<h1>17: Teaching Assistants Teach Too Many Upper-Level Courses</h1>
<h1>19: Best College Newspaper</h1>
<p>Of course you have to take it with a grain of salt, but it can't be completely wrong. This is common throughout the UC's. I hear it from friends that go to Berkeley, SB, SD, Irvine, etc. all the time. What's with the hype about the UC's?</p>
<p>When you're in the top tier, the UCs are very good. Graduate and honors programs bolster the rank. But the system itself is huge, impersonal, and very numbers-driven (you know, SATs and GPA determine whether you're in, and they shuttle you through like cattle if you're in the lower 90%). At least this is what I've heard.</p>
<p>I struggled with all my might against applying to the UCs, but my parents are making me because we're instate. Maybe I'll sabotage the application.</p>
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When you're in the top tier, the UCs are very good. Graduate and honors programs bolster the rank. But the system itself is huge, impersonal, and very numbers-driven (you know, SATs and GPA determine whether you're in, and they shuttle you through like cattle if you're in the lower 90%). At least this is what I've heard.
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<p>I disagree with your "very good" assessment. I've grown up around UC's my entire life, lived in a pro-UC family, attended UC classes, have TONS of friends that go to UC's, and the whole sort. Out of my friends, 90% of them say their education was "ok" or "whatever", basically nothing special or extraordinary. The only few that tell me their academic experience was excellent went to Berkeley. </p>
<p>Their formula is not student friendly. They have huge classrooms, lack of profs, an environment that doesn't allow student/student and student/prof interaction, and no individual attention. Their research reputation is great, but honestly what does that have to do with the students? </p>
<p>Also for out of staters, the UC's are not THAT much cheaper than USC. Oh and in US News, if you look at the ranking of "best value" schools, you'll notice USC above any UC.</p>
<p>"Their formula is not student friendly. They have huge classrooms, lack of profs, an environment that doesn't allow student/student and student/prof interaction, and no individual attention. Their research reputation is great, but honestly what does that have to do with the students?"</p>
<p>Although USC is expensive, the pay-back from getting a great job makes the cash spent well worth it.</p>
<p>I transfered from a UC to USC and in the first week of school have noticed that the professors at USC are better, the students are more friendly, and the campus is beautiful. Even though I was only in the UC-system for one year, I still hated the experience a lot. I love it at USC and am so glad I decided to transfer.</p>