<p>Between Colgate & UCLA.I am a international student Majoring Economics.
Yet with the increasing cost of UCLA(this year the total cost of UCLA on I20, 55000, is a match to that of Colgate), many of my friend suggested me that UCLA was not worth it. Colgate has a very good reputation among Chinese students. We all admire Colgate's strong career guidance and amazing alumni network. Not to mention the elite liberal arts education that Colgate provides.
And UCLA has a international admission rate of 41% this year. Many Chinese students, including me, began to worried the effect that huge wave of international students has on UCLA's education quality. Cal's financial difficulty has server impact on UCLA and UCB s' image in our mind, Especially UCLA's. And they have both lost their biggest advantage: low cost.
I have no intention of getting into graduate school by now. Colgate is a really great school with close connection to wall st's big IBs (so I was told). But since foreigners need to get a H1B ,which is very hard to get now, to work in the US, the alumni network may not work very well for us. UCLA with its great reputation(at least by now) enables us to find jobs back in our home country. However, Studying abroad and going back to China just seems a little pointless.
THE DECISION DAY IS COMING UP. I REALLY NEED YOUR ADVICE! THANKS A LOT</p>
<p>I would go to Colgate. They have a minty flavor and prevent cavities.</p>
<p>It seems like you like Colgate better and feel that you’d get more for your money. Do you prefer going to a large university with 25,000 undergrads, or small university with less than 3,000 students?</p>
<p>Also, I don’t know about Colgate, but if you go to UCLA and study economics, or business-economics, you can have access to great recruiting by accounting firms here.</p>
<p>Thanks very much for your advice. Then I guess its more about personal taste.</p>
<p>Quality wins over quantity everytime. And your smile will be perfect! Go 'Gate!</p>
<p>I agree with the previous comments that Colgate is a better toothpaste than UCLA is.</p>
<p>Yes, better toothpaste than UCLA. Got rid of my cavities.</p>
<p>In seriousness, I’d say Colgate.</p>
<p>
Yes, that’s the overriding consideration. I might add to that another – weather. Have you ever been in upstate NY from November through March? Remember the movie “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson? 
There’s a reason there are no large cities in the middle of New York.</p>
<p>What sounds cooler, UCLA or Colgate? UCLA sounds all cool and famous. Colgate’s more like…*** is that, a tooth paste? I think that’s the best criteria for making your decision. Welcome to UCLA.</p>
<p>41 % for internationals. Really ?!</p>
<p>Great! You’ve hit on something that’s worthy of developing further…</p>
<p>So it’s about what sounds cooler? Cooler? Is that what drives decisions where you are? Amazing thought!</p>
<p>The truth, as most of us know, is that substance (like quality) wins over imagery (like quantity) every time, even in Lala Land.</p>
<p>Now go get an education. Later, and after you distinguish yourself, there will more than ample time for other shenanigans.</p>
<p>Go 'Gate!</p>
<p>I disagree with markham completely. Say “UCLA” out loud, and then say “Colgate” out loud. Further, say “Espionage” out loud. Which sounds the coolest? Go with that.</p>
<p>And I disagree with the “Lala land” comment. In Lala land, imagery is significantly more important than quality.</p>
<p>La La and imagery are a ticket. It’s been validated in this thread. Ok, fer sure. Like it’s west coast.</p>
<p>I am just afraid that the idea won’t stand the test of time for those who are susceptible and adopt this hype. It is, after all, hype. For us on the east coast who know where valley girls came from and the imagery they depict, well, that’s all we need to hear about the topic. </p>
<p>Colgate U is a special place for the self-selected and certainly not necessarily a mass-market concept. It’s all about quality- like a boutique if that imagery helps… But its reputation among professionals in the work place and academia precedes it- on both coasts.</p>
<p>Be smart and Go 'Gate!</p>
<p>Please use more imagery. Your post should read like a colorful poem, and not like dull prose.</p>
<p>Anyways, back to the topic at hand. I haven’t really heard of Colgate. I’ve definitely heard of UCLA though. I think you should choose UCLA since I’ve heard of it and I’m really important. After all, you should be thinking about who I’m going to hire. I haven’t heard of Colgate, so good luck getting a job from me!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>A large law firm is usually much more prestigious than a law boutique. The same can be said for larger business firms and companies in comparison to smaller firms/boutiques. </p>
<p>Generally, the larger firms/companies in any field carry a lot more distinction.</p>
<p>The reason why many of the elite universities in the country, yes, private and certainly grouped mostly on the east coast, have undergrad enrollments of 5-7K, and often enroll the same in their grad school is for their alumni to be able to connect with other alumni and for them to optimally saturate various professional fields.</p>
