<p>Prestige-wise, UCLA beats out NYU. I’m an expat living in Singapore, and from an international perspective UCLA is definitely perceived to be more prestigious. Is UCLA better than NYU because of this? It’s hard to say, but probably not. A big part of why people think UCLA is more prestigious is that it’s a lot harder to get into (at least for internationals), so for a given applicant UCLA might be a reach while NYU might be a low match. That’s how it was for me.</p>
<p>UCLA is the better school</p>
<p>UCLA, definitely.</p>
<p>paying 3tuitions: UCLA’s tuition is not $5000! Starting this winter quarter tuition for the year is about $10,800 for instate. I know this as my D is a sophomore there. She has had classes with 20-25 students and though she has had a couple classes with 100 students, she has never had a class with over 200 (granted she has not taken lower div biology classes). She also has taken a couple of honors seminars that are attached to certain classes with as little as 7 students in them. She is getting a great education, is starting an internship this quarter, and overall is having a wonderful college experience. NYU would definitely cost more than UCLA for the OP. I urge the OP to visit both schools, get a real feel for each campus and make an informed decision.</p>
<p>I think UCLA is better. This is coming from an New Yorker.</p>
<p>Internationally, UCLA’s prestige easily beats NYU’s. NYU is primarily hot bcos its in NYC and “easier” to get into than Columbia. But as others have noted, Stern is awesome – UCLA does not do undergrad biz – as is Tisch. </p>
<p>But, the UCs are NOT worth the OOS price. Unless you want to settle in California – which you clearly do not – the alumni network will be of little help in the NE.</p>
<p>payingtuitions: the math is really 2x the price, but your point still stands. The COA is $25k for instate and $50k for OOS. Of course, both are rising, fast.</p>
<p>i got in LA and stern. NYU blows UCLA out of the water. have fun graduating in 5-6 years in california public.</p>
<p>Undergrad prestige = worthless. You will never be asked on a job interview in the real world where you went to undergrad. Employers care about the degree and how you performed in college when you apply for your first job. After that trust me your undergrad degree is never mentioned again. Your individual performance is all that matters.</p>
<p>^I disagree with most of IronMaiden’s post, but just my opinion. Regardless, prestige is hugely important internationally (and all Wall Street, for example)…</p>
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<p>Probably true, but you will never even get the job interview in the first place if you attended a Tier 3 college and the hiring manager only wants first tier resumes. :)</p>
<p>I would agree with many of the people here saying that in terms of prestige…NYU is definetly better for Tisch and Stern. UCLA probably has the upper hand everything else. But if I was a New Yorker, and I loved New York. I’d stay in New York definetely. (Im from New Jersey and thinking of going to NYU Stern)</p>
<p>Leaving this open for discussion about NYU vs. UCLA, but everybody should note that this thread is 3 yrs old.</p>
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<p>What if that purse is a burger? One store offers a double cheeseburger for a dollar; another offers a single cheeseburger for a dollar. All else equal, the double cheeseburger is better. Now what if the person in front of you has a coupon and can get the double cheeseburger for 10 cents? Does it matter that you’re paying 10x more for your burger? Does that make the single cheeseburger 10x more valuable? No! The double cheeseburger is still better, and you’re still paying the same as what you would’ve for the other burger, so it’s still a better deal for you. The quality of the deal someone else gets is completely irrelevant to you.</p>
<p>@bluebayou</p>
<p>I don’t know where you got that information, but interviewers don’t care where you go as an undergrad. Nor do Graduate schools, it’s all about how you do in college.</p>
<p>Paying… it’s a $20k OOS extra tuition… $11k vs. $31k, more or less.</p>
<p>Thiscouldbeheavn, you’re absolutely right. That guy’s logic was, well, 100% faulty.</p>
<p>"Let me ask it a new way. If you saw a purse in the store, would you pay 8 times more for it than the customer next to you?</p>
<p>Does it bother you that at UCLA your family will pay $40k while sitting next to you another family pays $5k for the exact same education?"</p>
<p>I am sorry this is a silly way to analyze this. How about this? Would it bother you attending a university that until recently lacked academic rigor and was merely a place for the wealthy to send their underachieving brats? (cough like USC cough)</p>
<p>NYU Stern and maybe film would be the only reasons to consider NYU over UCLA, other than that UCLA is the superior institution academically.</p>
<p>As for UCLA being a “jock school” - that is the first time I have ever heard that. Tell the to all the “jocks” who get recruited then denied admission because their grades aren’t up to par. This isn’t the SEC or USC. You can also ask the students about how easy (not) academics are at UCLA.</p>
<p>UCLA has a stellar reputation everywhere that matters. NYU is more ‘hit and miss’, not to mention extremely expensive (especially once living costs are factored in). I would choose UCLA without hesitation.</p>
<p>To paying3tuitions, I am a California resident and will be attending UCLA this fall. California residents do NOT pay 5k. We pay $12,692 for tuition, and with room and board, books, etc. the total cost for me comes out to $32,356. I’m not making these numbers up, they’re on the website. As for those coming from out of state, the cost is about $20,000 more. I believe that your comparison does not really apply here. If I payed taxes that funded the purse store in question, my discount would be valid. Similarly, my family pays taxes in the state of California, therefore I am entitled to lower tuition at a UC, just like an NY state resident would pay less at a SUNY. Just some food for thought.</p>
