<p>Nah, I think you're just a UCLA snob. Typical...</p>
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<blockquote> <p>The area around SC is shady in parts, but it should not deter a person from going to the school.<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Why not? Personal safety can be significant issue that should be put into the equation along with all the other factors when evaluating a school.</p>
<p>Personal safety is like health, money, or happiness. You don't really think about it that much until it's gone. Then you REALLY wish you had it back again.</p>
<p>I'm leaning toward USC right now. The sheer prestige of UCLA is something to consider, but I'm not so happy with the idea of vicious competition and public-school monstrosities (crowded lecture halls, bad housing). </p>
<p>I love how there are so many pro-USC people on an UCLA thread. Yay for Trojans.</p>
<p>USC is way better known and favored.</p>
<p>I'm in the same position. think Ima be a Trojan though.</p>
<p>USC is not better known. I had no idea what it was before this year</p>
<p>UCLA gives a better quality education for half the price, unless your going into film, then go to USC all the way.</p>
<p>USC has football, UCLA has basketball (although we suck this year)</p>
<p>It all comes down to preference. You should go visit both campuses and whichever you like better should be the one you attend.</p>
<p>usc2013, clearly you're not having trouble deciding where you want to go...haha. </p>
<p>Thing is, if I go to USC, I'd do the Leventhal program (bachelor's + master's in accounting in 5 years total). UCLA: English, then fight my way through to business school. Possibly die of sheer exhaustion along the way.</p>
<p>Neither USC or UCLA has a true college town feel. Schools like Berkeley and Davis are better examples of college towns. USC is a tough area, but that actually keeps the students near campus, so when you are at USC, you always see a ton of kids hanging out. Both are great schools. You cannot go wrong with either. Whether or not you gain connections, get the job after graduation, or have a wonderful college experience depends on what YOU do, not where a school is located. USC does give a lot more money in financial aid than UCLA and there is also a lot more money available to students for research opportunities and student activities. UCLA is going to be strapped financially for the next several years.</p>
<p>I think some of us are being a bit dramatic here. Take if from someone who is actually a student here and not grasping at "word on the street" or urban legends. Personally, I have not experienced "vicious competition" and public-school "monstrosities". There are definitely some large introductory classes, but even my friends at ivy league schools have those. I can see where the budget crisis is affecting the school (like how they are cutting admissions and offering certain language courses only once a year, etc), but honestly I have not been affected all that much. I've always gotten the housing I wanted, I've had a mix of class sizes, and I've gotten all the classes I needed. I've also landed a full time job just fine.</p>
<p>The point is, some people base their decisions solely on one thing, but most people chose a more multifaceted approach, where they look at money, location, campus, general fit, program, ranking, etc. Clearly, it's a very personal decision, so be informed (I felt like I needed to dispel some of those myths about UCLA) but don't let the noise of other people's thinking drown out your own.</p>
<p>Wolftron09: Sounds like a plan for USC. I go to UCLA and I'm even recommending that you go to USC, just because it seems like you've done your research and have a pretty clear idea of what you want to do. I would recommend that you double check UCLA for a similar program and VISIT BOTH CAMPUSES IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.</p>
<p>Whichever feels better for you, go for it.</p>
<p>my sister will be graduating BusEcon from UCLA, and she already has a job lined up with a high profile business firm. She went to numerous recruiting events held by employers specifically for UCLA students. </p>
<p>You can find great jobs whatever your choice.</p>
<p>Wait, Wolftron09, if you are looking at USC Levanthal, does that mean you are planning to go into accounting?</p>
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I'm not so happy with the idea of vicious competition and public-school monstrosities (crowded lecture halls, bad housing).
