<p>Good luck everyone!</p>
<p><a href=“UC Application - Message from the system”>UC Application - Message from the system;
<p>@Cayton
Within the first 20 mins of orientation, they try to eradicate that notion of their students being a just a number. Not sure I but it, but I’m happy to be a bruin!</p>
<p>Is anyone else having problems loading coursework from the Planner?</p>
<p>I’m not sure where you’re getting the UCLA student is only a number because this entire process, I feel they have gone out of their way to welcome parents and students. I’m impressed, as a parent, with the welcoming atmosphere, plus my daughter feels the way @2016Candles feels. In fact I would go so far as to say UCLA is more inclusive than UCB.</p>
<p>@2016Candles </p>
<p>That’s comforting.</p>
<p>@lindyk8 </p>
<p>I’ve heard stories from former UCLA students who felt that the school was bureaucratic and impersonal. I know that your experiences with the school contradict these claims, and frankly, so do mine, but it’s still one of my concerns about going to school here. I’d love to be proven wrong, though.</p>
<p>How is UCLA more inclusive than Cal?</p>
<p>I think UCLA and Cal are about the same. One isn’t really more inclusive than the either, from visiting both. </p>
<p>Both are pretty bureaucratic too. </p>
<p>I realize my experience is only during the new student / welcome and things could change. But so far I am impressed. My comparison with UCB is mainly that it seems like the general school spirit is off the charts compared to UCB. And the students in general are just friendlier.</p>
<p>In the final analysis, with campuses as huge as UCLA and UCB there is just so much you can do to personalize every students’s experience.</p>
<p>In all fairness to UCLA, while it certainly doesn’t have the warmth of small town living, they have done a lot to be welcoming and inclusive. Orientation was LOOOOONG, but during that time we had 1 on 1 meetings with our NSA, group meeting with our Department advisor who stayed behind to answer all of our individual questions, many small breakouts that you picked for yourself. I honestly really felt like UCLA was genuinely welcoming us to the community. </p>
<p>Classes can be huge, and departments are overcrowded, so it’s up to each student to seek out a more personalized experience, if that’s important to them. They offer a number of small seminar classes that are bound to offer more direct contact with professors. There’s a ridiculous number of clubs, activities, and ways to get involved at school and within the communities. I think whether you graduate feeling like a number or an individual is really up to each of us.</p>
<p>" I think whether you graduate feeling like a number or an individual is really up to each of us." If only I had a dollar for each time I heard something like this… </p>
<p>The vast majority of people I’ve talked to (that actually attended UCLA for at least a year) have said that the school does treat you like a number. This is in an academic sense. It has nothing to do with welcoming students at orientation or partaking in clubs/activities. </p>
<p>@Zalrons
What exactly would you like the school to do so that you didn’t feel like a number? What do you think would create a better environment?</p>
<p>@2016Candles, just to clarify, I’m not saying I feel like a number at UCLA. I’ve yet to even attend a class. </p>
<p>Considering the very large student population and the schools priority to conduct research I don’t think they can foster a very collaborative environment. I don’t really want them to change anything to be honest. I know what I signed up for and I don’t need my hand held. I’m just saying it is a very popular opinion amongst UCLA students that they tend to treat you like a number. </p>
<p>I see where you’re coming from. I think we all have different goals and different expectations of our time at UCLA. Some people focus mostly on academics, others social aspects, athletics, etc. I suppose that’s the great thing about UCLA is that it offers things to everyone. </p>
<p>Obviously you are going to be a number at a huge public research school with ~30k people as far as classes go. It is just something that has to be accepted when it comes to coursework, and it isn’t really as big of an issue once you hit upper division classes. Unless you are at MIT where your classes are 25 people with 5 TAs or some place with massive funding and a lower amount of students, it is the reality of current education. Heck, even at U$C, the classes are pretty big and the enrollment encroaches on huge public university enrollment. </p>
<p>If anything it teaches people how to figure things out on their own and prevents the bubble that a lot of schools have. I can already tell by what I see through interactions with incoming UCLA students (not on CC) a lot don’t seem to really know how to figure things out and be proactive, so it could be a really bad transition for some. One of the main reasons I chose UCLA because I actually did feel like any questions or concerns I had were answered promptly by whoever, whether it was financial aid, counselors etc. </p>
<p>Totally agree! Go Bruins 
As transfers, I don’t think the “numbers” sentiment will deter us. For those coming out of HS I’m sure it’s a huge difference that shocks a lot of kids lol. </p>
<p>Just so new transfers and future transfers know, it is possible to have some small classes at ucla. I have 2 classes that only have 20 students- not discussions part of a larger lecture, but 2 independent courses with only 20 students. It is totally possible to have a more intimate class setting if you want to.</p>
<p>@CSB111, LOL have you seen the UCLA FB transfer page? People ask the weirdest ■■■■ on there. Most of the questions asked could easily be found with a 5 second Google search. </p>
<p>@Zalrons Yeah, it is pretty bad. I can’t believe so many people know absolutely nothing about their major or what they are even studying. I’ve always found answers to things easily with the exception of really specific details. Even then why not pick up the phone and call the source? Lol. </p>
<p>It is pretty funny and cringeworthy at the same time. </p>
<p>edit, removed.</p>
<p>I agree with @Zalrons.</p>
<p>Since upper-division classes tend to have much smaller class sizes(~30 students often, and many times being as low as 15-20), we transfers might be better off than our native counterparts who entered UCLA from high school. We mostly had small class sizes at our local CCs and knew our professors very well. Since we’re avoiding UCLA’s lower-division classes, we transfers should consider ourselves lucky. I hear that it’s not difficult at all to form relationships with professors in upper-division classes since class sizes are so much smaller.</p>
<p>So, I suppose that it’s mostly those who came in from high school who will feel like numbers. It’s one downside(For many students, anyway) for those who wish to gain admission to UCLA as freshman.</p>
<p>Hey pals, me again! (notice me say pal not mate? haha. I am not Australian or English) </p>
<p>Filled out most of my app and just wanted to get y’all academics’ input on my chances for Sociology:
3.82 UC GPA atm. // Both Stats & Intro Socio pre-reqs this Fall.
EC’s include some more minor volunteer work at a Arts and Crafts Fair and a Local TV Studio; (upcoming) will likely do some Local Food Bank and Heal The Bay.
Haven’t started my PS, but I’m hoping some of you can review it for me upon completion.</p>
<p>Grazie.</p>
<p>Edit: May also join Sociology & Honors club at my cc as well.</p>