A Student Talks Up UC-Santa Barbara (UCSB)

The University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) has one of the most beautiful campuses I could ever hope to visit. Unfortunately, life in COVID times does not make it possible for me to visit now. So when I was offered an opportunity to talk about the UCSB experience with a graduating senior, I quickly accepted. I have also gathered some pictures of the UCSB campus on Pinterest for you.

Bess Djavadi, a Statistics major, has made the most of the opportunities that UCSB has to offer inside and outside of the classroom. 

Listen to Bess as she talks about all this—and more!

• Why she choose UCSB over UCLA
• The UCSB Honors Program and the Outdoor Leadership Program
• How she entered undeclared and chose her major
• Opportunities that she had to build her resume—that led to a job offer before graduation!

Last fall UCSB accepted just under 30 percent of the students who applied for admission to the Class of 2023. They averaged well over a 4.0. It was easier to be admitted to UCSB over UCLA or UC-Berkeley. But UCSB has a college town vibe instead of a fast paced city life. That has made it a more popular choice for some students who apply to all three schools.  Many students live in Isla Vista, a true college community, within easy walking–or biking–distance of campus. According to Bess’ mom, no other UC system school has more registered bicycles!  I also doubt that you will find more beautiful views from campus, as Bess shows in the photo above,

This coming fall UCSB will be test optional, but academic excellence will still be expected. 

Non-residents will have higher academic hurdles to clear than Californians in the admissions process. UCSB is divided into three undergraduate colleges. The College of Letters and Sciences does not require applicants to choose a major, nor does the College of Creative Studies. But prospective engineers must choose a major on the UC application. 

If you plan on applying to UCSB or any other UC campus, do not rush into the application. The system application has a set of Personal Insight Questions. Give your answers time and thought before you submit them at the end of November. Need help? Contact me at stuart@educatedquest.com or call me at 609-406-0062.

Listen to Bess as she tells her story about her education at UCSB. If you like sunshine and outdoor recreation, along with the academic options offered by a large state university, its tough to imagine a better school. There’s one downside: the UCSB experience is quite expensive for non-residents, with tuition and fees in excess of $40,000. If you’re a non-resident looking at a school with an eye towards merit-based aid, you might want to look elsewhere.

Need help on the journey to college, including the UC Personal Insight questions? Contact me at stuart@educatedquest.com or call me at 609-406-0062.

Want to know more about me? Check out these podcasts!

Listen to my talk, College Is A Learning AND Living Community, hosted by Dr. Cynthia Colon from Destination YOUniversity on Voice of America Radio!

Listen to my talk, What Exactly Is a Good College? hosted by test-prep experts Amy Seeley and Mike Bergin on Tests And The Rest!

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