Beach Days, Real Talk: SchoolScoops Guides Are Live at UC Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, CA — April 2026 — UCSB is routinely called one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, and it's easy to see why: it sits right on the bluffs above the Pacific, with Isla Vista and its famously tight-knit student community just next door. SchoolScoops has now launched here, giving prospective students a way to look past the view and get a real sense of campus life.
It's an easy campus to fall in love with on looks alone, which is exactly why a real conversation matters: prospective students need to know what it's actually like to balance serious academics — UCSB is a major research university, not just a beach campus — with the lifestyle the setting suggests.
A private SchoolScoops tour puts that conversation in the hands of a current Gaucho, chosen by the prospective student based on major, interests, or background, rather than assigned at random.
UC Santa Barbara launches with 70 current student guides, covering a range of majors and available for both in-person tours and video chat sessions.
The UCSB launch continues SchoolScoops' expansion across California's public research universities. Browse available UCSB guides here. Current UCSB students can apply to become a guide and earn $40/hour hosting tours. Educational consultants organizing group visits can learn more about private group tours.
About SchoolScoops
SchoolScoops is a marketplace connecting prospective college students and their families with current students for private, personalized campus tours — in person or by video chat. SchoolScoops guides don't work for the school; they're current students sharing honest, firsthand perspective on what campus life is actually like. Learn more at schoolscoops.com or read SchoolScoops' story.