University of California-San Diego Top Questions

The school has really great location. If you are really into the California beach scene, it's definitely a superior choice. However, the school is overall a bubble and there are not much to explore in the school neighborhood or San Diego as a whole.

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I think it's a great university with many active students. Great athletic and academic facilities and beautiful weather and nature. Public transit and access to the city is weak but there is one free shuttle and a free bus system to the city. There's some school pride and no college town but there's a lot of activities on campus!

Personally I could not be happier with UCSD. Proximity to expansive white sand beaches, warm weather, good food and many different areas to explore keep the school exciting. From Gaslamp district, to Downtown, to Mission Bay and the mountains to the east, there is something in San Diego for everyone, and I am a firm believer that its almost impossible to be bored if you go to school here. On the downside there is not very much school pride, as we have no football team, but this can be assuaged by the sheer number of groups on campus. If you are passionate about something, its easy to get connected with people that share your passion. Did I mention that world famous Black's Beach and Torrey Pines State Reserve / Golf Course are walking distance from campus? If thats not enough, both Surfer Magazine and Surfline have rated UCSD consistently number 1 or number 2 surf colleges in the continental United States. Go UCSD Surf Team!

Great spirit, it is an upcoming academic and athletic power, which is still evolving

UCSD is a great university! I love the environment and the people. They teachers are accessable and very helpful. It is a beautiful and inspiring campus.

UCSD is an excellent school education-wise. Although the class sizes are noticeably large for undergraduate lower division classes (as compared to more prestigious private universities) I don't feel cheated. The town of La Jolla, as well as San Diego proper, is very lively: there are plenty of restaurants, tourist destinations, and things to do. Students here get free bus passes to the city buses that have any stops on campus, and a couple go as far as 20-30 miles from campus to downtown San Diego. Of course, being a large campus, it does take a significant time to get from one class to another, and considering how hilly the area is, sometimes bicycles and skateboards still aren't the easiest methods of transportation. Regardless, that is merely a minor complaint. parking on campus is a bit of a hassle, but there is very little need for a car for undergraduates since there are many resources on campus and the aforementioned buses go to grocery/convenience stores as well as a nearby mall (again, this is free to all students with an ID card).

I chose UCSD to have a good balance between challenging academics, enjoyable relaxation, and making great memories. And if that's what you come for, that's what you get. As the third best UC, as rated by Forbes, don't expect to have it easy here especially with having lectures 250 students deep. However, plenty of help that is easily accessible is offered all over campus. UCSD is definitely your typical SoCal college experience though. The beach is never more than 10 minutes away and the surrounding area is FILLED with your peers. Unfortunately, UCSD has also had its share of controversy - particularly some racial issues - but, this year Chancellor Fox did a great job enhancing the school's diversity and it truly is a great thing to start seeing a multicultural melting pot take place at our school. I should also come clean and say that if you are looking for a school with a lot of school pride, that is not one of the qualities UCSD is known for. While we do have excellent athletics for our division, the kind of spirit at other campuses like ASU or UC Berkeley won't be found here; however, UCSD has a million more attractive qualities.

I chose UCSD to have a good balance between challenging academics, enjoyable relaxation, and making great memories. And if that's what you come for, that's what you get. As the third best UC, as rated by Forbes, don't expect to have it easy here especially with having lectures 250 students deep. However, plenty of help that is easily accessible is offered all over campus. UCSD is definitely your typical SoCal college experience though. The beach is never more than 10 minutes away and the surrounding area is FILLED with your peers. Unfortunately, UCSD has also had its share of controversy - particularly some racial issues - but, this year Chancellor Fox did a great job enhancing the school's diversity and it truly is a great thing to start seeing a multicultural melting pot take place at our school. I should also come clean and say that if you are looking for a school with a lot of school pride, that is not one of the qualities UCSD is known for. While we do have excellent athletics for our division, the kind of spirit at other campuses like ASU or UC Berkeley won't be found here; however, UCSD has a million more attractive qualities.

