to be less competitive and the student clinics there are simply something that wont be at many schools. Davis has some really unique ones that encompass both med students and undergrads in a lot of great ways where you can gain great experiences. The location of UCSD just was always a huge draw to me. But student wise, I always hear that UCD is great from everyone who goes and that the students there are just happier then some of the "prestigious" UCs like SD/ berkeley / LA. At the 3 main UCs that are "prestigious" i always hear students complaining about how horrible it is...while at the ones like UCI, UCD, UCSB, i hear how much better they like it there. Maybe something to consider OP. I know while UCI wasnt my favorite, the time i spent here was good in that it was relatively stress free (especially compared to friends at the big UCs), and that i met a lot of great people. Im not sure i could have said the same going to a place like SD.

 

[rHinO1]

I have heard this soooooo many times from UCSD students, especially about the cutthroat insane psychos that are pre meds there...I guess that is one thing to consider. UCD is likely where im going for med school and i must say its a lot better then people give it credit for. As far as a pre med goes its def going to be less competitive and the student clinics there are simply something that wont be at many schools. Davis has some really unique ones that encompass both med students and undergrads in a lot of great ways where you can gain great experiences. The location of UCSD just was always a huge draw to me. But student wise, I always hear that UCD is great from everyone who goes and that the students there are just happier then some of the "prestigious" UCs like SD/ berkeley / LA. At the 3 main UCs that are "prestigious" i always hear students complaining about how horrible it is...while at the ones like UCI, UCD, UCSB, i hear how much better they like it there. Maybe something to consider OP. I know while UCI wasnt my favorite, the time i spent here was good in that it was relatively stress free (especially compared to friends at the big UCs), and that i met a lot of great people. Im not sure i could have said the same going to a place like SD.

I just wanted to quote this b/c people usually don't like to include my school (ucsd) with the other two. Thanks

 

[Appless]

I just wanted to quote this b/c people usually don't like to include my school (ucsd) with the other two. Thanks

lol i thought id throw it in there as most freshmen/high school students tend to think like this when applying....


UCB>>>>UCLA>>UCSD>UCI/UCSB>>>>Any UC that will take me/Community college. Honestly if i could do it all over again id probably go to UCSB and live it up haha....though id likely not be in med school because of it...but id have loved college a hell of alot more . For the most part no one cares where you go to undergrad, so you might as well go where you can have the most fun, based on that i think UCSB probably > all

 

[Thundathighs]

I'm going to buck the trend and say Davis.

A little background: I attended UC San Diego straight out of high school and thought it'd be great: beach just down the street, mountains not too far away and weekend trips to Mexico if necessary. I'm from a smaller southern California beach town so I thought I'd feel right at home in La Jolla.

Fast forward nine months and I couldn't wait to leave. The fragmented nature of the college systems meant that each community was it's own enclave. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the fantastic selling point UCSD makes it out to be. The 'vibe' on campus, for lack of a better term, was also off-putting. It was incredibly competitive in a cut-throat, no-you-can't-ask-me-what-the-professor-just-said way. Perhaps you're suited for that kind of environment, but I certainly wasn't. La Jolla isn't much of a college town, and the housing prices definitely reflect that.

I ended up not returning to UCSD (grades were not stellar but I wasn't on academic probation or anything) and instead opted to attend a community college for a year. I applied to transfer all over and ended up attending UC Davis, a school I was accepted to as an applicant in high school. I wasn't thrilled about going to Davis for the usual reasons (small town, not close to bigger cities except Sacramento, perceived lower status than UCSD) but in retrospect, it is easily one of the best decisions I've ever made.

The community is phenomenal and is incredibly student-friendly. There are countless opportunities to do pre-med stuff (six student-run clinics, a great advising center, lots of clubs), great facilities (the Arc is the athletic center and it's about 6 years old), relatively inexpensive housing, and top-notch faculty. It's about an hour from Berkeley/SF and 2.5 hours to Tahoe.

Further anecdotes: of the six people who started at UCSD from my high school class, only one person graduated. Four transferred and one quit school all together, and those who left cited similar reasons to those which I've shared.

