<p>The answer seems pretty obvious for most people but I'm still up in the air as to where to go (haven't SIR'd yet but planning to this week). </p>
<p>I'm leaning towards UCSD right now, but I'm slightly worried about passing up UCLA's prestige.</p>
<p>At UCLA I got in with Anthropology, and would most likely switch out to Linguistics/Psychology. I'm hesitant on this because I've heard the linguistics classes are pretty tough, and I've never taken a linguistics course before. The reason why I'm considering it is because it seems the most useful of the "fluff" majors, or the ones that don't require extensive mathematics/physics courses. Ideally I'd like to do Sociology at UCLA, but that's just not possible as it's an impacted major.</p>
<p>At UCSD, I'm in for Sociology. I like the campus, the housing (The Village), and the overall environment. It's less prestigious, but I'm confident that I'll be able to do better academically here. </p>
<p>That being said, I don't know what I want to do yet, career-wise, but I will most likely be going to grad school afterward (so I'm wondering would GPA matter more, or school ranking?).</p>
<p>From what I have heard, graduate schools weigh the reputation of your current university pretty heavily. The main question is how competitive is the graduate school you would like to attend. I would probably base my choice off of that. If it’s not too difficult, then go whichever way is more comfortable.</p>
<p>I vote for the obvious UCLA…but here are my reasons…</p>
<p>First of all, I am a current UCSD student and honestly, all of the classes here are pretty tough. You would probably do better here, I’d suppose since you got into the tougher UCLA, but I mean the quarter system and UC system is hard either way, soooooo… </p>
<p>It’s kind of like, why try so hard in CC to go to a lesser ranked school? </p>
<p>In the end, it’s really up to you and while I feel like UCLA would be a better choice, if you really feel like UCSD you’ll do better at…by all means come here. </p>
<p>I will say that the village is a pretty cool place to live, but really expensive…</p>
<p>Also, UCSD’s social life is dead. It really is a socially dead school. Everyone here is pretty unfriendly and/or freakish. If you’re okay with that and realize that you probably won’t have a social life (and your weekends will be mostly spent studying - or stressing about midterms/papers…) then come here, and welcome! </p>
<p>Otherwise, work a little harder, go for the prestige…you’re still going to kill yourself with the quarter system (unless you have already experienced it) and have options as to whether or not you’d like to actually have fun and have a bit of a social college life. </p>
<p>Why are you confident you’ll do better at SD? SD and LA are not far in competition and toughness (for a lack of a better word) imo. In fact, I hear students at UCSD are more competitive because 1) all they know and do is study since the area is socially dead and 2) most of them (or at least the one my friend that goes to sd tells me about) are rejects from LA and Cal and therefore work even harder to go there or somewhere better for grad school. Its not like you’re choosing between UCLA and UCR here. UCSD is not far behind LA and its not a guarantee you’ll do better there just because its a lesser ranked school.</p>
<p>I was actually in a similar position as you but ultimately chose LA (in fact I just sired yesterday). After visiting both campuses, I totally fell in love with ucla’s campus and was able to invision myself there wayy more. I really think you should visit both campuses as well to get a feel where you can see yourself happy and working hard. Don’t just choose one school because you think its going to be easier because I can assure you it’s not. SD and LA are both gpa killers if you don’t work hard. But as long as you study and manage your time well, I think you’re capable of succeeding in both schools.</p>
<p>Anthro @ UCLA is a large department…about 700 undergrads. Students seem to love the classes. I don’t think u should do Linguistics. I say stick with Anthro and do the Sociocultural concentration…take Soc classes on the side or minor in something like Global Studies.</p>
<p>UCSD is super boring. Like you I was going to choose it over Cal and UCLA but when I visited the second time for the transfer day I was disgusted that it was such a ghost town.</p>
<p>they only do that if the education you received form your university is questionable for lack of a better word. It’s not as if we’re talking about UCLA vs CSUCI. we’re talking about two schools which aren’t seen close in terms of prestige (and probably aren’t close in terms of resources or quality of faculty in many departments) but are both still good reknown schools. it’s doubtful that you’d gain little, if any, advantage prestige advantage from going to UCLA than UCSD. They’re both seen as good schools in the UC system.</p>
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<p>UCSD probably doesn’t have UCLA’s international prestige, but that mattes very little. Employers and grad school recruiters know about UCSD, and they’re the ones that matter.</p>
<p>If you really feel you’d do better at UCSD, i’d say go there. But do take into account things like social life, as looking over something like that could hinder your academics.</p>
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you can switch to Psychology if you are admitted as a different major at UCLA.</p>
<p>Anyways it does indeed seem like you overall like UCSD much better. Have you visited UCLA yet? If not, then you should.</p>
<p>Also consider the financials of each school when it comes to your decision.
As much as I loved UCSD (you can tell from my name), I submitted my SIR to UCLA <em>har har I know</em>. UCLA gave me 6000$ more in financial aid than UCSD, and I am also quite fond of both campus environments, also UCLA has a better department for my major.</p>
<p>But keep in mind prestige isn’t everything. It will be no good if you go to UCLA due to better prestige, but then to think to yourself ‘I should have gone to UCSD’ and vice versa . If you think you can do well at UCSD, and if you like the environment at UCSD better, then go there. </p>
<p>Whatever decision you make, do not regret it and make the best of it ! I’m sure at either campus, you will find a great education and experience.</p>
<p>It’s a combined major (like biopsychology, except it’s linguistics and psychology). You’re right, you can’t transfer into psychology because it’s an impacted major.</p>
<p>I’ve been to both campuses multiple times and went to SD’s Admit Day and LA’s tour, and my fin. aid is about the same for both schools. Ultimately it really will come down to which school is a better fit, because my major is equally not career specific at both schools. Thanks for your input, and I’m glad you’ve found where you want to go (:</p>