I have always been a lurker so this is my first post and would really appreciate anyone’s input as the deadline is approaching. Give me any advice you got!!! PLEASE! Also, feel free to ask any more questions if that would help.
UCLA (paying full) vs Middlebury College (paying full and admitted as a February admit)
Intended major: Neuroscience - not pre-med(being able to do research would be very nice)
Why am I conflicted: I truly believe I would fit into both a small school and a big school environment.
Some stuff about me: I am a pretty social person (I like to party!) and absolutely love the outdoors. I played lacrosse in high school and, if I attend Middlebury, would attempt to walk onto the team. I also am from Chicago (for the sake of distance).
Some pros and cons:
Middlebury (around 2500 undergrads)
Pros:
Amazing outdoor access/opportunities
Gap semester opportunities are endless
Potential to play lacrosse
Smaller, more attention in classes
Closer to home (and closer to my older brother who attends Tufts)
-Small but very tight alumni network
Cons:
Not starting school with everyone you know
Rural/small (less research opportunities, less restaurants)
No greek life (less opportunities for nightlife/parties?)
I have heard of potential social gap between athletes and non-athletes (every other person is an athlete or some crazy stat)
UCLA (around 30,000 undergrads)
Pros:
Cali! Warm weather
Strong STEM
Greek life (more opportunities for nightlife/parties)
More academic major variety (if I want to switch to a similar but different major which is quite likely)
Way more extracurricular club options
-Way more people to meet
-More research opportunities
-Huge alumni network
Literally best food in the country for colleges
Cons:
Less outdoor access
Quarter System!
MASSIVE, small fish big pong
Cant do a gap year ):
Course registration can be difficult
-Far
Is more competitive for academic opportunities (but pro: more academic opportunities)
There’s no wrong answer. Your gut will tell you the right one.
BTW, I don’t think the quarter system is a negative. I went to a semester school and my son went to a quarter school. Quarter break are way more natural. I’d much prefer them to semesters.
Thanks for your response! And really? I have heard many negative things about the quarter system. From what I have heard, students feel it moves way too fast and that it also is a pain because it does not align with their friends schedules who attend semester-system schools.
Can’t see paying OOS rates for a neuro major. Poor value.
Midd has been offering a Spring start for years, and it works very well. The spring starters bond extremely well.
Quarter system can be tough for lit/hume majors – hard to write a paper in only a few weeks – but for many year-long first year STEM classes (Calc 1&2, Bio 1&2), it is not much different.
btw: You are correct that UCLA has far more competition for research opportunities, particularly given the thousands of premeds on campus. On a per capita basis, I would bet that a top private like Midd would have more available research opportunities for you.
You have a whole other thread just about the quarter vs semester systems. I’ve done both. One of my kids was on semesters and the other on quarters. Really…you will adapt to whichever one your school does. Some folks think quarters are too quick but fact is…you have to keep up with your work regardless of which type of term you take.
I don’t think quarters are a negative and I don’t think semesters are a plus.
You are looking at two completely different college experiences. UCLA is in a major metro area, is huge, and has things like sports big time. Oh…and decent warm weather year round. Middlebury is in a teeny remote college town, is very small, and really sports are not a huge thing. And it has winter.
I think you need to decide where you actually want to live for the next four years. These are both pricey options…surely you had reasons for narrowing your list down to these two acceptances.
It sucks taking a long winter break only to come back to a few weeks and finals. It’s my opinion, and it’s clearly personal, but I like the idea of starting fresh after winter and spring breaks. I also like that you actually get to take more classes. Again, it’s how I see it. You may view it differently.
Thanks! I am interested in a very niche field (biotech) that I hope to pursue and a neuroscience major would be extremely helpful. I don’t know exactly what I plan to do in the field but I hope to be some sort of entrepreneur.
Yeah, thumper, that is my point. For $10k more, a student gets much greater value, IMO: smaller classes, closer contact with Profs, personalized counseling/advising (first year’s at UCLA receive “advising” from upper class students, not faculty), no housing bureaucracy…
I couldn’t agree more with @bluebayou ; I’d take Midd over UCLA in a heartbeat as a science major if the costs are roughly comparable and OP’s family can afford both.
(For the record, I like UCLA a lot and spent a decade there, first as a student and then an instructor.)
Minor disagreement there. Sports are a force at Middlebury, albeit on the high-end D3 level. Athletes per capita will be much higher at Midd, of course, but beyond that there is a strong sporty/bro culture at Middlebury.
Im talking about BIG interscholastic sports. Yes, I understand Milddlebury had a strong sports culture…as do most of the SLAC colleges. Many students participate.
But it’s a little different than UCLA sports.
I think this student really needs to dig deep on whether they want to be at a very large, excellent flagship in a very large city. OR do they want to be at an excellent SLAC in a small college town.
One recommendation is to honestly assess your skill at lacrosse and don’t assume because it’s D3 that it’s a given you can successfully walk on, much less walk on and play. I say this assuming that it’s a big factor for your decision. If not, then no problem. But be aware, as you may be, that Middlebury recruits its athletes and there are plenty of kids who could play LX at a D1 school who choose a place like Middlebury. No, it’s not JHU or Syracuse or UNC in the lacrosse world, but they are competitive in sports and it takes more than “I played varsity in HS.” Not saying you’re saying that, but it’s a common misconception.
I would choose Midd over UCLA but I have an unapologetic preference for smaller schools at the UG level, and Midd is a good one.
