Willpower is the key to the University of California, Santa Barbara. On a beautiful day with the sound of waves crashing in the distance, that’s what it takes to hang in there with a pen, paper, laptop and book. Often considered the ‘party animal’ of the UCs, USCB is a crossroads between education and fun.
But first, attendance requires an application. 32 percent of UCSB applicants make it into the school. This seems like a lot, but the average USCB student had a high school GPA of 4.3, which deems it as an incredibly selective school. UCSB also highly values the application’s essays, which are used for the applicant to share their interest in both the university and the major that they are applying for.
Similarly to the other UCs, the university is also completely test-optional, meaning that standardized test scores are not required for an application and won’t be considered if submitted. However, this may change in the coming years.
The university also values volunteer work, job experience and extracurricular activities, but not to the same degree as many other top schools. UCSB admissions are hyperfocused on a student’s academic performances first, and everything else is secondary.
However, OPHS students have a key advantage involving the school: students from California face nearly half the costs of attendance when compared to out-of-state students. Including boarding, tuition and other expenses, the annual costs for in-state students reach just over $35,000. Meanwhile, other applicants face costs of approximately $65,000.
While tens of thousands of dollars is a lot, UCSB’s status as a public school means that these prices are significantly less than those of other universities. In addition, nearly half of all undergraduates at the school receive financial aid, with an average package of around $26,000.
Academically, UCSB is heavily tailored towards specific majors. The university’s biggest STEM subjects are marine biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics and environmental sciences. Other strong subjects include economics and accounting, sociology and global studies.
In terms of athletics and academic programs, UCSB has enough for most students. Due to receiving federal funding as a public institution, the school has had enough resources to continuously improve its campus’ quality and safety, as well as offer well-made courses and facilities to students.
In general, UCSB boasts a comfortable environment and campus. University housing is comfortable and well-maintained. Additionally, most on-campus housing is right in front of the beach. The school also takes pride in its campus safety–living at UCSB won’t be an issue.
Luckily for Oak Park residents, the school’s climate is not a concern. UCSB’s weather and temperature closely mirror what we feel in Ventura County, with the addition of an occasional cool ocean breeze.
Overall, UCSB is a great school for students who want to live a ‘party life’ during college while also having access to decent programs and teaching. After all, not everyone gets to spend four years at the beach and leave with a degree.
