haha it’s almost the deadline and I’m STILL working on a decision…
I’m from New England and currently deciding between Emory and UCLA. I’m an applied mathematics major but I want to add in econ/finance. I’ve received a scholarship from Emory so the costs of the two schools are just a couple hundred dollars apart.
Emory Pros:
- smaller private school = more attention
- decent business school
- well-known on east coast
Emory Cons:
- I’m not sure I fit in as well/don’t like the vibes as much
- not as much school spirit
UCLA Pros:
- I vibe with a lot more
- great econ program (if I can secure myself as pre-econ major)
- better for landing jobs on west coast
UCLA Cons:
- bigger class size = less attention
- competition for classes & pre-reqs
My parents definitely favor one over the other but I’m not sure I agree. Any advice? Also thanks for the help!
I lived in ATL and now live in LA.
Emory is a small school. I don’t get the feeling there is school spirit. But it’s reputation is very good. The area around it is nice. I wouldn’t think West Coast companies recruit heavily from there.
UCLA is terrific. From what I have heard, it can be a bit cutthroat in the sciences, pre-med, etc. But you are in math. My neighbor’s son transferred in junior level in math at UCLA and really likes it, even though he commutes to school. The school is heavily recruited by West Coast companies if you want to settle here afterwards. You are more likely to have TAs at a UC school than Emory.
School spirit is big. Pauley Pavilion for basketball is right on campus, but the Rose Bowl for football is 45 minutes to an hour away. Sports may not happen this year though.
And LA is a cool city to explore. Tons to do in California too. I enjoyed my first two years in Atlanta, and then I got bored to tears. I’ve lived in LA for 22 years and still discover new things.
Lay out a matrix that has the two schools and the categories that are important to you. The categories could include Cost (seems the same), Ability to travel to/from home, academics, reputation, big time sports, social life, campus, where you want to live after, big vs small school, etc. Rate them 1-5 with 5 the highest. Total it up and then see which comes out on top. You should feel better about your choice after this exercise.
I agree that this is really a Los Angeles versus Atlanta thread as OP has not shared enough for one to offer a meaningful recommendation regarding choice of school.
If it helps, I know that switching majors for UCLA is a lot harder than it is for a private school as there’s a decent amount of competition for each major (esp econ) and getting the necessary pre-reqs for each major. Given both of these, it could be significantly harder for me to get the education I want.
However, I’ve been told that UCLA is more well-rounded than Emory in terms of stronger programs. I want to be able to explore other options since I’m also pretty undecided on the direction of my future.
I’ve been told that choosing a private school when they’re the same price is usually the better option but seeing how UCLA is a top public school, I’m not sure how to consider this.
If there’s anything else I could add, please let me know!
Oh also, I would like to go to grad school but I am unsure of where I want to settle. I know the cost of living in LA is very high so that’s something to consider I guess.
UCLA appears to offer an economics department with accomplished faculty:
https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.usecondept.html