Oh god, this is going to be long... To be honest, UCSD was not my first choice, and that was the general consensus of the people in my dorm. UCSD was my second choice, where my first choice was USC. But then as the years passed, I gave UCSD a chance, and I really enjoy it here. I met great friends, received great opportunities, and created many cherished memories with the events hosted here. If you're into the more underground, indie music, there's a lot of those concerts here with Copeland, ra ra riot, and much more. Then there's SUN GOOOOOD!!!! hahaha And from what I hear, UCSD has started to rank really fast for a really young school, so that pretty impressive. haha I'd say if you were trying to go into science come here. We have a really solid science and research programs here, and our neuroscience is pretty legit too. That's why I came here. (I'm a neuroscience major.) Last I heard, we have Einstein's brain too! yee yee! I'm not sure if we still do though. haha Also our psychology is pretty awesome too, Ramachandran teaches here from time to time. (I'm also a psychology major.) For me the school is just right, but I've heard others complain it was too big. Parents and adults are usually pretty impressed that I go to UCSD, but I don't know if they are pretending it's impressive or not. But I do remember going to Santa Barbara, and talking to a Gaucho there. He was a Math & Poli Sci double major, and he was talking about how he believed that there were tiers in the UCs, there It's like UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCSD in the first tier, and the second tier was like UCI, UCSC, and UCSB, and then the rest are third tiers. But for me though, I'm just proud to be here, and kinda don't really care what other people think. I'm getting the education I need. I spend most of my time in Sun God Lounge, but others spend it in Geisel Library and PC (Price Center, basically our food court.) The reason why I spend my time in Sun God Lounge is because I'm in a co-ed fraternity, and that's where all the meetings are. So I just hang out in there and run into my bros. haha But there's always other groups of people surfing on the computer and reading or even taking a nap on the couches. haha! Oh, I also remember going to the commuter lounge in Peppercanyon Hall during finals week, and some dude gave me his blanket as I napped. hahahaha It was super nice. I know that there's this club called MACOKE that hangs out in there a lot. They were all really chill, nerdy, nice, and gamers. haha La Jolla doesn't have a frat row 'cause it's not allowed... for some strange reason. *shakes fist* But I think we've all managed and the frats/sororities generally just all live together off campus somewhere, and when there is a house full of frat boys/sorority girls, they choose if they want their house to be the party house. The school's administration is alright. I'm in Sixth College, and the people are super sweet here. But sometimes there's really unhelpful people too. Generally the biology department is VERY helpful, especially if you make an appointment. The Psych department people sucked balls. They were not helpful at all. The career services people are also very helpful. & the financial aid people got things done, but didn't really help much. All they did was give you a piece of paper with all these links that might be helpful. haha The biggest recent controversy on campus was this thing some fraternity did.. The Compton Cookout. It was super racist, and brought up lots of issues. There's not that much school pride here... I blame it on the lack of a football team. haha But we have really good water sports teams here like water polo and crew. I heard the male tennis team was pretty legit too. If you guys have any other questions, feel free to contact me!

The best thing about the school is the vast resources. Though it isn't known for its football team, the university is highly esteemed and attracts students, faculty and recruiters of equal caliber. The school is quite large and some majors provide more intimate classroom conditions than others. For example, I am a Psychology and Photography double major--in psych my lectures usually have at least 100 students but in Visual Arts the courses are capped around 20 students. People are usually impressed when I tell them I go to this school, and admire the area in which it is located. Great weather! Most of my time on campus is spent in Muir and Price Center because that is where my majors and jobs are located. It is certainly not exclusively college town, but certain areas nearby such as Costa Verde and apartments on the shuttle line are highly concentrated by students which provides an enjoyable mix of neighbors. The administration tries hard to be accommodating, but the bureaucracy of the UC system can be hard to swallow at times, particularly with tuition being raised greatly in the past few years. There is not too much school pride which I think is unfortunate and an unfitting but frequent student complaint, as we are attending a quality university. I have been working at the alumni office and witness firsthand the lack of participation, which could be greatly improved. The school has a great art collection with quirky Stuart Art collection pieces installed all throughout the campus. These are always completely unexpected and innovative, including the piece being installed currently called "Fallen Star" by Do Ho Suh. This year I'll always remember my involvement with the on campus newspaper the UCSD Guardian, and covering the rallies partnering with OccupySD. My favorite moment was when the students re-opened the closed off CLICS library for Finals week so that we could study in the previously open 24/7 space. Students brought blankets and pillows and spread out across the floor or sat atop desks as all the chairs and books and shelves had been removed. The spirit of rebellion and desire for learning could be felt throughout the library--inspiring.

