UCB vs. UCLA? Here's what I have to say

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
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<p>So this seems to be one of the biggest decisions for most people, especiall those FROM Cali. Here’s what I have to say.</p>

<p>I got into all the UCs. I got into CMU, Cornell, GT, Washington, etc. I applied as an engineer.</p>

<p>Before I decided where to go I was biased towards UCLA. I wanted to go there. I’m from NorCal, and I wanted to see a new place. In the end, I chose Cal. Here’s why.</p>

<p>I know, both schools are quite good. Look at US News. They’re ranked quite closely in the overall rankings. But seriously, let’s think about it. Those rankings mean jack crap. They aren’t just a pure academics rating. They look at a bunch of other factors. If you compare academics alone, you’ll see that Cal beats UCLA any day.</p>

<p>I researched Cal Engineering vs UCLA engineering. Compare the funding for both schools and you’ll see a huge difference. Compare the faculty and you see top notch professors at Cal. UCLA has great professors too, but you see a lot more professors come from slightly lower schools. But in the end, where they come from doesn’t determine how good of a lecturer they are.</p>

<p>Berkeley has a top notch reputation. No matter where you go in the world, they know about Berkeley. They will know about Berkeley before UCLA. The only people who even CARE about UCLA are instate applicants. Go around the US and tell them about UCLA, and they go uhh ok. To them it’s just like getting into Georgia Tech or University of Washington Seattle. Washington and UCLA are about equal for engineering. All you people from Cali are like ***??? who cares about Washington. Ok, but that just shows UCLA is overhyped. It’s not a SUPER school, but we treat it as some sort of heaven. That’s why I stepped back and realized that I myself overhyped UCLA and overcame this 70-30 bias and chose Cal.</p>

<p>It doesn’t matter where you go for undergrad. I hear that a lot, but that’s only half true. Why do you think Ivy leagues are hyped? Why do you think top notch schools are hyped. Look at the faculty for Cal and look at the faculty for a lower school, say UCD. Look at where they come from. If you come from a no-name school do you think you can do research at Cal someday? Maybe, but your chances aren’t going to be stellar or anything.</p>

<p>Berkeley is not as fun as LA? I’m sure LA is a huge area with lots of potential for fun. I mean even when I go visit my friends and walk Westwood, I think it’s damn fun. However, Telegraph and its culture just kicks Westwood up the ass anyday. If there’s not enough in Berkeley, take BART or a bus to SF. There’s PLENTY around here. You can do anything in the Bay Area. We’re a metropolis of 8 million people. That may not be as large as the LA metropolis, but you can do quite a bit in the 4th largest metropolis in the US I’m sure.</p>

<p>If you think UCLA is easier than Cal, it probably is. I know from taking CS61A at Cal that its far easier than CS31 at UCLA. If you’re looking for the easy life, then maybe you want UCLA.</p>

<p>As for campus, I think UCLA is far more beautiful than Cal. When I visited Cal, Sproul Plaza was under construction and it was a mess. A lot of buildings are crowded here and they don’t fill too well together. UCLA is just beautiful. Ok, the most beautiful campus I’ve ever seen so far is still StanFUrd, but UCLA is pretty damn nice. It’s an elegant layout and its a pleasant place to walk around.</p>

<p>I visited LA during Engineering open house. I loved the place. I wanted to go there because a lot of ppl I knew would be going there. I thought life at LA would be awesome. Coming from NorCal, it would be far enough from home that I could get away from parents but not TOO far away that I can’t come home when I want to. I then visited Berkeley on Cal Day. It’s a different place definitely. It’s far different, but I liked it in a different way. I also figured, hey I’m not gonna die here. It’s pretty cool. I’m sure I’ll be fine and I submitted my SIR after that.</p>

<p>In the end, go where you want to go. An acceptance letter from Cal doesn’t mean you’re fit for this place. It’s an invitation for you to come join and succeed with the best. The rest is up to you.</p>

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<p>very nice post!!!!!!! But honestly, if you were to do engineering (as qwerasdf and I), Cal beats UCLA hands down.</p>

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<p>i like u qwerasdf ! hehe..prolly cos im headed the cal way :)</p>

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<p>What are the students at Berkeley like?</p>

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<p>like any other student at a good university</p>

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<p>DUDE........THANK YOU for posting this post, it really does annoy me how ppl overhype UCLA.........</p>

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<p>Well its overhyped, but its still a great school. I don't want to deter anyone from wanting to go there, but if you're even considering Cal vs UCLA, then you definitely need to look at it without all the "OMG its LA" bias.</p>

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<p>On the same token, if you want to come to Cal, party every tuesday, thursday, and saturday, that's there too, however you will be quite disappointed with yourself by mid-sophomore year (myself). If you want to find a good balance in life between academic success and an enjoyable social life, it definitely can be found at Cal. </p>

<p>Academics are top notch, although not all professors will be eye-opening and inspirational (although more than a lot of professors are) however be prepared for a lot of boring classes just like at any college. Cal is a pretty beureaucratic place (you will notice this soon), so it will toughen you up academically and in life, and that is something you will appreciate when you approach graduation. In addition to toughening you up it may (as may college life in general) really open up your mind (especially at Cal).</p>

<p>It is a little grungy here, the girls in northern California aren't as hot (most attractive girls at Cal are definitely from Southern Cal) but are more laid back and down to earth, the party scene is there but not as big as other UC's, with the exception of UCLA (since it is the most studious of the UC's), but there are still lots of big parties. Game Days are a unique experience (if you choose to party on Game Days), and our football team is top notch now.</p>

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<p>haha thanks for this post.. i was kinda wavering between LA and Berk (although leaning more towards berk simply because of the distance factor.. want to get a little further away from home than 45 min..) because LA actually gave me SOME money (alumni scholarship) as opposed to Berk.. but then i figured, berk is worth the 21k. research, quality education.. yeah, definitely worth it.</p>

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<p>I think my decision would have been harder if UCLA had actually offered me some scholarship money, but like you, whatnemesismeans, I live in Southern Cal and want to see what the North has to offer...I think it will be worth it :)</p>