I'm a UCSC grad. It was great for undergrad, I had a lot of great classes and professors (much more interaction with profs than a place like UC Berkeley) and it definitely help. my career long term because I did undergrad thesis with a well-known computer scientist. The campus is completely beautiful- at the time I attended, there was a large area of secondary redwood growth that students had turned into an area called "Elfland" that really was magical.

ucsc is the only college I know that will let you live as an unrestricted hippy in an RV on a lot on campus, or just in a tent off in the woods.

Go Slugs!

The astrophysics PhD program is very good. Top 40 worldwide physics and earth sciences undergrad programs too.

The forest hippies are mostly harmless, though they will try to expand your mind and sneak into the dorm showers from time to time.

Is the totem pole still by the cat graveyard? What a great view up there of SC on Friday nights as the smoke, err, fog rolled in about the drum circles.

Also the image on the cover of the mushroom field guide All The Rain Promises And More was taken at UCSC. Heady place