<p>littleitaly: no problem, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. i'm glad you are enjoying ucla so much :)</p>
<p>UCLAri: you are correct, both degrees will serve the student well, it all really comes down to location and atmosphere. in reality, comparing Cal and UCLA is like debating whether Harvard or Yale is better. good luck to the OP in making a decision.</p>
<p>nv</p>
<p>10char fo sho</p>
<p>Just for the record, I go to UCLA.</p>
<p>First off, I would like to say that, comparing their environments, they share nothing in common other than an urban setting. Cal is a tacked-together sprawl, and its dorms and some portions of its campus expand into the city, which is overall on the poor side. There is a much more liberal atmosphere there, and vagrancy seems to be the norm rather than the exception. UCLA is a contained campus built to simulate the east coast schools (a lot of the movies you see shot at "Harvard" are actually shot at UCLA), the smallest in the UC system, and all of its dorms are located on two hills inside the campus limits, although there are apartments nearby that house fraternities and upperclassmen/graduates. The overall neighborhoods surrounding UCLA are rich, with Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica within a fifteen mile radius. This being said, it is a lot safer at UCLA than it is at Cal, especially at night (do not argue with me, I know two people who have been mugged at Cal, one at gunpoint; none at UCLA, and I go there), which was a very important factor when I chose my college.</p>
<p>As far as their programs go, I am willing to concede that Cal has a more competitive engineering school (while we have better pre-med opportunities). However, do not think UCLA is an easier school. A common thing my Cal friends tell me is that UCLA is just Cal but faster and with better food. The quarter system will destroy you if you're not used to going very fast.</p>
<p>funny, I know 2 people who were mugged at UCLA. one at knifepoint. choose your weapon i guess, huh?</p>
<p>for one, my cousin went there, and she flat-out says she was afraid to go off campus at night. it's LA man. there really aren't exceptions.</p>
<p>"(do not argue with me, I know two people who have been mugged at Cal, one at gunpoint; none at UCLA, and I go there)"
^^fair enough, but i doubt you know the personal history of all 40,000 students at UCLA. ;)</p>
<p>I think the atmosphere thing has kinda been driven into the ground; OP should really visit, Cal is more renowned for academics while UCLA has the most nat'l championships, they are different atmospheres but both great schools. Both have their safe areas and dangerous parts, those who fear Berkeley shouldn't attend, for they therefore fear its treasured history, the very reason why so many people DO attend. Those who attend love it and cherish the elite symbology it provides. Likewise, I have heard few complaints toward UCLA. Get in first, then visit, and never regret your decision. Good luck!</p>
<p>ps...one who bashes Cal food has never had Blondies!!! >.></p>
<p>Thank you UCLAri and everyone else :) I really appreciate your input.</p>
<p>I have visited UC Berkeley and UCLA, once each, and gone on campus tours. And to be honest, the atmosphere at UCLA appealed more to me. I like the weather, the school spirit, the area, and the overall feel of the university... I don't really know how to explain it. :D It seemed like I'd really enjoy attending UCLA. While I found UC Berkeley's campus to be gorgeous and the feeling that it's bustling with activity likable, I had trouble "identifying with" Berkeley. Also, the surrounding area is a rather large turn-off for me at Berkeley. UCLA just "felt right" as you said. </p>
<p>Anyway, I understand that it's a bit pretentious to make these judgments given that I've only visited each campus once. If admitted to both (hopefully! UCLA will be tough... didn't they receive some 50,000 applicants last year?!), I will make sure to visit both again.</p>
<p>Thanks again everyone!</p>
<p>Taishaku and vc08,</p>
<p>You guys both know (though I suspect vc08 was more tongue-in-cheek) that anecdotes are worth a bucket of spit. Both campuses are VERY safe. What would you guys say up at Berkeley? Oh, right... HELLA SAFE.</p>
<p>I just had to do it.</p>
<p>And seriously, if there's one reason to go to UCLA, it's to NEVER HAVE TO HEAR "hella." Seriously. It's worth it. :D</p>
<p>Is "hella" still common slang in northern California? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>So Cal people have long caught on, sadly...</p>
<p>dt_,</p>
<p>It's good to have gut instincts like that, and even though I toured and applied to most of the UC's I always felt like UCLA was my school as a HS junior - hopefully you get to know both schools' atmospheres equally and make a decision that feels right and you won't regret it. Good luck with admissions, and you were right, UCLA's freshman applications were setting records over 50,000 - but trust me, you can't go wrong with either school :)</p>
