LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Tell me more about UC Santa Barbara


Elizabeth LaScala, PhD personally guides each student through each step of selecting and applying to well-matched schools for undergraduate and graduate school study. Over the past two decades, Elizabeth has placed hundreds of students in some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the U.S. The number of clients taken is limited to ensure each applicant has personalized attention. Contact Elizabeth early in the process to make a difference in your outcomes. Write elizabeth@doingcollege.com; Visit www.doingcollege.com; or Call: 925.385.0562.

Does your idea of the ideal California college experience include sun and surf mixed with serious academic pursuits? UC Santa Barbara might be your school. Located on cliffs directly above the Pacific Ocean, this is one of the few colleges that has its own beach, lagoon, koi pond, and nature preserve-all on one campus! Isla Vista, a short walk or bike ride from campus, is a true college town with many student-oriented restaurants and shops. If you attend UCSB, chances are you will live in Isla Vista at some time during your education. Your place may even have an ocean view. There is no need to bring a car to UCSB. It is far, far easier to travel on campus or into Isla Vista by bike or with your own leg power, than it is to drive.

Going beyond the beach and beauty of the campus, UCSB has more than 90 majors as well as numerous minors and certificate programs, all housed at one of the leading research universities in the country. UCSB's faculty boasts six Nobel laureates, and many faculty members are widely recognized and respected in their fields. UCSB's College of Letters and Sciences is the academic home to 19,000 of the university's 23,000 undergrads. Some of the most popular majors include biopsychology, communication, economics and accounting, global studies and the biological sciences. For the musically inclined, the college offers dozens of instrumental and vocal options leading to the Bachelor of Music degree. UCSB's marine location also make it a great place to study aquatic biology, earth science, geography and hydrology.

Interested in engineering? UCSB offers accelerated bachelors/masters options in chemical engineering (with materials science), computer science, computer engineering, electrical as well as mechanical engineering. The university's College of Creative Studies (CCS), a small community of 400 undergraduates, functions much like an honors college at other large universities. It helps make a big university feel much smaller and is highly competitive. CCS offers a variety of majors including art, biology, chemistry and biochemistry, computing, mathematics, music composition, physics and writing and literature. CCS students work closely with faculty to choose courses as well as to design and complete their own independent projects. According to the university, 75% of CCS alumni go on to graduate school.

UCSB is not quite as selective as UCLA or UC Berkeley. But whether you apply as a high school senior or transfer student, it's tough to get in. Over 93,000 students wanted a seat in last year's freshman class; less than 30% were accepted. UCSB also attracted over 24,000 transfer applicants, almost all coming from California community colleges. Just over a fifth got in. Those who get into UCSB tend to stay and graduate. Freshmen retention rates have averaged over 91 percent for every class that has arrived since 2001. At least 70% of every class that has entered since 2007 has graduated in four years. These rates are among the best in the country for a large public university. They're a strong testament to the quality of the students and their love for the school. It also resonates with the perfect slogan this university has adopted for its campus and community: "Where Beauty Meets Brilliance."