Santa Barbara (Photo credit: Travis S.)

If you are a junior in high school right now, it’s definitely time to start thinking about your college visits – a perfect time to see what a school you might be considering is really like without solely relying on their website or brochure.  With all of the colleges out there, how do you begin to narrow your college search?  Check back with our blog frequently (or better yet-sign up to get our blog sent straight to your email), as we will be posting things we have observed on our most recent college visits.

Today, the KaMi Spotlight is on UCSB. The pictures are from our visit there in the Spring of 2013.

5 Things You Might Know:

• Located in Goleta, CA, on a sprawling ocean-side campus that even boasts its own beach.

• A Division 1 school in the Big West Conference.

• Enrollment for 2014 was 23,051 students.

• For the 2015-2016 school year, the cost to attend (for a California resident living in the residence halls)  was $35,313 a year.

• In addition to the standard tests you might be taking or have scheduled, UCSB also requires that you complete the ACT Assessment + Writing or SAT Reasoning tests.

5 Things You Might Not Know About UCSB:

• UCSB has a very social student body, strong school spirit, and over 400 clubs.

• 1 out of every 5 students studies abroad.

• There are over 14,000 bikes and over 7 miles of bike paths on campus.

• The library is 8 stories tall, and you are allowed to bring food in (or even have pizza delivered there).

• The College of Creative Studies has approximately 300 students and is a graduate school for undergrads.

UCSB’s mild weather and beach access make it a great school for someone who wants to be outside and involved!

Overlooking the lagoon, with the beautiful Pacific Ocean in the background!

The Library at UCSB