UC Irvine vs UC Davis vs NEU [more expensive than UCs] vs UCSB vs UCSC for Computer Science

College Search & Lists
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Hi just a quick summary of pros/cons specific to me. I enjoy the outdoors and running is a huge hobby of mine. I’m at the level where I can probably walk-on to some D1 teams or tryout, or just be very competitive at the club level. Otherwise, meeting cool people and just quality of CS job outcome etc is important to me, that’s about it.

Davis - close to home (Bay Area), nice homey community-based feeling, know the campus well from 1 month on-campus COSMOS summer program, but very small and flat kind of. the fun people make the school, imo, from my COSMOS experience, so not sure if the class of 24 will be as fun as COSMOS classmates were. but also one of the best for job recruitment/internships apparently, have a few work opportunities that the others (SB and Irvine) don’t.

Irvine - honors college (priority classes/dorms?), stronger in CS education-wise like goes more in depth out of all (iffy “maybe” that I’ve seen online - could help if I wanna pursue research?), but not nearly as many recruiting opportunities as Davis apparently?, and inconveniently far from home (like, still instate but annoyingly far lol). I really like the campus, but people seem scattered and less community-like vs Davis

Santa Barbara - I didn’t like the beach campus :sob: but to be fair it was absolutely pouring rain when I visited and I only checked out the beach part and I dunno, maybe give me more anecdotes for it’s CS program I don’t really know much about it.

Santa Cruz - Recruited for D3 cross country, close to home, probably love the campus, but arguably the weakest CS program out of all my considering options. are the people cool? grad school/job outcomes?

Northeastern - Cool co-op program, have to do NEU.in though, so first semester abroad before getting to Boston campus. Boston sounds cool (idk its just far from California only out-of-state option I’m considering so far), can gain independence from parents and figure stuff out and get work experience etc. cons expensive (I’m a national merit finalist tho so scholarship could help a bit but still more than UC cost), and also that heck it’s CS might not be that crazy good other than for job placement from co-op, which… maybe I want to go into academia or something eventually, become a professor/do research, would NEU be good for that? But some places also even go as far to call it a “secret FAANG feeder” so I’m confused.

Thats it. Any anecdotes, suggestions, advice for eliminating any, and general conversation is greatly appreciated! Also pray for my waitlists at UCLA, Cornell, and CMU :pray: Probably would drop all of these for any one of those, which I’ve looked into and think I like a lot more.

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Well congrats on all your acceptances and focus on those vs. the schools that didn’t accept you.

You might do a 1:1 - meaning two schools vs. each other rather than look at 5 at once.

For example, UCD or UCSB. I’m guessing you choose UCSB.

The idea is to remove schools as you can only attend one. In fairness, you should go back to Santa Barbara but given what you said, it doesn’t seem that you love it.

So you make odd statements - are the kids in 24 as fun as COSMOS? I suspect with the tons of kids there and the others, you’ll be able to find your place.

UCI - you have Honors - comes with a lot more than the dorm and priority classes. There will be classes you’ll have to take. It may be great for some but not others. Check it out.

You seem to be reluctant to leave home. If this is the case, then you have no choice but to go to UCD. At the same time, college is about growth and independence - and So Cal isn’t that far.

Santa Cruz you say is weakest. Why? Is the curriculum weaker? You seem to really like it.

NEU - it’s far - and FAANG will have grads from all these schools - and FAANG is passe. You want to find the next generation - for stock and appreciation.

So let’s look at career outcomes at one of your schools that you shouldn’t consider - Cornell.

They have a fantastic career outcome.

In the last two years - 22/23, CS grads fount their jobs by the following way - 59 Internet posting (think indeed and company websites), 53 on linkedin.

Career Fair 11, on campus 4.

It’s a different world today. When I read - their recruiting is better.

Is it? So many companies today, even ones that are “on campus” do so virtually - and companies reach out to everyone, at so many colleges through Handhsake.

So I would take recruiting concerns - which seem to be opinion anyway - out of your equation.

The reality is - CS kids can and will get hired from anywhere - and many have to pass tests.

Put another way, my son had a different major - MechE at Alabama. He had 20 interviews in Fall and 5 offers by Christmas. Because he didn’t have interest in the companies who came on campus, he conducted his entire job search via indeed.

Find where you will be comfortable and that’s where you should go. After all, you have to be there four years, day after day after day. You’re a runner - where’s best?

