I graduated 6 years ago. I love UCSB but I also see the pros and cons of attending this gorgeous campus. Pros: Top notch professors, including noble prize holders. Gorgeous campus right on the beach. Perfect weather. Academically challenging. Top research school in California and in the nation. Nationally recognized. Part of the prestigious UC system. Great value for a quality education.

Cons: You will feel like a number, one in a million. At times you will feel lost in a sea of students. My first class was a psychology course with 900 students. Yes, 900. Professors won't know your name. There is little diversity. Your morals and values will be challenged daily living in a college town lol. You might end up graduating with a drinking problem and know several people who will too. You will be fixated on your weight and become very weight conscious.

All that being said, I absolutely love UCSB and don't regret living there for 4 years. I had the worst time of my life and the best time of my life there. UCSB is not for everyone and I know a couple of people who transferred out. Most of them to UC Santa Cruz because that was more their scene. UCSB is a party school and everything you hear about that is true. Yet you're surrounded by very intelligent people who care about their academics and most of them put school first. I was admitted into a competitive grad program for my MBA at a smaller private school, and I absolutely recommend going the smaller school route. I really enjoyed it coming from a school of tens of thousands. Although I wouldn't trade my UCSB experience, I would never allow my 8 month old daughter to attend UCSB when she's older. It's much too liberal.