TL;DR: Davis is great, don't write it off until you get a feel for what's actually going on there because UCSD isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Wow thanks a lot! This was exactly the kind of information that I was looking for. I was leaning towards San Diego simply because it was near the ocean, but what you said about Davis sounds exactly like what I'm looking for in a school. Did you happen to live on campus and if so how was that like for you?

Thanks for replying everyone you guys are giving me wonderful information! Please keep the posts coming!

 

[brynleerose]

I am a UC Davis undergrad and absolutely love it here. I previously went to a fancy ivy league school for a year and a half before I had to take time off and transfer due to some medical problems. I am ten times happier at Davis. It is a great place to be premed. You can get all As much more easily than at a more competitive school and you won't go crazy doing it. There are lots of opportunities for research, hospital and clinic internships, student-run clinics, etc. Get involved in the student clinics as soon as you can, you get to work closely with doctors and medical students up to every weekend. The people are really friendly, too! I am very happy with my choice and I don't hear of many wanting to transfer often. Hope that helps.

 

[d1ony5u5]

I went to UCSD, and I'll have to agree with what others have said. If social scene and smooth sailing is what you are after, UCSD might not be the best option. However, if you want a lot of competition and really good research opportunities (for which you'll have to compete with a lot of others), UCSD fits the bill...

I know I'm not making the best case for UCSD, but it really comes down to that. It's a good place for tough academics, and also nice scenery if you are willing to pay the La Jolla prices. Ummm, oh, weather is really nice almost year-round.

 

[Pwny]

I'm a UC Davis student, so I can't be objective/vouch for SD. Instead, I can tell you a little more about Davis. I hope I'm not repeating what was said before. Ah, most likely I will, as the previous posters covered most of it!

While Davis might not have that ocean view, we do have a lot of resources. We have a great Internship and Career Center where students can sign up for clinical internships and get advising. We also have a large pre-med body on campus, and although it may get competitive at times, we're also a very relaxed group. You can tell how we are by the number of health-oriented clubs that encourage students interested in a health career to get to know each other and build lasting relationships. I continually find this to be a great support system.

We also have the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and several other hospitals you can volunteer at, like Sutter Davis, Sutter General, Shriner's, etc. They're all around the area, and although some are in Sac, we have buses that makes hourly trips to and from Sac and the campus. The ride is about 30-40 minutes one way, but the internship and clinical experience you'll get is worth it. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for our UC Davis Health System, and all the opportunities I was able to take advantage of because of it.

We also have quite a few student-run clinics (Paul Hom, VN Cares, Shifa Clinic, Clinica Tepati, Bayanihan Clinic, Imani Clinic, Willow Clinic) that are very active and provide culturally sensitive health care in a comfortable environment. Although other campuses also have student-run clinics, I have to agree with what was said before in this thread about them- I'm often told that what we have here is unique to Davis because students have a close level of interaction between patients, medical students, and physicians. If you do choose Davis, try to apply and get involved ASAP. It personally took me a year and quite a few rejections before I applied to the right clinic and it chose me back .

I hope this was a tad helpful, and if you still don't know which to choose, Picnic Day is this Saturday .

 

[prettylady]

beach > cows

 

[Thundathighs]

I'm a UC Davis student, so I can't be objective/vouch for SD. Instead, I can tell you a little more about Davis. I hope I'm not repeating what was said before. Ah, most likely I will, as the previous posters covered most of it!

While Davis might not have that ocean view, we do have a lot of resources. We have a great Internship and Career Center where students can sign up for clinical internships and get advising. We also have a large pre-med body on campus, and although it may get competitive at times, we're also a very relaxed group. You can tell how we are by the number of health-oriented clubs that encourage students interested in a health career to get to know each other and build lasting relationships. I continually find this to be a great support system.

We also have the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and several other hospitals you can volunteer at, like Sutter Davis, Sutter General, Shriner's, etc. They're all around the area, and although some are in Sac, we have buses that makes hourly trips to and from Sac and the campus. The ride is about 30-40 minutes one way, but the internship and clinical experience you'll get is worth it. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for our UC Davis Health System, and all the opportunities I was able to take advantage of because of it.

