Hello, is there anyone else who has not SIR’d yet and is choosing between UCLA and Cal?
I decided to start this thread to see anyone else who’s in the same boat and on the fence about these two schools, and maybe alumni who were in this very situation in the past who could offer advice
About me: I’m a math/applied math major, and I’m leaning towards Berkeley because I’ve always wanted to go to north cal (I live in socal). But I don’t want climate/geography to be the sole deciding factor of which one I choose. I’ll admit, I’m scared to go to Berkeley because I’ve heard things like Berkeley being infamous for grade deflation (especially for my major, average math major graduates with a GPA of ~2.8! ). And I guess LA would be in general more convenient too. Even then, with all that being said, I’m still split…
What about you guys? What’s your major? Is there one school that you’re leaning to? And what are your reasons? Or maybe you were on the fence too at one point and finally decided, what made you choose the school that you chose? etc
Maybe reading some responses will help me (and anyone else) decide! Congratulations to everyone!
Econ major, leaning towards UCLA. I have a Berkeley campus tour reserved for mid-May and I’ll probably make my decision after. Other than the fact that Berkeley has a better academic reputation, almost everything about UCLA appeals to me more.
I’m an applied math major, got rejected to Cal so I’m going for LA, I feel like UCB is more for people who are more into the theory part of math. UCLA has more concentrations. I guess it’s up to you to decide where you fit more.
Philosophy leaning towards LA. I’m living in Tahoe, but from Long Beach, so Westwood would be like going home. On the flip side, Berkeley is offering me 5K a year more in grant money, and they have a (slightly) higher level of prestige. But on the flip flip side, UCLA has better sports teams historically, and it would be nice to be a part of that tradition. I’ll probably choose LA, but I’m considering UCB more than I thought I would.
HAHA that’s funny! I’m a guy but I’m not into girls so it doesn’t matter to me. What are the guys like?
What you said @i20hndc definitely relates to me. I know Berkeley has more “prestige” (but it’s only by a small margin; both are great schools), but from what I’m seeing I feel like I’ll be happier in LA. However, I have never physically been to either campuses so my opinion could change once I visit them both in person.
As for the different math thing, maybe that’s why Berkeley lumps together math and applied math (and also has them as B.A.'s rather than B.S.'s). I’d have to ask specifically a Berkeley math major what their experience has been like in classes to know for sure, but I do get the vibe that Berkeley math is more theoretical and abstract compared to LA.
Ah, this thread. Berkeley and UCLA are completely different campuses, both having strong pros and cons.
I will say this though. YOU GOT INTO CAL FOR A REASON. Don’t turn it down because you might think it’s too hard, competitive, or cut-throat. And visit the campuses!
@lindyk8 The whole ‘Berkeley Goggles’ thing eh? LOL
Psychology major leaning towards Berkeley. Lived in SoCal (specifically the LA County) all my life. I initially gave LA all the attention and only applied to Berkeley thinking of it as a stretch, but why not. And then I decided to take my friend who goes to Berkeley back up after his Winter Break and I stayed with him for a few days. Needless to say, I just loved the environment. The whole college town feel along with the fact that it was just my first time actually being up in NorCal/San Francisco was just surreal. I’ve got a lot of peers pressuring me into going to LA, but that’s for martial arts purposes, and it’s just so that I’ll stay within the community that’s in SoCal. But I didn’t want martial arts to be the deciding factor for choosing between two prestigious schools. And I made a good portion of friends I made when I was up at Berkeley ready to welcome me with open arms.
It’s definitely the new environment I’m favoring the most. In terms of which school is better in Psychology, I think both are equally qualified. And every time someone tries to convince me to come to LA, I immediately think “It’ll only be 2 years! I won’t be gone for that long”.
