University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

Laid back caring intelligent engineers.

My classmates are often passionate about their class and major.

Classmates are helpful and welcoming. It is very hard to NOT make friends within a class.

Students at UCSC range from the studious and conservative, to the care-free and drug-loving

Classmates range from hipsters to jocks and preps, with everything in between. Sometimes it looks like high school all over again, but then you realize this time everyone gets along.

They are open-minded for the most part.

Classmates can be a bit frusterating at times due their constant usage of cell phone, laptop and conversation distractions.

I enjoy the classmates that I am friends with, but other than that I don't really know a lot of them.

Playing cards

Largely white, and upper/middle class. From all over California. Tend to be liberal. Some amount of variation in this, clearly. My group of friends is very heterogenous, highly politically and socially aware. Students here talk about things going on in the world and are interested, it's not "dorky" to talk about things learned in class, in fact, is encouraged. an interesting point is that UCSC has 10 colleges, each with a discernably different student archetype. This is something you figure out after two or so years at UCSC.

Students of any racial, cultural, national or financial background at UCSC will agree that the university is a predominantly caucasian middle to upper class campus. From my experience, I've been to so many multicultural and diversity events on campus from organizations such as MECHA, ISO, FSA as well as AAIP and many others. Since I have been a Dining Hall worker, and one that had dealt with students that eat at our tables I can give a pretty accurate description of the four different tables of students at the Dining Hall: the first table is one of the Residential Advisor group, they all sit together, eat together, live together and seem to be the table everyone is aware of. The second table is the table of Freshman and upperclassmen where Freshman are eager to make friends and branch out on campus; the dining hall is where most socializing occurs. The third table is usually some people from a campus organization that have come to eat and the last is a mixture of all kinds of people, such as those that have not showered and those that take regular showers.

diverse.... you will find everything from the preppy person, to the incredibly funky and over the top one. most people seem really excepting and laid back, though.

Encourage diversity strongly and try to build a community within the colleges

UCSC is the UC that has the students with the richest parents. Supposedly (I've heard it from an Economics professor and several other creditable sources), they have the most assets and the highest incomes. But you might not be able to tell by the looks of many of the students here. Many students do not dress up all pretentious or flashy. And many of those students are aware of their economic privileges (though like with most things, not all students do). But there are also a lot of students who are part of EOP (Educational Opportunities Program) who are first-generation college students, generally from lower socio-economic backgrounds than other students whose parents did go to college. I'm not sure about the religious make-up of the university, but I do know that there are clubs for different religions here. But hey, if you come and that club doesn't exist for your specific religion, you always have the opportunity to create it! But that goes for any club or organization. We're also pretty accepting and supportive of the LGBTQQIA (did I miss a letter?) community. This community has many allies here, and this is generally a safe space to come out (there are many people who don't feel safe to come out at other universities, which translates to: "There aren't a lot of LGBTs in this community." Yeah right! ). There are a couple of clubs for it, we hold a yearly Drag Ball at Oakes College, a Glitter Ball at Merrill College, a Queer Fashion Show at Porter C., and a PRIDE Festival at Kresge C. in which all the colleges participate. But there are actually a bunch of other events that I can't remember. The genearal atmosphere does depend greatly depending at which college you're at. I'm from Oakes and I can say that it's pretty chill and really diverse. We have a lot of wonderful people who keep it pretty real. I won't speak for other colleges though.

Whitest UC in the UC system. Majority white, then asian, then latino/chicano/hispanic, then african-american. Very big on "diversity" training. Very LGBT friendly and supportive. Most students are from California, with about a 50/50 split between Northern and Southern California. Most student's families are middle to upper middle class to wealthy. Students very socially and politically active. Not a good place for jocks or athletic students, unless you are in to Ultimate Frisbee.

The population is generally pretty LGBT friendly. There are not enough minorities attending UCSC and the parents of UCSC students have the highest socioeconomic status of any of the UCs. So that means you will meet a lot of rich kids. People dress athletically or funky, pretty much anything goes in terms of fashion. Many people are from the Bay area of the L.A. area. They tend to be fairly politically aware for college students and lean to the left. If I hear someone talking about how much they will earn one day I laugh in their face.

The student body is very diverse and i think that most types of people (personality, ethnicity, etc) are accepted. I do not know what type of student would feel out of place because of this. Students wear different types of clothes to class. Some dress in dark colors, some wear summer clothes year round. Some do not wear shoes. it all depends on their personality and lifestyle. It seems as if most students are from California and particularly the San Jose area. I think most students are politically aware and seem to be mostly Democrats.

