<p>....and why. Please specify major. Thank you.</p>
<p>Most likely I’ll be at NYU in the fall, looking to major in Film & Television</p>
<p>I’ve yet to completely decide, but I’m gearing towards UCLA, mainly because I want to stay close to my band in San Diego. Secondly, its proximity to Hollywood is prime for an aspiring musician (or actor/actress). Finally, I got into UCLA into the major I applied for (psychobiology) for the fall quarter, while I got accepted as a spring admit at Berkeley. But Berkeley is ridiculously awesome at the same time, so I’m still stuck.</p>
<p>^feel the same…just in a different context. lol
IM SOOO CONFUSEDDD!! dont know what to do what to pick :(</p>
<p>visit both, particularly programs designed to help you like the overnight visit opportunities or Cal Day.</p>
<p>themoonisdown, given your aspirations, UCLA most likely would be better for you</p>
<p>UCB. I can’t wait. I’m so excited. It’s nearly perfect.</p>
<p>I’m going for computer science (at the College of Engineering).</p>
<p>I don’t know yet. I’m leaning towards UCB, but UCLA has neuroscience and I’d do neurobiology or cog. sci at UCB…ahh. I’m going to visit both for sure.</p>
<p>Berkeley for sure! Majoring in political science</p>
<p>Well this is a tough one for me too. My major is political science, its just, i don’t really know how practical a degree in that field would be. Plus, as great a place as Cal is, I’m pretty conservative so that’s a biggie for me; I don’t want to get lynched up there by people who hate me for my beliefs. On the other hand, it is Berkeley. Decisions decisions…</p>
<p>mad256, Berkeley is not the liberal bastion the rest of the country makes it out to be. Conservatives do have a significant presence on campus. I would hope that Berkeley students are mature enough not to hate somebody simply due to their political beliefs.</p>
<p>I guess your degree is as practical as how you make of it. For me, I’m leaning towards pre-law so it makes sense.</p>
<p>BERKELEY!</p>
<p>for computer science, it totally beats UCLA</p>
<p>I’m also stuck deciding and like the posts before am majoring in political science. which one is better if i am looking to go to law school?/</p>
<p>Stuck between the two for premed</p>
<p>I went to UCLA for undergrad and currently attending Berkeley for grad school, but I personally prefer UCLA more. Here’s why:</p>
<p>** 1. In terms of prestige, they’re both pretty good **
According to US News and Report ([National</a> Universities Rankings - Best Colleges - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national-search]National”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national-search)), their national overall ranking only differs by 4 places (Berkeley at 21st, and UCLA at 25th), so its not a very big deal in terms of prestige. UCLA is slowly catching up to Berkeley in terms of national rankings. They are both world class universities. According to QS World Rankings ([QS</a> Top Universities: Top 100 universities in the THE - QS World University Rankings 2007](<a href=“http://www.topuniversities.com/university_rankings/results/2008/overall_rankings/top_100_universities/]QS”>http://www.topuniversities.com/university_rankings/results/2008/overall_rankings/top_100_universities/)), UCLA is even ranked HIGHER than Berkeley (Berkeley at 36th, and UCLA at 30th). So the bottom line is - neither is really more prestigious. </p>
<p>** 2. Location and Surrounding Areas **
Los Angeles is usually more lively. UCLA is located in Westwood, near Hollywood, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Anaheim. The area is filled with exciting attractions, like Universal Studios, Six Flags, Disneyland, and etc. Its near the ocean and the desert, so you can basically go to the beach in the morning and then the desert in the afternoon, and still be back at UCLA for dinner. Since going to UCLA I’ve learned what it means to “have fun” =) the campus was beautiful and I found the environment fresh and exciting. UCLA is 2 hour drive away from San Diego, so you can hang out with your friends at UCSD during the weekends or visit Seaworld, San Diego Zoo, or other popular places. Berkeley is located in the city of Berkeley, which is near San Francisco, Oakland, and Richmond. Oakland and Richmond is probably the two worst and most dangerous cities in California (although Berkeley is relatively safe). San Francisco isn’t as lively as LA. The only things that makes SF good is the food. The only attractions nearby is the beach, San Francisco’s Pier 39, and the Golden Gate Bridge - which isn’t as nearly as fun as Hollywood and Disney. Bottom line - I’m not going to say that LA is better than Berkeley, but I suggest you go visit the campuses (and surrounding areas) and see which environment is right for you. making a visit makes a difference. You are going to spend your 4 years (or maybe more if you’re planning on going to grad school) there, so be sure to choose a place in which you can enjoy yourself.</p>
<p>** 3. Competition at Berkeley **
The competition in Berkeley is DEFINITELY more fierce and harder than UCLA’s. For most engineering majors, the average GPA is around 2.5 (compared to UCLA’s average of 3.0). The classes are hard - so expect a lot of hard work. Remember that most people in Berkeley are top of their high school class and are the very brightest - so don’t expect to get on the Dean’s List or even get Honors. In spare time, some students study and get ahead in their classes (which is necessary to get a really good GPA). In UCLA, however, the competition is still pretty fierce, but it is definitely easier than Berkeley’s. Most students there take double majors. It is not hard to get a 3.0 GPA or even get onto the Dean’s List or the College Honors Program. In free time, most people get jobs, internships, do their hobbies/talents, or participate in Community Service activities. Most employers don’t want the smartest kids they can get their hands on, but instead they want people who are not only academically strong, but also have strong ECs (such as previous work or internship experience, doing community service shows that you care about your environment and your surroundings). You can still do all that at Cal, but most students have lesser time to do that than at UCLA.
