<p>I called the physics department at both UCLA and CAL today (my son admitted for both - tho spring 2014 for CAL) to make a phone appt for my son to ask questions since this is his chosen major. This is a huge decision and I am losing sleep! </p>
<p>He loved his tour of UCLA and was ready to sign but now is being swayed to CAL. When I spoke to physics at UCLA she asked what other school he is considering and when I told her, she said, "It's always that!" </p>
<p>Would UCLA be easier for him or is that a myth?</p>
<p>SO, everyone - pros and cons would be helpful. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Is your son only considering the academics, or also campus life and the surrounding cities? The vibes at the schools are very different. Another huge difference is that UCLA is on the quarter system, while Berkeley is on the semester system. I don’t know if any of this matters to your son, just bringing it up. Good luck!</p>
<p>UCLA and Cal are both full of very smart students, though certain majors at Berkeley are capped, so those will obviously be more competitive. (I don’t think physics would be capped, though.) It’s very subjective to say that one or the other is “harder” because that depends on major choice, the student’s abilities in the subject, study habits, extracurriculars the student might be doing, grading methods, etc.</p>
<p>Why is your son being “swayed” by Cal? What specifically is making him lean toward that school? Does he really feel genuinely connected to Cal, or is just the lure of “extra” prestige (a debatable idea since Cal is #1 and UCLA is only #2 in public school rankings)? It helps if the student can articulate some concrete reasons (whether it’s academics or gut feeling or whatever) for wanting to attend a specific school.</p>
<p>Like xomom11 pointed out, what other factors are important for him in his choice? UCLA has Westwood (affluent, small shops, within LA) and Cal has the town of Berkeley (a bit dirty, small shops, adjacent to but not within San Francisco). What about distance–is one school closer than the other? </p>
<p>There are many factors to consider. Which ones are the priority?</p>