Ah @ocnative I actually talked to a math major currently at Berkeley who says it’s not too bad, I guess I was just scared off from the numbers! I think as long as I apply myself I’ll be okay. I definitely do not want paranoia/fear to be a deciding factor in my choice. Now is just a matter of small, miscellaneous things in addition to the academia…
@bizmlover haha no not yet!! I just need more input to decide. And yes, Terence Tao! This is just going to make it harder to pick. Which are you picking?! Personally I’m still on the fence. I guess to group my pros and cons so far…
Berkeley:
North Cal weather (+I’ve always wanted to go to north cal)
Slightly higher name
+/- Semester system (has both pros and cons so :E)
7 hour drive from where I live, would need to book a flight to come back
Maybe harder than UCLA? But I don’t think by a lot
UCLA:
I think I’d like the atmosphere more
TERENCE FREAKING TAO
+/- Quarter system (again has pros and cons)
Close to home, convenient
SoCal weather (sorry I despise our weather! sweater weather for the win)
Maybe less prestigious (but again by a very small factor)
Argh in the end I think I’m still more undecided than ever. But yes, ocnative, I am definitely going to visit the campuses! I’ll see UCLA at Bruin Day, possibly Berkeley some time later since a friend says I can stay at her place if I come up for the weekend. Visiting both schools in person will defintely get me a better grasp at where I stand…hopefully
@Bearly, as someone who’s been to both campuses, go visit them in person (if you can). Totally different vibes. UCLA feels like a tiny city and parts of it look like Hogwarts (and Legally Blonde was filmed there, not Harvard!). Berkeley has an older campus and not nearly as many bricks, lol. Both campuses look “Ivy League” but in different ways, and if you’ll go there, you’ll get the general feel. I didn’t think I’d be interested in UCLA until I took a tour.
I’m going to explain to you guys why this not a dilemma for me, even though berkeley has offered me a better scholarship package. I’m 26, I’ve had probably 17 years around the bay area at various times and I can tell you guys frankly that I do not like berkeley (as in the city) culture. People there pretend to be extraordinarily open minded and enlightened and then give minorities a longer portion of the shaft than in any other place I’ve lived in california. It’s full of people who were originally closer to hippies but mellowed into materialistic yuppies as they got older, which if you have never seen it before is a depressing thing.
I also do not like the student culture. I can’t count the number of times I have heard students say things that would have fit perfectly onto reddit’s /r/iamverysmart. Just casually dropping things into conversation (I am paraphrasing but I have not altered the essence) like
“another day at berkeley… feels good to be smart.”
“you know, this is the only college where you can wake up and walk to classes and pass by parking spots reserved for nobel laureates.”
“Yeah I’m doing great. Sometimes my classes are so hard, but then I think, at least I’m at berkeley.”
When I have met stanford students, UCLA students, HARVARD students, not once have they given me this insecure impression.
Additionally, for my major, pure math, while as a research institution berkeley is at the forefront of everything, I have heard from so many people - professors, berkeley students, professors who were berkeley students - that the department disdains its undergrads. All the professors care about are research and graduate students. One person who studied math there and praised the graduate program lavishly told me it was “a total waste to go there for undergrad” and that he saw people “just wither because there’s no support.”
So that is my perspective. Of course cal is the right choice for some people. However, if these sort of things bother you, take them into account. I grew up extremely poor and am still extremely poor (and at this point, in debt), so the superior berkeley financial aid is tempting, especially since I’m headed to grad school, but I think the next two years are worth spending a few extra thousand dollars on so that I have a good experience while receiving an education of equal quality.
@Bearly Honestly I’m in the same case as you and changed my mind every hour! T_T Yesterday I thought I would lean toward UCB since they have one of the best stats program. Then @UniversalSnip came in and talked about the vibe at Cal… If majority of students are like that I would choose UCLA. I’m going to Cal Open house day on May 8 just to get the ideas of living there for 2 years.
Here is my list of pros and cons…still need to add more:
UCB:
rank 2nd in stats program, 3rd in applied math
semester system
deflate GPA, making it harder to get into top grad school. It doesn’t mean I’m afraid of challenge, just hate when professors make problems ridiculously difficult and not practical at all.
living expenses seems to be more expensive than in LA. this is very important for me cos I need to support myself and family. I don’t want to waste thousands of dollars on undgrad why grad years are still ways to go.
UCLA:
rank 2nd in applied math (only matters if I my major into applied math)
Terence Tao (YES!!!)
great college experiences, big networking
all my friends there
all banks, big corp in the city. UCLA is definitely the target school
less expense
close to home
their stats dept is mediocre (30th in the list)
I heard many people said the prestige of undergrad school doesn’t matter much as long as you have high GPA/GRE scores, lots of research work… in order to get into top notch grad program.
I’ll visit both campus and will make decision after that. I’ll ask my math professor also, she’s Cal alumni. hopefully I can get some good advice.
I do not believe @universalsnip’s view is a true assessment of berkeley. Yeah, I’m sure there are some pompous jerks, they exist everywhere, but berkeley is the most open to all types of people, a lot of them quite quirky. I went to school there and have been there a lot over the years. I never pick up an elitist attitude. But I’m also not hanging out with the math prodigies.
@bizmlover Um, UniversalSnip is not attending Berkeley (yet?) so I would talk to students who are currently attending or even alumni to get a feel of the campus vibe and such.
). And I guess LA would be in general more convenient too. Even then, with all that being said, I’m still split…
