UCLA or Chapman?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I have been accepted to UCLA and Chapman (with a scholarship), and am still awaiting a response from USC. If I get into USC, I am definitely going there, but if not, I don't know whether to choose UCLA or Chapman. The most important things for me in a college are:
- good dietetics/music programs
- awesome social scene
- equal or larger ratio of guys over girls (lol)</p>

<p>(I loved both campuses...)</p>

<p>Please feel free to add info about either of these colleges you think could help me choose one! Thank you :)</p>

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<p>If you got into UCLA, then you’ll easily get into U$C :p</p>

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<p>UCLA definitely has the first two, although there’s many more women here than men (with ~55% women)</p>

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<p>beyphy:Thanks, good to know! It’s still better than Chapman which has about 58% women. SMCguy, I sure hope so!!! But it’s not definite…my scores are slightly low for their standards, but I’m praying that I can still get in!</p>

<p>If anyone goes to either of these colleges, what can you tell me about them? Anything at all :slight_smile: Thanks!</p>

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<p>UCLA has a very friendly student body, and you can find anything here from student dance crews to larpers. greek scene isn’t small but it isn’t overwhelming either. You can make friends in a number of different ways either through groups or the greek scene, or as i usually do, socializing with people in my classes.</p>

<p>I think the weather at UCLA is slightly better than the weather at USC due mainly in part since it’s closer to the beach, and hence, gets more of the ocean breeze (although it isn’t significant)</p>

<p>The campus is really gorgeous and has a lovely view of the surrounding areas.</p>

<p>Downsides:</p>

<p>It’s LA, so traffic can be really bad at times. In rush hour, my commute home takes 90min; at nighttimes (after 8pm) it takes 30min.</p>

<p>Parking is scarce in westwood and unless you commute from far away it’s unlikey that you’re going to get a parking spot.</p>

<p>Westwood, and LA in general, is fairly expensive, so that’s another consideration.</p>

<p>As someone who’s also spent a considerable amount of time at USC, i can also give an informed (but nevertheless biased) opinion of it:</p>

<p>Campus is pretty nice. It’s isn’t hilly like UCLA and they have some cool stuff on their campus (like a bar on campus, which UCLA lacks.)</p>

<p>Surrounding area has been going huge development and the surrounding area’s getting considerably more gentrified/modern.</p>

<p>Tha addition of the expo-line is going to make surrounding areas like culver city and downtown significantly more accessible when it opens in april later next month. And if you’re starting as a freshman, the complete line should be open in your junior-senior year in 2015.</p>

<p>Cons:</p>

<p>located on the bad side of town (although generally pretty safe.)</p>

<p>tuition has been historically fairly high.</p>

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<p>Cool, thank you for the information! Anyone have any info on Chapman, or their experience their? Pros, cons…?</p>

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<p>The differences between UCLA and Chapman:
UCLA is a large public university with larger class sizes, meaning you’ll be in a large lecture hall with several hundred students and the classes are usually taught by TAs. The area is nice and the campus is nice.</p>

<p>Chapman is a mid-size private university with smaller class sizes, the average class size is 20-25 students, meaning you’ll get to know your professor. The classes are taught by professors. It’s located in the OC, nice area and nice campus, and only 15 minutes away from the beach. In general, traffic is less congested in the OC compared to LA. Chapman is growing constantly and is continuing to expand with new buildings and new programs.</p>

<p>You must visit the campuses in person to see and get the feel for yourself.</p>

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<p>Not true. My son never once had a class taught by a TA, every single one of them was taught by a professor. And only a couple of his freshman science lectures were several hundred students, all other classes were much smaller.</p>

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<p>“Not true. My son never once had a class taught by a TA, every single one of them was taught by a professor. And only a couple of his freshman science lectures were several hundred students, all other classes were much smaller.”</p>

<p>On the contrary, I have friends and relatives who had kids attended the UCs including UCLA, they have said that the classes are much larger in the UC schools, without a doubt, average class size can range from 70 and up to several hundred students, depending on the subject. Comparing to many of the private schools, the average class size around 20-25 students. That’s a big difference. Also from what I’ve heard, if a student missed a class at UCLA, no one knows about it. That’s how big the classes are in the UC system. Not only that, I heard from my relative that he met his professor only once since day one, for the entire time he was taught by a TA. It would be rare to not have TAs teaching in UC schools. As I had said, it is best to visit the schools in person, and sit in for a day. That’s the best way to experience the classes.</p>