It sort of seems like Santa Cruz - and I suppose the one concern I’ve read about there is related to off campus housing. But it’s not far from home - but it’s not next to home.

You say it’s weakest - but why? Have you checked the curriculum to ensure it has a full slate of courses.

But the campus is wooded - and probably a wonderful place to run.

And Irvine gives you the benefits of Honors, if they interest you. Assured on campus housing and priority registration is always a good thing.

Best of luck in your decision.

Undergraduate Honors Programs < University of California Irvine (uci.edu)

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Ucsc is especially strong in CS and well located for it.
UCI benefits, especially Priority Registration, 4 year guaranteed Housing, and a personal adviser, are worth strong consideration.
Maybe revisit UCSB.
Otherwise sounds like your heart is with UCI and rationally so.

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Since you spent a summer at Davis, you know about the campus and town. The difference is that, during the school year, there are many more students and a lot more happening on and around campus. Davis is known to have one of the friendliest student populations.

Irvine is less of a community than Davis. UCI is predominantly southern Californians and can be very quiet on weekends when many local students go home. (see UCI enrollment by county)

A beach campus isn’t for everyone. Why did you only check out the beach at admitted student day? Did you look at the campus, dorms, Isla Vista? UCSB is similar to Davis in that it has an adjacent college town, a close community, is flat, and is a biking school. UCSB is more active on the weekends than UCI.

I don’t have first hand experience at UCSC so can’t tell you as much about the culture or programs there.

UCI is very close to John Wayne Airport (SNA) and SWA runs flights all day. That makes it easy to fly back and forth from the Bay Area. Santa Barbara has a small airport (SBA). There are limited flights in and out of SBA and they tend to be more expensive. However, if you watch prices and book flights in advance, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Regarding internships and recruiting opportunities, I’m going to put all of the UCs on an equal playing field. They all have career fairs and the same companies recruit from all of the schools. The same companies post on each school’s Handshake website. Finding an internship or job is going to come from how much effort YOU put into looking for one.

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Ok then, sounds good. Thank you all for the advice!

The note about UCI airport proximity is a really nice detail actually, and I do think that with the honors considered that is where I would be pretty happy to go. I shy away from drastic change (which is why considering Davis for familiarity) but I think I’ll adapt and love the campus and environment.

And I guess you guys have discounted NEU but put UCSC back on the table. I dunno, I might have to visit sometime. There’s just been a bunch of expectation thrust on me as one of the well-known studious students of the school to have gotten into some crazy colleges and now I’m picking from some choices many people who I’m not as stoked about (the partier truant slackers with ~3.5 gpas and afaik no ECs :sob:) have also gotten into undecided… and I know it’s for Computer Science, which is super impacted, so I am grateful, but it just feels a little iffy to end up in the same place as them, so I kinda leaned towards picking somewhere else with NEU but ofc truly not much reason to go there. So that clears it up. And so I was leaning away from UCSC a little bit for the same reason.

It’s still a hard decision but I think I can make pick UCI and have a good experience and education, so it’s okay. And college is huge and I’ll find my own people anyways :slight_smile:

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You need to go to school for you, not others.

You will find other hard working, ambitious students wherever you go.

And you will also find some kids who get drunk and flunk out.

That’s life.

Pick the school that’s right for you.

Forget worrying about others.

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100% seconding the above: you go to school for yourself, not others.

NEU: you don’t sound super eager about the co-ops, is that a correct assessment? And it sounds too expensive.
CMU is a very “fit” school and it’s very different (opposite in some ways) to NEU - one very theoretical&intense, the other preprofessional. If you got into CMU would you reconsider any of your choices -and it’s not just about rankings for CMU because you need to want that intensity or you’ll be quite unhappy.
Finally, what about Cornell ? Where does it fit with the rest (college town in upstate New York, large campus)?
Based on the NPCs would all be affordable?

Wrt UCSC, the fact they cancelled their Honors Program this year would put it after UCI, UCSB, and UCD imho.
Are you going to revisit?

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FAANG are well known, so anyone can apply to them, and they (at least AAG) are big enough to recruit widely. So any decent school for CS is likely to have alumni working in those companies.

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UC-Davis may be your best option.

As a fellow runner, if you run at least 10 miles per day, ask which campus you would select. You have several great options, but you probably connect more with one than the others.

If you stay healthy and run 10 miles per day, you will be happy & successful at any of your options.

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