The financial aid, the location, and the reputation of the school. I didn't expect to be admitted into UCSB but after I did, I jumped at the chance to attend because they also gave me pretty decent financial aid. I also liked the college and the fact that it had the majors I wanted to study (English and Chicano Studies).
Course Curriculum
I like it. The courses offered are good and they could be expanded in terms of intersectionality and being a little more with the times. The Chicano studies classes that I take are much more recent meanwhile the focus for English is rather bland and boring.
Exams
I took the SAT, ACT, and for the UC schools--the UC writing an exam to opt out of beginner writing classes.
Fees
The fees for this include housing, meal plan, books and tuition, and even parking if you are bringing a car. It's somewhat costly living in SB.
Examination Structure
The exam structures vary on the professor so there is no solid answer on this. It just depends on who is teaching and whether or not they want to focus on multiple choice, fill in the blank, or if they even are going to have exams.
Faculty
The faculty is nice.