University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

James

The laid back attitude of UC Santa Cruz allows students to push themselves as hard as they wish, so that what they get back from their college expereience is directly proportional to what they put into it.

Carlos

It is very well connected to nature there is many outdoor activities to door here, it is easy to become distracted therefore it's nice to have a good sense of time management. Other than those basic things it can be a competivie school just not as competetive as other schools. It is still a good school to learn and research at.

Jessica

Environmentally friendly, liberal, and open-minded.

Tem

Location, the people, the professors.

Dannah

One great reason UCSC stands out is its location. It was built on 2000 acres of land and a good chunk of the campus is in a redwood forest. It is also a few miles from the beach. The placement of the university not only allows for amazing views of the Monterey Bay, but also research opportunities in and surroundign the Monterey bay. This past year, UCSC was considered the 3rd on the list of universities which have had an impact on research.

Pauline

Compared to other universities, Santa Cruz isn't as competitive, which I believe works in this school's favor because students are more willing to work with each other. By not creating this cut-throat tension, I feel welcomed here and that students are always willing to share their knowledge and time to help me. This sense of support gives the campus a positive vibe along with its serene location. The lucious forests of trees that surround students adds to the more peaceful envrionment that remains focused academically, but maintains perspective of keeping this a beautiful place to study.

Alissa

A lot of schools I've visited or have been interest in were either plotted in a metropolis or in a suburbia (I grew up in one so I wanted something different). When I saw Santa Cruz, I was blown away when I saw towering redwood trees instead of towering office buildings. Instead of the buzz of the city, I was calmed by the tranquility of UCSC's natural beauty. The town was active and peaceful. Basically, its the alter ego of a typical American college.

Maria

I love UC Santa Cruz. College, whether you're going to an Ivy or a community college, is what you make of it. If you lock yourself in your room and only emerge for class and bathroom breaks, you're not going to get the most out of it. If you sincerely make an effort to get know the people on your floor, in your classes, all around you - your college experience will be a good one. Santa Cruz is perfect if you want a wide variety of people in a laid-back atmosphere. In my experience, the people here know how to party and have fun, but also when it's time to buckle down and study. And you will never find a campus so breathtakingly gorgeous as this one! And you'll be surprised at the swell of pride you begin to feel every time you see a mighty banana slug on your way to class.

Richard

Unique part about this school is the diversity this school has and the amount of clubs/ organization, not greek life, is available to the student to communicate with each other in a communal pool.

Amber

The University of California-Santa Cruz offers an extremely liberal, forward thinking learning environment that allowed me to not only expand my knowledge base, but to consider my views of the world in a different way.

Dalynna

The most unique thing about my school compared to other schools I've considered is its natural wonders. It's very quiet and scenic here for the most part and many people love that. I love it since I'm not used to it at all and it helps me break away from my shell and makes me want to go out and walk and see all the beautiful scenery this school has to offer. The school is surrounded by hundreds of acres of forest and we can see the ocean from here too.

bailey

My school is like a forest with deers, racoons, and plenty of trees and banana slugs. It is very different from other schools because of its beautiful nature. My school is one of the beautifulest and greenest campus'.

Shanina

My school contains many support systems that help students with issues beit school, work, social issues, and even family issues. Many professors try their best to help students comprehend the materials they present in the class. There are many retention programs within the school that supports the student in any way possible that may help them stay in school. Another unique thing about my school is the fantastic housing they have. Since the school is somewhat isolated from the city of Santa Cruz, the school has tried to provide every type of housing possibly for every student in the school.

Hannah

When walking around campus it feels like you are hiking through a National Park. There are always new places to explore on campus, whether its the Porter Caves, Tree 9 or in Pognip National Park. Also not many school have a view of the ocean and the forest from the fourth story of their library.

Jessica

The most unique part of UCSC is that even though it is a well-respected research university with 16,000 students, its location still manages to provide students with a sort of calm serenity. It?s nestled in some of the most beautiful California forest, with a view of the Monterey Bay to the south, and hiking trails to the North. Deer frequent the pathways students take to class, and raccoons play at night. It?s impossible to come here and not learn about the best ways to maintain a ?green? lifestyle, and equally as impossible not to want to.

Dan

UCSC has the most beautiful campus in the California. My dorm building had an ocean view. There are expansive ocean views all over campus. There is also a dense forest behind the campus for hiking. The students here are liberal. They tend to protest a lot and focus on social and environmental issues.

Kimberly

Santa Cruz is beautiful. The other schools I considered had nice architecture, vibrant histories, and far more academic prestige, but at Santa Cruz I walk through the forest to get to classes and take a fifteen minute bus ride to go to the beach. The people are artistic and thoughtful, and most of all nice. I've heard from friends at other UC campuses that it can be hard to make friends, and people are too competitive to get along, but not here. It's easy to get into a conversation with a stranger on the bus.

Eunice

The campus is beautiful and there are a lot of places for outside extra curricular activities like hiking, biking, surfing, etc. The city of Santa Cruz is not a college town so it's very different from the city life. The surroundings and atmosphere is definitely very friendly. UCSC is a very open and pretty campus.

Nestor

One main difference is that UCSC is out in the wilderness, everywhere you look there are trees and there's also a beautiful view of the ocean. There are also a lot of friendly people everywhere you go and there is a welcoming vibe all around the university.

Delmer

UCSC is a fascinating mix of academics and some of the most beautiful places in California, possibly the world. This isn't a commercial but if it were; buried like a diamond deep beneath the surface, Santa Cruz is a well kept secret full of great places to eat and recreational purposes. The school reflects this in its kind people willing to do anything in their power to help you succeed. That's what makes it so unique, despite everything that goes around here and amidst all the clutter people will remember you and pay attention.

