UCSB vs. LMU

pierre0913
Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:32:37 +0000

Here’s a description of both schools from The Princeton Review. Read them and think about which school you’d best fit at. Good Luck with your decision!

University Of California - Santa Barbara

““Don’t believe all the hype,” students at the University of California—Santa Barbara say, meaning the hype about UCSB being nothing but a hard-core party school. Undergrads want you to know that “UCSB is a serious academic institution” with “outstanding academics” and “opportunities to participate in high-level scientific research,” though it “also happens to be the most beautiful place in the world in which to be stressed out.” Five Nobel laureates (including three in physics) pepper the faculty, and, “Because this school is [mainly] undergraduates, real professors teach you. . . . My ECON 1 professor was President Reagan’s national economic adviser and created Reaganonomics. That is pretty cool.” UCSB is most highly regarded in the sciences. The university’s Marine Science Institute facilities provide “invaluable fieldwork and lab experience with top-notch biologists,” and the school’s multiple nanotechnology centers are “revolutionary.” Programs in physics and material sciences are also highly regarded. Intro-level lectures can be “gargantuan,” but students point out that though “It is easy to complain that the lectures are huge and that it is hard to get into classes,” the experience here “all depends on the amount of effort you put in. There is always help if you choose to seek it.” One undergrad agrees, “There are hundreds of academically challenging classes and amazingly talented teachers at UCSB, but it is up to the students to go out and make the most of their academic experience. Nothing is handed to us.” UCSB has done a good job of moving administrative tasks online: “Grades, registration, communication, transcripts . . . it’s all done on the computer. Financial aid is automatically deposited into my account. There really isn’t a need to stand in line for services because you don’t need to, but if you do they’re generally helpful.””
“The “stereotype of ‘beautiful beach kids’ does exist,” writes one student, who notes that “I have heard the joke that UCSB is the only UC that requires a head shot in the application. However, there are all types of students that attend the school, and anyone can and does find their niche.” Undergrads here are generally “more laid-back and less stressed out about school” than most college kids and “take school seriously, but also know how to enjoy their youth.” They are typically “very athletic and in shape. They love the outdoors.” Oddly, students perceive their campus as “pretty White” even though Chicano, Latino, and Asian populations are relatively high; their perception suggests a campus on which students of different backgrounds don’t often intermix.”
"“Life here is very chill. I mean that in the best way,” a UCSB student reports, adding, “People aren’t freaking out about classes or stressing out. People just do their work and then go hang out at the beach” or “in IV (Isla Vista, the local, mostly student community).” A sophomore brags that “everything I need is on campus or nearby in Isla Vista. I hardly ever need to go off campus or drive anywhere.” The beach is a constant temptation; as one student points out, “UCSB is on the beach . . . literally. As I’m writing this survey, I’m looking out my dorm window and seeing the ocean, just feet from my building.” Surfing, swimming, and sunbathing are all big, as are “hiking up to the waterfalls, rock climbing, spearfishing, kayaking, scuba diving, [and] beach volleyball.” Most parties take place in Isla Vista, where “17,000 19-to-21-year-olds are all jam-packed into this six-tenths-of-a-square-mile community, so you can imagine how the parties are. . . . Every night is wild, but, obviously, Friday and Saturday nights are the craziest.” For some, Isla Vista “can get boring, because it’s the same party every weekend,” but for others, it never grows old. Downtown Santa Barbara “is beautiful and perfect for nights out, movies, or an outing.”

Loyola Marymount University

“You may be technically going to school in the midst of bustling LA, but attending Loyola Marymount University is more like having “a little family on the bluff.” Offering a “well-rounded Jesuit education” on an “absolutely beautiful and modern campus” as well as “many activities and service opportunities.” Students here are dedicated to becoming aware of “the pertinent social issues of today’s world and how they relate to each student’s chosen field(s) of study.” LMU is often referred to as a “hidden gem,” but those that go here wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more publicity for their school. A small enrollment means small class sizes, and students report having no trouble getting into the courses they desire. Professorial quality “varies”; basically, “the professors that teach because they love to teach are amazing. The professors that care more about their research than their students are disappointing.” There aren’t many gripes about availability, though, as most are “more than willing to assist with any questions or problems.” As for the higher ups, there is “some resistance and hiding on the part of the administration when students try to stir things up,” but those in charge primarily do a good job, remaining active with student life. Several administrators and deans “show their commitment to the students by serving as Club Moderators” in addition to their day jobs. Many students complain that the cost of attending LMU “is a bit ridiculous,” and wish that financial aid and scholarships were more available to them, rather than the money being spent on ever-present construction.”
““There is quite a bit of money at LMU,” enough that “two students brought 49-inch plasma TVs to their freshman dorm this year.” Perhaps they are friends with the “skinny, rich-beyond-belief blonde girls whose version of ‘scrubbing it’ is wearing their Juicy Couture sweatshirts with their Manolo Blahniks.” But “Not everyone is rich. The school isn’t overly snobby, and there is a niche for everyone.” The “most visible” LMU archetype is “the vaguely wholesome, Saved By the Bell: The College Years jocky frat/sorority type,” but there are also plenty of “serious student types who are always in the library and no one else ever really gets to know them,” as well as “the artsy, theater/coffee-shop types who wear whatever expresses their feelings” as part of the “chill underground.” Many in this last group “participate in the film department and the radio station and form their own close community.” While “some students here are very LA, others are more focused politically and spiritually and are committed to social justice, service, and participation in student life.” At LMU, it may be “easy to feel like you belong” but some say there still “needs to be a stronger sense of the differences in people, races, sexual orientations, and cultures.””
"Student claim to “feel very comfortable living on campus and walking around late at night due to the security on campus.” As with many things located in LA, “parking is an issue that needs to be improved.” The small size of the student body creates a “bubble” effect, giving the school a “high school” flavor, but the city and neighboring schools provide plenty of options to any student that feels as though the LMU walls are closing in on her. A lot of freshmen choose to go home on the weekends, but most upperclassmen hang around and go to the beach, Santa Monica, or shopping malls, all located within 15 minutes of the campus. “People do party and drink, but it is nothing compared to most other colleges,” says one junior. Greek life is popular but not central to the party scene here, and most parties occur off-campus. For students wishing to remain close to their dorms, the campus has an excellent sit-down restaurant that provides “almost anything that you can find at a classy off-campus restaurant,” and the D-1 sports teams “are entertaining and encourage a great deal of campus spirit.”