The only real unifying factor in the UCSC student body is a moderate to liberal political position. We have our conservatives, but they're few and far between. Beyond UCSC, this goes for most of the city of Santa Cruz. I sometimes wish we had a little bit more ethnic and racial diversity here, since I grew up in a very diverse, cosmopolitan little city, and I've yet to find any decent soul food in Santa Cruz, but there's definitely a healthy mix of all colors, orientations, and bank accounts. Different groups of students definitely do interact, and any self-segregation I've seen has been on the basis of interests, not backgrounds (i.e., theater nerds run in packs)

there are various ethnic and LGBT groups on campus, which is great, and they're pretty visible and active. i don't think anyone would feel out of place here as long as they were open-minded and accepting of all kinds of people, because that's who ucsc is made up of! all different kinds of students interact, and there is little discrimination on the part of the students, though i can't say the same of the administration. most ucsc students are from california, but we also have an education abroad program, so there are students from europe, australia, and africa as well. most students are from fairly affluent families, as you pretty much have to be these days as even public school is so expensive. a lot of students do apply for grants and loans, though. most students are definitely left of center, but there are a lot of moderate to right students as well.

There are all groups represented on campus. We have a large LGBT representation, and we are a very tolerant student body. I can't imagine that any student would feel out of place. An extremely conservative student may feel out of place, but I've met some and they appear happy here. Most students are from California, but some are from other places, including the east coast and other countries. Different types of students tend to interact out of necessity and often become good friends. The financial backgrounds vary, but it tends to be a wealthy school. Students can afford to eat organic foods and wear nice clothing (though some choose not to). I was told by a professor that we have one of the wealthiest backgrounds of any UC. Students are very politically aware, and many are active. They are predominantly left or far left. I have never heard a student talk about how much money he or she will earn one day. We are a liberal arts school, mostly, and students talk about what they will accomplish in society, not what they will ear.

There's a pretty diverse range of people here and people interact like normal people, some are activists, some are right, most are left to varying degrees. Apparently UCSC is the UC with the richest parents, but there are also struggling independents like me.

UCSC has been the primary area where I have been exposed to a great deal of people who are very different from myself. Learning and working with a diverse group of students has helped me to develop as a person, so I am very proud of what this university has given me. The student body is generally made up of students who are liberal (some extreme) and moderates. There are some conservatives, but these students tend to take a social beating. My favorite quote that have heard on this issue is that "this school turns moderates conservative", which is somewhat true because there are great (and some not so great) liberal ideas implemented (via protest usually) in idiotic ways.

There are clubs on campus for pretty much any ethnic/racial group if you want to make friends with people of a certain racial group. Not a huge sorority/fraternity scene, but we do have them and they do have parties. Most of the people I've met are pretty liberal, politically speaking.

We have a student run governemnt, and student politics here on campus

UCSC is open to just about everyone. It may not be as racially diverse as some would like it to be, but you can still find people from all cultures here. There is a very active LGBT group on campus. Everyone seems to mesh and get along very well. The only type of student that probably wouldn't fit in would be a close minded one, or a very conservative one.

I would say Christian conservatives would feel horribly out of place on campus, but I've met two or three, and they seem to have survived alright. People here are nothing if not accepting. There is a fairly active LGBT center/community, though it tends to really only gear up towards the end of the year, having only little group meetings throughout the rest of the quarters. Most of the students here are from California, in fact, I can't think of anybody I've met who ISN'T from California. It's a pretty diverse student body. All sorts come here.

The student body here is very segregated. The ethnic groups stick to each other due to the multiple ethnic organizations which pretty much run the organized part of the campus. Multicultural events are everywhere, which is good for learning about others, but hard because it fosters a sense of separation and disunity. The financial backgrounds vary greatly. Many students come here on full ride financial aid, like their parents are on welfare, to many students whose parents pay for everything plus some. It is very diverse here in terms of wealth.

The only type of student I think would feel out of place is a very conservative type. It's true that UCSC is quite politically liberal - you can definitely feel that vibe on-campus, although I've never seen any confrontation of any sort, including a political one. A lot of students are politically active, and there's quite a large LGBT community as well. I'm not personally involved in much of those types of activities but being in any minority type (be it racially, socio-economically, religiously or sexually) is rarely a problem here on campus.