I would say that aside from the top-notch academics, the best thing about UCSD is probably its campus. Though many complain about it being too large (and I will admit I sometimes find myself groaning at the walking commutes going to classes), I find that the campus boasts a diversity and abundance of interesting places to explore that others simply can't compete with. Thus, aside from Geisel (the main library) I honestly could not pick any one location I spend most of my time, as I am constantly out and about at the many unique places campus has to offer. I would most likely change the school's lack of athletics and school spirit, as it is very obvious UCSD lacks any true sense of student cohesion and could really use a morale boost. This is most likely the largest complain students makes about UCSD. When I tell people that I go here, they generally think (if they are able to distinguish it from State or USD) that I am most likely a nerd and don't do much with my life, though this is far from true. La Jolla certainly does not help this stigma though, as it is about as far from a college town as you can get (though it is a very pretty place to live). UCSD's administration is questionable, and though the school does run well there are many times myself and fellow students find ourselves wondering "WTF?" at some decisions the administrators make. I'll always remember the initial weeks following the Compton Cookout incident my first year, as it was most likely the largest controversy UCSD had seen in its short existence. It was nearly impossible to walk to class between the news crews, rallying students, and commotion that the party had created.

Overall, I have enjoyed my experience at UCSD, though it is definitely a campus for proactive people. It's a very large campus with many opportunities, which can be overwhelming and requires a positive attitude. I myself joined a sorority, which instantly made my experience better by giving me something other than school to focus on. Though the beach is right there, La Jolla is not a college town by any means. This has a severe impact on the UCSD atmosphere. Students don't usually live close to campus, and parties get broken up easily by local residents. Recently, increases in the UC tuition have decreased the appeal of attending a pubic university. Unlike several other UC's, UCSD does not have a football team or any other large sport that draws a lot of attention, resulting in a lack of school pride and spirit. The one thing about the expansive campus that is nice, however, is the extensive art collection and consistently growing exhibits and pieces of artwork displayed everywhere. UCSD definitely appreciates the arts in contrast to the heavy academic focus on the sciences.

In general, I've quite enjoyed my time at UCSD. The atmosphere is very chill and relaxed--except, perhaps, around finals and midterm weeks. The school is right next to the beach, and the weather is generally cool and sunny, with maybe a week or two of rain (cumulatively) the entire year. Class sizes can be quite large, especially in many of the science (especially biology) classes, which can make it more difficult to get to know professors. However, their are many more opportunities given to students to get a more personalized education, such as independent study classes, seminars, research opportunities, and dine-with-a-prof programs, among others. The campus is fairly large and spread out, but it's broken up by the smaller colleges. The colleges definitely have a smaller feel with their own programs and res halls, general education requirements, advising, and administration offices. There's definitely a lot of stuff to do, but if you're looking for a HUGE party scene on campus, this might not be the best place for it. There's no college town, and La Jolla is very much a wealthy suburb. You can go into downtown San Diego for more of a city-feel, and the trade-off between having a school in a somewhat duller town is that UCSD is a pretty safe campus in a pretty safe area. There isn't a tremendous amount of school pride, probably because UCSD does not have it's own football team. Students do go out for basketball and water polo games, among others, but it's not the same school spirit atmosphere that football games probably attract. There are a couple of large events throughout the year like the Sun God Festival, but for most of the year, the atmosphere is fairly relaxed smaller on-campus events throughout the year. Overall, I've found that UCSD has a little something for everyone. You can have a party atmosphere if you seek it out, and you can have a great academic experience, especially if you major in the sciences, if you take advantage of it. There are tons of opportunities here, if you're willing to look for them, but UCSD is probably geared more towards science majors who are fairly academically driven.

