University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

I think that the UCSB student body is a diverse group that all follow certain norms. For example, it seems that everyone wears UGGS or rainbows around campus. A majority of people ride a bike to class or around IV, or skateboard. Everyone lives in IV. But outside of these common bonds, students have widely differing political views, ethnicities, and interestes. Any stroll down the arbor can show the diversity of clubs, organizations, and special interests that students are involved in at UCSB.

We are a very open campus. A wide variety of groups advertise their positions each week as I walk past the Arbor. I'll take up the four tables question because it's interesting. I would have to say one table would definitely be filled with Greeks, another with athletes, another with geeks (aka biochem buds), and lastly with randoms - there are probably more randoms than anything here at UCSB, which in a way is good because it's easy to blend in and fit in without having to worry about acting a certain way towards certain people. Nothing has real shock value, at least nothing present in my everyday life. Basically, you come here, you become chilled out.

there is not many different stereotypes, but a bookworm would def feel out pf place here, this is place for people that work hard and party hard. most stduent wears jeans and sweatshirts and uggs or rainbows but there aere also a lot of people that dress nicely--its sort of a do what you want thing. yes, a lot of different students interact, its pretty good in that way. most ucsb students are from ca, it is a pretty even split of norcal and socal people, with the occasional out of stater. most students are politically aware, there is a predominatly left or center view. there is a lot fo wealthy middle class people.

the school is really relaxed. it has a beach vibe and a ton of california kids but I feel for the most part its inviting and doesn't discriminate against certain "types" of people. one individual might feel uncomfortable but i don't think any group is alientated. The greek system has a bunch of rich kids though and not a lot else, sadly...

Our stu body president is maj annoying. Everyone is liberal.

There is such a range of people at UCSB. In a typical freshman class there will be people dressed in everything from sweats to really, really dressed up. People range from nerdy to stoners to the fancy, preppy girls with an obvious wide range in financial backgrounds. There is very little racial diversity. I'm pretty sure there's about five black kids in the whole school.

the student body is very waspy, but very open-minded for the most part. everyone kind of follows the mantra that if you're down to have a good time, they are too. in class, you'll see board shorts/bikinis/dress shirts/slacks. we're across the board. most ucsb students are from california.

The student body is something that I would like to get more involved in on campus. There are so many organizations, there is definitely something for everyone, and just about everyone I meet is involved in something interesting and exciting. Most students wear very casual clothes to class, such as jeans and a t-shirt, but also common are work out clothes, sweat pants, or a simple sundress thrown over a bathing suit. Four tables in the dining commons can consist of a great variety of people. I have yet to notice any prevalent 'cliques' in the dining commons. Although I eat mainly with my closest friends every day, I would not be opposed to eating with anyone else I know. I actually met my best friend at the DLG.

UCSB is comprised of laid back ppl who go to class in sweats but dress up for a night out. We could probably use a little more diversity, as the majority of students are white, from california and wealthy.

The student body is not as diverse as you would find on other UC campuses.

One of the biggest complaints on campus is the lack of diversity at UCSB. It is probably one of the least diverse UCs, but I have not really seen too many discrimination issues around campus. I have though talked to many people of different ethnicities and they believe that they do not fit in as well as the white students here. There are a lot of different socio-economic classes at this school and it does not play a huge issue on our campus. Most students were jeans or shorts with a t-shirt to class. And Rainbow sandals are a necessity. Most students at UCSB are from California almost equally from NorCal and SoCal. In the dining commons, people from the same floors usually sit together. Also people who belong to the same groups,like the Greek system, sit together. The financial background most prevalent at the school is probably middle class. There are some people who have a lot of money and can spend it all, but most students that I know are from steady family incomes, but still have to be on a budget. I think students here are very politically aware and that most students here are left wing. Some students do talk about how much they will earn one day, but for the most part we are all focused on finding what we want to do with the rest of our lives.

While the caucasians are obviously the main race on campus, everyone find their own group. Most student wear jeans, shorts, t-shirts, pajamas. No one gets to dressed up to go. Mostly in the dining commons people from the same floors sit together. Sometimes you will see big groups of girls, usually sorority girls, but mostly its groups that live on the same floor. Its pretty evenly spread out between "NorCal" and "SoCal". I think the "SoCal" kids feel like there is more "NorCal" kids and vice versa. I think the students are politically aware and mostly liberal. Some kids talk about the future and about jobs but most are just here to have a good time, and learn as much as they can. My friends all are starting to think about majors, but we aren't completely concerned with the money we'll earn soon.

Outgoing, fun, hard workers.

