Okay, so I was lucky enough to get into both of these schools, both of which I have, at one point or another, considered my dream school. Ever since I was about 13, I’d dreamed of going to Columbia, but since the chances of me getting in were so slim, I decided to look into other schools. I fell in love with UCLA last year, and after visiting it again for Bruin Day, I still think it’s amazing and I love it so much.
My dilemma: I literally cannot choose which school I should pick. UCLA is great because I’m in-state, has a great linguistics program, and a lot of academic freedom (at least in comparison to Columbia). But Columbia also has an awesome foreign language program, and being the foreign language nerd that I am, I love that they offer so many different languages and allow students to take language classes at NYU and Cornell too. Ultimately, I think I’d like to be a journalist, teacher, or an actor, though I’m not totally sure yet. While I feel like Columbia could definitely give me a step up in my career, I also think spending $70,000+ per year for a career that will barely make half that, is kind of silly (despite money not being a huge issue).
In terms of extracirriculars and stuff I’d like to get involved in on campus, I definitely want to do theatre, campus newspapers, creative writing stuff, and possibly service clubs. I have a pretty good idea of what I’d do at UCLA, but at Columbia, I’m having trouble finding updated information about specific groups on campus. Also, it looks like Columbia has a much wider study abroad program than UCLA, which is nice.
Basically, I love both schools equally, and while I know I can’t go wrong, I also feel like I’ll have regrets no matter which one I pick.
“Ultimately, I think I’d like to be a journalist, teacher, or an actor, though I’m not totally sure yet. While I feel like Columbia could definitely give me a step up in my career, I also think spending $70,000+ per year for a career that will barely make half that, is kind of silly (despite money not being a huge issue).”
You have a very realistic and mature way in approaching this issue. I have a feeling you will be making a lot more than 35k whether you go to UCLA or Columbia.
Congratulations both options are good schools, but remember every school is different depending on the student. Plus, they are on opposite ends of United States. Location wise, Columbia is in an urban area on the east coast, while UCLA is located in an urban area on the west coast. Now, if you are going to go out of state there are multiple factors to consider such as: a car, living on and off campus, getting to class in a bigger setting, expenses, liabilities, etc. My suggestion is keep exploring more of the resources that UCLA and Columbia offer, look closely on how both campuses are organized, and pick which one you are most comfortable with. That is all I suggest, good luck!
You’re super lucky to be in-state for UCLA. Both Columbia and UCLA have prestige, but you’ll be able to live without a financial burden at UCLA. If money isn’t a barrier against your decision, just go with where YOU think you will fit in best.
I think you will find that for most classes, Columbia is more difficult. How much challenge do you like? If you love amazing peers, difficult classes, and incredible learning opportunities, go to Columbia. For better balance, go to UCLA.
You can’t go wrong either way, but since you’re on the fence, I’d say go to Columbia. The reason that it can potentially lead to a whole new set of experiences quite different than what you already have on the West Coast. Also, if you’re leaning at all towards journalism, NYC is a great place for that. And Columbia is smaller as well.
