UCLA vs CSULB

State Forums
1

Hi i got into 7/8 of my schools and i’ve narrowed it down to CSULB and UCLA (the others schools were UCI,UCSB,CSU Fullerton, CSU Fresno, CSU Northridge) I’m majoring in pre psychology and plan to go to graduate school and then become an MFT. Im currently waiting to see if i got the full ride at csulb for the presidential scholarship but i won’t know till the mid april…I’m having a hard deciding which school to attend because
CSULB felt like

  • home and comfortable
  • the class sizes were around 20-30 and the biggest classes would be 200 people
  • I heard the professors teach better at cal states since they aren’t busy with research
  • It didn’t have an competitive atmosphere and felt pretty laid back
  • the campus was big but felt like its own little community
  • if i get into honors program i think the hillside dorms are kind of unappealing and very small
  • the campus seemed diverse compared to ucla
  • the dining hall doesn’t seem that good
  • i’d have to pay 3k+ for net cost

But I know UCLA is more prestigious than CSULB and would probably offer me more opportunities especially for grad school and I know i would always feel regret or what if if i don’t choose ucla and give it a shot
-i love their shared bathroom options

  • how their the #1 dinning hall, the campus is nicer than csulb, how there will always be something to do cause its in La but i’m a bit intimated by the classes being 100+
  • the competitiveness atmosphere
  • im afraid it’ll be harder since professors expect so much out of you
  • how a 3.7 isn’t an a+ there
  • the discussion sections being taught my TA’s and not professors bothers me
  • I’m afraid of the quarter system
  • i heard the majority of psych classes is just quizzes and tests and no homework or side work
  • I’d have to pay more than 8k for net cost
2

price isn’t a big factor just thought i should mention that

3

@solaring . . . Sounds like you’d be able to live at home or you’re considering it, something that wouldn’t be really advisable at UCLA – perhaps which is why you chose LB from the other CSUs, even if added cost isn’t a factor. I wouldn’t think USC’s grad program in MFT ending in the bestowing of a masters (or PHD) would be discerning between CSULB or UCLA for someone who has the grades and GRE scores, and it really wouldn’t be in any other program. (You’re not going to obtain a higher score if you attend UCLA; additionally, you might obtain higher grades at LB.)

When persons present X v. Y v. Z v. . . . universities in pros and cons, they’re often subliminally or consciously just looking for validation when they’ve known or had this tugging where they desired to go all along. I think you’ve manifested this, so I’m just here to point this out to you.

MFT doesn’t seem to be ultra-competitive for grad – maybe it is – and there are undoubtedly a countless number of CSU grads who will be able to tell you that they were able to complete the process to become certified in it, so don’t worry about so-called prestige of one versus the other.

4

Hmmm. My first instinct was that you should go to UCLA and not look back. But there is a substantial cost difference for you and you may get an even better deal at CSULB. Graduating debt free (or with very little debt) is a very strong plus.

Here’s what I am reading: CSULB feels comfortable and you think you will be happy there. UCLA feels initmidating and you aren’t sure you are good enough to be there. Bear in mind that there are probably more commuters at Long Beach than at UCLA, unless things have changed a lot since I graduated back in 1988. That’s a negative.

UCLA wouldn’t have let you in if they didn’t think you could handle it. You should not be afraid of the quarter system, bigger classes, the professors expecting a lot from you, etc… The competitive atmosphere is a disadvantage, in my book. However, will the rest of it motivate you to work hard?

I think if you choose Long Beach you might find that you aren’t challenged enough. Then again, there is much to be said for being a big fish. You could indeed have more opportunities to meet professors and get high grades, which can be helpful for jobs, internships, or grad school. A student with high grades at a respected college isn’t going to be ignored when it comes to grad school.

If you choose Long Beach over UCLA, you should not be regretful. You can do well at whatever college you go to. When asked what his biggest regret was, Charlie Baker, the governor of Massachusetts, famously said, “Not going to Hamilton College. I never really felt comfortable at Harvard.” So, I think maybe you should choose CSULB because it seems a little more likely that you will regret choosing the place where you don’t think you will be as happy.

5

I don’t live in neither la or LB when i said ‘‘home’’ i had just meant i could see myself there. By what i’ve read I think you’re for CSULB. Thanks so much for your suggestion.

6

CSULB is still a commuter school and I know I shouldn’t be regretful if I choose Long Beach over UCLA, but I just do because I know how bad people want my spot and i’ll always wonder if I could have handled the challenge. I hope getting the presidential scholarship can make my decision a bit clearer. Thank you so much for your input, you made some really good points!