I do not know much about student body but hope to learn more.

Students are typically white, middle-upper class Californians. They are often liberal! The school is comprised of liberal, nature loving students and partying bitches. Someone would feel out of place if they were conservative and against drinking.

Diverse, fun, exciting! There is an extreme amount of wealth here, but unlike USC, its uncommon to see a Range Rover, or uber pretentious person. The people I associate with seem to mostly be: business majors (guys) or communication/ psychology majors (women).

UCSB's student body is EXTREMELY diverse. There are various groups on campus geared toward race, religion, LGBT, etc. Everyone can find a place here on campus!!! Alot of people at UCSB come from wealthy families but there are als alot of students who are paying for school on their own, these are the most hard working students too. People say that UCSB is a liberal campus but i just believe everyone is laid back and not too conservative, and thats why we picked UCSB. the class are not liberal, its just the stuff we learn, shapes our opinions, and im not gonna lie, some shitty stuff happened to people in the past. so of course those FACTS are going to shape how i think now.

Tons of campus organizations. Compared to other UC's not many minority groups. Mostly middle or upper class students. Very politically active students. Many lean to the left but I am a conservative and I feel comfortable expressing my ideas. Lots of fun clubs and activities. Amazing greek life. Many coastal groups.

i hang out with all the foreigners, but everyone is chill with my friends and people are nice to me so it's pretty chill. in SB we mostly see character and not color.

I think that there is a lot of awareness on our campus with a lot of topics, politics, LGBT, etc.

i love playing soccer here, because it gives me an opportunity to be included in that group of people. we are such a close knit group of girls and thats definitely helpful in a school as big as ucsb

The student body itself is extremely tolerant of differences and the goal of many faculty is to appreciate difference. Its from differences that people have a unique experience that is both important for the creation of new knowledge and beautiful for self discovery.

I honestly don't think anybody here would feel out of place. UCSB isn't just for your surfer types. It accommodates everyone and I've found it very easy to get along with the different groups of people here. It's very laid back here and, for the most part, every one wears comfortable lounging clothes. Different types of students do interact here but you have to make an effort. Everyone is very amiable especially if you are the first to initiate conversation. Many of the UCSb students I've encountered are from southern California. However, there are many from Northern California and many friendly foreigners and out of state students. I must say though that many of the students around here are financially from an upper middle class background. To me, it seems like most of the students I've met are straddling the middle or democratic. However, it could just be that I associate with people who are like myself. No one really talks about how much they'll earn one day. Most of the students here are majoring in things that interest thing, not necessarily something they want just to earn more money.

Most of the student body is from California, both northern and southern. I feel that the student body is very open for the most part. Of course there are cliques of the "surfer" type and the sporty type and of course the greek life, however in my experience all the groups of people get along very well. I have friends who are in Frats, Sororities, my ultimate team, other sports teams, and just the random people I meet in class or on the weekend or at intramurals. I found it very easy to talk to people here and to make new friends. Most financial backgrounds are pretty well off but there are always those who are not as well off as others. The student body is very aware of many things going on, especially environmentally friendly things. There are alot of interracial gatherings or organizations and many different ways to get involved with helping different groups of people or how to meet different types of people. A lot of the students are politically aware, however i do not think that a lot of people are aware of a lot of global current events because we do live in the bubble of Santa Barbara and of Isla Vista. For the most part I find the kids to be really down to earth not too worried about money, they just liek to have fun and have a good time and worry about the future later (hence all the 5th year students i have met).

If you are overly competitive and take your own life too seriously you will feel out of place. OTher than that - UCSB is an extremely diverse campus. Students were anything and everything....come from either norcal or socal usually but my roomate/teammate/friend is from maryland. Politically most students are liberal but there are always exceptions. Students here at UCSB love being outdoors and are predominantly outgoing and friendly.

GReAT

Most UCSB students are from California. There is a little NorCal-SoCal rivalry going on, but not much. Overall, everyone seems pretty accepting and friendly. I haven't had much interaction with the various groups on campus. I have joined the Ultimate Frisbee team and love it.

As with any large population there are many different smaller groups. Although this campus differs from person to person, I feel we get along as a whole fairly well. It is obvious that the bulk of our school are wealthy white kids. Some are snobby but most are down to earth.

I've had interactions with all kinds of students of different races, religions, sexual orientations, and socio-economic situations, though I feel that UCSB is not as diverse as I hoped it would be. I feel like UCSB has a lot of your stereotypical blonde, sorority so-cal chick and ass-hole frat boys. Don't get me wrong--- there's a lot of interesting awesome people here, and I've met so many people that I hope I can keep in touch with for the rest of my life, but this is definitely that stereotypical campus with the beach, babes, and booze.