This school is a good bang for your buck.

Most of the professors I had were passionate about the students' learning, despite that they're already so busy with research. They're available during and sometimes outside of office hours. Geisel library, which is located at the centre of the campus draws attention for its unusual architecture (Shape of an upside-down pyramid), which inspired the design for a building in Christopher Nolan's Inception. Public transportation is available from campus to nearby shopping centres, Down Town SD, train station, various research facilities, etc. The scenery at UCSD is overall very peaceful with ample amount of trees. Efforts to create an environmentally friendly campus is seen: Meatless Mondays at dining halls, a few vegetarian options, and lack of buffet-style dining hall system prevents food from being wasted as much as it would have if it were all-you-can-eat. Plus, all the beautiful beaches (bioluminescence and frequent dolphin sightings) are walking distance!

UCSD is a huge school, and without Division 1 sports teams, I would say there isn't a huge sense of school pride. People definitely buy and wear UCSD gear (I have a couple sweatshirts and sweatpants myself), but most people don't attend school events. There is no college town, which is definitely a disadvantage, but being right by the beach is amazing. It's a great school especially for biology, but recently budget cuts have made campus resources such as libraries less available for students which is a shame. Most people don't live on campus, so it does get pretty empty late at night, but during the day,most parts of campus are filled with people.

Let's begin with the location. UC San Diego is located right in La Jolla, about five minutes from La Jolla Shores and Black's Beach, where students are free to surf, tan, read, or even make smores together on any given day. The weather is always mild and sunny, so this is a great school for people who love the outdoors. While students do need to have a car to get around, the campus is located near Downtown San Diego, Downtown La Jolla, Pacific Beach, and many other great places to have fun with friends. One of the most unique features of UC San Diego is that while it is a very large research university, it is divided into six smaller undergraduate colleges to provide students with a closely knit community. You really get the best of both worlds this way, because students can still mingle with the rest of their peers in class or in student organizations around campus, but also get to be with a close-knit group of friends who have taken all the same GE classes together since freshman year. UC San Diego can be a large university or a small college; whichever way you see it.

UCSD has been a fantastic growing experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. The education is top notch, the people, administration and staff I've met have all been very interesting and influential; there are many opportunities for involvement; and you're surrounded by smart people everywhere! As I meet new friends off-campus and tell them I go to UCSD I always get shock for a couple reasons; the first is simply the respect that comes with attending a top tier university known for it's academia; the second is because they have stereotyped personality beliefs about the students that simply are not true, and they are surprised that someone like me attends what they believe to be a school of nerds. It's actually quite the rewarding experience telling people I'm a UCSD student. With that said, there is one thing I'd change on our campus, and that's our sports program. Fortunately, change is in the works! You see, UCSD is a Division 2 NCAA school. We're very successful in our division, being one of the most successful programs around, but the truth is, we should be Division 1 and most people know it. Division 1 is what brings in the crowds at games, and fortunately for prospective students we're working on making the switch! The experiences I cherish most were my involvement on campus. Being a Senator for the Associated Students, a participant in CGI U, a mentor for foster children, running the Center on Equal Justice with the Roosevelt Institute on campus...the list goes on! Getting involved has been more rewarding than words can express, and UCSD is such a big campus that finding your niche(s) is very easy to do! I should mention that the campus is extremely large, so you're in for some exercise! I have gotten much healthier since coming to the campus. I should also mention that La Jolla is not a college town, that we are not allowed a "frat row" anywhere on or off campus, and that if you're planning on commuting you're in for some rather terrible parking conditions. Most people use alternative commuting solutions, or if you're like me you ride a motorcycle and all your parking problems are gone!