We also have quite a few student-run clinics (Paul Hom, VN Cares, Shifa Clinic, Clinica Tepati, Bayanihan Clinic, Imani Clinic, Willow Clinic) that are very active and provide culturally sensitive health care in a comfortable environment. Although other campuses also have student-run clinics, I have to agree with what was said before in this thread about them- I'm often told that what we have here is unique to Davis because students have a close level of interaction between patients, medical students, and physicians. If you do choose Davis, try to apply and get involved ASAP. It personally took me a year and quite a few rejections before I applied to the right clinic and it chose me back .

I hope this was a tad helpful, and if you still don't know which to choose, Picnic Day is this Saturday .

Thanks a lot for listing the clinic names! I've already gone ahead and found more information about them. I really wouldn't have had any idea where to start looking without your help! Jumping from a community college into the UC system is like taking hold of a new life lol. If someone has some information regarding similar programs in San Diego I'm very interested in that as well.

Also, does anyone know if there are physician shadowing opportunities at either campus? I only know of the SCOPE program based at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center here in San Jose.

 

[TyrKinase]

Did you happen to live on campus and if so how was that like for you?

I lived in an on-campus apartment during my first year at UCD as a transfer student. This worked out reasonably well, as I met a lot of good people that I've kept in touch with since. After my first year, I moved out and lived in South Davis, which is very reasonably priced and about a 10 minute bike ride to campus.

I hope this was a tad helpful, and if you still don't know which to choose, Picnic Day is this Saturday .

I knew I forgot something! I live in New Orleans now, but I was seriously considering returning to Davis this weekend just to experience another Picnic Day. UCSD may have Sun God in May, but Picnic Day takes the cake.

Also, does anyone know if there are physician shadowing opportunities at either campus?

Physician shadowing seems to be the kind of thing you can do just about anywhere, so long as there are a reasonable number of physicians in the area. I wouldn't worry about that fact when picking between schools. That being said, I know Davis' Health Sciences Advising office can point you in the right direction.

 

[killinsound]

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[rHinO1]

I'm a non-trad so I can't speak to UCSD's social scene since I never lived on campus. However I have lived in SD most of my life and I love it here. It is a great place to live with a lot of things to do.

A couple of programs that UCSD offers that I've taken advantage of are the Faculty Mentorship Program (for research) and the HMP3 Mentorship program (for physician shadowing/mentoring). The FMP program is 2 consecutive quarters of independent research for 8 total credits. You will work in the same lab both quarters with a faculty mentor (every year ~20 students do a program in the ER doing clinical research). The first quarter you will learn to write a research proposal. Second quarter you will write a research paper and do a 15 minute presentation at the FMP symposium. I had a great experience and am still working in the same lab 1.5 years later. I get 4 credits for independent research each quarter and am paid over the summer.

The HMP3 Mentorship program lets you select a mentor from a list of ~50 doctors M.D./D.O (they also have nurses, dentists, PA's, and public health folks). The mentorship is 1, 3, or 6 visits and you can do more if you arrange it with your mentor. I did the 3 visits and the first day we met and talked about my mentors specialty, medicine as a career, and he gave me advice about getting accepted to medical school. The other 2 visits I shadowed him as he saw patients. Really easy way to get some shadowing and good advice. I had a very positive experience, especially b/c my mentor volunteered to do the program b/c he was looking to help someone and enjoyed teaching.

UCSD also has agreements with research facilities near by, like Salk, Neurosciences institute, & Scripps reseach institute. We also have 3 hospitals that border the campus and get shuttle service. There is also a 4th hospital less than 2 miles away (where I work). Plenty of volunteer opportunities. If you want a paid job, I would suggest getting an EMT/CNA cert over the summer after you graduate HS. It is much easier to get a paid hospital job if you have some type of certification.

