Here is my current mindset:
If both schools had identical programs, I would choose UCLA without hesitation. Amongst many things, I like the location, atmosphere, and of course, food, more.
I’d like to be an actuary but I’m not dead set on it.
I’d like to hear comparisons between the two programs, or insight into either one.
Thanks in advance.
No comments on the particular programs, but I am an actuary. If you want to become one, you don’t really need a program covering actuarial math, you’ll do just fine with any quantitative background.
Hi there. I’m sharing on here what i just posted on a thread which tackled an almost similar topic.
I don’t think UCLA is more laidback and its classes are less competitive than Berkeley’s.
I think UCLA’s academic standard is as high as Berkeley’s. It probably only differs slightly for engineering, due to the very high concentration of gifted students enrolled in Berkeley COE, making competition there a bit stiffer. But for social sciences and natural sciences, I think the level of difficulty at both schools are about even. And, since there are way many more highly achievers enrolled in Berkeley, your chances of getting higher grades are also higher, because you would be surrounded by smarter students who normally deal academics more seriously. Berkeley students these days work well with follow classmates. Nobody would ever try to ruin your grades in order to boost his. Such thing doesn’t exist at Berkeley these days anymore. Your profs would encourage you to be highly collaborative. You wouldn’t just need to learn on how to be a good team player in order to excel in class, but, also, to survive when you find the classes gruelling…
Both Berkeley and UCLA students are friendly, outgoing and highly sociable. While UCLA students are more athletic, as generalization, Berkeley students, on the other hand, are more politically inclined and outspoken. In reality, you’ll meet a lot of very attractive sports buff at Berkeley and also a lot of political activists at UCLA. Due to having better leadership skills, the Berkeley students are just naturally better at organizing events and symposia, thus crowds are more visible on Berkeley campus, which often are being highlighted by media in order to catch more of the viewers’ attention.
As for my advice: I’d say both schools will open doors for you, specially if you’ll graduate with flying colors. But, as a general rule of thumb, choose the more prestigious school. In this case, UC Berkeley, obviously. I believe Berkeley would open many more doors for you than UCLA would. Berkeley’s superior brand name and stronger connections in the corporate and financial world will get you internships in Wall Street, or in London, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo or Dubai a lot easier and faster than UCLA will.
You’ll also have much higher chances of getting into a top graduate business school like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Haas and Sloan coming out of Berkeley than UCLA. The gap difference is not even close. Same as for law school. There are twice as many Berkeley grads enrolled in Yale, Harvard and Stanford Law as there are UCLA grads, including in the whole T-14.
That said, if after having visited the Berkeley campus and having met and mingled with the students and faculty there you still dislike the experience, or you simply dislike the atmosphere and environment there, and you have this option which has the kind of ambience you love, and you’re willing to give up the extra prestige which Berkeley pocess, then I’d say, follow your heart and never look back.
@nollagam You started your long essay by how close those two schools were academically … and as you proceeded, gradually went to the direction of UCB … and by the end, made UCB the undisputed superior!
You’re certainly NOT wrong on what you’ve read and understood, @uclaparent9 .
Some schools may have an equally demanding and rigorous academic standard, but they differ in respectability to the perception and view of the elite and elitist students and employers, alike.
For example, I think the UCSD students can argue that they have the same rigorous CS program as UCLA’s. But I think a rational thinking, unbiased UC student would certainly acknowledge that UCLA is more prestigious than UCSD. Both schools may have an equally rigorous curricula, but they don’t enjoy the same prestige to the sight of the elite and elitist students and employers. The same can be said of Duke and UN-CH, Brown and UofRI, UPenn and Penn State, Stanford and Berkeley, and, of course, Berkeley and UCLA, where all the former schools have superior brand names to their respective latter schools. But, as I pointed out, if you don’t like the environment of the one that’s more prestigious, or, you can’t picture yourself as a student there for whatever reason important for you, specially knowing you have some decent options to choose from, it would be silly if you’d force yourself into that crowd. If you don’t learn to like or adapt it, and you’re still hang up with the thoughts of having chosen your “dream school” instead, chances are you will drop out. Either that or you will be kicked out of the school.
@nollagam Eventhough I agree somewhat with your argument, especially in regards to the other rival schools you mentioned, but I still don’t believe the gap in prestige between UCB and UCLA, nowadays, is as much as those other schools. Maybe it was in (a distant) past when Berkeley was on par with Stanford (if not more glamorous!) and UCLA was that little brother … but not as much now!