<p>Please give me any reason (academic, social, etc) reason for me to pick UCLA over Cal if I had the chance....for undergrad studies of course.</p>
<p>I'm interested in engineering...but I enjoy parties. ;)</p>
<p>trust me on this one: just go with your gut feeling. i was in the same boat as you were last year. i wanted to go with berkeley (mostly for the name), but ultimately i found ucla a better fit for me. </p>
<p>one big reason i chose ucla was that it seemed to offer great balance between social life/activities and academics. and so far thats been pretty much true. ive been intellectually stimulated, but at the same time, ive had a lot of time to pursue other activities and interests. im sure that one could argue the same for berkeley, but imo, it just feels a lot more competitive, especially in the engineering department.</p>
<p>go to berkeley</p>
<p>Well the biggest difference would probably have to be the location. UCLA is in Westwood which is an absolutely beautiful neighborhood (so don’t expect to be able to find very affordable housing outside the campus).</p>
<p>Honestly, if you’re interested in engineering, then the gap between the two programs’ reputations is enough to sacrifice whatever social differences there are between these two campuses. Cal’s overall engineering program is ranked 3rd by USNWR, trailing MIT and Stanford, while UCLA’s engineering program is a far (but still respectable) 14th.</p>
<p>I’m sure that if you truly enjoy parties, you’ll find plenty in Berkeley. I mean, with an enrollment of approx. 35,000 students, I’m pretty sure there are at least a few thousand students who are willing to party like you.</p>
<p>where do you want to work when you graduate? Norcal = go to cal</p>
<p>Just go where you can see yourself living for four years. One reason I chose UCLA over Cal was because I like Westwood a lot more than Berkeley.</p>
<p>Although it’s a bit premature to start psyching yourself out (decisions haven’t come out yet, have they?), just relax; you’ll know which is the right place for you. Don’t go for names: I know people who are miserable at Cal. On, the other people are happy. Anonymous strangers who clearly picked UCLA shouldn’t be influencing your prospective decision. ;)</p>
<p>I applied to Cal and UCLA, but I would say Cal’s name is better, and Cal’s location is better - cheap housing, and San Francisco is definitely one of the coolest cities in existence.</p>
<p>^Most people who have lived in both cities think LA > San Francisco, though, if I’m not mistaken.</p>
<p>^agree, San Francisco is a really cool town but LA and the surrounding cities offer a lot more…things like warm beaches!</p>
<p>Consider Deuces’ comment heavily. Where you want to work is going to be a big part of the decision making process and you don’t really appreciate that choice until you graduate.</p>
<p>I would agree that the biggest difference between the schools would be the cities they are in. I don’t know UCLA’s campus that well but I have been there and did live outside of LA for many years. I know Berkeley better because DD goes there. I would have to disagree about LA having more to offer than SFO. If the beach scene is a big draw, then absolutely LA has that over SFO, but SFO is far more centralized and accessible than LA. Concerts, ballgames, shopping, museums, restaurants are all easy to get to via BART from Berkeley. Those things are probably accessible in LA too, but not as seamlessly.</p>
<p>As happy as DD is at Berkeley, she has friends who would be absolutely miserable there. DD enjoys interacting with the homeless community there and revels in the wide variety of restaurants (very few of which are chains or American food, unless you count pizza). A couple of her friends are uncomfortable with (if not scared of) the homeless presence and feel lost without Applebee’s.</p>
<p>If the OP is fortunate enough to have the choice, it should be made after visits to both.</p>
<p>To add further to my comment, I’ve had a great time here at UCLA, but when it’s come down to finding jobs it definitely has been tougher to find a way back home to the Bay Area where I want to be. LA has definitely been great - plenty to do and the weather is awesome, but I don’t want to live my life in the smog and stuck in traffic. Really consider the industries you want to work in and where they are based in - tech companies will love those from Cal/Stanford - down at UCLA, the engineers are loved by those in defense (Northrup, Raytheon to name a few, although Symantec hires a lot here as well). </p>
<p>These are just small bits and pieces of the puzzle and I could go on forever, but do realize that where ever you end up, it’s up to you to make your experience. Go out there and put yourself on the line, get embarassed and just have a good time. College is an awesome time in anyone’s life, live it up live it up.</p>
