<p>Well I wasn't born in LA, but I consider myself a native having grown up here since I was in diapers. For natives, which school would you choose if you miraculously got accepted to Cal and UCLA? I've done pros and cons, but they always end up tying in the end. s. (FYI this is a closed thread, I only care about what LA residence have to say)</p>
<p>In the other thread I listed pros and cons for both. If I had to choose right now it would be Berkeley. As much as I love Los Angeles, I’d certainly like a change. There are times I’d choose University of Miami over UCLA just so that I could have a whole new experience. I would certainly miss L.A. though.</p>
<p>I have done similar comparisons, and am completely torn between Berkeley and LA (should I be accepted to both schools). </p>
<p>One of the biggest cons for me is having to “uproot” myself from here (Like you, although I was not born here, I have lived here in L.A. since 1997 - over 12 years). Generally, once I get “comfortable” in a place, I’m not a person who likes to move around because it is very stressful both financially and logistically…but sometimes I do get bored with the same place.</p>
<p>To further expand on this, I like the idea of simply “continuing” my life as it is now, jump into my car and drive ~20 miles, and I’m at the UCLA campus. Moving to the Bay area would mean lugging all my things to a different city, finding a place to live, finding part-time employment etc. etc., but the pro would be that I would have a “fresh new” place to stimulate my mind :)</p>
<p>I also absolutely love the UCLA campus and think the Berkeley campus is an absolute dump (including some of the surrounding areas). I have visited that campus several years back (of course, I was not seriously planning on Cal back then), and it was nothing to write home about.</p>
<p>However, in the end, I too would probably go with Cal, simply because its academic reputation (at least as far as Engineering goes) is second to none, and significantly above UCLA (not to diminish UCLAs reputation in any way, which also holds its own). Furthermore, it is also an iconic university steeped in an amazing history from the invention of the cyclotron to the free speech movement, and this also does something for me!</p>
<p>Can’t we have this discussion after we know where we got accepted.</p>
<p>OP, thankfully for you, you won’t need to make the decision. How do you feel about Merced?</p>
<p>^How do you feel about SDSU?</p>
<p>I’d prefer Cal over UCLA. I was born and raised in Los Angeles (or SFV if you’re really that snobby about what is is LA and what isn’t), but I really can’t stand living here any more than I can. My older brother went to Berkeley after transferring from SMC and I used to visit him, and I gotta say; I really prefer up there to down here. People seem much more mellow and friendly there. Less snobbishness from what I gathered from staying there every other summer. Also, I have friends who go to UCLA now and often tell me how hard it is to make friends there due to the size of the school. I don’t really want to be surrounded by people who are too aloof to make friends, honestly. Thats just me, though.</p>
<p>Trying to insult each other with colleges that seem to be “less worthy” for you? Wow…haha. If its like that at both Cal AND UCLA, I’d prefer a “lower” university. :D</p>
<p>i just moved to LA over the summer and am attempting to transfer in 1 year right now i give the slight edge to UCLA because they dont try to push you out in 2 years where as berkeley i could get a max of 5 semesters</p>
<p>The San Fernando Valley is still in the City of Los Angeles (with the exception of Burbank, Glendale and San Fernando). Haters to the left, mmkay.</p>
<p>OP, raised in NCal, but in LA for most of my life now…family members have gone to both schools. You need to consider how you spend your free time and how often you might want to come home. I love LA because it offers more in the way of theatre, live entertainment, the beaches, the snow…even the desert close by. </p>
<p>Cal would offer a change of scenery yes, some nice cultural activities, a lot of stuff in SF…close to Yosemite and not too far from Tahoe (if you enjoy snowboarding etc). Hands down the public transit in the Bay Area is fabulous. Don’t be under the impression that you’ll get away from traffic congestion if you take a car…just as bad as LA. Weather is a bit chillier, you’ll want a coat and possibly some raingear. I prefer LA where you can wear shorts year round. There are definately rough areas within the outer areas of Cal, so I would feel safer within the UCLA area. The beaches/coast area of the bay area are going to be a bit of a trek from Cal (not as quick as going over Topanga Cyn to Zuma). </p>
<p>You might also consider where you might want to settle after college. Connections made at either school will lead to possible job opportunites in their respective areas. If you want to live in LA you may want to have a couple of years of summer internships/work experience in the LA area. If you want to work for Disney, for example you should probably stay here. Keep that in mind. Either way, you can’t go wrong, wherever you wind up you’ll learn about who you are and figure out where you want to be. Good luck!</p>
<p>@Laker–It is probably better than Merced.</p>
<p>UCLA for undergrad.
Bay area for post-grad.</p>
<p>In a perfect world, one could choose between the two based on preferences. But the reality of it is that there are other factors that do matter like financial aid and plans after college. I’m an LA native-born and raised, and because of lower financial aid package I received from Berkeley, and because I could live “for free” at home, UCLA was my choice.
But Berkeley would have been my choice otherwise. It would have been nice to lived in the Bay Area, and experience a different culture(regardless if the UCB is ugly, etc).</p>
<p>Also, I think had finances(financial aid) been the right price that put UCLA and USC at the equivalent price tag, give or take 5K a year, USC would have been my choice over UCLA.</p>
<p>As a math major, I’d prefer Berkeley. I would recommend that when choosing between schools, all else being equal, go to the one with the best prestige in your major. Any edge you can get in the world, yeah?</p>
<p>I went to Cal for almost 4 semesters and while I won’t say the academics amazed me, I certainly loved the people/atmosphere/environment. Mind you, I was only two lower division classes into my previous major of linguistics (a good school choice for that major), so I may have been much more appreciative of the academics had I continued on. I was certainly never disappointed by the academics.</p>
<p>As for allegations that the Berkeley campus and surrounding areas are a dump, I must have been blind the whole time – I certainly never felt that way. I suppose I wouldn’t having grown up in what surely classifies as such.</p>
<p>I’m currently going to SMC and considering transferring to UCLA as their math program is pretty good as well and I could walk to campus if I needed to. I already pay no rent and it would be nice to keep it that way. So in my case, finances may trump prestige. We’ll have to see.</p>
<p>–charlie</p>