My son got accepted UCD for Environmental Sc and UCSD for Environmental System and Earth Sc and waitlisted on UCB. Need suggestion which one to choose.
Has he visited the campuses of Davis and San Diego? Does he have a preference on location, student vibe, curriculum? Are costs comparable? What are his career goals with the major?
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He will do graduate program. He wants to be Environment consultant. No, we will visit campus. UCSD people will come here Santa Clara to meet new admits. we will join that. Do you recommend us to there in person? We live in Bay area.
UC Davis is well known as being elite in enviro sci. Also, total cost will likely be lower than UCSD because of the location – housing is much much cheaper. Also Davis has D1 teams for all major sports, whereas SD lacks a football program.
Definitely take UCB over both if you get off the waitlist.
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I would recommend going to UCSD in person. It has a very different feel that UC Davis.
UC Davis Aggie Day is April 5. UCSD Triton Day is April 12. Hopefully you can attend both.
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I can see that UCSD ranked 1sti n USA and 4th Globally for Environmental Sc and Earth System according to Nature Survey and UC Davis is ranked among the top universities in the US for Environmental Science, with its Earth Sciences program, including Environmental Sciences, ranked 8th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. I am confused about ranking and if students want to go elite university for graduate study which one can help more. Thanks in advance.
I wouldn’t worry about rank.
You are going to spend four years, day after day, somewhere. One in inland and a biking town. One rests up against the water. Bettter weather, etc.
One has a residential college system.
You should go experience what the schools offer - from vibe, feel, food in the dining halls, etc.
You are close enough that if it’s possible to get there, you should get there. Meeting an admissions person will not give you any true insight. It will simply be a sales pitch.
Grad schools won’t care which school you choose - even beyond these two.
It could very well be, a visit can either excite your son or turn him off - and both are good - as he tries to find the best for him.
Great acceptances.
Best of luck.
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What kind of grad school are you talking about? Masters? PhD?
Thank you for answering my questions. He wants to do PhD. Also, Environmental Sc has 2aspects science side and policy side. Which one will be better from job perspectives and which college?
Both schools are fine.
I don’t think you determine which is best (a PhD might not be best period) - you may be either a science person or a policy person.
There can be overlap - but someone who is interested in policy, won’t be interested as much in the scientific aspects - or may not even have that adaptability to it.
There is no better school here.
There is, potentially, the best school for a student. Don’t game.
Find the best school today. No one at 17 can predict a PhD.
The field in general is low paying - and with government cut backs it might get worse.
In the end, he will be there four years, day after day. These are different programs. Choose the one that fits him best.
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Thank you for giving your time. I asked choosing his major in the undergraduate (policy vs Science) not about PhD. I am very aware about low paying field. But he is bright, passionate about protecting Env so asked here about feedback. His goal is becoming a consultant.
Does he like the College he was admitted to at UCSD? This would influence the courses he’d need to take - I hope he got Muir, Marshall, or Seventh, but the requirements are rather different so it’d likely make a difference.
Other questions to ask:
How easy is it to add a minor to either major?
What are possible electives senior year?
Is there a study away (in the US or abroad) that focus on issues related to his major?
What about Housing Sophomore year on?
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Those are great suggestions. Thank you so much. We will visit UCSD on 12th April then will have an idea about college. He is Marshall college.
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Yes, I commented, what is his interest ? If he’s science focused, then Env Science. If he’s not then Policy.
If someone were a Poli Sci major because they are not adept at science, they’d do policy.
I suspect science will be better but not everyone has the aptitude for a hard science degree. And that’s often why the end up in a social science.
So does your son prefer geology or poli sci ?
That’s, in my opinion, how he should pick a major.
If he does a PhD, it really depends on the professor he is working under. This thread might help answer some of your questions regarding grad school. The Grad School Forum FAQ (Check here first!)
Completely agree! Please move away from rankings! Wherever your child “fits”, is where you want him to be.
As a parent, I would want my child to be comfortable and live happily at a place that encourages curiosity and a fulfilling experience.
Our daughter attended Davis (we live in San Diego). At first she had a rough start but then she ended up loving Davis! Their professors are hands-on and they really want their students to be successful. There is free tutoring. During office hours, you do meet with the professors.
Her friends at Berkeley visited her constantly at Davis via a train ride. They loved the Davis environment! They loved how accepting and open the students were with meeting visitors.
The students at Davis smile a lot. The professors are very accessible and human. There are 40 thousand bikes, on a mostly flat, campus. The professors bike to their classes.
It’s a VERY “green” school and pro environmental health.
Our daughter had amazing health occupations advisors and they helped her with med school applications. She got into several with their help.
There is a huge difference in both schools. Physically, the schools are opposites. This is why visiting and asking questions is super important.
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