With the deadline to SIR looming just around the corner (June 1st), I’m curious as to which schools you lucky folks are going to attend? And why? If you’re still making your decision, which school are you leaning toward? The two schools are like cousins with different personalities, and in recent years have become counterparts in terms of prestige to the point where people are often split between the two. So I think it’s fun to hear why people think each school is the best fit for them.
I’ve heard lots of SoCal folks say they’re headed to Berkeley for a change in scenery, and because the quirkiness of the Bay Area is really alluring to them. Conversely, I’ve heard NorCal folks say they can’t wait to enjoy the L.A. sun and beaches. But there’s a million reasons why someone would choose one over the other. So, where ya headed?
UCLA is considered a public ivy, as is Cal. They are ranked #1 and #2 in the public rankings. And no Cal is NOT far more prestigious than UCLA, so this notion of Cal is compared to top privates while UCLA is other publics is hogwash.
Getting into either school is just as demanding, as the acceptance rates of 2016 showed 17.5 for Cal and 18 for UCLA. These numbers should go down for UCLA as it passed the threshold of over 100k applicants and fewer students will be accepted.
For most people, UCLA is THE school most students want to attend, as it tops most students “dream schools”. It has it all, weather, academic prestige, wonderful sports program and you feel welcomed to that school nearly right away. You become a part of something greater than you.
I personally picked UCLA a few years back because of proximity(20 some miles), family alumni and both schools are considered as equals, 1A and 1B. I always said the only way I would’ve left for SoCal was to leave for Stanford, and being a transfer student, Stanford hardly ever takes transfers, so I never applied.
At the end of the day, you have pick what fits you best and what you’re looking for. That is the most important part.
UCLA is typically regarded as the more well-rounded school, so I’m probably going to choose UCLA. But you can’t go wrong with either. And in terms of prestige, Cal is usually ranked a bit higher, I’ll give it that for sure. I mean it is the original UC after all. But UCLA has closed that gap in the last couple decades. To say that Cal is way ahead of LA is false. Let’s be real here. UCLA has the sports, location and social scene, Berkeley has the lead on academics, although not by much these days.
UCLA is in the top 15 worldwide and is only behind Berkeley by 5 or 6 spots on average for international rankings. Not bad for a school that was built 50 years after Cal. That gap will continue to close; a world class metropolis like Los Angeles is bound to have a great public university - it’s too big not to. And these days many consider the two to be equal. They’re pretty much equal in terms of selectivity. If current trends continue, UCLA will end up with a lower acceptance rate pretty soon because of the enormous amount of applications it receives.
One thing that does bother me about Berkeley is all the bad press it gets for its political activism. I hate that there’s a lot of people who call Berkeley trash and say it should be shut down and defunded. If they just focused on the academics instead of its politics, they’d realize Berkeley is a great school. But for a school that prestigious, many people don’t respect it because of how liberal it is.
UCLA has given me nothing but love the past month since acceptance. So many emails regarding opportunities at the school, welcome emails, physical mail, a family transfer informational booklet (for my family, not me! lol!). As a Latino and a Transfer, they really appeal to you as a person.
Just got the Regents scholarship as well so that is basically gonna seal the deal (low income; full ride).
On the other hand, I can count on one hand the amount of emails or letters Cal has sent me. They could really care less about you as a person and that vibe is just really offputting. I attended the small Transfer event (on the 5th), and a summary of the student panel was this: you will get stressed, might fall into depression, practice self care… Omg. Also the vibe I got from the school itself (although I was only there for a day) was not the best; it just felt a little… dry.
Although, I have talked to many people (bosses [lawyers], professors, family) and the general vibe I get is that Cal is really on a different level than UCLA. Like you have heard over and over, Berkeley is basically a public Ivy League school and it ranks up there. How much that matters, however, depends a lot on who you ask, and what you’re trying to do with the BA. (I read something along the lines of this on another thread here on CC: the weight that UC Berkeley has on your resume in the future is significant and real).
I plan on going to grad school and I think the opportunities and resources available at UCLA will help to really beef up the resume and give me a better shot.
^ True. For a public school to be compared to Ivies is pretty special. But I reckon people will always see Berkeley as a tier below the ivies and Stanford.
I chose UCLA because to me, it was almost as prestigious as Berkeley, probably the same in terms of difficulty, much closer to home, but most importantly, it seemed like the school that I would overall have the better experience at. There’s always things to do at UCLA and the people there are so kind, social, and smart. UCLA is a very fun school.