<p>Wow, this thread is five years old and it’s still going? Got an email and that’s how I ended up back here. On a side note, I can’t believe I used to write like that. College sure has taught me a lot.</p>
<p>Anyway, update five years later. I chose NYU but I didn’t go to Stern. I applied as a computer science major but decided to do business towards the end of my sophomore year. I majored in Economics and now I work on Wall Street as an analyst. </p>
<p>So was I happy with my choice? Absolutely! I can say without hesitation, NYU was the best experience of my life. I will probably never get to experience something like this (getting my MBA would be a close second I guess) for a couple of reasons:</p>
<p>1) The experience (which can mean a lot of things) you’ll receive is unmatched. You will change tremendously while you live in New York. Depending on your major and classes, you are surrounded by some of the smartest, energetic, and passionate person you’ll ever meet. I graduated top 1% of my class, but boy, after going to NYU I realized I wasn’t even close to matching the intellect of some of my peers. But if you work hard, you will succeed, no matter what. </p>
<p>More on the experience: once again, the people here are amazing. They are so different and diverse. You will always meet someone new single everyday, guaranteed. They differently made me more worldly and “cultured.” As bad as it sounds, NYU definitely opened my eyes. I realized there is more to the world than making money and other places exists outside of my cozy suburb.</p>
<p>2) The city is absolutely amazing. If you are not an outgoing person, you will get lost in the crowd and you will not like it. For some reasons, my Californian friends hate NYU and want to move back after graduation. Well, at least my friends from SF (btw never say sanfran or cali, they laugh at that). When you get here, makes friends ASAP. After welcome week, it’s a little bit tougher. After freshmen year, everyone has their own cliques already. I digress. There is so much to do and see in the city. You will never run out of things to do or explorer. You feel like the whole world is at your fingertip. Most people who live here never wants to leave, and for good reason. </p>
<p>3) Professors are top notch. Sure, there are a few professors whose English is questionable. But as a whole, they are very helpful and you will learn a lot. Like I said, as long as you work hard, there should be no problems getting an A (unless you’re in premed, math, etc). However, in some classes, there is a curve. It’s annoying. In those classes, only 20% of the class can get an A. The rest receive mostly B’s. It’s pretty hard to get below a C. </p>
<p>4) Job placement is pretty high if you’re in a STEM or business major. To be completely honest, my grades were not stellar. They were pretty average (and that’s being generous), but NYU carries a strong name on Wall Street. At ever single firm on Wall Street, you will see at least a few NYU kid. Something that people don’t really know about NYU is that majoring in finance or accounting is not the only way to become an investment banker on Wall Street. As long as you sell yourself well and get good grades, NYU’s name will carry you a long way. However, I completely agree with some of the previous posters. If you want to work in the East Coast, go to NYU. If you want to work in the West Coast, go to UCLA. </p>
<p>Some of the cons off the top of my head:</p>
<p>1) It’s very expensive. I know some people who came out with 150k in debt. I was lucky. Got a few scholarships and received generous financial aid (somehow) and only came out with 35k in debt. If you want to major in childhood education or english, do not come here. You will graduate with debt that you will never be able to pay off. A little secret that people didn’t know, at least in my case, you can go to the finaid office and talk them into giving you more money. </p>
<p>2) High stress. People regularly pull all nighters here. Some students slack off, but then they pay with their grades. If you want a B, attend classes and do your homework. But the more motivate students going for the A are always in the library. It can be extremely competitive. Stern is ultra competitive. CAS is more relaxed. </p>
<p>3) There are tons of cliques. I think it’s like this at all schools, but it’s much more prevalent because of the huge Asian population here. I’m Asian myself and most of my friends are Asian, however, all Asian people seem to only hang out with each other. One of my regrets in college is not branching out. It’s a pretty big problem here. There are the Korean cliques, greek cliques, Stern cliques, etc.</p>
<p>All in all, I do not regret choosing NYU over UCLA. At this point in my life, I am happy to be where I am. I am also very thankful to NYU (although, angry and frustrated during my undergrad years). </p>
<p>As for UCLA, I know nothing about that school but my sister went there and she loved it. </p>
<p>If you guys have any comments or need any school/career advice, feel free to reach out to me. It’s been a while since I’ve been on these boards. Cheers and sorry if my writing is bad at this hour.</p>
<p>I have two simple questions. For your financial aid tip, for someone who is not on campus freshman year because they are studying abroad, and is out of state, do you think your strategy would work by phone? Any advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Do you care to share what some of your favorite dorms and libraries were, and why?</p>
<p>Thanks a lot and good luck on Wall Street!</p>