I absolutely love the campus. I find it very to be a very inspirational place to think and learn. Honestly, coming to UCSD has been one of the best decisions in my life. I've grown so much from all of the experiences that UCSD has provided me. The best thing about this school is that there's always something to do. No matter if the activity is on campus or off campus, there is always something to do in San Diego. One thing that I would change is increasing the number of enrollment for minority students from African American backgrounds. The school size feels large, but within UCSD, there are 6 different colleges. Each college feels a lot smaller. When I tell people that I go to UCSD, they tell me that I am super lucky to live and be able to attend school in San Diego. I spend most of my time in the library on campus. There's a lot of resources in the library and hundreds of computers that can be used. UCSD isn't near a "college-town." It's not like UC Davis or UC Berkeley where when you step out of the campus, you reach miles and miles of coffee shops and local bakeries and whatnot. My opinion about the school's administration is that I know they are working hard to bring enrollment up for minority students, but I think they can do a lot more. The administration team is strong, but can only be strong with the support of the students and staff.

UCSD is a huge campus, but I love how it is all one enclosed campus as opposed to other UC's like Cal or LA that are more within a city with streets, traffic, and hobos around. I think it makes campus much more safe feeling, although it is foresty with a lot of trees at night that can be kind of scary. Classes are just like any other UC, quite large lower division classes but you have smaller sections with around 30 students with TA's. and Upper division there are around 60 students or so, which isn't too bad to get to know your professors. La Jolla is a very rich, nice city. It's not so much a college town, but it is mostly UCSD students around the area. There is definitely no school pride, because there's no football team... sports isn't really a big thing here unless you're doing it. Overall I think UCSD is a good school, nice campus, academics, social life, events going on, and close proximity to so many places (LA, Irvine, downtown SD, Mexico, beautiful beaches) what's not to love?

I believe this school is amazing! I love how the school is divided into 6 different colleges because it gives you a better chance to get to know more people since the campus is huge! One thing I dislike very much at UCSD is the fact that all the departments are separated so you have to go to different buildings in order to get different problems fixed (i.e. payments, financial aid, academic advising, etc.). The biggest controversy on campus was about two years ago when a fraternity hosted a racially insensitive cookout; UCSD's reputation was hurt a little but only while we were in the limelight because of it. Now when someone hears you're from UCSD, they're very impressed. Unfortunately, our school pride is very weak...we have not football team by the way but basketball is pretty big here.

It's a relatively new campus with lots of extracirricular activities available for students. There's something for everyone as long as you're will to look for it. The beach is just down the cliffs with a beautiful campus environment. And don't be turned off by stories you might hear about Chemistry students ordering supplies through their lab to make and sell meth.

its not in a college town but it is a real community

I like UCSD for the location, personally. It's near the beach, great weather, good places to eat and socialize, especially if you're 21 or over. We do not have a lot of parties, but people make friends easily, and then you make your own fun with the people that you want to socialize with. When I tell people at I go to UCSD, they are often impressed because it is a good school academically, but also because they think I am lucky to live in such a prime spot in California. The one big social event at UCSD is the sungod festival, which has started to go downhill in the past year or so.

NO SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE! the 6 college system is great for getting to know people in your college but segregates others not in your college and makes it very difficult to interact with them because the campus is so spread out. also, a lack of good sports teams (other than water polo which plays DI) makes this campus very boring in terms of UCSD pride.

Large classes and segregated colleges eliminate school unity. The best thing about UCSD is that its RIGHT NEXT to the beach! My friends that look into UCSD seem to usually go to Stanford, berkeley, or the Ivy league. Best place to go is the beach! If you're looking for a party, UCSD I-house and the greek scene are the places to be. We have these awesome face trees in the eucalyptus forest: the singing tree and the talking tree... They look almost exactly like regular trees but they have speakers built into them (one plays music at night and the other talks)

Class sizes are a bit big, but without the cut-throat competition of some of the other, more prestigious UCs. There is also a big lack of school spirit. La Jolla is definitely not a college town, but there are still lots of fun things to do around town, especially if you like the beach. The college system is a little strange, but it is nice to live with people who tend to have similar interests and who take similar classes.

People don't realize how good a school UCSD is just because it isn't a big name school. we have some amazing professors and programs and some really dedicated and active student orgs. UCSD is very multicultural and we have a lot of activities and organizations to show it. La Jolla is a terrible town to have a college in. I wish athletics were better supported by the student body- we have some great teams but the student body just focuses on the fact we don't have a football team.

