UCLA Campus Visits: Share Your Tips & Recommendations

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
1

Did you recently visit UCLA? Share your experience with the community! Post your review in the comments below.

Some ideas for what to share:

  • When did you visit?
  • Where did you stay? Would you recommend it?
  • Where did you eat? Did you try any local specialties?
  • How did you get there? What’s the best transportation mean to get to-from the campus?
  • What was the campus vibe?
  • What did you think of the dorms?
  • What are some must-see things in or around campus?
  • How were the school facilities?
  • Did you like it more or less than you thought you would? Why?
  • Did anything surprise you?

We’d love to hear any tips or recommendations you can share for people planning their visit!

3

We visited UCLA for the 90 min on-campus tour on the Tue before Thanksgiving 2022. There was no 30 min admissions presentation beforehand as UCLA only had those on Mon, Wed and Fri.

We scheduled our visit while my kids had Thanksgiving break, but the college
was still in session. Unfortunately, it was during the TA strike so it is unclear if undergraduate classes were actually still being held or if there were reduced # of students on campus because of Thanksgiving break or both.

We stayed at the Luskin Hotel, which is actually on the UCLA campus, and we recommend it just for the convenience of not having to worry about day of commute & parking for the tour.

The night before, we ate dinner at a restaurant in Westwood Village, which was walking distance from the hotel.

The tour was lead by 2 tour guides. The tour guides asked the HS students on the tour what majors they were considering so the tour guides could tailor some points to their guests. We did not go inside any buildings/dorms except the Ackerman Student Union, when we checked in for the tour and for lunch.

Surprise - UCLA 's 4 years guaranteed housing and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Village will be at UCLA.

My S24 enjoyed the tour, but it remains a reach given it is the most applied to college in the nation and thus has a <9% admission rate.

1 Like
4
  • when: We went last year during H.S. spring break and son is now a freshman there and we have been there a few times since.
  • places to stay: We stayed at The W at the south end of the campus, next to Westwood Village, because of perks with Marriott. Luskin is also nice. We like both locations equally. Another good option is Tiverton House, owned by UCLA for mostly patients at the hospital, but they will also make it available for UCLA visitors. It’s more basic, has no AC, and priced better. Bonus if you’re driving, they offer free parking.
  • travel to/from: If you are flying and do not plan to sightsee, you might consider taking an uber to/from the airport. It’s easy to get by on foot around the campus and Westwood Village. If you have a car, it can be costly to park. If you’re there for a few days, you could use one of the few garages next to the campus that are more affordable - look up Air Garage. Also, in and around the campus, there’s short term parking and you can pay using the Park Mobile app. I think it costs $.45 per transaction and free if you go to the kiosk. But it’s nice to have to be able to extend parking time if needed.
  • S22 loved the campus vibe, it was buzzing with lots of students on the move, out on campus, clustered in groups, sitting on the lawn, etc. It was a good match for him compared to the other UC campuses we toured (SD, I) which felt like they lacked school spirit.
  • Sign up for the tour: Campus Tours | UCLA Undergraduate Admission. The guide was really good and took us to the must see things on campus.
  • Places to eat: lots of places in the village to fit all budgets and preferences. If you have a car, you’ll have even more options! Around the Village, we like CAVA.
1 Like