University of California Santa Cruz Visit Report by jackson17

Visit Activities:

Information Session: Yes - I went for Preview Day, so it was like one big information session.

Campus Tour: No - We did our own walking around and the shuttle was running, so we could see the buildings on our own.

Classroom Visit: No - We could look inside, but school wasn't in session yet.

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Campus:

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The students at the info booths, especially for business, were incredibly enthusiastic and love the campus.

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The staff members were very nice, informative, and thorough when answering questions.

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The campus was beautiful and clean.

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The place looked spotless.

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I only saw from the outside, but they looked like neat, modern buildings.

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Unsure, but Santa Cruz has some rough people.

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It was a great visit with an excellent Preview Day set-up.

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Off-Campus:

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The campus is partly in the Open Space Preserve and there are some historic buildings on the way in. You can also get an ocean view!

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Santa Cruz is a great town with ethnic restaurants, interesting people, the beach, and the Boardwalk.

Campus Visit Notes for University of California Santa Cruz

Visit Description:

I live 45 minutes away from campus, but this was the first time I actually got to see the whole thing. Preview Day was very informative and the bookstore had a lot of banana slug merchandise. The campus is surrounded by the ocean, redwood trees, and open space, which makes it beautiful and very natural looking. The students I spoke to seemed very laidback and not at all pretentious, even though two of the business students had scored great post-graduation jobs already. Apparently the campus has lively local music (and Santa Cruz has always been a very interesting town full of performers) and a band was playing while we were there. The weather was beautiful. UCSC would be a great place for outdoorsy students. My dad is an avid mountain biker and we go on many rides that are near the college or a few miles away. There's also surfing and other beach activities in town. Overall, UCSC isn't my first choice just because it is so close to home, but it seems like a great place.

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

There are several hotels along the beach by the pier which are nice (haven't stayed in one, but prom was there once).

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

Ferrell's doughnuts is great on the main road into town. Pizza My Heart and Planet Fresh Burritos (on and a block away from Pacific Avenue) are great too.

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a great amusement park that has a very classic, iconic wooden roller coaster. The beach is best for swimming, but surfing is available too.