People talk about how UCSD is "cut-throat" and has no social scene. Well here is a list of the most popular majors at these 3 schools per US News and World report:

UCLA: 9% poly sci & gov

UCD: 10% psychology, 6% biology

UCSD: 21% biology

Almost 1/4 of the students here at UCSD are biology majors. It is a damanding major which contributes to the lack of a social scene. With that much competition there are always going to be people at the lower end of the curve that feel it is "cut-throat." My experience has been that if I work hard then I do extremely well. The same people who think it is "cut-throat" here may be the same people who complain about having to get up early for class after drinking all weekend. Maybe it is the same people who cram for exams and skip class then complain about their poor grades (there are alot of these people, especially considering they are 3rd/4th years and probably should have changed majors by now). I don't know, all I'm saying is MAYBE it is the same people.

 

[VooDooo327]

Bio here at UCLA is pretty cake IMHO. Might be different in SD?

 

[rHinO1]

Bio here at UCLA is pretty cake IMHO. Might be different in SD?

I wouldn't say biology is tougher than physics, math, chemistry (for example). However, at UCSD we have 6 different biology majors. General biology & ecology are probably the easiest and biochem & molecular bio are the toughest. Neuroscience is probably in the middle, and human bio can go either way depending on which electives you pick (but it is pretty tough too). The major you pick makes a big difference, for example classes like molecular biology, immunolgy, cell biology, & metabolic biochem are much tougher than Marine Biology or animal behavior.

 

[alibai3ah]

I am too lazy to quote everyone but I felt like I could provide you with some info....

1) To the post above, UCSD is not "prestigious". It should not be put in the same category as Berkeley and UCLA, so OP don't go there with the false belief that it is. However, it is more well-respected than UCD, Irvine, UCSB.

2) To the guy who is choosing between UCLA vs UC Davis. Pick UCLA. You are not in the same situation as the OP, as UCLA is a significantly more social/college towny atmosphere than UCSD. Students may be cut throat, but its well compensated for with its prestige, sports, santa monica, nice clubs, bars, etc. (Stuff that UCSD may be lacking).

I went to UC Davis and I absolutely loved it. But I'm not gonna lie, I was initially worried for the same reasons....small town, etc. But after I got there, I realized the experience is really what you make of it. If you have friends, you will have a blast. If you don't, you won't last a month. Same goes with UCSD...I know people that are happy there, but many are also unhappy.

Between UCSD and Davis, I might go with Davis. CHances are higher that you may end up with a better GPA. They are endless opportunities and less crazy pre-meds to fight with them for. Although UCSD has crazy awesome oppportunities in the biotech field. La Jolla is beautiful, but I do think that would fade out after a while. Davis has its fair share of activities. Tahoe for LOTS of snowboarding/skinning. You can go out in Sac or stay the night over in SF.

Again just b/c lots of people are miserable at UCSD, doesn't mean you will be. Do some research, visit the schools, and get a feel for it. You may end up liking UCSD much more. Good luck!! Both schools will get you into medical school if you do well.

 

[bringindafunk]

I went to UCLA, so I thought I'd get that out of the way. My brother went to UC Davis and a lot of friends went to UCSD. I've been to both schools.

Davis will offer you a great college town. Hands down it is better than La Jolla for undergrads. The campus and town cater to students. Cheap good food. Lots of fun etc. If you want to surf or be at the beach then obviously you should go to UCSD but if you were just looking for a great college experience I would chose UC Davis. People who went there for undergrad or grad programs told me professors are easily accessible there, whereas I haven't heard that about UCSD. Might be easier to get a great letter of rec at Davis.

Just my 2 cents. God I'm going to miss California in med school

In other news... considering how stupid rankings are... I though I'd add this one for your consideration. http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-11/the-100-happiest-colleges/#

UCD not doing too bad. Definitely agree with my alma mater being up there

 

[killinsound]

edit

 

[JJMrK]

Sorry, I may have not clearly written what I was trying to say.

I was trying to say

Berkeley is to UCSD

as UCSD is to UC davis.

berkeley > ucsd > uc davis

Saying that, I think UCSD and UCLA are pretty damn comparable. The only difference is recognition in the sports arena. UCLA is more well known among people who are not in academia, but within academia UCSD is seen on the same level (for science). Berkeley beats both.

That sounds about right.

