UCLA/B vs. USC

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hey guys!
As the topic suggests I'm trying to decide which 1 of these schools to attend next year. My prospective major will be mathematics/economics for Ucla & USC and applied math for Cal. So for some one who is pursuing a career in finance(IB) which school would be the best way to go?!!!
Insight, comment or feedbacks from people familiar with the field, specially any Trojan, Briun or Cal bear out there would be greatly appreciated!</p>

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<p>Bump. Any1!!!</p>

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<p>Post #6 of this thread can give you an idea of investment banking recruiting at Berkeley:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/1321246-economics-investment-banking.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/1321246-economics-investment-banking.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The Berkeley career center has surveys of graduates in each major:
<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>All would be great for Finance. I say choose the school with you will most enjoying being at for 4 years.</p>

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<p>Berkeley is recruited by IBs. UCLA and USC aren’t.</p>

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<p>IB Firms do Recruit at USC </p>

<p>[Who</a> Recruits at USC | USC Career Center](<a href=“http://careers.usc.edu/students/who-recruits-at-usc]Who”>http://careers.usc.edu/students/who-recruits-at-usc)</p>

<p>Just to name a few:</p>

<p>Goldman Sachs & Co.
JPMorgan Chase
Morgan Stanley/Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Bank of America
Barclays Capital
UBS
Citi
Lazard Middle Market</p>

<p>However, they do not recruit at UCLA:</p>

<p>[UCLA</a> Career Fair Spring 2012](<a href=“http://career.ucla.edu/Students/CareerFairs/ArchivesPreviousFairs/Spring2012_CareerRoundup_WedMay2.aspx]UCLA”>http://career.ucla.edu/Students/CareerFairs/ArchivesPreviousFairs/Spring2012_CareerRoundup_WedMay2.aspx)
[UCLA</a> Career Fair Fall 2011](<a href=“http://career.ucla.edu/students/CareerFairs/ArchivesPreviousFairs/Fall2011_JobsForBruins.aspx]UCLA”>http://career.ucla.edu/students/CareerFairs/ArchivesPreviousFairs/Fall2011_JobsForBruins.aspx)</p>

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<p>The fact that these companies didn’t recruit at UCLA during the U’s career fair in fall and spring doesn’t mean that they don’t recruit at UCLA. For one, it is probably more seasonal and more towards the back end of the academic year to gain the full amt. of graduates, or the larger amt. One can make a general statement that if one national company recruits at USC, they will at UCLA. </p>

<p>However, I agree that neither are large targets for these banks. And I don’t think Cal would be an especially large target for them either. Regionalized, localized, sure for all three; NYC-based, less so.</p>

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<p>Regarding the Math/Econ major at UCLA:</p>

<p>It’s obviously pretty rigorous, and there are some of these majors who’ve posted at the UCLA msg. board, who’ve had a lot of offers from firms/companies, with various types of offers.</p>

<p>The major isn’t as tough to gain entry at UCLA as Bus Econ – those who graduate from UCLA in BusEcon will probably have some sort of honors at graduation because it’s extremely tough to gain entry, but it possibly gives you a wider range of bus sector career paths. Math/Econ can point you to anything in bus that has a quantitative background, even a researchy type position showing off your math skills.</p>

<p>Applied Math at Cal might be more restrictive also and point you to a career in, say, actuary science. Not that you’d have to go that route, but companies in that field might want to pursue you. </p>

<p>Throw it out to the individual college boards and see what they think.</p>

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<p>Applied math at Berkeley is described here:</p>

<p>[Course</a> Requirements: Applied Mathematics | Department of Mathematics at University of California Berkeley](<a href=“http://math.berkeley.edu/programs/undergraduate/major/applied]Course”>Course Requirements: Applied Mathematics | Department of Mathematics at University of California Berkeley)</p>

<p>Basically, you take 5 core upper division math courses and 3 in some area of concentration (some suggested concentrations on the web page). Of course, this is only about half of the courses taken over four semesters, so you could take additional courses in math or other subjects beyond the minimum requirements.</p>

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<p>The ‘applied’ part of someone who studies applied math is one who wants more of an ‘application’ of math principals in various fields. This, I would imagine, would be opposite to someone who studies theoretical mathematics, and someone in that field who wants to expand the knowledge of that field and delves into theories of hyperspace, etc. </p>

<p>Same thing with someone who studies applied physics v. someone who studies more of a theoretical physics with string theory, the melding of macro and quantum physics; applied psych v. theoretical psych, the latter more of the researchy kind background. </p>

<p>In each of these fields, I don’t know what name they call more of the applied and theoretical, but the principals are the same. I would imagine that things with ‘applied’ attached to majors would probably be more watered down, less rigorous path. Of course, this would depend on the individual. Some might be more geared to understand the theoretical side of things, more natural creative thinkers.</p>

