I’m currently deciding between UCLA and UC Berkeley, and I am very conflicted as to which would be the best fit for me. I plan on studying within the social sciences/humanities (most likely polisci, psych, or English). The schools seem essentially identical in terms of class sizes, relationships with professors, research opportunities, etc. I know that Cal has a reputation for being incredibly rigorous (which frightens me), but with UCLA on the fast-paced quarter system, do the schools really differ all that much in terms of rigor? I hope to fill my college experience with internships and great opportunities, and I want to avoid the suffocation of an intense workload at the same time (and maintain a good gpa). Would anybody be able to provide some insight as to which school would be the best fit?
Are you pre-law (based on your possible majors being stereotypical pre-law majors)?
https://www.berkeleytime.com/grades/ has information about grade distributions by course at UCB. Don’t know if there is anything similar for UCLA.
Both schools are academically rigorous and filled with ambitious, smart and high-achieving students. You are going to work hard whichever you choose. Quarter system vs. semester system is sort of a personal preference issue - also, when you love a class, 15 weeks isn’t long enough and when you hate one, ten weeks can’t go by quickly enough. Look at the internship programs offered in the social sciences and humanities at each institution. They are both located in major urban areas so they should both provide ample opportunity on that score, and you can manage your course load to fit them in. More importantly, visit (or revisit) and get a sense of how you feel about each institution. Only you can figure that component out for yourself. In some respects, they are very different, not necessarily academically, but in terms of the student experience. Since you have only a general idea of what you want to study (which is perfectly fine), I think your decision should be based more on which of the two gets you most excited at spending the next four years there.
@BerkeleyGrad Agree on all of this. D was also choosing between them, and it could have gone either way as far as her parents were concerned. Enviro science, so Cal wound up making more sense for her. I will say that if on-campus housing is important to you, UCLA is the better bet (3 years guaranteed vs. 1 year at Cal). UCLA seems to be a bit more self-contained - Cal sort of sprawls beyond the campus.