 

[Superman DO]

I transfered into UCSD, soooo I guess I should express my experience:

When I think about UCSD right now, the first thing that comes to mind is. . .I cannot wait to get out of this freakin place!! Of course, I am going to assume that many college seniors are feeling the same way right before they are about to graduate. As some others have said, the social scene really really reallyyyyy sucks on campus, and I have found it hard to make any good friends. The students seem a bit clickish as they seem to only be friends with the same posse they met while they were freshman (or perhaps they are repulsed by a guy from the South??). That being said, San Diego itself is a really awesome city with some really cool individuals. All of my friends are outside the realm of UCSD, and remember that SDSU is right across the city if you want a better college social scene (just remember to wear your STD gasmask =P). The bars are great, good food everywhere, beaches are nice.. . leisure life, when you get a chance to enjoy it, is definitely an A+.

As for the education, I really think it is phenomenal, at least in the Biology dept. All my professors have been absolutely amazing, and they reallyyyy know their stuff; however, good luck trying to get productive time out of office hours as the sameeeee people in the class are always swarming the professors' desks. You will work hard for your A, but it will be worth it if you are actually wanting to learn instead of just get a degree. I have not met any cut-throat pre-meds (though, there are a ton of pre-meds running around); however, I have met many of the stereotypical pre-meds that can get annoying sometimes. Again, education is really superb and I think that should be everyone's reason for choosing a college (just my opinion).

And finally, just some miscellaneous stuff: I hate library walk. I cannot walk down or across library walk without being asked to donate money to some charity or given some kind of flyer to attend some stupid event. I've learned that if I am heading down the pathway though just listen to my ipod with my hands in my pocket and they do not bother me anymore. Jesus guy can be pretty annoying at times when I have to walk past him a few times a day. It is funny to see people arguing with him though. Everyone besides me seems to be in a frat/sorority. I don't understand it cause I personally thing Greek societies are quite ******ed (no offense to anybody in a frat or sorority). Parking absolutely sucks. . .freshman should not be allowed to park on campus!! Their cars just sit there day after day when they can be used by commuters (I live in East County, soooo I have no choice but to commute). I think the campus is really nice though, especially this time of year. It makes for some great sun soaking while studying outside. And the beach is right next door. . you cannot get better than that.

Overall, I would probably give UCSD an A-. I have received a really great and challenging education, but the social scene, like everyone already knows, definitely needs improvement. I wish the students were more out-going and friendlier. But that part can definitely be made up with the rest of what San Diego has to offer. Finally, don't even think about coming to UCSD unless you are racist. . . just sayin! =) (jk).

 

[TheCloser]

beach > cows

Lol, why do cow's get such a bad rap? When I was a freshman at Davis the so-cal kids were fascinated with the cows next to campus and would go watch them for hours.

Both Davis and SD are great schools although I think the main debate here is location. I came from the central valley so I didn't think Davis was so bad and actually liked the small town feel. The only thing you need to worry about in Davis is waking up and finding out your bike was stolen. The only UC I would advise people not to attend is UCMerced.

 

[alibai3ah]

Saying that, I think UCSD and UCLA are pretty damn comparable. The only difference is recognition in the sports arena. UCLA is more well known among people who are not in academia, but within academia UCSD is seen on the same level (for science). Berkeley beats both.

I disagree with this. I think UCLA has FAR greater recognition at the international level and carries much greater prestige. UCLA and Berkeley in my opinion are comparable and almost the same. Here are Cal, UCLA, UCSD, Davis rankings (21,24,36,42)

I would put UCSD in its own tier. Kinda like
UCLA & Berkeley> UCSD> UC Davis,UCI, UCSB

EDIT: On a side note, if we are talking about medical school. That is completely different, b/c then they are similar....

 

[killinsound]

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[Thundathighs]

Thanks to everyone that posted! After considering what both school offers and some personal financial/situation limitations I've decided on choosing Davis. I appreciate all the input you've all given me and it has indeed helped me in making my decision.

Hopefully I'll be seeing some of you Aggies this Fall! A moderator can close this thread too if necessary!

Thanks again everyone!