Hello everyone!! I have heard back from most of my colleges and so far these are my top choices. I am having trouble decide which one would be the best college for me, although I am leaning towards UCLA. I would very much appreciate if you alums or current students of these schools could elaborate on your experiences at these colleges. I am going in as a psych major, and am really interested in psych research. Additionally schools that have minor abilities would be amazing since I would like to minor in environmental science or something of that sort.
I currently live in LA, so I am scared of getting too bored of the area (why did you apply to all California schools then lol)
My family despises Berkeley because my brother went to UCLA and they hate the “air” of the school due to the competitiveness and extreme liberalism. Is that an exaggeration? Also financially UCLA is my cheapest option being an instate student. While I love the small classroom experience, I am thinking of sacrificing the luxury due to the high price tag? Is that wise?
I am excited to tour these schools very soon since virtual tours simply to do not get the job done, yet I wanted to create a forum to hear experiences of other colleges students. Thank you all so much :))
Nothing wrong with any of the schools. I’m a big fan of small classes, myself, but as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into with a big state U, then UCLA is fine.
I live across the Bay from Berkeley. I view UCB’s “extreme liberalism” to be greatly exaggerated. The great majority of students going to Berkeley are like students anywhere. They’re more concerned with getting good grades and getting good jobs than political activism. Most of the people who get involved with political protests there are non-students. I consider the city of Berkeley to be more lefty than the university.
UCLA is a great choice.
I went to UCLA and my kid is going to Cal. Bottom line, go to the school where you feel most comfortable, where you can succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Not to be rude but your parents opinion should not matter. They are not the ones going (though they are paying I assume). As mentioned in the previous post the perception/stigma that Cal is uber liberal is very exaggerated. Is there activism on campus? Is it liberal? Yes to both but the same applies to UCLA. You have great options so I dont think you can go wrong academically with any of them. It will come down to intangibles and how you feel. BTW, if you want to minor is environmental I understand the Raussner College of Natural Resources at Cal is excellent (thats my kid’s major).
small vs large depends on 2 factors.
First is cost. If your parents are 1%ers and can easily afford it then the cost of Pitzer isn’t an issue. If it requires loans then I’d steer away if it was more than $20K total in debt, but that’s me. Having a lot of debt can prevent you from taking low-paying or unpaid positions as a way of getting started on your career.
Second is you. Students can do well and have a great time at a large public, but it depends on the student. If you’re willing to make the effort to find research positions, get involved in clubs and other social activities, get to know profs for good recs and advice, then a large public can be a great place. But the onus is going to be on you to take advantage of all the resources and opportunities; you aren’t going to get the close contact with faculty and small classes that you would at Pitzer. Or to put it another way, when publics want to attract top students, what do they do? They set up an honors college promising just what LACs offer. Small classes, personal attention, advising. That should tell you something.