<p>I'm currently an out of state first year at UCLA, there's things I like and things I don't like I'm sure there would be were ever I go but I have to say I'm not as happy as I thought I would be here. Part of the reason for it is that I feel like I'm really not getting much out of the tuition I'm paying. I mean when it boils down to it, I'm paying $25K a year in tuition for a public education that others are paying about 1/4 of the price for. In addition, the shear size of the school has made it really hard to get the classes I need (I'm going to summer school because I flat out couldn't enroll in any pre-major classes because they were already filled up by the time I could enroll) and the same goes for housing. </p>
<p>Now enough of the rant, I've been thinking about transfering to a private school, not a LAC but something along the lines of UMiami, or dare I say it, USC. But would I be experiencing something so much better that I would feel better about the money being spent, or would it pretty much be the same? Would it be worth it to transfer and basically start new? I know a lot of this has to do with personal tastes and such but I just wanted to get a feel for how others felt.</p>
<p>I can't say from experience, but the stats show that USC and Miami have smaller average class sizes and fewer registration problems than public schools. I personally never understood why one would pay so much money for an education that an in state person paid like half to two thirds for (even when state money per student is added.) UVA is an exception because it is the same size as Cornell and not much bigger than U Penn. Otherwise...</p>
<p>I think the overall size of the school and endowment per student are two of the strongest determinants in the value you get out of a college education. At the undergrad level you don't need nobel prize winners that you never see, but rather strong teaching, ready access to grants, a cozy administration, access to professors, access to top recruiting, etc. I think the smaller Ivies and the many of the top LACs excel in these areas. I am not so sure UMiami or USC would make much of a difference.</p>
<p>Trying to do Business/Economics, which brings up another complaint; the major is heavily impacted at UCLA so you have to apply to actual get the major.</p>
<p>I'm sure you could do an awesome application essay on how you saw the light and want to "reform" from a bruin to a trojan :)</p>
<p>You would definitely see a difference related to class size/registration, and probably feel more like you're getting your money's worth.</p>
<p>UCLA is an incredible bargain at in-state tuition, but I think you get more value at USC compared to out of state.</p>
<p>You can always look into it and even apply...it's not like you have to commit anything except some time to fill out the application (which for transfer is simpler than for freshmen) and pay the application fee.</p>