The University of California - Davis

I chose Davis because out of all my friends who had either gone to Davis or were currently students, I never heard a single negative thing about Davis. Yes, it's more centrally located in Northern California, but a lot of people do not realize that you CAN LEAVE the campus. For example: Tahoe is 1.5 hours away, SF is 1 hour away, and Sac is 20 min away. There is plenty to do on campus and in Davis itself that I do not find myself leaving that often anyways. Everyone is so friendly and I feel completely safe at night in downtown Davis and walking around campus too. THe campus is also gorgeous. A lot of people I think underrate Davis and that is too bad. You should just come and find out for yourself. Davis offers a lot if you just give it a chance and have a positive attitude.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2008

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: A-

I cannot imagine spending my college years anywhere else. Davis is a vibrant community that really lends itself to collegiate study. No, we are not a vibrant metropolis, but we are a small town with a strong sense of community, and only a small commute away from major urban centers (Sacramento and San Francisco). There is a wealth of activities to participate in from hundreds on clubs to music programs to athletics.

I hope my story can illustrate how great Davis is. I'm a 4th year Wildlife Biology major, Environmental Policy minor. In my 3 completed years here I have become active with a wildlife biology pre-professional club on campus (I'm a 2 term president), sung with the University chorus (you do NOT need to be a music major to participate!), worked as a tour guide with an amazing staff, interned throughout campus (arboretum, doing bison research, studying ducks, and now interning in Sacramento with an environmental group), and finally joined a sorority on campus (contrary to stereotype, many of the sororities on campus are extremely friendly and open).My only regret about Davis is that I graduate in 3 short quarters.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2008

Education Quality: A+, Campus Maintenance: A-