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, but wherever you go, as an Engineering major, how much free time will you actually have to party? Unless you’re super social, isn’t your social life going to be revolved around “engineering” types(which i don’t generally associate with the partying type?)</p>
<p>You have time to party if you make it, you have friends outside of engineering if you decide to, it’s not that hard to do so. (I’m an engineering major)</p>
<p>The decision is ultimately up to you. I think you’ll have a far better college experience and be happier if you visit the campuses and go with your gut feeling rather than be influenced by other’s people’s opinions. I chose UCLA because of the prestige of the school as well as the diversity and experiences and job opportunities it offers. I fell in love with the campus when I visited it and everyone is so school spirited and the school pride really showed when I toured the campus. Plus they spoil us to death by offering DELICIOUS food in the dorms that is not comparable to any other UC (TRUST ME!! ITS DELICIOUS) I tell myself I’m so lucky everyday (no joke) but it is because UCLA has always been my dream school. UCLA is competitive and filled with intelligent people at every corner yet these people find time (or at least try very hard to) to go out, relax, and socialize. Berkeley is an excellent school too and they have a GREAT engineering program. Don’t come to a school because of the reputation of it and what people say, come visit for yourself and that way you can make a much more informed decision! Good luck!</p>
<p>I love SoCal waay more than NorCal. I was also Born and Raised SoCal so I am really biased. Been reading a lot about all of this stuff though and I mean, I have not really seen people hating/regretting going to UCLA. I think you’re best bet would be UCLA unless the prestigious name of Cal is worth it to you. </p>
<p>Been to both places, and honestly, SoCal has better cities, better people, better women, better parties, better Mexican Food (very important), and better weather. I’m hoping that I get to stay in SoCal and go to UCLA. Good luck though, ultimately the decision is yours</p>
<p>PS: The whole SoCal is better part is opinion. My opinion to be more exact.</p>
<p>I agree. SoCal Versus NorCal.
I live in NorCal & I’ve always wanted to go to Socal. All about the people and the weather.
However, SoCal doesn’t compare to the swagger we kids in NorCal rock.
Plus, if I lived in SoCal, then I’d have to vay-cay to NorCal. That wouldnt be fun.
Personally, I’d kill to go to UCLA for the SoCal feel.
However, the commute from NorCal to Socal would be extremely tiring.
Eh. So I don’t know.</p>
<p>I second the ‘visit the schools you get into’ idea, but with a caveat.</p>
<p>Top notch colleges like UCLA and Berkeley are going to give you the hard sell when you go to an admit day thing, which is admittedly kind of cool in the moment. You’ll feel very proud and very excited about college and the future, and basically you’ll get the best impression of the school that can be given. No one is going to stand up on admit day and tell you “well, look… UCLA is cool, but I really dislike my South Campus major” or, “Cal is awesome except for… [equivalent Cal expression; I don’t go there].” The south campus thing is more of a joke, really, but you get the idea.</p>
<p>What you really ought to do is get in contact with students who attend the college. If you’re lucky/go to a good high school, you might be able to find someone familiar-ish to talk to when you’re touring the campus, or get in contact with them and set up a meting. If you are not lucky/go to a less stellar high school (my roommate is the only kid from his high school here right now), then you’ll have to get creative. My suggestion is to sit near someone who looks happy and isn’t busy in the dining hall or a similar place and just flat out ask them questions. What’s good, what’s bad, etc. It’s weird, for sure, but much better than picking a school based on how many imperfections Royce Hall has.</p>
<p>Personal experiences are variable, so it’s good to balance out the raving reviews the tour guides will give you with the realities of students who have nothing to gain by selling the school to you. You’ll get an idea of what the objective facts about the school are along with the subjective ‘this place is awesome!’ garbage that won’t help you at all.</p>
<p>Bottom line is, ask questions!</p>
<p>I received UCLA PhD offer in physics one week ago and intend to accept it. It’s nice to join the discussion.</p>