<p>If Harvard had an enrollment of 2.5K in both its undergrad and grad schools, I believe it wouldn’t have the name it has today all over the globe. But, too, the school can have large B and L schools and still be able to keep its standards wrt quality of students it admits to both. This is reflected in the number of billionaires who have Harvard MBAs and the numerous Harvard JDs who hold various partnership positions.</p>
<p>Similarly on the other end, an LAC, because of its (generally) tiny enrollments restricts itself in all fields because there just arent enough of their alumni. Similary, their grad enrollment is based more on non-professional masters and doctoral programs, if existent, and are usually even smaller than thier undergrad enrollment. But then kids who self-selectively choose a Colgate are there for the lesser competitive (compet wrt student v student) educational, personal-interaction aspects, and couldnt care less about alumni connections. </p>
<p>Colgate might have an excellent name on the east coast, Im not doubting that at all, even if the vast majority of elite US colleges and universities are grouped in that area and most of them surpass the Colgate name wrt professionals and academics. Im sure the school is a great fall-back to those not accepted to bigger names there. </p>
<p>But I had to roll my eyes when you said that Colgate … among professionals in the work place and academia precedes it- on both coasts. There are maybe, what, 1k Colgate alums in CA, maybe a couple k on the westcoast?</p>
<p>If Colgate had a name on the westcoast, this would filter down from professionals and academics to the kids in this area. This isnt happening, because Colgate has little or no name on the leftcoast.</p>
<p>Yeah, we know UCLA is large, and its even over-enrolled right now. And its easy for someone like you to make disparaging remarks against a public school like UCLA because all publics have their flaws, usually related to size. </p>
<p>But for a public school, UCLA has generally extremely high standards, save for those from disadvantaged backgrounds for whom the school too often finds space. But its a public school so there should at least be a modicum of allowances for those kids who attend underperforming schools, who show potential-not-nec-reflective-of-their-academic qualifications whatever that encompasses.</p>
<p>UCLA has some bad points, and I think a lot of it adminstratively, generally UC administration. But for as large as it is, it has some high quality aspects also (Ill refrain from boasting about the school but rather boast about UC)…UC students flood a lot of law, med, and bus schools on the westcoast, including a lot of the private schools grad programs. UC grads are the driving force of the economy in CA, even if it is down right now. You can even say that UC is why CA has become so great becaues of its low tuition that had many from places like NYC to come to CA for their kids to attend UC, and its still a bargain for instaters, and draws a lot of intls.</p>
<p>Tuition isnt what it used to be, but its still the best public college system in the world. You have to remember that we dont value private education on the westcoast as much as the east, despite the Stanfords, CITs, Pomonas and the Harvey Mudds. So a lot of kids then to think, cool collge, cool name, fit and lifestyle, weather, etc. Its just a different mindset, not better not worse.</p>
<p>UCLA sounds like an ideal place for you or maybe you entered already transformed. I suspect that you have heard of Colgate but find its reputation, scope, setting and offerings all a bit too much. Never mind. When you have your epiphany you will redeem yourself.</p>
<p>In the real world of college search there are, of course, lots of alternatives and views. Astute applicants know where to look. And if they need some prose or poetry to appreciate the finer points, they can ask around.</p>
<p>The same applies to the jobs market. I hope you make have lots of personal friends to fill all those positions you intend to create. Sounds as if you have your work cut out. Your country needs you. Good luck!</p>
<p>Just to be clear, my last message was for arcadefire.</p>
<p>Drax12, I read with interest your message on big/pubic vs small in the context of UCLA and Colgate, 2 very different places.</p>
<p>My personal view is that small is best for undergrad, big is fine for graduate pursuits, and small is where you want to work once you get trained in a big place with training programs. </p>
<p>But I am afraid that I don’t agree at all with the following:</p>
<p>“But then kids who ‘self-selectively’ choose a Colgate are there for the lesser competitive (compet wrt student v student) educational, personal-interaction aspects, and couldn’t care less about alumni connections.” </p>
<p>I am not sure what you are saying. Colgate is hard to get into, is collegial and nurturing academically and socially on account of its wide range of offerings, safe and beautiful in all seasons. Everyone benefits from the alumni-student-faculty-staff connectedness that might not be all that familiar to you unless you have had a chance to see it firsthand at a similar college community). There is a lot of interaction among the groups. Check out the colgate.edu site and you will see what I am trying to depict.</p>
<p>So there is a lot to consider. Each to his own.</p>