I went to UC Santa Barbara so I think I can give you a sense of the city and that school. First of all there is a party atmosphere there for sure. Some SBCC students live in Isla Vista which is where the UCSB kids all live, and that is definatly where the crazy partying goes on. I hear that people have a pretty decent chance to get into UCSB if you get good grades, and I’ve heard good things about the school although I think it’s also more pricey than other CCs. Santa Barbara is a beautiful town, great if you like good weather, a beautiful ocean and a relaxed lifestyle. Only complaint is that there’s not too much to do and LA is quite a drive away.
Let me know if you have any other questions about living in SB the city, maybe someone else can talk more about the school.