<p>This year, I visited relatives in CA and I went to Stanford and then down to UCLA. Stanford had been my "dream school," but after going there and seeing the bland, repetitive architecture and noticing that there was literally NOTHING to do outside of the campus, I didn't really know.</p>
<p>But then I went to UCLA. Sure, the college isn't as high up on the "US News List of Top Colleges," but still, I really really liked it. The weather is fantastic all-year round, its in one of the biggest cities for entertainment (this coming from an avid music fan), and the campus is just gorgeous. In addition, I saw the dorms that my cousin was staying in, and that was great too. I've also heard that the food there is really good, so I'm just wondering...is there anything that you guys as students don't like about this place?</p>
<p>Enrollment, class size, potential for apathetic professors, distance from dorms to class (I live on the top of the hill). Overall, nothing any other school doesn't have to deal with.</p>
<p>You walk uphill both ways. (To classes from dorms, from classes to dorms.) </p>
<p>It's really easy to distance yourself and become a loner if you don't make an effort to socialize. </p>
<p>If it's any consolation, the huge thing I was worried about coming into UCLA was the competition, but it turns out what they say is true: if you made it into UCLA, you can make it at UCLA, yadidda?</p>
[/ul]
[ul][<em>]You have to be very assertive trying to find your niche. I've found really good friends and stuff... I'm constantly meeting new people and well, things are changing or puts some things into greater perspective.[/ul][ul]
[</em>]Lots of classes taught by graduate students (tend to be the 20-something sized- classes: foreign language, writing, etc.)
[li]Parking[/ul]Anyway, a lot of the problems are associated with public universities in general.</p>[/li]
<p>Positives:[ul]
[<em>]Located in college town (Westwood) in major city; distanced enough to not feel stress of downtown
[</em>]Safe location w/ lots of culture
[<em>]Close-knit dorm community with all buildings in roughly the same area
[</em>]Amazing opportunities available if you're aggressive enough to search and secure them
[<em>]Research libraries, Powell, and other specialty libraries
[</em>]Major research centers, hospital on-campus, etc. that will of course attract funding to the school
[<em>]Los Angeles: Opera, Symphonies, Concerts, Major Sports Teams, Museums, Hollywood, Fine Arts, Entertainment, ...and so much more
[</em>]Perfect weather
[<em>]Top Academics & Top Sports
[</em>]Very balanced school -- not too academic or party-ish[/ul]</p>
<p>there's too many events going on every day around you, so if you're easily distracted, you should think twice b4 enrolling here.</p>
<p>living on the hill sucks. it takes 15-20 mins to walk to class. no prob if u have a bike/skateboard/scooter, but be careful b/c u can easily run into pedestrians.</p>
<p>i second all of the positives above. i like ucla's size b/c if i fudge up, i can easily hide, esp if i am an asian female. lol.</p>
<p>i thought i wanted to go to stanford too. then they rejected me EASC ;)
besides, ucla has a colorguard and they don't. and in-state tuition is wonderful (but i think you're OOS so that doesn't matter).</p>
<p>stanford is... nice. i didn't really get anything else from my visit there. and already living in the bay area i didn't want to stay there. the campus is, as you say, a little isolated, but once you get within reach of BART, and the city, there's more to do. </p>
<p>as for LA, everything is right here, and for anything that isn't, there's the bus. my biggest complaints are enrollment and... well, enrollment. but i don't mind the large class sizes, i haven't had any bad professors, and i don't mind the walk to class because at least it's really pretty!</p>
<p>i vote ucla over stanford, hands-down. of course you have to look at your particular field and other personal factors, but, i'm glad now that i didn't get into stanford or i might have missed out on the bruin experience! (as opposed to... what... the tree experience? seriously, what are they anyway... lol)</p>
<p>come on guys! the hills is AWEsome! I like the walk...
the enrollment is the only negative
I'm actually kind of a fan of the larger classes...more interesting ppl to meet :D</p>
<p>I think I MIGHT have gone to Stanford, but then again I have the advantage of hindsight and some years out of school to show me what matters: certainly not the name.</p>
<p>Stanford might have opened a couple of doors that UCLA won't, but it's not like I'd be rolling in jobs now had I gone there instead of UCLA.</p>
<p>For the record, Stanford DOES have some big courses, but not as many as UCLA. We do okay, though, compared to other top schools. To my mind, the worst negative of UCLA is actually the rather lazy student body (RELATIVE to other schools.) I suspect that beautiful weather and bountiful opportunities lead to lazyarsed students.</p>