<p>Hey, I'm having a really hard time deciding between UCLA and Cal and I would like to know the differences between these two schools in their Political Science programs especially pros and cons of each. </p>
<p>The school environment and financial aid are not factors in my final decision. I love both of the school environments even though they are so different. Financial aid is pretty much the same between the too schools as well.</p>
<p>I would like to know which program is better as well. I know that Cal is ranked 2nd in the nation in Political Science and UCLA is ranked 8th, but what exactly makes one program better than the other?</p>
<p>Rank rank rank...such a silly thing to be worried about as undergrads.</p>
<p>Ranking doesn't matter, especially for a department. As an undergrad, you should be more concerned with the overall experience that a university can offer you instead of whether or not UCLA or Cal is ranked better in a specific study. For one, being ranked 2nd doesn't tell us that Cal is not necessarily the best department in for heavily quantitative work, which is really the future of political science. It doesn't tell tell whether or not that department has any classes on something you're interested in. </p>
<p>For example, UCLA has a paucity of good classes on security and generally isn't doing so hot in IR. Cal is not doing so hot in a lot of methodology work, and last I heard lost a few of their really good comparative people.</p>
<p>You need to worry less about ranking and more about the overall experience. Nobody cares what the department was ranked. They care about what you did there.</p>