Berkeley vs. UCLA

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>For those who got accepted to both: </p>

<p>Which one are you choosing and why? If you're undecided, which way are you leaning? Thought it'd be interesting to get some perspectives.</p>

<p>It'd be helpful to include your intended major - since the dept rankings are different</p>

2

<p>I was admitted under art history major. However, I may change my major to gender studies. I am about 85% leaning towards Cal, mostly because I feel that this will be the chance to grow up. I need to move away from my parents, learn to take care of myself, and embrace a different environment. I also feel like Cal fits my personality better than UCLA does. However, UCLA is better known for its G/S departments and I also have friends here in SoCal. So I am conflicted just a little itsy bitsy bit.</p>

3

<p>So lucky. Im from So Cal myself but am looking at OOS schools because UCs are out of my league. lol</p>

4

<p>my major is statistics, i think i would probably choose berkeley.
1, berkeley ranks 1, ucla 2 in public school
2, berkeley’s statistics major is the second best in US
3,berkeley gives me 11500 scholarship, ucla 2700</p>

5

<p>Berkeley pros (for me):

  1. They give me more financial aid than UCLA. Also, UCLA is giving a lot of people a 1 year non renewable grant which is kind of a turn off. Berkeley also giving me more work study money.
  2. In term of ranking for Mechanical Engineering, Berkeley also beat UCLA here.</p>

<p>UCLA pros:

  1. Closer to home but not too close (1.5 hours drive with clear traffic) so I can go home over the weekend to do laundry and pillage my parents’ fridge. So this could save me a lot of money over the course of the year.
  2. It’s LA and its not far from the beach. </p>

<p>Although I am leaning more toward Berkeley, the jury is still out for me between these two schools. I will visit UCLA on Friday the 10th and hopefully Berkeley sometime before June 1st deadline. Then, I will make my final decision.</p>

6

<p>Berkeley
1- closer to home yet not too close
2- great school
3- I love how active the school is politically
4- I don’t like LA</p>

<p>UCLA is a great school and both are academically very similar. I just like Berkeley’s atmosphere better. It’s the school I had in mind since my first semester at CC. If I don’t get into dartmouth today, I’m SIRing there.</p>

7

<p>I’m leaning towards Berkeley. I applied as a psychology major but I want to double major in psych and media/communications</p>

<p>Berkeley pros:

  1. Higher rankings than UCLA. It’s a really prestigious school.
  2. I want to experience living somewhere other than LA.
  3. Rent will be cheaper in that area than in LA. </p>

<p>UCLA pros:

  1. Their communications dept is better than Cal’s equivalent. Their internship opportunities are also better in this major.
  2. All of my friends live in LA. I don’t know anyone in SF/Berkeley
  3. (This is a tiny plus) UCLA’s campus is gorgeous and it’s in a great location</p>

<p>I’m thinking it may actually be easier to get the better communications internships in San Francisco because there would be less competition. But giving up the chance at UCLA’s communications department is making me second guess. Also UCLA is growing exponentially each year in terms of how great of a school it is</p>

8

<p>I’m still undecided… but I suggest visiting both campuses first.</p>

9

<p>Poli sci major that may double major in econ if possible. </p>

<p>Accepted to both berkeley and ucla. </p>

<p>Already sent sir to berkeley.
I choose berkeley because of the international prestige/rankings and also because its undergrad poli sci program is ranked second to Harvard in the nation.</p>

<p><a href=“GoDaddy Corporate Domains - Protected”>GoDaddy Corporate Domains - Protected;

<p>i also want to expose myself to a new culture, something other than my home here in Orange County and SoCal in general. </p>

<p>The way I look at the prestige aspect is this… The time you will spend at ucla or Berkeley will be just two years, however the knowledge and degree will be yours for the rest of your life. For me personally, down the road, I would prefer to beable to say… that I went to berkeley. </p>

<p>Hope this helps</p>

10

<p>@newuser2
I believe berkeley is still ranked as the top public school, however I believe Michigan Annarbor is now second and ucla may or may not be third</p>

11

<p>@ucisee</p>

<p>I am a polisci major trying to decide between UCLA and UCB too. I also live in LA and am thinking about leaving but then again part of me wants to say. Is there a 2013 or 2012 polisci undergrad ranking list? What is that list basing their rankings on? I had no idea UCB was that high.</p>

