UT Austin vs UCSD/UCSB/UC Davis for Biology or Geosciences

College Search & Lists
1

Hi all!

I am a California student and I have recently been accepted into UT Austin (woohoo!) and I am now having trouble deciding where to go to college. I have applied to UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Davis and I am now waiting for decisions. I am honestly confused about where to go to college now. My parents want me to stay in-state because of convenience and cost, but I have a strong desire to go out of state (honestly, I am sick of California after 18 years). On top of that, I have no idea which colleges are actually best suited for my top majors, which are biology and oceanography/geosciences considering that every online article/resource has a different opinion. I was wondering if anyone could give me guidance during this confusing time of college selection.

Thanks!

2

What are your parents willing to pay/year? You really cannot beat the cost of the UC’s vs. OOS and if you are accepted to any of the UC’s, you will get an excellent education.

  1. Wait until you have all decisions in hand
  2. Find out what your parents are willing to pay
  3. Definitely consider finances when it comes to your Undergrad degree. Nothing worse than starting your career with a ton of debt.
  4. Where you go for Undergrad will not define you, it is what you do with the opportunities you are given that will make you succeed.
3

UCSD has one of the top two oceanography institutes in the country, and UC Davis is a powerhouse in the life sciences. UCSB is quite good in both fields as well.

UT Austin is a terrific school, but I think it will be hard to justify the cost with such great in-state options. Keep in mind that you’ll need a PhD to do research in your fields of interest, so you can always move elsewhere for graduate school. PhD programs are normally fully funded.

I highly recommend applying to Eckerd College in Florida. It’s a bit late in the year since they have rolling admissions, but I think you’d have a shot if you were able to get into UT Austin as an OOS student. It is very strong in marine science and much more undergrad-focused than the UCs.

https://www.eckerd.edu/marinescience/

4

@chiheilao - @Gumbymom and @warblersrule make some excellent points. In addition, consider that UCSB has very few grad students so undergrads have access to research opportunities that would not be available to them at other universities.

5

What are you planning on doing with that degree?
If you know that you will be employed in Texas, then go there.

If you want to work on either coast, then go to a coastal school.