Polo at the University of California

[Sara James]

I'm currently applying to take part in an exchange at the Unversity of California. I've got to select three campuses to apply to. I've looked at the academic side of it all and am having difficulties finalising my decision. At the moment my top three are Santa Barbra, Berkeley and Santa Cruz. Was wondering if any of them (or any other campuses at UC) had an active canoe polo team as that would easily sway my decision of where I apply.

cheers
Sara J

phl2s2j@leeds.ac.uk

[evo]

There are clubs in San Diego, Bay Area and at UCLA...

You sure you don't want to be in Texas? ;)

Cheers,
Eva

[Patrick]

I'm currently applying to take part in an exchange at the Unversity of California. I've got to select three campuses to apply to. I've looked at the academic side of it all and am having difficulties finalising my decision. At the moment my top three are Santa Barbra, Berkeley and Santa Cruz. Was wondering if any of them (or any other campuses at UC) had an active canoe polo team as that would easily sway my decision of where I apply.

cheers
Sara J

phl2s2j@leeds.ac.uk

One of our better younger players over here, Sashdawg (aka Sasha Izmailov), attends UC Santa Cruz I believe. He could give you more info on UC polo up north. We have a club at UCLA but that would be quite a drive if you're settling up north.

[chiang]

Unless you have a car, getting to Berkeley (where Polo is played up in Northern California) is almost an impossibility. If you do go to UCSC, Sasha does drive back up to the Bay Area on Thursdays (or at least he did when I was around) for the advanced sessions. The club polo nights was Monday evenings when I was there and advanced sessions were Thursdays.

So Berkeley is a go if polo is a over-riding factor in your decision. Personally, I had a pretty hard time while I was a PhD student there and decided to leave. I have heard that the college culture at UCSC and UCSB are much better than UCB...but I don't know that from first hand experience since I only went to Berkeley. Also my experience is really exclusive to graduate studies as when I taught the undergraduates there, they all seemed to be really excited and thrilled to be there.

The club in UCLA is great as well....as is the club down in San Deigo. I don't know how far the venue is in San Deigo from La Jolla where UCSD is located, but the campus is right on the beach. The folks in LA play at the University so getting there should be no problem.

Hope that this helps...and enjoy your tenure at the University of California whichever campus it might be.

Cheers,
--TC

[Sara James]

cheers guys for all the info. will get back in touch when i find out if and where I get in!

If anyone has any more advice feel free to fire away!

[Albert]

Out of the UC schools:

For ease UCLA wins, right on Campus and inexpensive.
UCB would be about a 5 & 30min drive to the 2 weekly practices
UCD 1hr & UCSC 1.5hrs
UCSD 15 & 30 min.
UCSB, take up surfing instead

Many of us travel up and down California to play informally.

Of course you probably know the academic standings of the various departments.

I think all the clubs would lobby to get you.

SF has the strongest men's & Juniors teams
LA has the best women's team
SD has the nicest weather.

I'm in SF...if that makes a difference. Come to UCB! Go Bears!

albert

[chiang]

Out of the UC schools:

For ease UCLA wins, right on Campus and inexpensive.
UCB would be about a 5 & 30min drive to the 2 weekly practices
UCD 1hr & UCSC 1.5hrs
UCSD 15 & 30 min.
UCSB, take up surfing instead

Many of us travel up and down California to play informally.

Of course you probably know the academic standings of the various departments.

I think all the clubs would lobby to get you.

SF has the strongest men's & Juniors teams
LA has the best women's team
SD has the nicest weather.

I'm in SF...if that makes a difference. Come to UCB! Go Bears!

albert


You never quit do you Albert :thumbup: :D :thumbup:

[JW Lester]

My :twocents:

I don't think there's any question that UC Berkeley is the best choice if canoe polo is the overriding factor between the 3 schools you've mentioned as it's the only one with polo immediately nearby. UCB also has by far the best academic reputation, is one of the oldest and is arguably the best publicly funded university in the United States.

UCSC's main advantages are the beautiful location, great surf, comparitively small size and school mascot (the Banana Slug).

USCB is a good school academically - but there's no polo, and relatively little canoe culture in general. It is probably the biggest "party school" of the U. of C. campuses, has doorstep surfing, and one of the best climates in the world.

If you also paddle whitewater, you'd probably be best off with Berkeley as it's closer to the rivers and there are thousands of paddlers in the Bay Area.

I agree with the others that UCLA or UCSD would be good options if available, but since they're not - for a paddler.... between the three I'd pick UCB.

Have fun over in America !!!!
John L.

[Patrick]

I agree with the others that UCLA or UCSD would be good options if available, but since they're not - for a paddler.... between the three I'd pick UCB.

