<p>Help me choose:</p>
<p>Would you rather go to UCLA or UW-Madison?<br>
I know these are two quite different places in terms of location and lifestyle, but both places have great academics. I'm going into a science field and I heard UCLA is extrememly competitive. Is it the same in Madison? I could really do without the extra pressure of competition.</p>
<p>UW-Madison is a party school, but isnt UCLA too? I mean, it's in LA! And a party school should be fun, right?</p>
<p>I think the outlook of most UW students leans more to cooperation than competition. But sciences are tough at any good school.</p>
<p>Are you in-state for either?</p>
<p>UCLA is somewhat higher ranked, but I bet the academics at the two schools would be similar and both offer a lot of fun. Any price difference? Weather preference? Is one a lot easier to get to?</p>
<p>Both are very good in science fields. Just go where you think you'd be happiest. My guess is that Wisconsin is a friendlier place, more relaxed place, in general, while UCLA has the excitement of all LA has to offer.</p>
<p>UCLA over Wisconsin only if the cost is the same or it is cheaper. Both are great schools.</p>
<p>I'm actually in the same position and can't decide where to go. I'm from Philadelphia so the snow isn't the end of the world and both will cost the same for me. At first though I thought I would choose UCLA no questions asked, but then people kept bringing up negative attributes of UCLA. </p>
<p>These include:
-budget cuts
-cost of living (going out at night and in general)
-ultra-competitive and often materialistic attitude of student body (vs. UW's more laid back feel supposedly)</p>
<p>I plan on studying something along the lines of cognitive science or behavioral psychology. I'm in general a pretty laid back kid that likes to play sports and party, but I take pride in my work and doing the best I can.</p>
<p>I'm just looking for some input on if these flaws of UCLA are true or rather any feedback I could get on making my decision easier.</p>
<p>^ Hmmm...well, the budget cuts are likely to affect tuition costs more than anything over the next four years. Since you're OOS at UCLA, you could be hit more than in-state students. No clue on how much those costs would rise.</p>
<p>UW-Madison might have tuition increases as well...</p>
<p>Cost of living is definitely higher in LA than Madison. Most of this cost would be confronted when you need to rent an apartment off-campus. UCLA guarantees housing for 3 years though.</p>
<p>competitveness depends on major...premeds/business majors are more competitive than social science/humanities majors.</p>
<p>Living in Madison and having a son in LA, a recent USC grad, let me assure you that the cost of apartments are substantially, and I mean substantially, higher in LA. Tuition will be going up at UW-Madison, but it is still much lower for an OOS than at UCLA.</p>
<p>I am non-instate for either. For UCLA, it would cost 45k, madison is around 32k (I am not taking into account grants and scholarship because in order to receive the same the following year, I'd have to maintain a 3.0 or so. I'm playing it safe...)
So, Madison is much cheaper. It feels as if it costs 13k more to live in warmer weather and LA city. I'm actually more of a Californian person; I've lived there for many years. I've never been to the midwest though...The lifestyles are supposedly very different.
Think I'd get culture shock?</p>
<p>And yes, many people have told me they'd go to UCLA over Madison hands-down. But I am really trying to make this decision based on what I want. I feel like I'm in a rut.</p>
<p>Is the cold really hard to tolerate? It goes down to negative 30 during the winter. As a joke I told my friends I wouldn't need a freezer; just a box I could leave outside the dorm. haha.</p>
<p>Actually, it's the rare modern winter when it even reaches a 30 below wind chill in Madison. I doubt that Madison has ever recorded an actual air temp of 30 below. Last winter was unusually snowy and reasonably cold, but most winters now it's rare to have more than a handful of below zero nights. Not that it's not cold for most of December through March, and certainly immensely colder than LA. But it sure doesn't slow down the students or the University. Like anything else, you get used to it.</p>
<p>I have visited SoCal often and have lived in Madison. The weather's certainly more consistent in LA, and often more pleasant. But Madison and UW are much more beautiful places than LA and UCLA. And LA will never offer up a glorious crisp fall day with the maple trees blazing red, the lakes shimmering blue and the thrill of college football in the air, or a shockingly warm spring day with the trees budding out (and the coeds, too). Winter is cold in Wisconsin, but Fall and Spring are the reward. And if you ever spend a Summer in Madison, you'll probably want to spend every one there.</p>