UC Davis or UC San Diego?

Question

I just signed a transfer agreement to UC Davis, and I am starting to wonder if I made the wrong choice.

I could have guaranteed admission to either college. I am a sociology major. I just checked out the SD campus last week, and I truly fell in love. The only part that concerned me was being so far from home (live in Sacramento) and the cost of living. Also, I feel like UCSD is a better school than UCD and will get me into a better MBA program after my BA. Did I make the wrong choice? Is UCSD really that much better than UCD that it would make it easier for me to get a job/get into grad school? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Don't worry too much now, just make sure you get the grades you need right now. You're a sociology major but you want to pursue an MBA?

While UCSD is considered a bit better than UCD, I don't it's a huge difference.

Also, I was wondering what GPA do you have to hold to get in? What didn't you pursue a top tier UC?

Answer 2

I just graduated UCD so I'm going to be biased but here goes.

UCSD isn't MUCH better than Davis, and its ranking has only gone up in the last few years; Davis has been around for over 100 years. It has a graduate business program that's top 50 in the country. The sociology program there is great- I took tons of classes in the department for my International Relations major.

Davis as a town is awesome. It is really a college town and everyone is so welcoming of college students- you never feel like you're bothering the residents by being there for four years and leaving. And the people at the school are amazing. Seriously- I had friends visit from all over, and others had visitors, and everyone said that people at UCD are just so chill that it makes the whole experience great.

But anyway back to academics. Davis is a renowned university so your chances of getting a job or going into grad school are fine. I graduated a quarter early with a double major and landed a great job three weeks after I finished finals. You can't count on a school's name to get you  a job, but I loved UCD and would recommend it to absolutely anyone even remotely considering it.

Answer 3

Davis has a pretty impressive reputation in a number of areas, however I've never heard of it being tied to sociology specifically. In any case, getting into an MBA course afterward has less to do with your BA and more to do with how well you can sell your knowledge to the institution.

Something to consider is what you'll do between your BA and MBA. It might not make a whole lot of difference which school you attended if you go off and do something in the same direction as you'd like to focus on in your MBA. If that's your only concern, rest assured there are ways around most problems in this area.

Whether you choose to go to Davis or SD, you're going to a good school. Your better decision points are going to be around cost of living, cost of education and if the location offers additional benefits beyond the college experience.

Answer 4

UCSD is ranked higher -- and is in a beautiful location.  However, UCD is a great school.  Graduates from both schools get good jobs and go on to graduate school.

To be honest, choosing a more challenging major than Sociology will be more likely to get you a good  job when you graduate than going to a slightly better school.