Ten branch schools operate independently, with different regions, different academic characteristics and different campus atmosphere. The advantages and disadvantages of each branch school are compared in detail below.
University of California at Berkeley
Advantages: There is no doubt that Berkeley, as the first public university in the United States, is a leader in academic circles, with a reputation comparable to Stanford, especially in basic disciplines such as mathematics, physics and humanities and social sciences.
Disadvantages: Accommodation is tight, because in urban areas, public security is also a problem that needs attention.
Campus features: The school is located in the hilly area of the San Francisco Bay Area, with seascape and downtown prosperity, and a strong academic atmosphere on campus. There are many characteristic cafes on Panshan Highway, and contemporary art galleries, independent bookstores and video stores are also a few steps away. In addition, Berkeley is rated as one of the most radical campuses in the United States, with a rich student population. To be a student in Berkeley, we should not only enjoy the academic feast and the convenience of the city, but also be prepared for the impact of multi-culture.
Suitable for students: the admitted students need to be excellent in their studies and know their future development direction very well. Berkeley is a typical open and free campus representative, encouraging students' creativity. Students who only get good grades without their own ideas can easily get lost in many choices.
University of California, Los Angeles
Advantages: excellent academics, education quality no less than any Ivy League university, active student associations and social activities. Characteristic majors include medicine, law, business, film and television.
Disadvantages: In a big campus with 30,000 to 40,000 people, it is conceivable that people can be seen everywhere. The resulting problems are: too many classes, frequent queues and insufficient parking spaces. At present, the school is building a new school building to accommodate more students, and the last three students may be affected by the construction site. And accommodation and meals are not cheap.
Campus characteristics: big city, big campus, UCLA is the best representative. This means endless opportunities and conveniences. The charming scenery of the beach, rich entertainment activities and the possibility of passing a Hollywood movie star are all attractive places.
Suitable for students: the family is good and don't worry about the cost; Like lively places, love music movies; Students with independent spirit and clear direction.
University of California San Diego
Advantages: academically equal to UCLA, it is also a large campus with rich activities, and the only difference is professional characteristics. It is not in name only that the University of San Diego can be selected into the top ten popular science universities in the United States together with Harvard and MIT. It has a first-class research center in biology, physics and computer, with oceanography and neuroscience as top majors.
Disadvantages: It is normal for a school of this size to have a large class size, but the campus of UCSD is larger and more dispersed. Sports is not my strong suit.
Campus features: a very beautiful campus, you can walk to the seaside in a few minutes and to the city in 20 minutes. The campus is divided into five parts. There is a free bus on campus, and it is also responsible for picking up and dropping off the airport on holidays. It is very humanized!
Suitable for students: it is also a big campus. Compared with Los Angeles, San Diego has stricter management and better public security, which is suitable for students who want to concentrate on their studies. But in general, extracurricular activities are indispensable.
University of California at Davis
Advantages: Davis, who was born in agriculture, is unique in psychology and environmental science, and enjoys a high reputation in biology, education and veterinary medicine. The academic atmosphere is good, the class size is medium, there are many famous professors and the community is friendly.
Disadvantages: relatively independent campus, more than 20 minutes' drive from the nearest city-Sacramento, the capital. Surrounded by a quiet town. There are quite a few students in the school.
Campus features: The environment of the university town is complete. More than half of the towns with 50,000 people are students, and the development of the city is mainly students. Teachers live on campus, and the relationship between teachers and students is closer. All kinds of restaurants, brand-new bookstores and unique clothing stores are available. The most convenient means of transportation on campus is bicycles, as well as bicycle lanes!
Suitable for students: a relatively safe and independent campus environment is suitable for students who love learning and quiet. Moreover, you can communicate more with professors and classmates and establish a deep relationship.
University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
Advantages: The school itself does have outstanding achievements and many popular majors. Located in Santa Barbara, California, it is a small town with beautiful scenery and strong literary atmosphere. Because of its unique geographical location, UCSB has naturally become the most popular school in UC, and it is not easy for international students to enroll.
Disadvantages: because of the good environment, accommodation is not easy to find. There are constant parties all year round, and living in such a beautiful place, some students say it is difficult to concentrate on their studies. Students' evaluation of basic subjects is average, and the proportion of international students is low.
