<p>Short story is: I'm between UCLA and Berkeley. I thought I had decided on UCLA but now I'm having second thoughts. UCLA means an assurance that I will be out in two years, more likely enjoy a social life, study abroad, and live an hour away from my boyfriend. Berkeley means getting out of Southern California (not that I dislike it here, but I was born and raised here and I love San Francisco and like Berkeley), going to the best public school in California, and having greater academic challenges. I know when it comes down to it all that matters is that I'm happy, but I honestly can't settle on which I would prefer.</p>
<p>Another consideration is that all I'm hoping for is to get into UCLA or Berkeley's Education graduate programs, something I could do from either school.</p>
<p>I was just wondering how everyone weighed out their schools, and what were the deciding factors for you?</p>
<p>I would go for UCLA 100%.
you have beaches, beverly hills, hot girls and etc lol</p>
<p>“beaches, beverly hills, hot girls”</p>
<p>Yeah, those are my top three reasons to go to college right there.</p>
<p>1) Financial aid/cost. If I had LA and Cal on equal playing fields, the school that offers more finaid and/or is less expensive in the long run would get a +1 in my book.</p>
<p>2) I love home. I love my family and would like the option of being able to see them relatively often. The school closer - but not too close - from home (or boyfriend?) = +1</p>
<p>Good point, spiderman. I just love me some hot girls. Everyone who goes to Berkeley is an absolute ■■■■■… ;)</p>
<p>Haha thank you edelynly. That’s what it came down to for me as well. Berkeley really underscored the cost of going there in my financial aid package and gave me so much less in scholarship than UCLA. It would easily be $10,000-12,000 more for me to go to Berkeley over UCLA. And I realized last night how much I was undervaluing what it meant for me to be able to come home whenever I wanted to as opposed to once or twice every few months.</p>
