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    Guide Lauds Campus as 'Hot'

    By JOAN MARGRUDER
    UC Santa Barbara has been named one of America's 12 "hottest" colleges, according to the Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get Into College" 2003 guide, published last month.
    Cited for its strengths in many academic disciplines, UCSB was praised for its "increasingly impressive academic reputation and glamorous location."
    The magazine went on to mention that three UCSB faculty members have won Nobel Prizes in the last four years, that the physics doctoral program is one of the top 10 in the country, and that the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics attracts scientists from around the world.
    The College of Engineering was also singled out for being highly rated in national rankings, "especially in the rapidly expanding field of materials science."
    But the article cited not only the quality of the science and engineering departments: "UCSB is famous for its film-studies major that lets students study film theory along with aesthetics," according to the article. Moreover, "one quarter of UCSB's undergraduates take part in research, teaming up with faculty and grad students."
    The article also stated that UCSB is the only university in the UC system to offer religious studies through the Ph.D. level. Further, it mentioned the opening this year of the new Donald Bren Hall, "the greenest building in California because it meets the highest federal and local standards of energy efficiency."
    "I am delighted by the growing recognition of what we have accomplished at UCSB, now recognized as one of the hottest schools and best bargains in North America," said Chancellor Henry Yang. "Our campus offers a wonderful balance between strong academics and a high quality of student life in an extraordinary location."
    Demand for admission to UC Santa Barbara has risen dramatically. Freshman applications have increased by 67 percent in the last five years, and 27 percent of the students who applied for the fall quarter had a grade point average of 4.0 or higher.