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What are the characteristics of Revelle College at UC San Diego?
I am an incoming freshman who is potentially going to UCSD in the fall of 2022(majoring in Computer Science), so I am curious to know about the goods and bads about Revelle college. I heard that there are a lot of GEs, and it is also ranked top two in term of difficulty. Is that true? Am I able to change colleges?
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Brian’s Answer
Hi Elaine,
First, congratulations on the acceptance to UCSD. An amazing accomplishment! Full caveat, I did not go to UCSD (I was admitted years ago to ERC), but many friends of mine did. I went to another UC but am familiar with the UCSD culture.
Of the colleges in UCSD, Revelle has a culture of high academic rigor and performance. Because of this, a lot of undergraduates in Revelle end up pursuing additional, post-grad education (think Medicine, Law, Public Policy, PhD, etc.) or honors thesis completion. As such, per your initial hypothesis:
1). It is structured and rather rigid relative to other colleges (think Muir, which is more flexible in terms of GE requirements, or ERC which is more global/international affairs focused), and the student population at Revelle is more academic focused and driven. That is neither a good nor bad thing, but your enjoyment is 100% dependent upon your goals post undergrad (if you want to pursue further education, Revelle is not a bad place to be) as you will be surrounded by Type A academic candidates.
2). It is possible to change colleges. I do not know the process, but as of 20 years ago, it was difficult. The reason is the GE requirements may not translate completely, and since the school wants to graduate students in 4 years, you cannot "waste" units that don't transfer. The benefit is Revelle is more rigorous, so I believe going from Revelle to ERC (or Earl Warren, Muir, Sixth, etc.) would be easier than the other way (Muir to Revelle will be much harder because of Revelle's requirements). Best thing to do if you end up matriculating at UCSD is to speak with a guidance counselor at Revelle your 1st quarter to understand the process, pro's/con's.
I wish you all the best and congratulations again!
First, congratulations on the acceptance to UCSD. An amazing accomplishment! Full caveat, I did not go to UCSD (I was admitted years ago to ERC), but many friends of mine did. I went to another UC but am familiar with the UCSD culture.
Of the colleges in UCSD, Revelle has a culture of high academic rigor and performance. Because of this, a lot of undergraduates in Revelle end up pursuing additional, post-grad education (think Medicine, Law, Public Policy, PhD, etc.) or honors thesis completion. As such, per your initial hypothesis:
1). It is structured and rather rigid relative to other colleges (think Muir, which is more flexible in terms of GE requirements, or ERC which is more global/international affairs focused), and the student population at Revelle is more academic focused and driven. That is neither a good nor bad thing, but your enjoyment is 100% dependent upon your goals post undergrad (if you want to pursue further education, Revelle is not a bad place to be) as you will be surrounded by Type A academic candidates.
2). It is possible to change colleges. I do not know the process, but as of 20 years ago, it was difficult. The reason is the GE requirements may not translate completely, and since the school wants to graduate students in 4 years, you cannot "waste" units that don't transfer. The benefit is Revelle is more rigorous, so I believe going from Revelle to ERC (or Earl Warren, Muir, Sixth, etc.) would be easier than the other way (Muir to Revelle will be much harder because of Revelle's requirements). Best thing to do if you end up matriculating at UCSD is to speak with a guidance counselor at Revelle your 1st quarter to understand the process, pro's/con's.
I wish you all the best and congratulations again!
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Parniya’s Answer
Congratulations on your acceptance! While I was personally in Sixth college, many of my friends were in Revelle and did mention it is more difficult than the other colleges, due to the fact that there are more GE requirements and college-specific requirements for graduation. From my experience, it is difficult to transfer colleges, but I don't believe which college you are accepted to tarnishes the experience of attending UCSD, even if Revelle is ranked as one of the most difficult. Taking the GE classes allows you to make connections with those in those classes, you can make study groups, and go through the process with those that live near you!
Congrats again :)
Congrats again :)