I previously have gotten a lot of questions on the semester vs. quarter grading period. Berkeley follows the semester grading period (meaning you get units for a semester - or half a year). UCLA follows the quarter grading period (meaning you get units for a quarter - or aprox 11 weeks). I personally prefer the quarter grading period better, because you can take more variety of classes. I’m a person that doesn’t like to be stuck with one thing.</p>
<p>In response to the post above so we can make this thread more even:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yes, sure, LA and Berkeley are both great schools. But Berkeley has LA beat in nearly every department and on nearly every college ranking, national or international. LA has been pointing out the QS World Ranking every chance they get, because honestly, LA pretty much never does better than Berkeley in a ranking. You’ll find that if you travel outside of California, fewer people have ever heard of UCLA, whereas Berkeley has a reputation as the best public school in the nation. Berkeley is almost always at least top 10 in the world in international rankings.</p></li>
<li><p>In terms of environment, it really depends on what you prefer. I can’t stand LA, because it is waaaay too superficial and polluted for me. A friend of mine at LA went jogging once and got to the top of a hill and says there was a grey fog over the city, and it made her feel really gross. But that’s just anecdotal. I find Berkeley to be fascinating. LA is too cookie cutter for me. I might end up living somewhere like that once I have a family to raise, but college is a time for exploration, and there is faaaar more to explore and expose yourself to in Berkeley, which is really the most unique place I know. But again, it depends on personal preferences.</p></li>
<li><p>Berkeley is NOT more competitive than LA. I don’t know why this myth gets perpetuated. Maybe it’s true that the average engineering GPA is a 2.5 at Berkeley (which I actually doubt), but overall, Berkeley has a higher GPA. For the school as a whole, Berkeley averages about a 3.3 whereas LA averages closer to a 3.1 or 3.2 (check campusbuddy if you want the exact GPA). But that doesn’t make a huge difference. As for the quarter vs. semester system, it again comes down to preference. I wouldn’t enjoy the quarter system very much, because I would feel waaaay too hassled all the time. Before I chose a college, I talked to my friends at UCD and they HATED the quarter system. So I made up my mind to go to a school on the semester system. The semester system really gives you a chance to redeem yourself if you fall behind or do poorly on a midterm. This semester, I spent the first two months recruiting for summer internships, and as a result, I pushed my schoolwork off a little. But I am now amply caught up, which I wouldn’t have had a chance to do if I was on the quarter system, because I’d practically be taking finals by the time I finished recruiting and focused on school again.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>So those are just my two cents. Really just to balance what Fasstrack said. Also, never forget to consider the strength of your major. Berkeley is GREAT at business and econ (pretty much kicks LA’s bizecon major’s butt), chemistry, poli sci, history, engineering (hands down, no room for argument at all), etc. Don’t let people scare you away because they say Berkeley is too hard/competitive. And don’t let people tell you that premed is easier at LA. Berkeley’s acceptance rate into med school is closer to 70% whereas LA’s is the national average, 50%. National average doesn’t sound so hot to me. But again, just consider carefully and go where you feel like you fit in.</p>
<p>I think whether or not you prefer the environment around LA or Berkeley is kind of based on where you grew up. </p>
<p>Well, I’m from the LA area in Socal so picking Berkeley over LA was really easy for me. I think I considered going to LA for about a full minute after I got accepted and just disregarded it. The reason isn’t that I found LA to be less prestigious, but that I was too familiar with UCLA and it was too close to home. I wanted to go somewhere new where I could be independent and establish myself.</p>
<p>Sure LA has a lot of attractions and what not, but I’ve really had my fill of the LA culture after 13 years. When you’ve lived in LA for 13 years, you realize it’s a fast-paced city where people are focused on becoming wealthy and glamorous as quickly as possible. There’s nothing wrong with that, but its a tiring lifestyle. Oh, and on top of that, you need a car to get everywhere so if you don’t have a car you’re basically stranded. </p>
<p>Norcal in comparison feels more laidback than Socal. There isn’t the same sort of social pressure to try and fit in with the mainstream and the popular. You can do or be who or whatever you want and people won’t look at you like you need to be locked up. Riding the public transport all the time was a bit uncomfortable for me at first since I wasn’t really used to it at all, but it’s really easier than having to drive everywhere yourself sometimes.</p>
<p>These are just my personal feelings and why I chose Berkeley over UCLA without a second thought.</p>
<p>NEITHER!</p>
<p>I am going to Caltech unless HPS accepts me!</p>
<p>BTW, I got into both Berkeley and UCLA.</p>
<p>Berkeley is definitely more competitive in Engineering-related fields than UCLA (I been there). And yes average GPA is around 2.5 for engineering last year (I talked to my professor about it). But I’m not saying that Berkeley is bad, cause it’s not. I’m currently attending Berkeley and I enjoy it. It’s a great school with a great faculty. All I am saying is that prestige shouldn’t be the only thing you should look at, because UCLA and Cal are both top public colleges. Coming from Pennsylvania, I personally enjoy LA more - because there are more things to do in LA than at SF or nearby cities. The pollution in LA isn’t as bad as you think. Ever since the Clean Air Act, its pollution has being dropping slowly, but steadily. But the pollution is most concentrated near the LA Basin and San Fernando Valley - so the air is actually not that bad near the university.</p>