Sun God is probably the best annual event at UCSD: an entire day devoted to partying and ending in a huge concert with big name artists (Ludacris, T.I., My Chemical Romance, Damian Marley, etc.). UCSD is set in one of the most beautiful cities in the entire U.S. Upon turning 21, you will be in a city offering an amazing nightlife. Almost every concert tour stops in San Diego. A degree from UCSD will put you ahead of your competition in the job market, especially in San Diego.

If you are a winter admit, only if this is your dream school, should you accept. UCSD does have some programs that try to give you a sense of belonging, like OASIS. Then there are other programs that the school offers but it is up to you to find it. What I like about the school is that does give a chance for individuality and its not hard to be yourself. I have noticed that people are antisocial and many people make their friends in the dorms. The biggest controversy I think was the "mysterious package" at the medical center. People do complain about people being antisocial, but it's not as bad. Its a good school and fun, if you dorm there.

-i love the weather at UCSD (even though it's super super hot right now, but better sun than rain! :) ) - hmm one thing i'd change would be .. i guess maybe that competition wasn't such a big deal. everyone is always competing in classes and stuff like that. - i think UCSD is the right size, people wise. it's definitely bigger than my high school, but it's nice because you can always meet new people. walking and area wise, it's huge. it takes so long just to get to class, and the campus is so freakin' hilly. - UCSD is definitley not a college town. it takes so long to get places. basically if you don't have a car or know someone with one, you can't get anywhere. - i guess my favorite experience is sungod. everyone's drunk, and it's really nice to see everyone chilling and not stressed about school or anything. - most frequent complaints are that there's no football team and that everyone studies like hell.

The school is ever expanding and making the right strides with the new Price Center expansion. For the most part, UCSD provides an enjoyable experience. I would like to see an athletics program equipped with scholarships- without them, school spirit and athletic revenues will be nonexistent. Sun God reigns as the premiere social event every year, and the admin appears to be giving it a more full experience this year, which is a good thing.

I would try to hype up the school spirit more. There seems to lack school pride. i feel that the only time that almost everyone comes together is during sungod... which only lasts for ONE day. I think there should be more things going on on campus everyday in general. my friends came down here to visit and were surprised about how dead our campus was, even on a regular school day! the only reason people come out is to go to class... there should be more of a reason to come out! I wish we were closer to the city, or engulfed right in the middle of one (that would add more life to the school). I don't like people looking down on UCSD, calling it the University of California of the Socially Dead, although I have to admit, it sometimes feels like I go to such a school. I like the size of the school, but I wish that there was more diversity here (I only see whites and asians)

Sungod is sick. Some school pride, but I don't see the point of it (it's soooo high school).

UCSD is awesome! It's a huge university with a small college feel because it's composed of six smaller colleges with a close community feel. You get the best of both worlds, the resources of a large research university but the feel of a small private college. It's known for its academics but it has plenty of social opportunities. Especially the Sun God festival during spring quarter. It is a friday festival that lasts all day composed of multiple concerts as well as a carnival, it's AWESOME!

There's a lot of great things about UCSD, and all you have to do is go on a campus tour to hear them. I think that from this site though you are looking for the negatives. The biggest negative is that school pride - in a unified sort of way - doesn't seem to be there to me. There is lots of college pride (Shout out for Muir here!!!), but sometimes campus can seem kind of lonely (probably true for any school) The other thing that I disliked was the dorms. My roommates were b!tches, and I ended up moving out after 2 weeks. The staff didn't really seem to care (but I think I was probably biased before I went in, and the dorms aren't really as bad for most people as they were for me - so don't let that scare you away - you can get bad roommates wherever you go to college) AS for the greats - STUART ART COLLECTION - I could care less about art, but some of the things are just AWESOME. I mean how many campuses have a huge bear (like 20 feet tall) made out of giant stones and weigh a couple tons?? How many campuses have SunGod? How many campuses have giraffe catchers, or a library that has been futured as a uFO in attack of the killler tomoatoes?or a snake path? Or a canon view, ocean view, and a forest? How many campuses drop a giant pumpkin (this year 650 pounds) off the tallest building in Muir - or have a watermelon drop off the tallest tower in Revelle? And if you don't know what any of these things are you need to get your little butt down to SD and check it out. Go to the beach while you're here! The answer - NOT MANY, JUST UCSD! So go here, because it's where you ought to be!!!