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<p>I take it you haven't visited or sat in on a class. If you want to dismiss the school like that based on stereotypes, then go to USC. If you want an honest assessment of UCLA, then do your research!</p>
<p>I'm a freshman. Going into Spring Quarter, I've taken 2 classes with only 15-20 people in them EACH QUARTER. My other classes have about 100 students, but have smaller discussion sections of about 15 people once or twice a week. I've had a personal conversation with every single professor this year; one had me over to her house for dinner (and this was in a class of 100 people). Another one set up a lunch meeting for me with a former Presidential candidate (again, in a class of 100). I'm not one who sits in the front row, asks questions in class, etc. I just go to office hours, tell them what I'm interested in, and they help me out. So making the assumption that big is bad is simply doing yourself a disservice, and depriving yourself of great opportunities. My friend at USC says he hasn't had one class with less than 100 people this year; opposite of what you thought, huh?</p>
<p>As far as competition goes, again I have no idea where you're getting this "vicious competition" thing from. UCLA is tough. It's also so incredibly laid-back in most majors that it's a little bit ridiculous. People here are like ducks; smooth and serene on top, but propelling themselves forward underneath. The competition is not "vicious." If you're afraid of competition, don't come here. We don't like wimps. We DO like people who work hard, have fun, and love their school, friends and extracurriculars. We aren't ranked as one of the top-10 jock schools in the nation for nothing. People here work hard, but have lives too.</p>
<p>As for dorms, again you haven't educated yourself. UCLA has one of the best dorm options of any school in the country. Our dorm food is ranked #1 in the nation (just passed Cornell, which has its own culinary school). Most of the dorms are pretty new, and about half offer either their own bathroom, or a shared bathroom between every 2 rooms. The halls are your basic dorms, but most students rave about the floor camaraderie. Also unlike SC, most of the rooms are air-conditioned, at least in the plazas. Sproul Hall was renovated last year, so the facilities are really new and nice. Actually, I've talked to several people who've visited the dorms at both UCLA and USC, and not one (literally) has said they prefer SC's.</p>
<p>So visit UCLA and stop making uneducated assumptions!</p>
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Nah, I think you're just a UCLA snob. Typical...
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That's okay. My snobbiness comes nothing close to comparing with your stupidity for paying $200,000 to live in a notorious ghetto for 4 years.</p>
<p>Yes, I am considering going into accounting.</p>
<p>I'm a bit shocked at the VICIOUS responses I've gotten! Okay, okay, I'll visit the dang campuses! I have an Explore USC tour lined up and I'll definitely be attending the UCLA visit day, whenever that is. But as an O.C. resident, I've been to both campuses a number of times...so I'm not exactly an uneducated hick that knows absolutely zilch.</p>
<p>Yeesh!</p>
<p>Technically, I wouldn't be paying $200 grand. I got the NMF scholarship, so I'm paying only half that to live in a notorious ghetto for 4 years.</p>
<p>^^Ah. NMF scholarship recipients at UCLA pay 50k to live between Bel-Air, Beverly Hills and Brentwood. You're still paying twice as much (even if you didn't get any $ from UCLA, it'd be the same amount, just two drastically different locations).</p>
<p>Good luck! I hope you make the smart decision and choose Oocla :)</p>
<p>Thanks for piquing my interest in UCLA! I'll definitely visit and try to be as objective as possible. It's a great school and a really tough choice to make.</p>
<p>UCLA My first choice</p>
<p>I have a cousin that goes to USC and I go to UCLA and he lives on top and i live in the basement…unfortunately he just goes off and have fun while I just see myself get more successful everyday lol. No but he tries hard and parties HARD. But it’s sad seeing my aunt, his mother, stay at home with no car since she sends everything his way.</p>
<p>Btw, UCLA is higher ranking than USC
[National</a> Universities Rankings - Best Colleges - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings]National”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings)</p>
<p>but definitely visit both campus. I had similar decision and I went to both campuses and I said to myself, “I have to live here for four years of my life…I can’t live over there. UCLA IT IS!!!”</p>
<p>Never regretted it. I saw the people from berkeley back in my school, needless to say they looked dead.</p>