<p>My husband works for a heavy civil construction company that has offices all over the country and has been involved in hiring many newly graduated engineers from many universities in California. He would say that the quality of civil, electrical and mechanical engineers coming out of UCLA has been very unimpressive. He has found they may be book savvy but have very little practical hands-on experience. HIs company favors the Cal Poly’s and several other Cal State schools which offer a more “hands-on” program vs. theoretical. Just my 2 cents. I think the UC’s are great if you have aspirations for Grad School, but if you feel UCLA is a must, make sure you get plenty of “hands-on” internships to compliment the theoretical courses in your major.</p>
<p>Reading this thread and here and there elsewhere, I almost get the sense many assume the UC’s, especially the well-known ones, such as Berkeley and UCLA, are almost just like private schools (in part because they are well known and perhaps some historical grandeur). Living in California, indeed they are good schools, but they are not necessarily great schools, depending on the topic area, and they are huge and competitive for any opportunity just because of shear numbers–attention from professors, internships, research opportunities, etc. I would sense you’d need to be pretty aggressive to get a lot of attention, etc.</p>
<p>‘they are huge and competitive for any opportunity just because of shear numbers–attention from professors, internships, research opportunities, etc. I would sense you’d need to be pretty aggressive to get a lot of attention, etc.’</p>
<p>Exactly. and the thought of an OOS student paying full freight because they believe that they’ll get “awesome opportunities” (the one mention was for premed) is going to likely lead to disappointment. Many classes are just huge, some are ridiculously huge. Premed advising is practically non-existant. they don’t write Committee Letters and getting into a Calif med school often takes 3 app cycles (and a whole bunch of money).</p>
<p>UCLA and Cal, in particular, are loaded with some very high stats kids who are very aggressive (should I say gunners) which will leave other very good students in the dust. </p>
<p>Indeed, those are major reasons my kid did not apply to those huge schools, even though we’re in California. No one could he compete with the very aggressive students in such a massive setting.</p>
<p>Any thoughts on Econ majoring at UC’s?</p>
<p>I think UCs are still good, just not worth the OOS price. My neighbor’s kid graduated from UCB with Econ major 2003, he is now CFO of a Peter Thiel investment company. It’s impressive consider he is under 30.</p>
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<p>Grad programs. The UCs are major research Universities, with many highly ranked grad programs. Berkeley has as many top 10 grad programs as Harvard, for example. </p>
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<p>Only likely for grad students, i.e., no longer dependent. Unless the ‘rents move into the State, such ain’t happening’ for undergrad.</p>
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<p>Berkeley’s economics department is somewhat unusual in that it offers two versions of intermediate micro/macro economics and econometrics. One version requires a year of calculus (similar to those at many schools, although many schools’ courses require just one semester of calculus), while another version requires multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations (similar to those at tippy top schools for economics like Chicago, MIT, and Stanford). The high math version is recommended for those considering PhD study in economics.</p>
<p>Of course, that does not help you if Berkeley is too expensive.</p>
<p>It is odd that relatively few schools’ economics departments offer a high math version of the intermediate micro/macro economics and econometrics courses. While it is true that many economics majors are using it as a substitute for a business major (and typically have no interest in more advanced math), wouldn’t pre-PhD economics majors be found at a wide variety of undergraduate schools?</p>
<p>Of course the UCs are still good…they are very good. but, they arent worth the OOS price for most/all majors. And for an OOS premed, they really are a bad deal if paying full or near-full freight when there would be many other alternatives. </p>
<p>The poster who thinks paying full price OOS for her premed D is likely going to be very unhappy with the results. Her D isnt that strong of a student (her high GPA is likely the result of being the big fish in a weak pond in nevada schools). Her 2020 SAT was the result of intense tutoring after a MUCH lower score. Going to UCLA where the other premeds will be 2200+ from better schools is going to be a shock. also, getting no personal attention in those mega-sized premed prereqs could result an unsatisfactory GPA. She’d be better off at UNR or LMU. At UNR she’d likely emerge with a high GPA and at LMU she’d have smaller classes. </p>
