<p>davis has a lot of things i love but how much is it affected by being public? if i got into a really good private school, would you guys honestly recommend i intend it just cuz its private? or is it inconvenient but perfectly manageable going to a public?</p>
<p>Why would going to a public university be inconvenient?</p>
<p>Because it can be tough to get classes, there can be alot of bureacracy to wade through if one wants to change majors, the whole furlough thing has been very difficult in the Cal State system. Lots of class days furloughed with little or notice to the students but professors still holding students responsible for the same majors.</p>
<p>It depends on what you want to pay. IMO, A UC education (Davis) is a bargain. You are paying $30k/year for an education that should cost $45k/year. There are the disadvantages and advantages to going to a big public school vs. a smaller private. If you feel your money is better spent elsewhere, then go for it.</p>
<p>^just out of curiosity, what would you say the advantages are to going to a big public? the disadvantages are clear (and not horrible but still inconvenient). but what are the pros (besides price)?</p>
<p>i really havent seen any of evidence of these so-called “inconveniences”
my schedule is completely full from freshman to senior year as an engineer, but i havent had any problems getting the classes i need, nor do i know of anyone who has (AP credits are also helpful for geting you an earlier registration time)</p>
<p>What disadvantages are so obvious to you?</p>
<p>well a lot of people complain about:</p>
<p>1.) not being able to get the classes they want
2.) classes being cut entirely cuz of the budget cuts
3.) random furlough days
4.) lack of personalized attention from professors
5.) professors more concerned with research/grad teaching than undergrad teaching</p>
<p>Private schools are not immune from some of those problems. Some of it has more to do with how large the school is rather than whether it is public or private.</p>
<p>Some advantages might be that a large public university has a great deal of diversity in the student body and the faculty, and tremendous resources even in tough economic times because of its size, such as huge libraries, sports teams, performing arts venues, etc. </p>
<p>Putting the price of tuition aside (although it is a huge consideration for most people) I think that different students will do well in different environments. The last place my daughter would want to be is in a small, liberal arts college - she loves the UC. Others of her friends chose differently. One size does not fit all.</p>
<p>I’ve attended two UC’s (I’m currently at Davis). I’ve never had a problem getting into classes I need or want to take. And random furlough days are a CSU system problem - NOT a UC system problem. UC professors are not allowed to take furlough days that will cut into their teaching schedule (which the professors don’t like - but from an undergraduate student’s perspective, it means your classes are entirely unaffected). And I’ve never heard of a class being cut because of budget issues at Davis (although I assume it has happened). My point is, though, that it’s not a very common thing, and shouldn’t really factor into your decision to attend. It’s much, much worse at state schools (CSU system). </p>
<p>I’ve had some great professors who love interacting with their students. In fact, ALL of my professors have encouraged students to come to their office hours, even if they just want to talk about current events or non-class related topics. </p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that the UC system has been hit hard by the state’s recent budget issues. In a couple years, funding may not be as big of an issue as it currently is. The UC system is currently pursuing new sources of funding and is trying to lessen its dependence on state funds which could fluctuate from year to year. So in the future, possibly the near future (when you’ll still be attending classes), some of these budget issues will be part of the past.</p>
<p>Hmmm, I question the diversity of public schools in California. The public universities may not consider race or ethnicity. Also, the private schools often have quite a bit of financial aid/scholrship assistance available and may be diverse as well. Tough to compare on such a generalized level.</p>
<p>When you say you question the diversity of public schools, what do you mean? </p>
<p>Just for reference, here are some statistics for Davis (public) and Stanford (private) for entering freshmen, 2009. (taken from their websites). For Stanford, I combined the categories of “Mexican American” and “other hispanic” for easier comparison with Davis. </p>
<p>UC Davis:
African American: 3.2%
Asian/Pacific Islander: 44.06%
Hispanic/Latino: 13.14%
Native American: 0.44%
White: 33.05%
Other: 2.05%
Decline to State: 4%</p>
<p>Stanford University:
African American: 10.6%
Asian: 22.5%
Hispanic/Latino: 14.6%
Native American: 4.1%
White: 33.1%
“International”: 7.6%
Other: 3.5%
Decline to State: 3.9%</p>
<p>Some of the things people are complaining aren’t even really problems. I haven’t had trouble getting classes and my professors so far have been really nice and approachable people. Even more approachable than some of my high school teachers. The UC system has all sorts of opportunities to do research with professors, internships, and study abroad. It’s not “inconvenient”, it’s an amazing opportunity at a great price.</p>
<p>I think there are more African American students are private universities. I think there may be as much or more economic diversity at some of the private universities who offer generous scholarship assistance.</p>
<p>Obviously, private universities offer more financial assistance to poor students. However, private universities are also MUCH more expensive to attend, so it makes sense that they provide more aid. In my experience, Davis has been quite generous with aid. Their system of awarding aid based on financial need works as it is supposed to. I’m really not sure why a poor student would be able to attend a private university but not a public university, unless private universities are more likely to offer full ride scholarships (I don’t know the statistics on that). </p>
<p>I feel that Davis is quite diverse, and open to diversity. I also feel that small differences in percentages of students from different racial backgrounds are negligible. The fact that Davis has fewer African Americans, or more Asians, doesn’t affect the academic rigor of the university or make the students less accepting of different racial or ethnic backgrounds.</p>
<p>Good thing I don’t care about artificial diversity like luvmyson. I like seeing schools accept the students who deserve to be accepted the most, regardless of race :)</p>
<p>I agree with Cali Trumpet. Admissions should be based solely on academic and extracurricular achievement - not race or ethnicity. And seeking a certain “ratio” of races in the student population will not further the school’s educational quality or improve acceptance of racial diversity.</p>