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<p>Uh, there’s so much misinformation here. TAs can’t teach classes, they’re not even qualified to do so. The only people who can teach classes are either professors or lecturers. TAs can “teach” classes under the supervision of a professor, but those classes are rare. (so far it’s been 1/17, and will probably continue to be 1/21) There’s no respectable department that would have a class that was taught mainly under TAs. And nothing like that would surely happen at UCLA. It certainly wouldn’t be one of the most respected universities in the world if the classes were taught mostly by TAs and had the reputation for doing so.</p>

<p>Your relative wouldn’t by any chance have taken classes at UCLA during the summer would he/she? In the summer, most of the classes are taught by TAs. This is because, as the head of my department told us, summer is purely for-profit as opposed to the rest of the academic year.</p>

<p>Classes, in my experience, have averaged probably 40-80 students; not small, not huge. This is nowhere close to the ‘several-hundred’ students you were talking about. </p>

<p>As someone who actually goes here, i can tell you that you are gravely misinformed. Sorry to tell you, but Chapman doesn’t come anywhere close to being as respected as UCLA, and UCLA offers opportunities Chapman doesn’t have the resources or the reputation to offer. (look at it’s endowment for example.)</p>

<p>Chapman’s a fine school, but to try to say that it will offer you opportunities unavailable to you at UCLA is laughable.</p>

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<p>beyphy, Not sure what your major is, but my relatives who had attended the UCs were in the sciences. UC schools are known for research, they said the professors are busy with research work so they are not doing all the teaching. Whether the classes are taught by TAs or lecturers as you call them, they’re not the actual professors. As I have indicated in my last post, the size of the class depends on the subject, when classes are held in the lecture hall, it’s usually large, and yes, they meant in the hundreds. These information were given to us from students who have graduated from the UC schools. BTW, I have also toured the UC campuses when DS was searching for the right fit. I have seen the UC’s lecture halls so I know how big they are. My relatives recommended Chapman to us because they know it’s the right fit for us. We wanted a more personalized education where the professors know the students by their names. You can’t get that if you only see your professor for a couple of times or just a few times. As for endowment, Chapman is a small to mid-size school with fewer students, therefore the endowment is smaller. That has nothing to do with the quality of the school.</p>

<p>That being said, I thank my relatives every time I see them. Chapman turns out to be the perfect fit for us. Also, Chapman has excellent science programs along with their Arts programs. Excellent school. Great merit-aid. Loved their facilities, it’s absolutely gorgeous! Great location and neighborhood, and great food, too! Chapman has a great reputation and is ranked 7th in the west in the USNR.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your replies!</p>

<p>Still waiting on that USC decision, it should arrive tomorrow… <em>bites nails.</em> Even after reading your answers, I’m still unsure of whether I would rather attend Chapman or UCLA. I think I’m leaning towards UCLA but my inkling keeps switching back and forth. ARGH so difficult. For those of you attending UCLA, what is your favorite aspect of it? Feel free to list multiple things…</p>

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<p>I’d say nice friendly people, preeminent professors, lots of majors, etc.</p>

<p>This video sums up the great aspects of UCLA quite succinctly: </p>

<p>[Welcome</a> to UCLA! - YouTube](<a href=“Welcome to UCLA! - YouTube”>Welcome to UCLA! - YouTube)</p>

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<p>jujummm, Have you visited the campuses yet? If you haven’t, you must take a tour of the campuses to see for yourself. Chapman has amazing dorms and dining facilities. They have excellent cook to order food. First class all the way. DS said the UC friends who came to visit were amazed by the Chapman dining experiences. The dorms are much nicer also. They have their own swimming pool by the residence halls. To give you a view of the Chapman campus, here’s a quick video tour of A Day At Chapman created by the Chapman’s film students. [A</a> Day At Chapman (Tilt Shift Video) on Vimeo](<a href=“http://vimeo.com/37685016]A”>A Day At Chapman (Tilt Shift Video) on Vimeo)</p>