<p>Going to a UC as an OOS premed serves no purpose that I can see. it wont give you an edge to getting into a UC med school. Most dont take OOS students and they’re super hard to get into even if instate. The only UC that I could see going to as an OOS premed would be UCM with merit…with the intent of applying to non-Calif med schools. At least there, the UC is so small its like a private.</p>
<p>agree with mom2.</p>
<p>There is absolutely no reason for an OOS premed to attend a UC, particularly when that person has instate med schools – which are much easier for admissions than a UC – beckoning.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for their input on our situation. The more I read about the UC’s vs private schools for pre med the more I am convinced that the private (with merit aid) would be the better way to go. We will still visit UCLA and UCSB but we are also visiting some smaller privates as well. One question I have is how would you compare premed at UW? Same as UCLA or UCSB? I know it is huge as well. Just asking. </p>
<p>“UW”</p>
<p>do you mean Uwash or UWisc?</p>
<p>if you mean UWash, I cant see paying full OOS there either. UWash has an outstanding med, but doesnt take OOS students except for a few MD/PhD and (I think) some Alaska students because of some agreement because Alaska doesnt have a med school, so no edge for going there as an OOS from Nevada. </p>
<p>Why would you consider UWash full-freight as an OOS? </p>
<p>As a premed, I would only go to an OOS public if the merit aid brought it down to near or below my instate public.</p>
<p>Pay as little as you can for undergrad as a premed - as long as the school is decent. Med school is very expensive. We paid nearly nothing for our son’s undergrad…but now that he’s in med school the COA is about $50k per year (instate).</p>
<p>Meant UWash. There is some aid from U of Utah and from CU Boulder. She didn’t apply to our instate schools so that is not happening. Thanks for all your insights:) Just out of curiosity are there any majors that would be worth the price tag for an OOS student at a UC? Fully understand that premed is not one of them:)</p>
<p>^^
lol…I cant think of one unless money is no object. </p>
<p>As for Utah or UC boulder… Is your D LDS? If not, then Utah may be a hard adjustment. UC Boulder is possible - what kind of merit did she get?</p>
<p>Did she apply to UAz or AZ? </p>
<p>What did she get from LMU? where else did she get accepted?</p>
<p>Just messaged you</p>
<p>Sometimes, a student gets into a program that is highly selective that can reap some great financial benefits in the way of jobs after graduation, and only gets into that program at OOS publics and/or privates. For whatever reason, the student got shut out of those programs from their instate options or there isn’t such a program. I’ve given this example a number of times on this board about my son’s SO who is getting her master’s at a private school after trying for two years to get into such a program instate. She’s not getting any younger, and so she’s bitten the bullet and going for it at the private school. With this master’s she’ll be in prime position to basically double her current salary. She’s 30 years old, and has worked in this field for 4 years and knows it well, and her current employer is on board with this. Won’t pay private cost for the program but is reimbursing some of it. And she’s now working part time with flexible hours to do this two year jaunt. </p>
<p>So if someone gets into a pharmacy program, nursing, physician’s asst, accounting, engineering, where the payoff looks good, and did not get into one instate, or the school options are so much better OOS or private, that is a consideration. There is that risk the student won’t complete the program as 18 year olds do change their minds a lot.</p>
<p>ways.</p>
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<p>IMO, there are only a few: Chem (in College of Chem) and Engineering at Cal, oenology at Davis, theater at UCLA.</p>
<p>My grandfather, father, uncle, and I graduated from UCB. My younger daughter wanted to go to UCB but it would have cost us $50K + per year since we live out of state. She’s accepted with merit scholarships to 5 LACs and 1 public U. Our total out of pocket cost per year ranges from $5K to $15K. The UCs are good but as you’ve read, they are large, impersonal, and highly competitive. They are not the end all and be all. Check your assumptions, do your cost/benefit research, use the net price calculator, and consider a year off to regroup.</p>