The student body at UCSC is one that you would never find in any other university, let alone any other UC. UCSC students are generally (and stereotypically) extremely liberal and opinionated. UCSC students definintely stand up when they believe injustices are present and will fight with all their heart and soul for a cause they believe in. There is an active, strong organization for almost every racial, cultural, and sexual community at UCSC with people who will welcome anyone with open arms. The only kind of student that might feel out of place at UCSC would be an extremely right-wing, conservative, narrow-minded person, as there would probably be many UCSC students who would provoke debates with such a person. Most UCSC students are from somewhere in California--I haven't found there to be many foreign or even out-of-state students, though there are some.

our school is the uc that has the most students from rich backgrounds. we are not a very diverse campus in respects to race, in fact we are the 2nd least diverse uc next to UC Irvine. most of the students are from northernb california, but a lot of students are also from sothern california. most people that i meet are from arounbd the same place that i grew up (the east bay area). people generally dont dress up for class and most girls would never wear heels on campus because it is in the middle of a forest with a lot of hills. a lot of the students are politaclly motivated democrats. my boyfriend is a republican and he felt like he completely didn't belong at ucsc when he attended.

predominantly white. i often see divisions among students based on skin color. i feel like many students try painfully hard to look/act/feel unique and to separate themselves from others by way of dress and speech when in reality, it seems to boil down to the fact that by striving desperately to be so different, we still converge to mirror each other. republican students congregate together and upon talking with them, in my experiences, they often push their views onto others and refuse to listen with an open mind to other sides of arguments. people affiliated with other political parties are often stubborn as well, but a general lack of understanding of politics plagues many conversations about politics. i see many girls disrespected by boys, and many girls basking in attention from boys. people on buses and in libraries always look for empty rows of seats or tables and only sit next to strangers when forced to. eye contact longer than split seconds is rare and sometimes it's difficult to converse with strangers. people usually study in groups and is generally really easy to meet friends in classes. many science-related courses are extremely competitive however, and people seem reluctant to provide help when they know more than others. it's generally a gay-friendly environment, more so for lesbians than for homosexual males as there seems to be a higher percentage of homosexual females. the LGBT is a comfortable place to go, there is an extensive collection of literature based on homosexuality. the words retarded, faggot and gay are still used freely by many students in conversation. there is a lack of support for strikes and protests on campus and most people do not even know that there is still a tree-sit presently taking place on science hill.

Let's face it, UCSC does not have the most diverse student body population.

UCSC is diverse and extremely open-minded. The university is separated into ten colleges, so that it is easier for new students to get adjusted and not feel overwhelmed by the thousands of students that come up to campus. Before arriving, we get to pick which college we want to be affiliated with. Students decide based on the look of the college, the people that live at the college, and the college theme. Each college has a theme, and my college theme was Social Justice and Community. Every college has a core class that the students must attend, and the course is focused on the theme. My college discussed social problems that come up in our community (i.e. our city, our state, our country) such as racism, sexism, and issues with class. It is good to actually talk about matters that are relevant in today's society and figure out ways to overcome those problems.

Unfortuately, UCSC isn't super diverse, nor is it super financially diverse. UCSC is, in fact, one of the wealthiest out of all the UC's. Most are moderate to liberal leaning and the common dress is one that is bohemian comfort. Many students are politically aware, but you'd be surprized how many aren't . Because people are focused with their studies they don't always have time, at least so they say, to research politics.

Very diverse and culturally oriented, they come from all over and all speak many languages. I would say students enjoy being a part of the community but also being a large part of the school as well, it's how they get involved and it truly is what UCSC is all about. Our student groups are really the core that makes this school complete.

UCSC is an extremely well diversified campus with countless social and community outlets for all students. In actuality, most people don't care where you came from, who your dad is, what you're wearing, etc. This campus is a place for everyone and anyone in this world.

UCSC is a very laid back place. In fact, Santa Cruz is a very laid back place. There isn't a lot of pressure to look or act a certain way. There is a very diverse student body. And people don't belong to specific groups, like in high school. You figure, to get into a university, you have to be kind of nerdy. There are a lot of people from Southern CA, but there a lot from the bay area also.

They are nice and super cool. Some are a bit pretentious and fake. They come from being normal and then turn into a hippie a little bit too quickly.

Most of the student body is fairly relaxed and open-minded. My only main gripe is that most of the colleges are predominantly white, as most everyone else goes to Oakes: the "diverse" college. As a result, none of the colleges are very ethnically varied, including oakes.

I don't think anyone would feel out of place at UCSC if you do then...idk whats wrong. People wear whatever they feel like wearing here at UCSC. Some people go in pajamams, most in a sweater and jeans. Like about half of the students here are NorCal and the other half are SoCal. One thing I absolutley love about this school is that we dont have too many frats and sororitys so there is no such thing as a "cool crowd" around here. This schoool is pretty liberal. I guess the only time you'd feel out of place is if you were an extreme conservative. So if you are..Im not too sure youd like it here.

The community at UCSC is pretty open-minded. Students come from all walks of life, and the student body is definitely diverse. Only 3{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of our undergraduates are from out-of-state, and the campus definitely leans far to the left. Be prepared to smell ganja - it's pretty common on campus. I don't see much around College 9, but at College 8 I smell it on a daily basis.