Johnny-boy, since when are UCLA and UCSD not good options for paddlers? :confused:

We certainly don't have the whitewater options of the north but the Kern river (2-3 hours away) is quite nice (major section is 20 miles of class II to class V).

:cheers:

[JW Lester]

Sara said she'd narrowed her choices down to UCB, UCSC and UCSB.

;)

UC Davis is by far the best overall choice for the keen paddler anyay. :D


Just thinking about all the good whitewater out there in the Sierra is going to make me cry. :( <snif>

I'm going mad here without my boat or drysuit.

:wavey:
John


Johnny-boy, since when are UCLA and UCSD not good options for paddlers? :confused:

We certainly don't have the whitewater options of the north but the Kern river (2-3 hours away) is quite nice (major section is 20 miles of class II to class V).

:cheers:

[Sara James]

canoe polo is not the over riding factor for my choice. BUT it could help make up my uncertain mind! Basically what I would like is a uni with


I only wish UCSB had a good polo team as that would have helped nail my decision.

Berekeley does have a lot going for it, however I'm not sure if I am willing to give up my social life in order to study really hard. What I really want is a school based on a nice medium sized campus, with good weahter, that is near the beach with good, but not overcrowded surf plus has a good, regulary active polo team, and access to white water paddling and has a failry good academic reputation!!!

I know no such school exists but what I am looking for is a good balance. So maybe a school that fufills at least 3 of the given criteria.

Any of the UC campuses are an option. I personally had kinda ruled out UCLA as I'm not too keen to live in such a big daunting city, but to be honest I only don't really know what its like at all.


i really should get back to my revision, cause chances are if I don't pass these exams I will be stuck here!!! nooooooooooo

[chiang]

canoe polo is not the over riding factor for my choice. BUT it could help make up my uncertain mind! Basically what I would like is a uni with


I only wish UCSB had a good polo team as that would have helped nail my decision.

Berekeley does have a lot going for it, however I'm not sure if I am willing to give up my social life in order to study really hard. What I really want is a school based on a nice medium sized campus, with good weahter, that is near the beach with good, but not overcrowded surf plus has a good, regulary active polo team, and access to white water paddling and has a failry good academic reputation!!!

I know no such school exists but what I am looking for is a good balance. So maybe a school that fufills at least 3 of the given criteria.

Any of the UC campuses are an option. I personally had kinda ruled out UCLA as I'm not too keen to live in such a big daunting city, but to be honest I only don't really know what its like at all.


i really should get back to my revision, cause chances are if I don't pass these exams I will be stuck here!!! nooooooooooo
Then I would suggest UC San Deigo. It has everything you are looking for actually. Very good reputation academically...at least in maths...super weather...active polo club...nice cozy campus...campus is right next to the beach...and San Deigo is not as overcrowded nor as impersonal as the bigger cities. I have no idea how good the other depts are, but I would think it is pretty damn good as well.

I am sure that some of the UCLA folks can clue you in better on LA life than I could...but when I was deciding on grad schools, I had my choices narrowed down to UC Berkeley, Stanford, and UC San Deigo...I really regret not going to San Deigo. I would have gone to UCSD but the professor who eventually became my thesis advisor moved to Berkeley from San Deigo so I went there instead.

[JW Lester]

Sara,
Well from your last post, sounds like you want to go to UCLA. What do you study? That will also have quite alot of bearing on your choice.

Mind you all UCs will be equally academically rigorous - and all of them will have plenty of piss ups.

[sara james]

What do you study? .

my major is philosophy. its kinda hard to get good information on the quality of each department aside from graduate rankings.. any idea where I should look?

[Izzy]

What I really want is a school based on a nice medium sized campus, with good weahter, that is near the beach with good, but not overcrowded surf plus has a good, regulary active polo team, and access to white water paddling
I agree these conditions are the MUST for a good philosopher.

[Sara James]

I agree these conditions are the MUST for a good philosopher.

naturally!

[JW Lester]

Sara - for philosophy, Berkeley is one of the top programs in the United States. (top 5)

UCLA also has a good program. ( top 10 ).

The others are in a different league.

The main reason is that those two are the oldest and have the strongest "traditional" programs.

US University programs are based around the almighty $$$ - programs that don't bring in much grant or research money generally get cut big time, do not exist, or exist only in partnership with more lucrative programs (ie. law). "Older" universities such as UCB and UCLA generally will have far stronger programs and that's where you'll find the "best" faculty.

Cheers,
John

[Sashdawg]

Go Banana Slugs!!! Word!

If you decide to go to UCSC, we can definatly commute to practices together. Surf is great there too, if you stay away from the surfers. Definatly the best campus and very nice beaches.

Sorry I'm not a junior anymore guys...