<p>As I indicated above, I really think that degree of personal attention depends on major - as well as the personality and proactiveness of the student. My own experience as an undergrad at a different UC campus was that there were some departments which seemed to have a culture of standoffish-ness among the profs -- I could get a sense just based on the arrangement of offices in the building or section where the department was housed. I mean, there were some places where the doors were all shut and you didn't see anyone without an appointment, and some where the doors were all open and profs were casually chatting with students in the halls. </p>
<p>So I think the first question I would ask when someone reports degree of personal attention is, "what's your major?" That's why I felt the database giving some indication of number of students graduating in each major was useful. </p>
<p>Anyone who tries to paint a large university with one brush is simply unaware of how a large university functions. A university is more like a large city with many different neighborhoods, each with their own flavor & culture. I can see how people whose undergraduate experience was at a smaller college would be intimidated and assume from the enrollment numbers that things would be unmanageable -- but it just doesn't work like that.</p>