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<p>“The fact that these companies didn’t recruit at UCLA during the U’s career fair in fall and spring doesn’t mean that they don’t recruit at UCLA. For one, it is probably more seasonal and more towards the back end of the academic year to gain the full amt. of graduates, or the larger amt. One can make a general statement that if one national company recruits at USC, they will at UCLA.”</p>

<p>You can’t get more “back end of the academic year”, than Spring Quarter which is when companies are recuirting the most because of graduation. Also, you would think if they stopped by USC then they would at UCLA, but that is not the case with IB firms given the list of companies. This is largely due to that fact that UCLA does not have an undergraduate business program. Facts are facts and the lists do not lie. You cannot just say well I assume that they would recruit at UCLA as well, when they clearly didn’t. Plus, let’s say they did… why would UCLA leave them out of the list? It just does not make sense. </p>

<p>However, UCLA is a very good university for JD and MD applicants, like you said. Although, UCLA is also a larger school which would make sense for them to have a larger amount, but don’t let that take away from the fact that I view UCLA as a good school. Keep in mind though, the OP is not interested in getting a JD or MD. He is interested in IB, which then Berkeley and USC would be best.</p>

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<p>I don’t know enough about the issue. And i don’t have any (independent) evidence to refute ModernMan’s argument. (which is plausible, and, in all honesty, probably correct.) </p>

<p>I do remember reading this post however, and decided it was relevent:</p>

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<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/12096159-post50.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/12096159-post50.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>i’m not sure whether this claim is true or not, but it sounds true.</p>

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<p>If you’re doing research, then Applied Math does involve solving problems in other fields (including framing the problem as a mathematical problem). If you’re an undergrad, Applied Math is really more “Applicable” Math. You learn the same basics that every pure math major learns (Linear Algebra and Real Analysis), plus you learn about some subset of Probability Theory, Differential Equations and Numerical Analysis (and maybe things like Combinatorics, Graph Theory, Game Theory, Optimization, Scientific Computing, …). There might be a class or two involving modeling, but for the most part you’re not going to be actually applying the math you’re learning.</p>

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<p>Your point (1.) is a legitimate point. Spring qtr. would indeed be backend. Likewise, I didn’t make a very good points per my quote.</p>

<p>The more legit explanation would be that those companies/firms who show up for career fairs are more in need of students’ interest in than the other way around. Recruitment to IB companies/firms wouldn’t be included in your typical fair, and it certainly wouldn’t be a numbers game, but would be much more restrictive towards those with departmental honors, etc. The list that USC produced would be obviously more encompassing, as opposed to listing all those from all the career or job fairs throughout the year, per UCLA’s. </p>

<p>Add this to what beyphy stated, which shows ‘being on top of your game.’</p>

<p>Your point 2a, is obviously not true, simply for the reason that the majority of Ivies don’t have undergrad bus programs – and I’m certainly not comparing UCLA to the them, and wouldn’t want UCLA to be them. But you will find UCLA grads in all bus sector fields in quant and undoubtedly IB with majors in polisci, engineering, the various econs including bizecon, etc. </p>

<p>Your points 2b and 2c, have obviously been blown up. Point 2d, as I stated previously. Fairs, not all encompassing as per USC’s list.</p>

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<p>You’re mixing some of my posts in another thread in this one, but I will answer. UCLA’s a good 1.5-1.6 times larger than USC for undergrad, but had 800+ [applicants](<a href=“https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/86042/table2.html”>https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/86042/table2.html&lt;/a&gt;) to med school in 2011 compared to USC’s 250+. I can’t expect the acceptance rate of these 250+ to be higher than UCLA’s 800. Say, they were somehow even, UCLA would produce a good 3x’s more MD’s, which seems logical as UCLA is one of the nation’s top premed schools.</p>

<p>For JD’s here are the listings of [members]( <a href=“Attorney Demographics”>http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/demographics.aspx&lt;/a&gt;)of CalBar. If you do your math, and factor in enrollments for each, UCLA outproduces USC in those who are members in CA by a good 2x. You’ll probably counter with USC being more national. I doubt this. Those who practice in other states would be a function of attending L-school in those states. If someone goes to NYU Law, the NYC firms would be hot after that person, etc. And UCLA, by far, sends more to the top L-schools around the country than USC. And I am not likewise denigrating USC’s efforts in med and law, but UCLA is a top-tier premed and prelaw U.</p>

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<p>Thank’s ThisCouldBe… for you post correcting mine. So, I guess in essence, studying Applied Math, wouldn’t necessarily be more applicable to the real world if I get your meaning.</p>

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<p>Drax, your post always crack me up. Thank you.</p>

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<p>You’re welcome as always, ModernMan. </p>

<p>Add, that UCLA is a top-tier STEM undergrad to PHD producer, but not quite as good as Cal. Where’s USC?</p>