12

<p>@cyanide</p>

<p>Unfortunately no I haven’t been able to find anything more recent. Legitimate undergraduate rankings overall seem to be scarce. however I believe looking at poli sci grad school rankings can help give you an idea of how the undergraduate program may be like. in that regard there are many more rankings available and berkeley is ranked consistently in the top 5 or 10. ucla is usually in top 15.</p>

<p>Here is one
<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/political-science-rankings[/URL]”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/political-science-rankings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

<p>I am still so undecided.
My major is psychology.
I really didn’t know I would get accepted to UCB.</p>

<p>My background:

  • lives near LA
  • international student from Korea been in the U.S. for 4 years.
  • tries to be an art therapist or a clinical psychologist
  • wants to work in the U.S. after my education
  • wants to work at the hospitals
  • will go to graduate school for sure
  • easily get freaked out when I have a lot of stress</p>

<p>UCLA?

  • My relatives and friends are here and I can get help from them psychologically. (Even though I go to UCLA, I am not gonna live with my relatives. I will find a room to live by myself.)
  • I would regret going UCB if the studying there is too hard. (I know both schools are not easy, but I heard that UCB is more difficult. I heard that, If I want to go to graduate school, I need to have really good GPA.)
  • I know the UCLA area very well. I used to live near UCLA.
  • Korea town is close by (Good: I can get Korean foods easily/ Bad: too much Korean at UCLA)
  • I like the weather here. (I don’t know sometimes I feel Socal is too hot, but every time I went to SF and Berkeley, I felt so cold. I am from Korea so I know what is freaking cold winter and I sometimes like it. But…)
  • The curriculum looks more interesting.
  • Clinical psychology graduate program ranking is #1.</p>

<p>UCB?

  • This school has more reputation.
  • I feel like if I go to UCLA, I would regret.
  • I can double major in art.<- I really want to. UCLA does allow me to have double major in art, too, but requirement is very strict. It is almost impossible to have double major in art at UCLA. My dad said don’t do double major and focus on just one thing, though.
  • I can make new friends and have another experience to explore new area.
  • I love San Francisco.
  • Maybe rent is cheaper?</p>

<p>Go to UCLA: Dad, uncle who is psychologist and university professor who graduated from UCLA, my friend who graduated from UCLA</p>

<p>Go to UCB: Anthro prof. who graduated from Upenn(Reason: Choose the best choice! When you go to Grad school, people know better about UCB than UCLA.), Art prof. (Reason: It is beautiful up there.), my roommate, my best friend, my best friend’s husband, my best friend’s mother in law who is a sociology professor, my close other uncle, many other people</p>

<p>Choose what you want: Mom, psych professor at my CC(Choose where offer the curriulum seems intersting to me, depends on where you want to live)</p>

<p>I am planning to go see both UCLA and UCB after my semester.
I hope that trip really gives me a right decision.</p>

<p>Please give me some advice…</p>

14

<p>Tapioka, I’m in the same mess and I’ll be visiting berkeley next week just to make sure I don’t make a hasty decision.</p>

<p>I’m accepted to both schools as a geography major and i want to minor in GIS. This has been a the hardest decision in my life because both schools offer so much. </p>

<p>UCLA,
For my major, it has some of the most interesting classes
and it is really flexible.
My my minor, there are some really difficult classes in advanced GIS which will help me later in my career.
Strong athletic spirit
Location, in a commerical area close to the beach and mountains with terrible traffic and public transportation.
Beautiful Romanesque architecture
Campus visit left me with a strong desire to attend</p>

<p>Berkeley,
somewhat inflexible yet fun major classes
interesting and flexible minor classes
extra $7,000 in financial aid than UCLA
opportunity to explore norcal
location, in a suburb college town with easy access by public transportation around campus and to other cities.
somewhat dingy greek architecture
a feeling of seeming out of place when i visited.</p>

<p>Using reason alone, Berkeley is the better choice, but I feel that UCLA is a better fit. Berkeley has offered me more money. However, my heart is crying out to be a BRUIN, stop listening to my brain, and that Berkeley looks ugly. My brain and heart are having a tug of war inside me!</p>