Jaime,
College life at Santa Barbara is very residential. 75% of our students live on campus or in Isla Vista, the community just off campus. The atmosphere is very friendly and the students are outgoing. There are over 300 clubs and organizations established at UCSB, so you will be sure to find something that interests you.
Presently our admissions board is working on restructuring our admissions criteria for Fall 1998, therefore I don't have any answers for you when ranking GPA, SATs, etc. I can tell you that the average freshman for Fall 1997 received a 3.5 GPA and 1170 SAT I.... so keep your grades up.
Good luck in your college search!