I feel UCSB is not at all diverse, though I do not feel there is any real discrimination or racism that takes place. People to seem to be fairly open to everything and everyone.

students here are just plain beautiful, not a lot of diversity compared to my high school, and most people are middle to upper upper class/i would think a black student would feel out of place but it all depends on the individual/people wear all kinds of things but never dressed up with heels- it is very very casual and you can get by wearing anything- i am on the crew team and never really dress up at all i wear sweats etc but i make sure to put make up on every day which is kind of how this school is- we dress up to look as casual as possible/students are pretty politically aware and shift towards the left for sure- we have the highest percentage of voters out of any uni in the usa

i think our school is pretty liberal. people all have their beliefs, but no one pushes it on other people too much. many people seem to come from wealthy backgrounds. it definitely has the so cal feel. tan. short skirts. surfers. skaters. what more could you ask for?

good

Relatively diverse.

i'm cool with everybody unless they're dumb. unfortunately, not everyone is as smart as me so people start doing stupid stuff. people who might appear different on the surface may actually end up having some genuinely similar characteristics, making for some interesting friendships and interaction. girls wear their big sunglasses, juicy pants and uggs while i usually wore a hat, jeans and a t shirt to class, but i don't know why they asked about that. i guess you now know how to conform, to all you conformists out there. most of the students are from california, either northern or souther with some people hailing from fresno or bakersfield, which are neither. all the people i was friends with were cool with me so i didn't really care unless they asked me to say "hella," which is an example of doing stupid stuff. depending on who you talk to, some people are relatively intelligent and are aware of the world around them, but some people are really dumb and have the spelling capacity of an 8th grader. moreover, i like to think that people are predominately left, but that could just be a product of my education there. with all the ritzy fancy schmancy places downtown and in montecito, you could easily get a part time job down there and easily rake in some coin, so networking is key there too.

ucsb is a very liberal campus but there are concervative niches for those on the other side of the spectrum. from womens activist groups to ethnic clubs, i feel like anyone and everyone could find at least one place or group of people to fit in with if they just looked. for the most part students interact around campus, however to me there is an obvious segrgation of races, to a certain extent. i think this has to do with the overwelming white population. hispanic/latino groups seem to connect with each other as well as asian and black social groups. but i think its more so because people just feel comfortable with what they know, their background. i do not sense any racism in this at all. p

Morning classes are dominated by sweatshirts and PJs, but as the day gets decently later, clothes are fashionable and due to fabulous weather dresses, skirts, and shorts, are sported year round.

To be honest, UCSB is most white, upper-class students. I believe many racial groups who are non-white would feel out of place. UCSB is very politically active. We have the most registered voters per capita out of any campus in California. We have also had numerous rallies against the war in Iraq.

We're rich and white to be honest, but we're also liberals to the bone. I can imagine it would be hard to be a minority at UCSB (especially African American), but I don't think there is a lot of prejudice. The biggest problem with our students may be that we expect something from the world. We live in this complete paradise on someone else's dime (often our future self's dime) and it convinces us that we deserve a high paying job and a nice car. I am the same way, but now I am learning the world doesn't work like that. I'll be a teacher in two years... I'll be lucky to have a car. As a member of Real Life and a Christian, I was really surprised how rich the Christian community is at UCSB. We aren't large (200-300) but we are truly a community. That was the last thing I expected from Playboy's top party school (at least when I was a freshman).

UCSB is pure gold when it comes to socializing. It isnt possible to NOT meet someone new every day. Between the sun, the beach, and the vast majority of alcohol and recreational drugs you would have to be a hermit not to know 100 people in your first week. The vast majority of students come from California, splitting themselves between NorCal and SoCal sects. There is also a large population of foreign students. Normal class attire can range from sleep pants and sweat shirts, to board shorts and bikini tops. Most girls are cute enough in their sweatshirts. Bikini tops are just a treat. Sandals are the norm all year long. Most students come from middle/upper-class white families throughout the state. Something like 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students are caucasion. Students are politically aware, but are either too drunk or too apathetic to care.