<p>BTW, In case you haven’t heard, Chapman is building a Filmmakers’ Village with additional dining that houses their film students. Chapman’s Dodge College is already ranked among the world’s best film schools by Hollywood Reporter, and among best 4 year film schools by Screen Junkies [2012</a> SJ Movie Awards Best 4 Year Film Schools | Screen Junkies](<a href=“Screen Junkies - YouTube”>Screen Junkies - YouTube)</p>

<p>If you love music program, then you will love what Chapman’s plans for the new Performing Arts Center (with an 1,100-seat, professionally tuned performance facility that will be able to accommodate full-scale Broadway style productions, full ballets, symphonies and operas, as well as chamber performances, jazz and more). For those who love the sciences, Chapman is building a new Science Center that will house their Schmid College of Science and Technology for their sciences programs, and the Chapman-KGI School of BioPharmacy. [Upcoming</a> Projects | Chapman University](<a href=“About Chapman | Chapman University”>About Chapman | Chapman University)</p>

<p>As all of us can see, UC schools are not the only research schools around. The difference is Chapman’s professors do the teaching because they have the resources. It’s a private institution. They don’t have the state budget cuts which the UC public schools have to deal with. UC used to be inexpensive to attend, but it is no longer. If you received good merit-aid from Chapman, that’s the place to be. Otherwise, my UC relatives wouldn’t have recommended my family to go there. Chapman is truly an amazing school! If you also like USC, you’ll love Chapman! It’s funny, but many people in the OC are referring Chapman as the USC of OC. Haha. Best of luck in your decision! :)</p>

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<p>I watched both videos, they were both helpful, thank you. </p>

<p>OCELITE: I have visited both campuses and loved them both, which makes my decision that much harder! Since it was a while ago though, I will be visiting again soon. </p>

<p>I thought the Chapman campus was a bit small yet very pretty, but the surrounding area is a bit boring, but I would probably take a car with me anyways so that wouldn’t be a problem. UCLA seemed extremely “well-kept” and beautiful, although I don’t know how big it is because I only walked around one area of the campus. The weather was great in both regions!</p>

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<p>@OCELITE since you seem ‘bent’ on trying to show how Chapman’s better than UC (and i infer from that assuming that it’s better than UCLA) let’s do some comparisons. NOT with “UC,” but with UCLA. It obviously makes no sense to compare Chapman to any UC that isn’t UCLA since that’s the only one she’s considering going to.:</p>

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<p>I might be mistaken here, but UCLA has consistently been held to have the best dorm food in the nation. In fact, FEAST just opened up pretty recently, and it’s AMAZING</p>

<p>[FEAST</a> at Rieber (1005046)](<a href=“http://map.ais.ucla.edu/portal/site/UCLA/menuitem.789d0eb6c76e7ef0d66b02ddf848344a/?vgnextoid=0c091efbd0b91310VgnVCM100000e1d76180RCRD]FEAST”>http://map.ais.ucla.edu/portal/site/UCLA/menuitem.789d0eb6c76e7ef0d66b02ddf848344a/?vgnextoid=0c091efbd0b91310VgnVCM100000e1d76180RCRD)</p>

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So does UCLA…</p>

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Similar events might be offered at UCLA’s Royce Hall, which is one of the most famous buildings on campus.</p>

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<p>That’s not bad. UCLA on the other hand is building a state of the art science center, which is costing over half of chapman’s total endowment. </p>

<p>[The</a> Daily Bruin :: New Edie and Lew Wasserman Building to revamp facilities of Stein Plaza, housing Jules Stein Eye Institute and two departments of the David Geffen School of Medicine](<a href=“http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2010/05/new-edie-and-lew-wasserman-building-revamp-facilit]The”>http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2010/05/new-edie-and-lew-wasserman-building-revamp-facilit)</p>

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<p>This is just more misinformation and is false. I wouldn’t advise anyone to take it seriously. OCELITE is doing nothing more than engaging in demagoguery to promote his own pro-Chapman agenda</p>

