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The Facts

Despite its reputation as the ultimate party school, UCSB manages to maintain surprisingly high academic standards. The school is known internationally as a prime research institution, and its modern facilities house eight national research centers, providing students with exceptional opportunities in the fields of science and engineering. UCSB is not the largest of the research institutions, however, they house approximately 16,985 undergraduates, so naturally, introductory courses tend to be quite large. There is a student to faculty ratio of 19:1, typical for most state schools.

The Class of 2004 consisted of about 3,649 students chosen out of the 34,022 that applied. It’s admissions policies are comparable to the other schools in the UC system, and are just as tough, if not more. The class had a combined average SAT score ranging from 1090 to 1300, and a combined ACT score ranging anywhere from 22 to 27.

The sciences are the strongest of programs by far at UCSB, especially after the school received a $300 million grant to start a nanosystems institute in conjunction with UCLA. It is a powerhouse for majors such as biology, engineering, nanoscience and pharmacology, making it a school of choice for many pre-med majors.

The school is in the beach town of Santa Barbara, California, which heightens its draw with an incredible setting to compliment the strong academics.

The Social Scene

UCSB is a notorious party school, and many students come to the university and do more partying than studying. The university even has its own beach available for surfing, volleyball, and of course, sun bathing. Students often complain there is a total lack of quality on camps housing, so most students opt for the pricey apartment in Isla Vista, where the party is raging all day and all night. Many students claim that they never miss a night of drinking, and all you have to do to find a party is walk down the street. However, the administration has recently begun to seriously confront the often danger-ridden party scene, so perhaps UCSB’s reputation won’t hold up through the years.

There is definitely a Greek scene at UCSB, with over 18% of the student population opting to join a fraternity or sorority. The overwhelming presence of the Greeks is a big draw for many students, and the rush-season is a crazy time at UCSB. Sports are not as popular as one would think, and many students say that they would rather head down to UCLA to catch a good game.

Many students also complain that the population is all blond and blue eyed, and many are former teenyboppers who just want to have a good time.

If you are infatuated with Britney Spears and/or Justin Timberlake, expect to be pleased with the dating scene at UCSB.

What’s Good

“The sciences here are incredible, and most of the teachers aren’t just professors, but actually work in the fields they teach.”

“After an annoying class, you can just head down to the beach and go for a surf.”

“There is always a party happening, literally at all times of the day and night. It’s fabulous!”

What’s Bad

“If you don’t like drinking or partying, there is absolutely nothing to do.”

“Everyone here looks exactly the same, and they only care about themselves. It’s a lot of little teenyboppers with their parent’s money to blow.”

“The classes are enormous, and it can be really difficult to get in personal contact with a professor if you have questions or concerns.”

Read a personal account of a first year student's experience at UC Santa Barbara

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