An INCREDIBLY open campus, no judgments, ever. Ware what you want, say what you want, believe what you want, this is a very liberal college, and with a liberal college comes new levels of freedom. If your shy, try to get over it, because not many people here are and you might be intimidated by it.

I am very impressed with how much emphasis is placed on having a non-discriminating community. Most of the time I don't think it's necessary. Students from city areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles would feel out of place. Most students from cities wear modern clothing, while students from rural areas wear thrify clothes. Different types of students don't interact unless they are from Oakes. Most of the UCSC students I have met are from northern California. Students are not politically aware or active. We don't talk about how much we will earn. We are apathetic in our school pride, athletics, and academics. The only people that work hard are those who want to transfer out of the school, the science majors, and those who have passion in the arts, and perhaps the hippies and hardcore vegans.

I am only familiar with "racial" groups on campus. I'd rather call them ethnic groups. El Centro is the Latino resource center here and it's a good resource for events. I think that lower-income students of color would feel out of place here. They seem sequestered at Oakes College and tend to stand out in class. I feel like I stand out in my classes. There are far more white students than there are students of color. Students wear a whole range of clothing to class: some look like they walked out of an Urban Outfitters catalog and others look like they robbed a bum of his/her clothes. I do think different students interact. Most UCSC students are from the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles area. The most prevalent financial backgrounds are that of the upper middle class. iPods and iPhones are ubiquitous as are expensive leather handbags and designer clothing. You will definitely know if you are not from that sector of the student population. Students are politically aware and most are left leaning.

There aren't a lot of super right-wing radical religious people. You're more likely to find tree-huggers, tree-sitters, war-protesters, etc. It's very liberal here. The atmosphere is very LGBT friendly. While there are clusters of people--Asians, African Americans, Caucasians, Latinos, etc--people interact and cross racial boundaries. It's blended, which is nice. A student who is very religious or very conservative might feel a little out of place. There are religious groups on campus, but not many, and not many conservative groups either. It's very "save the planet, save the trees, save Darfur, help the underprivileged!" The teachers are liberal, too, and mostly secular. Especially in physics a lot of people roll their eyes at the proponents of Intelligent Design or make jokes about it. Most students wear whatever. There are definitely the "cool" kids, who were obviously the popular kids in high school, but mostly people wear jeans or slacks, or on hot days skirts and low-cut tops. Lots of flip-flops, though hiking those hills in flip-flops can be down-right dangerous. Most kids are pretty casual about what they wear. Four tables at the dining hall--depends on which dining hall! College 9/10 has more Asians than any of the other colleges, and Oakes has more African Americans/Latinos. Of course people eat at different college dining halls, but if you go to either of those you're more likely to see ethnic groups. Crown is more white, but not exclusively. A lot--at least a quarter--of students come from Southern California. A lot come from the Bay Area--San Francisco, and further north. There's definitely a blending of "So-Cal" and "Nor-Cal." There are definitely some Orange County people here. You can pick them out by how they dress--very movie-star-ish. Big sun glasses, fancy purses, skinny, tanned, waxed, etc. But certainly not all are like that. I think the financial backgrounds are mostly middle class. I don't think there are a lot of students who come from either very poor or very rich families. It's rather homogeneous in that sense . Students are VERY VERY politically aware and active. Lots of protests, lots of activities, lots of discussions--by the way, all the activities on campus are great. We have an amazing performing arts center, and lots and lots of sponsored events on various socio-political issues, every single week. You could spend your entire time here just seeing all of the events. LEFT! LEFT! In the words of one teacher, "Professors here range in their views from Left, to Far Far Left." Some, but not most, students talk about how much they'll earn. Students are well-aware they'll have to pay back their loans and such, but most are more concerned either with just graduating or with helping people, or doing what they want to do in life.

Diverse.

I think the campus is some what diverse. I don't know of any students who feel out of place at UCSC. Some diffent tupes of students do interact. Most UCSC students are from Southern California.

There are diverse groups with many different interests, and if you are looking for one group or interest in particular, you should be able to find it.

People say that UCSC is super white. While it may be true that the campus has a high percentage of white students, there is actually ethnic diversity on campus. As with most stereotypes and generalizations, this one is blown way out of proportion. This also goes for politics. The students here are not as ultra-left-wing as some will say. Liberals do seem to far outnumber conservatives (or at least vocal ones), but most liberal students are run-of-the-mill liberals--not communists and anarchists.

People don't shower here. Most students are from the Bay Area, Nor-Cal, So-Cal and some from the east coast. We are very white washed. Most students are white although their are still a lot of ethnicities. There is a huge amount of Asian students taking science-related courses. A fair amount of kids are wealthy-probably more so than a lot of schools. But, a lot aren't.