One of the reasons I love UCSD is because of its six college system. At first, it seemed really stupid and arbitrary, but as I spent more time here, I realized that it is actually really useful to have a six college system because you get to know everyone in your college really well (due to common GE classes, common living and eating areas, etc) which make a 20,000+ undergraduate university a much more personal and welcoming environment. In addition to that, a lot of the administrators within each college oversee only 1/6th of UCSD's students, and therefore they are able to provide each student with much more attention and personal advice than would administrators who have to serve 20,000 + students. I would feel completely detached and alone without UCSD college system, and I'm really glad that I ignored my original discontent with the system in order to come here. I do wish t hat I had spent more time choosing the college I choose (Warren), as each college has a cirriculum centered around different principles. Luckily I do embrace the principles of Warren College (a life in balance, embodied by GE's that force students to focus on non-major areas in which they recieve a virtual "minor" in) and am glad I got lucky when I randomly ordered the colleges at the time I was applying to UCSD.

Best thing about UCSD- The Campus, La Jolla is a great area to have a campus, although it is quite boring and kind of a retirement town, the overriding class, and clean family atmosphere works well with the campus. There are many cute shoppng areas close enought to visit if needed(PB, HIllcrest, and Downtown) La Jolla is a beautiful beach town, not bogged down by tourism, but instead with all the HOT college surfers. Also the campus in general is beautiful, interesting and new architecture pops up at this school every year.

The school is too big measurement wise. I think we can have more people. When i tell other people that I go to UCSD they think that I'm really smart. I think the "collegetown" is not really "college-esk". I think it's just in too much of a rich neighborhood. There isn't enough freedom for college students around this area. We don't even have a frat row which really hurts our social abilities. We also have too many rules and regulations on campus about having events. I'd say that the only good thing we have here is Sun God. It's the only day you realize people can socialize. We should be able to do that more often.

I think the size of UCSD is totally fine. It is large, but that is what I was looking for. Since research is the focus of many of the professors, the classes can be quite difficult at times especially when the professor can't teach their way out of a paper bag. The location is beautiful, but La Jolla is a crappy place for a college. There is absolutely no campus community off the campus, which is unfortunate but bearable. There is no school spirit I think mostly because the students are there for their education and don't have the fabrication of school spirit on their agendas. UCSD has many experiences or programs that are diamonds in the rough. I am part of a very small major (Earth Sciences) that is taught by world class researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. I love my classes and most of the professors in my department. The greek community at UCSD is small but I have found it to be one of the most positive experiences of my college career if not my life. There are so many opportunities at UCSD that are just waiting for students to take them. It is the student that does not take it upon themselves to find their interests or niche that ends up absolutely hating UCSD.

Fun, great town, great fun people if you get involved.

i can't say ucsd is the best school or has the greatest teachers, but i must admit there are great things about the school that i've come to like and i've had excellent teachers. for one, there are three beaches right next to campus and another one if you care to take the extended trip. another, la jolla is obviously a college town. most of the eateries on campus are also relatively good in comparison to other campus (despite the obvious gauge in prices). and if you're feeling like paying with your own money, there's always the price center (subway, panda express, rubios, jamba juice, etc). the more excited teachers are here, the better instructors they make. i've sat in class and just been amazed by the amount of information given to me by professors, or by how much they knew. that's devotion. there are things that suck about ucsd too. there's a lack of individualism here. everything seems to be part of a franchise and sometimes you get tired of subway everyday. to do anything exciting, other than the beach, you need a car. and in addition to great teachers, i've met some pretty awful ones as well. construction here goes on forever. something new is always being built. and raccoons. they frighten the crap out of you at night. they're about the size of cats. also, being a revelle student, i can say our college is the worse in terms of ges. people rarely graduate within four years, and the majority of the students here have taken a fair amount of ap classes (and passed).