<p>And yeah, we Norcal kids bring "hella" to UCLA too...</p>
<p>lol @ the hella thing. drives me nuts ;)</p>
<p>dt_, sounds like UCLA will be a better fit for you, and i give you credit for recognizing that. It is an amazing school, one anyone should be proud to be admitted to. Heck, even though I grew up loving Cal, I still applied to UCLA, and would be just as happy going there. Have a Merry Christmas, and Go Bruins/Bears!</p>
<p>UCLA vs. Berkeley? Apples vs. Oranges?</p>
<p>Makes very little or no difference in terms of undergrad education. Pick the campus you like, not the name.</p>
<p>Your cousin is afraid to go off-campus at night? Me and my friends always go outside at odd hours of the night. Westwood is usually pretty safe at night. Plenty of students moving back and forth between the campus and the local district. Maybe it's unsafe to go downtown or something, but meh.</p>
<p>They usually post these notices asking for information whenever someone gets mugged. I have seen only two this entire year thus far. One was in a tunnel, another in a parking lot.</p>
<p>"Your cousin is afraid to go off-campus at night?"</p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>"I have seen only two this entire year thus far. One was in a tunnel, another in a parking lot."</p>
<p>Lol, just think, if everyone only sees 2, that means there are 80,000 muggings so far this year! wow. jk, i knew you didnt mean it that way, but still, had to seize the opportunity ;)...isn't 2 kinda a lot to personally witness in 5 months tho?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Lol, just think, if everyone only sees 2, that means there are 80,000 muggings so far this year!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>lol I love that logic.</p>
<p>VC8,</p>
<p>I think Tai was referring to seeing notices, not muggings!</p>
<p>I have lived in the area for years and spend time on and off campus and have never, to my knowledge, witnessed a mugging nor have I been a victim to one at or near the campus. Would I walk in a dark alley or dark area of campus alone at night? No. Would I do that at Berkeley? No, nor would I do it most anywhere in the U.S.. Even in the safest place in the U.S., as Thurber said, things that go "bump in the night" tend to play havoc with the mind.</p>
<p>I'll just add, and I know that I'm going to get hell for this, but if you want to work anywhere outside California, particularly the east coast, Berkeley would be a much better school to go to. People know about Berkeley's academic reputation yet UCLA's seems to be more confined to California. Honestly as an OOS at Berkeley it was only recently that I found out that UCLA is as good as it is, and trust I am very well traveled and read all the time. Outside California, most people just know UCLA for its basketball team, it definitely does not have the prestige factor Berkeley has. I wanted to apply to UCLA if I didn't get into Berkeley and my parents wouldn't even consider it. I must admit UCLA is in a nicer area but I don't think Berkeley's is that bad... plus I liked its proximity to SF and you can't beat the bay views. Also I find it funny how Californians complain about Berkeley's weather... 95% in the country would think it is heaven....its only rained what three times this semester and is cloudy sometimes in the morning until noon then clears up. I think Berkeley should allow more OOS applicants because I know kids back east who would absolutely kill to go to Berkeley... californians don't know how good they have it.</p>
<p>lol @ weather comment; so true</p>
<p>i agree with you on the post though. There was another thread on here awhile back about 'the prestige factor,' and it was widely agreed upon that outside of CA, UCB was more widely recognized and distinguished. Just food for thought I suppose...</p>
<p>But, you must ask yourself (and UCLAri will probably attest to this): is the prestige that important?</p>
<p>it depends on what you are talking about. On the face of it, no; for example, I would gladly take UCLA or Michigan over Harvard, bc I prefer their environments better. but, if two people are interviewing for the same job with roughly the same credentials, and one is from Cal and one from UCLA (let's put this in Boston, for the sake of argument), the employer is more likely to know Cal by its academics and UCLA by its athletics. It's just a fact. Does it mean UCLA is any worse of an institution than Berkeley? No, of course not. But just like out here, if you had someone from Harvard and Dartmouth interviewing, the Harvard grad is more likely to get it, bc it carries a slightly bigger name academically. The same could be said for UVA and UNC; UNC is known for bb, while UVA is known as Jefferson's institution, one that carries a lot of prestige, even though they are equal in reality.</p>
<p>Berkeley. Definitely. People know UCB better (especially them east coasters). It doesn't mean UCLA sucks. It's just that graduating from UCB offers better job opportunites.</p>