Diverse

The typical UCSB student wears a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops. If it's a little chilly, they put on a sweatshirt. If it rains, they might wear rain boots and/or a rain jacket, if they have one; either way, they'd complain about the rain, because they came here to escape bad weather, and they're getting cheated from that bargain. Also, we're a pretty liberal and diverse campus. I know for a fact that there are several places on campus where you can get free condoms. Last week at the arbor, a person dressed up in a giant vagina costume to advertise a showing of "The Vagina Monologues." Walking to class today, I saw a student-organized protest about a local issue concerning unfairly unpaid illegal immigrants. From what I hear, we also have really great anti-rape programs, a Queer Student Union, an International Students Association, fantastic Christian fellowships, a Lebanese Club, a surfing club... Pretty much anything you can think of. Those were just off the top of my head.

I have not had much interaction with many groups on campus. I have spoken to different religious groups and they all seem nice and more than willing to talk. many students are politically aware and active. We have had many protests concerning the war. We are a pretty liberal campus, but if you are conservative you will not feel totally out of place. I rarely hear students talking about how much they will earn.

I'm part of a Christian group on campus, and have friends in other religious groups. They sometimes do feel a little out of place on campus, but they all seem happy to be here. It would be nice if that was a little more welcomed. UCSB is not the most diverse campus either racially or socioeconomically, but it's getting more diverse and people are accepting. People are also accepting of LGBT students, as far as I've seen. Students can wear anything from sweats to dresses, probably depending on where they're going after class. Some people wear jeans and a tshirt every day, others look like they stepped out of a fashion magazine. Most UCSB students are from California. There's a big NorCal/SoCal rivalry in the dorms. Students are politically aware, predominently left.

From the perspective of a black student the diversity here at UCSB is seriously lacking. The ratio is 2.7{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} black students here at UCSB. That is about 450 out of 17,000. I often find myself to be the only black person in my class, even in lecture halls with over 100 studnets. But even with out small numbers the black community is very tight nit and we embrace every black student that comes to UCSB so they can all feel like they have a place here on campus and a home away from home.

It would be awesome if more Asians come to UCSB. There aren't many now, but the numbers are climbing. In clubs like TASA/HKSA, we get to meet w/ each other and kind of feel like family. Do not be scared to come to UCSB because you think there's no Asians like you. THERE ARE and we're all waiting for more to join the fun.

UCSB has 56{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} caucasians. Sometimes, you'll come across racial problems, but our campus has so many resources for almost everything, for example, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trangender) community. In general, students feel more comfortable with people of the same race, so it is common here for you to see a group of African Americans socializing. However, students here are pretty accepting of others. During winter, EVERYONE owns a pair of rain boots or uggs. In the summer, everyone dresses like a beach bum, but girls dress a lot cuter. UCSB students are the richest of all the UCs, and for those who aren't as rich, there are programs like the EOP (education opportunities program) that help you financially and educationally. Students here are extremely politically active. We have the highest percentage of registered voters and when there's a rally going on--it's so pact that you can't even move.

It is not possible to feel out of place at UCSB. Somewhere on campus there is a group or organization that applies to everyone and wants to make them feel welcome, safe, and at home. UCSB is soo diverse, and, while the majority of students are white, there are still an incredible number of ethnicities represented here. We have a lot of international students that are always fun. Political activism is huge here; if you've got a cause, you're strongly encouraged to stand up for it. I feel like we are a predominantly left-leaning campus.

My experience here with race, religion, and all the other groups on campus here have been really good. People here are awesome, and everything is very open for a free trial. All the groups do not get along because of some different views on whatever the case may be, but it is great to have so many different groups and outreaches going on for the campuses. I do not think any student would be out of place at UCSB. there are a lot of different groups of people here on campus. But there is also a lot of work for you to put yourself out there to get involved. So it takes both sides to get out and get involved. All students dress differently. Some people where sweats and sweat shirts. Some where dresses, nice skirts, and nice pants. Some where shorts and t-shirts. and others where suits because they have meetings afterwards. So it does not matter. oh! and people where PJ's too! One has a group of boys and girls from their hall. They are all hanging out eating ice cream. there is another with just two or three people having a deep conversation. there is one table with just one person on it eating alone and fast because you know they have some where to go, and the last has a few people on it, not talking and reading. there are students from across the world! there are international students here, and there are people from nor-cal and so-cal here, and there are students from across the states. So, there is a very diverse group of people. The most prevalent financial background is middle class/upper middle class. Some students are very politically aware. But like every group on campus, there are those radical members who stand out and make sure people know what is going on in the world. They go both left and right side. So it all depends on the group. And no, most students do not talk about how much they earn each day.

I am part of a "religious" group on campus and I have great experiences as a part of it. What is wonderful about UCSB is that people want to learn about culture and people who are different then themselves. Its easy to get into a great conversation with someone about spiritual, racial, or other issues because people are open minded and want to learn about it.