College of the Day: UC-Santa Barbara

University of California-Santa Barbara

Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Established: 1944

Students Enrolled: 21,653
Applicants: 54,762
Male/Female Ratio: 47/53

The University of California- Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a picturesque campus is located near the beautiful beaches of southern California with two sides of the campus being bordered by the Pacific Ocean.  Many students spend their down time lounging on the beach or in the ocean surfing.  UC Santa Barbara has the reputation of being a party school, but students still are hardworking. 

Because of the coastal location, marine biology is a very popular department for UCSB students.  Other popular majors include psychology, biology, economics, communications, and sociology.  Because of the university's beautiful location, there is a strong desire for students to be environmentally friendly; because of this the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management is world renowned.  The university also features the College of Creative Studies which allows self-starters to create their own curriculum for independent studies of math, the arts, or the sciences.

 

Student Life:

Ninety-four percent of UCSB students hail from California, giving the campus a laid-back vibe.  Alcohol isn't allowed on campus, but many students find it easy to get around this rule.  There are also plenty of local bars and clubs for students to go to.  On campus housing is nice, but hard to come by.  Only 37% of students are able to get on campus housing.  Most students rent apartments in the near by city of Isla Vista.  

Greek life is growing on the UCSB campus with 20% of students participating in either a fraternity or sorority.  The UCSB Greek life is known for it's strong philanthropy.  Students that don't take part of Greek life still have plenty of activities and events in which they can take part.  Intramural sports are very popular with students and many take place on the beaches.  

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to UC-Santa Barbara, you should have a Critical Reading SAT Score of 540-660 and a Math SAT Score of 570-690. ACT Scores for all sections should be 24-29. UCSB typically has around 55,000 applicants each year with only 44% of applicants being accepted. 

Interested in applying to UC-Santa Barbara, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "UC-Santa Cruz." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 266-69. Print.