Many applicants to the most selective university programs share high grades, high test scores, solid recommendations and generous doses of community service and volunteer activities. Yet, if they want to set themselves apart from the pool of exceptional students, a significant research experience in STEM or the social sciences helps.
Any place that has the Banana Slug as its mascot will either attract or repulse. At the University of California Santa Cruz, for those who are allured, there is distinctly a countercultural element, initially signaled by the Banana Slug, that is better developed as one explores what the campus has to offer.
