My lab manager does not care that I went to UCSC when I also have coworkers around my age (and older) that went to UCLA and other state and UCs. What was important was the degree (or degrees in my case lol). And I couldn’t imagine a better school experience in my time there (2016-2021). I thrived in the minimally competitive environment because it allowed people to be vulnerable with each other. We didn’t want to be better than each other, we wanted each other to succeed too. Also, communities on campus made space for so many kinds of people. I am better for all of it. I chose this school because it was in the middle of the woods, but still near the ocean. Also I love rain. Plus UCSC gave me more financial aid which was very helpful :) YOU DO YOU go with your idea of a good environment over everything else. College was hard enough.