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<p>No offence, but Chapman’s widely held to be a USC reject school. The same could be said of MSU.</p>

<p>The only thing Chapman has that UCLA doesn’t have is probably smaller class sizes. For everything else, including resources and reputation, Chapman comes nowhere to comparing to UCLA.</p>

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<p>Princeton Review ranks UCLA as a Top Ten Dream College.</p>

<p>[The</a> Top 10 Dream Colleges For Students](<a href=“The Top 10 Dream Colleges For Students | HuffPost College”>The Top 10 Dream Colleges For Students | HuffPost College)</p>

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<p>beyphy, With all do respect… I was simply responding to the OP’s questions of making comparisons. I never said UCLA is not a good school. I think UC has some of the best public universities. For those who like to attend big public schools with large class sizes, UC is a great place to be. Those of us who prefer smaller class sizes will benefit from going to a private school, especially with merit-aids and grants like the ones at Chapman.</p>

<p>Quote:
“more misinformation and is false. I wouldn’t advise anyone to take it seriously. OCELITE is doing nothing more than engaging in demagoguery to promote his own pro-Chapman agenda”</p>

<p>When you implied that the info I shared from my UC relatives about the UC’s professors not always doing the teaching is false, then perhaps you should go take some tours of other colleges. Others have also mentioned it. It’s not just from the people that I know, but from others who are from other schools as well. It’s not a pro-Chapman agenda as you indicated.</p>

<p>Quote:
" No offence, but Chapman’s widely held to be a USC reject school. The same could be said of MSU."</p>

<p>LOL…perhaps you should speak to the students who got accepted to UCLA and USC who are attending Chapman.</p>

<p>Quote:
“The only thing Chapman has that UCLA doesn’t have is probably smaller class sizes. For everything else, including resources and reputation, Chapman comes nowhere to comparing to UCLA.”</p>

<p>As for resources and reputation, perhaps you’re thinking over a decade ago. Chapman now has the resources and reputation, otherwise where do you think the funding comes from to award all of those merit-scholarships?</p>

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<p>You keep blending UCLA with UC. Yes, UCLA is one of the UCs, but there’s a world of difference between UCLA and UCR for example. (e.g. USNWR ranks: UCLA - 25; UCR- 97) So it isn’t fair to just blend UCLA under UCs because all of the schools differ greatly in quality.</p>

<p>Which brings me to my next point of what UC schools did your relatives go to? Davis? Santa Cruz? And which points are you trying to apply to which schools? Are you implying that being taught by TAs isn’t uncommon at UCs, or, <em>explicitly</em> saying it’s uncommon at UCLA?</p>

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<p>Unless they went to UCLA it’s irrelevant. Let’s assume at least one UC does engage in teaching mostly using TAs. Even if that were the case, it seems, you’re engaging in the composition fallacy by trying to apply what is true of a part to the whole (e.g. one UC school teaches mainly using TAs, therefore all UC schools teach mainly using TAs.) And if you’re not trying to commit that fallacy, go back to my first point in this paragraph.</p>

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<p>The resources and reputation were in comparison to UCLA, as this whole thread has been. Perhaps you should read the title once again, it explicitly says UCLA vs Chapman, not UC vs Chapman or any other specific UC schools. You claimed that things will be a certain way at UCLA just in virtue of its being a public school, and this is simply untrue. Then you hide behind some vague-anecdotal-veil by trying to cite how your information comes through testimony of family members who attended “UC.” You have no first hand experience of attending the institution you’re accusing whereas i do. The burden of proof for your claims (like that classes are usually taught by TAs) is on you, and you’ve failed to meet it. As a result, i refuse to take any of your claims seriously, and will consider you to be nothing more than an internet ■■■■■ until you provide supporting evidence for your claims.</p>

<p>As a concluding remark, i’ll just reciprocate what i’ve been saying all along: UCLA is a nationally and internationally prestigious and respected university; Chapman’s reputation probably doesn’t leave southern california (perhaps not even the OC.)</p>

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<p>But this thread is about UCLA, not generic UC’s. If people at UCLA are telling you that what you’re saying is not true about UCLA, then telling them to visit other colleges is just absurd.</p>