People who get hung up on prestige and decide primarily on that factor don’t seem to realize that it just doesn’t matter that much in the real world and won’t necessarily make for a happier undergraduate experience. I don’t mean to bash those who chose Cal for this reason, but it should be noted that how happy one is with the school one transfers to is going to depend on other factors. General campus vibe, quality of dorm and dorm food, kinds of events held on campus, city location, and numerous other factors should be given far more weight.
This makes it imperative for you to decide what you want out of a college, because Berkeley and UCLA offer many things in common, but also things unique to each campus.
Also, for what it’s worth, UCLA really went out of its way to be welcoming to me and other incoming transfer students. Anecdotally, on this forum, I’ve read that the same can’t be said for Berkeley.
I agree with @cayton. UCLA and Cal - you can’t go wrong with either. BUT – they have very different vibes. Cal has the least amount of hand-holding of any UC (not that any go too much out of their way). Berkeley’s not as cozy as UCLA and is in an urban environment, as opposed to UCLA’s high-end suburbia. If you want the quintessential college town feel with beach nearby go to UCLA. If you’re more independent and quirky (perhaps with an activist bent), choose Cal.
Another factor to consider: Where do you plan to live after you graduate? If you go to UCLA but plan to live in the bay area afterward, keep in mind that the majority of your UCLA friends will probably stay in L.A. This may or may not be important to you.
You should visit both before you decide. They’re very different beasts.
This was a decision that I did not take lightly, and as such it was rather difficult.
I visited Berkeley with my brother, and I have to say I was fairly disappointed with the whole experience. There was an air of arrogance that was very off-putting, in addition to this the area surrounding the campus was not exactly comfortable. On top of that, Berkeley did not feel very welcoming to transfers in terms of resources offered, and attitude I suppose? I did not feel welcome as a transfer student.
So, I chose UCLA the school which has been far more welcoming to me as a transfer student, and I don’t regret my decision one bit. I’ll make up for the slight prestige difference with a better work ethic I suppose.
only very few people see things that way. UCB is on USNWR top in the world college list. Stanford considers it along with MIT to be its biggest competitor for top students. (as per Admissions)
I live in the SF Bay Area and have both friends and relatives that have attended and are attending both Cal and Stanford. The running joke, since I was a kid, in these parts is when someone says “I went to Cal (or I’m going to Cal),” the Stanford student/graduate will respond by saying “So, you couldn’t get into Stanford, huh.”
Around here, Cal (and UCLA) are excellent schools, but in my circle of friends, relatives, colleagues, over the years, Stanford is on a higher plane. I don’t think that’s any breaking news.
I was rejected from Stanford as a transfer as I expected (3% admit rate lol, my friend got in though) and had to pick USC or CAL. I was also rejected from UCLA. Cal is great but definitely not regarded as high as Stanford and the Ivies. It’s on a level below. I understand Cal students might want to push that notion, but not many people believe that – especially nation-wide. Like sushiritto said, Stanford is on another plane.
Just look at the acceptance rates. 17.5% vs 4.8% – Stanford attracts the top students.
But anyway, to answer the question. Either UCLA or CAL will be a great choice, but it depends on which school’s vibe you prefer. They’re very different.
My D18 will likely be applying to both Cal and UCLA and I would be proud if she attended either institution. To me, it’s “Six of one, half dozen of the other.” The main question for the my D is where she wants to be in terms of weather, location and campus vibe. Otherwise, I wouldn’t care one way or the other. Academically, they’re “close enough for horseshoes…”
As for Stanford… All you have to do is look at the Stanford Fall 2017 Transfer thread, and all you see is rejected, rejected. Stanford are known to be major sticklers when it comes down to transfer students. They want a young bunch of freshmen, not only to secure them for four years(Where they will make them pay nearly 200k for a freakin undergraduate degree) but they want to mold them into what they perceive as a Stanford student. When you come in as a transfer, your age can range from 20 to however old you are, you are already shaped by your ideas.
Personally, my time at UCLA, I connected much closely to those who were transfer students rather than students who were already there for a couple years. I don’t know how I would’ve felt if I went to a university where the transfer rates were so dismal.
Stanford and the other traditional Ivy Leagues are exceptional schools, I would’ve loved to have gone but being a transfer student those options were pretty much slim to none.
I guess I had to go to UCLA, where I went to school in Beverly Hills/Bel-Air, had the sun 11.5 months out of the year, the beach is a hop, skip and away, going to Vegas on a 40-minute flight, got a world class education for a low tuition. I think I did just fine by picking UCLA.