Campus features: Surrounded by the sea on both sides, the scenery is charming, the campus is particularly beautiful, and the accommodation conditions are first-class. Students' activities are like holidays, surfing, fishing, whale watching and walking on the beach from time to time.
Suitable for students: If your ideal university life needs a fairyland-like campus, UCSB is the best choice.
university of california irvine
Advantages: The best research university in the University of California system, where many academic hot topics are conducted, and the science is relatively strong. The geographical advantage of being close to Silicon Valley also provides a lot of internship and employment opportunities.
Disadvantages: Because Owen is a typical residential area, it is convenient to get in and out of other towns and students are not concentrated. Education requirements are very high, and people who want to muddle along are not suitable to come here.
Campus characteristics: Rich people in the United States like to live in suburban communities. Irvine is a place with three characteristics: convenience, safety and beautiful environment. A circle of dormitories and teaching buildings, the campus extending in all directions, clean and tidy. Although it takes five minutes to drive to Xingang Beach, there are not many parties in the school, and many Chinese have moved here.
Suitable for students: Silicon Valley is really attractive. Students who are computer enthusiasts should not miss it. It's a good place to study, but after 10 at night, the whole city is basically asleep.
University of California, Santa Cruz
Advantages: As a top academic public university, Santa Cruz's social sciences, humanities and arts, biological research and other majors still have academic advantages. According to statistics, the employment rate of this school is also quite high.
Disadvantages: the campus is relatively independent, there are no high-rise buildings, and the main road looks a bit desolate. No team, no party.
Campus features: Campus surrounded by mountains, about 10- 15 minutes' drive from dormitory to downtown shopping mall. Fortunately, bicycle traffic is convenient, so it is enough to walk back and forth between teaching buildings. Bookstores, restaurants, computer rooms and fitness centers are still complete.
Suitable for students: Students who like the campus environment surrounded by forests and pay attention to the cultivation of practical work ability will like Santa Cruz campus.
University of California, Riverside
Advantages: Riverside is a member of the University of California and is despised by the ranking. Its research ability is first-class, ranking the top four in American social sciences and the second in academic rising stars. This professor not only has a high academic reputation, but also is very friendly. Small class education, rich student activities, public school fees, private school atmosphere, high cost performance! The advantages of business are also worth mentioning.
Disadvantages: there are construction sites under construction, which are connected with surrounding communities, and there is no obvious scope of university campus, and public security management is not strict. Dormitories are average, smaller and older.
Campus features: The campus design is very modern, with tree-lined, clear road signs everywhere and convenient access. The campus has only 65438+100000 people, which is a small branch school in California system with a relatively suitable population density.
Suitable for students: suitable for students who pursue personalized education, need to teach more attention and pay attention to the cost-effectiveness of studying abroad. For students who want to continue their graduate studies, Binjiang Branch can provide sufficient research projects.
University of California, San Francisco
Advantages: The only UC campus without comprehensive ranking is because it is an independent medical college. It has the top public health, medicine and nursing majors in the United States. The federal government spends the most money every year, higher than Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Washington and Yale. The school is located in the city center and has all the conveniences provided by the city.
Disadvantages: Because there is no medical department in the United States, there are only masters and doctors in this school. Whether it is the admission criteria or the course arrangement, it is different from other UC universities, and the admission is very difficult.
Campus features: San Francisco is a city that you will never get tired of, full of vitality and varied customs. However, don't expect it to give you the feeling of going to college. Many hospitals around can provide internship and employment opportunities.
Suitable for students: students with very clear career goals should also have academic conditions that match this first-class medical college.
University of California, Merced
Advantages: The newest branch school in California system began to recruit the first batch of students in 2005. There are less than two thousand students in research universities.
Disadvantages: The campus is small, the school area is newly developed, and there are basically not many activities.
Campus features: We can't expect much from the campus atmosphere for the time being, but Merced is still a vibrant town. I believe this is one of the reasons why the California government will invest in building new schools.
Suitable for students: Students who want to enter the California system and study research-oriented subjects will be easy to transfer or upgrade to other branches in the future.