UC San Diego caters to both the students looking for a large research institution and those looking for a small liberal arts feel. There are a multitude of opportunities to get involved on either the large, campus-wide level or within the smaller six-college system level. It's the best of all possible scenarios.

I came from a really small high school in Southern California. I came to UCSD because of the large student population. We have somewhere around 30,000 students on campus, split into six colleges. If that break down isn't enough to give you a familial feeling, then turn to one of the many student organizations or Greek life. I'll be honest, when I was in high school, I was the last person you would have pegged to be in a sorority, but now I don't know where I would be or what I would be without that family here on campus. Students here can be as active as they want to be. The sky is the limit, but you have to be able to go out there and find your niche, or you will feel like one little speck in a huge universe. I guess that the best part about UCSD is that you can do anything you want to, literally. The options are out there, just waiting for you to find them.

The best thing about UCSD is its comfort and feeling like you are at home. It is so relaxing with the beautiful weather and nice beaches that are just walking distance. Having your friends near you and plenty of campus activities, it feels like you are at home and have a great community. I especially love the 6 college system because it makes it feel like a family in a much larger community. The only thing I would change about UCSD is the school spirit. If there is one thing that UCSD lacks its sports and school spirit. Being a huge sports fan, its kind of disappointing, but I still am able to cheer on my team and have the spirit. Its just kind of lame when no one else has the same spirit and asks why I wear UCSD gear.

UCSD is a best kept secret. The environment feels so humble compared to UCLA and UC Berkeley. I can honestly say that I felt like I was destined to go to UC San Diego...that I belong there...this was where I was meant to be. It is a huge campus with a huge population. Meeting people is not hard. You meet people through classes, orgs, and events. Because the population is so wide and diverse, there are many ways to find your place. If you feel like UCSD sucks, then you're probably still stuck in high school mode and can't let go. It's college...the best years of your life! Make the most of it!

UCSD is a good school. When people find out that you graduated from UCSD they are generally impressed. Many people who attend this school do not have a problem moving on after they graduate from the University. There is a lot to do at the school and many places to visit near the campus. The beach is only a mile or two away, so even if you don't have a car you are able to hang out there. One thing I would say is that the public transportation system in San Diego is not too impressive.

The best and worst thing about UCSD is their college system. We are a university broken up into 6 colleges that have nothing to do with major, what you're studying, etc. Each incoming student is a assigned to a college and based on their assignment determines where they live on campus and the general education programs they follow. It's like how Disneyland is broken up into different 'Lands' but all together they make up the Magic Kingdom. The college system is the best thing that could have happened to my college experience. It broke up our huge university into a small community where you really do recognize people that are part of your community. Each college offers specific leadership, service, and extra curricular activities to its students as well as a wide range of academic services. To me, this worked out as a great way to feel connected to such a big university. If UCSD didn't have the college system, I know my time in college wouldn't be half as good. The one drawback I can see to the college system is that I feel like it takes aways a little bit from the pride we all share for our university. It isn't uncommon for people to have more pride for their college than for our university as a whole.

There isn't a lot of school pride, and since our school is new, we kind of take the shadow of UCLA and UC Berkeley, but our school is really fun and full of very smart people. They push us a little bit harder than other schools because they want to climb higher in the rankings, so our school keeps getting better and better. I think the school is a good size, people wise, but there is a lot of walking. I wish there was more information available on the six colleges, because I think, which one you pick greatly effects how much fun you have. The type of people are different in each one. Muir, people are really laid back and have a great location on campus. Revelle, everyone complains about how difficult the GE's are, but if you are a Science major they aren't that bad. Normally the most academic people are in Revelle. Marshall, seems pretty laid back and people are nice. Warren, people recomend this if you are an Engineering major, because the GE's fit the best. Roosevelt, also has a lot of GE's, but is good for non science majors, there are a lot of girls in this college. Sixth, is the newest, and unnamed at the moment- and it's writing program is a little silly and has a weird location on campus, but it has decent GE's. But if you are a transfer student none of that matters. It's all for the first part of your undergrad.