UC Davis Admission
UC Davis Undergraduate Program
UC Davis Application

The Facts

University of California Davis is located in California’s Central Valley, a rather rural area that prompted the nickname “University Farm School.” However, UC Davis is now a recognized as a major research institution. Over 50% of their students work on some form of research project during their studies at Davis.

UC Davis offers more than 100 undergraduate majors within their colleges of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Letters and Science. Some of the strongest majors include agriculture, engineering, biology, and a new program for viticulture and enology, which is the science of grape-growing and wine making, something distinct of California’s Central Valley.

The Class of 2004 had 96% ranked within the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average GPA of 3.72. They had a combined average SAT ranging from 1080 to 1300 and a combined cumulative ACT score average ranging from 21 to 27. Admission within the University of California system is notoriously competitive, with UC Davis being no exception. Even though many students turn their noses up at the rural setting, last year there were still over 32,500 applicants with 19,367 admitted.

The Social Scene

UC Davis campus is the largest in California at a mammoth 5,300 acres. The campus isn’t really old or beautiful like some of the other schools, but students insist that once you actually walk around the campus, it isn’t too shabby. The surrounding nature is beautiful enough that the appearance of the buildings doesn’t really matter. Many students have bicycles to help them get around rather than cars out of concern for their delicate environment. The university also has an extensive bus system that occasionally journeys to Sacramento, which is only 15 miles away from Davis.

Housing is only guaranteed for freshmen, however, students say that off-campus housing is very popular as the apartments in Davis tend to be cheaper than the dorms. However, there are variously themed dorms such as a sports dorm, an international dorm, and a Latino dorm.

The actual town of Davis is pretty sleepy, but it does have its fair share of interest residents that are known for their conservation efforts and environmental activism. There are the inevitable dorm parties, however, it seems that the Greeks really govern the social scene, especially after one the Jewish-interest sororities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi, was featured on an MTV reality show called “Sorority Life.” However, most students claim that drinking really isn’t that big of an issue on campus, and that most students only consume 0-3 drinks per week.

Both guys and girls tend to be kind of earthy and hippy, so if this is your bag and you don’t mind the stench of cow manure, go for it!

What’s Good

“The campus is set in some of the most beautiful nature in the world, and everyone here is really aware of that and wants to conserve it as much as possible.”

“Everyone is really really laid back and friendly, and will help you out whenever they notice you might be struggling.”

“What other school has a major for winemaking? It’s fantastic, and not bad when it comes to studying (i.e. drinking wine….)”

What’s Bad

“There is really nothing to do in Davis besides hug trees and tip cows.”

“The classes are massive and you begin to feel pretty anonymous pretty quickly.”

“A lot of people here don’t really take academics very seriously, they would rather be doing other things.”

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