Christina

The University of California, Santa Cruz, is unique in that it is located in the same community where my grandmother lives. Being raised on the East Coast, Massachusetts, I only visited with my maternal grandmother once a year during summer vacations. Once I graduated high school, I began my journey west towards California. After nearly ten years of travelling around the country and living in Colorado, I finally decided to enroll in college at UCSC. I chose to live with my grandmother, and I partially credit her support and friendship in inspiring me to succeed at the university.

Kathy

It's the largest campus in the nation. You live in the middle of the redwood forest, but still have the opportunity to go to the beach and participate in some city fun. We're very environmentally friendly; there are recycling bins galore. Students here tend to be very liberal, but open to different perspectives. There is a special residence system where there is a large university community, but you get to live in a specific college. This makes adapting to the school and making friends a lot easier. It has one of the top linguistics programs in the nation.

Brian

My school is unique in that it is set in a beautiful location. The environment around campus as well as off campus is very helpful as motivation to do well in my studies, as well as anything else I do. It is known for much of the research done about the environment, and does it's best in every way to be a green campus.

Emily

This school is unique because it does not have a football team and it is very spread out. We are surrounded by beautiful redwood trees while also being fairly close to the ocean. Our campus is full of enviornmentalists and there are a bunch of really fun clubs you can join. The downtown area is close and fun and there is a lot of activities always going on. There have also been some pretty cool concerts and parties to go to.

Sajira

I would say the entire college experience at Santa cruz is unique compared to any other college. Santa Cruz provides smaller communities within separate colleges and a beautiful campus that makes stress almost impossible to succumb to/

Fiona

When people step onto the UCSC campus it is almost as if they?ve stepped into a time machine instead. Everyone here invokes the spirit of the sixties by expressing love and tolerance of one another, and none are singled out for their oddities but are rather embraced. Though some might find this social behavior backwards, our campus boasts some of the most forward thinkers of our generation. By stressing the importance of being environmentally conscious and by pushing social boundaries to form a more unprejudiced community, UCSC fosters academically driven individuals who take action in that which they believe.

Antoinette

There is no shortage of animals there are deers and racoons and all kinds of bugs. The scenery is nice because you can see the forest as well as the beach simply by standing on a cliff and looking in a different direction.

brianda

enviromentally friendly, has ten colleges that focus on specific issues

Diana

The school I attend is very social, almost everybody gets along, living in the dorms felt almost like home because the people that I met there were very friendly. The school is enviromentally friendly and I love the fact that the beach is close by and that there are many tress on campus.

Nick

The atmosphere

Alyssa

Beach and mountains. Laid back and liberal atmosphere. Great town!

Gia

We are a very accepting school of all types of people. We are more "hippie."

Rebecca

First off, it's smack in the middle of a redwood forest and the ocean can be seen from many areas of campus. The place is beautiful and serene. Secondly (and appropriately), the school is EXTREMELY environmentally conscious. Thirdly, everyone is just pretty chill here. There is an amazing amount of diversity and the place, as a whole, just has a very relaxed feel to it.

Tracey

environmental consciousness and liberal learning environment

Kelly

The way students interact with each other and the way students view the world were two of the things I noticed most about Santa Cruz. Everyone here is very open and friendly, and academic success is not as important as one might think. Professors want you to get good grades, but they are more concerned with us all succeeding in life. It is very peaceful here, and there are always people willing to help and befriend you.

Micah

The natural beauty and dedication to social justice amongst its professors and students.

cole

For a long time, there were no grades, only evaluations. The professors still have that legacy in them.

Marni

It is located in the forest. There are also amazing views of the ocean from campus.

Jaime

Santa Cruz is a place where I feel that can really thrive in everything that I enjoy focusing on. This gives me a great way to be able to volunteer, learn about my community, and get invovled in a place that I can learn and grow and not be judged.

Brent

It has so many different things near it. It has the beach, forrest, hiking, the town, bars, and more all accessable and close.

Jie

The friendly environment and very comfortable study space on campus. Most people are very supportive of each other and you get to learn a lot from the diverse community.

Jason

UCSC is very liberal. The campus is in a scenic location, and the school places a lot of focus on independent research

Nathan

The nature is nice and so is the arcetecture but the people are boring hippies.

Tammy

it in the middle of the redwoods, and there is a ton of deer and other wildlife around

Kyla

UCSC is unique because of the students and its beautiful landscapes that are all so relaxed

Cameron

Barbara Barton tells us why she is glad she came here.

Marshall

I can't stress enough that coming to college, especially UCSC, is your own path. You can go hardcore engineering and never leave your room and acheive great academic things, or you can go out every night and be totally crazy and still pass in another major. Anything in between is acceptable. As a piece of advice i would simply say to not hold back, explore opportunities even if they mildly interest you. Don't let social or academic anxiety choke you out, pursue exactly what you want.

Parker

Hippies and semi Hippies unite!

Lavender

Use your bicycle! Don't bring up your car here. We have to room or desire for cars.

Lauren

Psychological services are lacking severely. If you need psyc help, seek it off-campus through your insurance. Health center is a JOKE. Do not expect to get well with their help. Seek help off-campus as well. Dominican Hospital has excellent care, with several walk in clinics around the city. Great emergency response time for UCSC Fire Department and Santa Cruz ambulances. Planned Parenthood downtown. Great city bus transportation (and free with current student ID). Bike shuttle that takes you and your bike up to campus in the morning so you can ride back down after class.