7

Got it, you felt that LB was like being home. That’s very powerful.

Don’t make your decision by thinking about those who want your spot. They (UCLA) know what their yield is, and they have the waitlist for a reason. Make the “selfish” decision. You need to be happy with your choice and not worry about “what if.” Do what feels right to you.

8

Have you discussed this with your parents? How do they feel?

Picking apart your list:
“I know i would always feel regret or what if if i don’t choose UCLA and give it a shot” They accepted you for a reason and they did not make a mistake. They know that you will be successful. Why did you eliminate UCSB and UCI?

What does “feeling like home” mean to you? Why does CSULB “feel like home”?

Professors at both schools do research and you will have so many different professors that it is unreasonable to say that one school teaches “better.”
You can look up UCLA teacher ratings here: https://www.bruinwalk.com/search/?category=professors&dept=155
You can look up CSULB teacher ratings by Googling “CSULB teacher ratings”

Bathrooms, food, dorms - there are pros and cons for each on your list. I don’t think this is make or break in your decision making.

Class sizes: Both schools have approximately 31,000 undergrad students. You are going to have big classes and small classes at each school. You will have smaller discussion sessions at each school.

Competitiveness atmosphere - Are you assuming that because it is competitive to get into, it will be competitive once you are there? At all schools, some departments/majors are more competitive than others (ex. pre-med). In my experience (not with either of these schools), psychology students tend to be more collaborative and less competitive than other majors.

“How a 3.7 isn’t an A+ there” Why does this matter? Is this a make or break factor?

“I heard the majority of psych classes is just quizzes and tests and no homework or side work” Who told you this and how do they know? This is extremely variable depending on which class and professor you have at both schools. In general, in college, there will be less points for HW and more focus on exams. Some classes will give “clicker” points for attendance and some will give points for participating in psych research.

I think your two most compelling reasons to go to CSULB are financial and maybe the benefits of an honors program. Personally, if you were my child, I would tell you to go to UCLA and not look back. Go to Bruin Day this weekend and see if your list of pros and cons changes.

9

UCLA is tied for third (with Harvard) in best Psychology graduate programs. If you wanted to go on for a PhD, I would definitely say UCLA, but for an MFT it won’t matter as much as those programs are much easier to get into than a PhD program in Clinical Pscyh.

10

My parents feel like I will be fine wherever I choose and want me too choose where I feel comfortable.
I eliminated UCI and UCSB because they’re more expensive than UCLA and I would have to pay way more.

What I meant by ‘‘home’’ is, I instantly saw myself at CSULB, I felt comfortable and happy when walking around the campus. The area around the campus did feel a bit different and desolate but maybe its because I didn’t go out more.
I realized dorms, food and bathrooms aren’t important factors but class sizes are. I’m so use to having connections with my teachers and having the class interact and I know that will be harder if i’m in a 200+ class.

I am talking to someone that goes to CSULB and they told me that they’re activity classes are 25-30 people and the biggest class they had was close to 200. I understand that this may vary within major but I heard for a majority my classes will be 30 or less. I also liked how their discussion sessions are done by other professors instead of TA’s like they are at the UC’s. I’m worried the TA won’t be able to teach those subjects well.

I’m talking to several people that go to UCLA they said the atmosphere can be intimidating at first but then eventually you get use to it, this is why I’m still considering UCLA. Psychology is one of the most impacted majors at UCLA so I feel like it would be pretty competitive. I heard for courses like psych the curves aren’t really in the students favor and only a certain percentage can get A’s but I believe if I study hard enough I can get the A. The 3.7 not being an A+ is something i’m concerned about because i’m not sure if other schools have this grading scale and i feel like the grading scale might make it harder for me to get a 4.0 if I want to achieve that GPA.

A student I was talking to that graduated from UCLA told me about the psych classes and how a majority of them are just tests and i guess that can be good because that means you won’t waste time on busy work but then again if you mess up on one test, it can mess up your whole grade and i’m not the best test taker especially if i know my whole grade relies on it.

I’m still conflicted about the schools. I know i prefer the semester system, I can cram pretty well if I have too but I just prefer having more time to study. If I get the scholarship that will help me greatly and the honors program at CSULB will help me to feel challenged and provide priority registration so I can get the classes I want and need and hopefully get out in four years + doing summer courses.

I’m still considering UCLA because I feel like it will look better when I apply to graduate school and maybe I could stay at UCLA for graduate school and get some recommendation letters from my professors just a thought. But i’m worried about how i didn’t see myself at UCLA when I went and I was really disappointed that I didn’t feel as connected to the campus the way I thought I’d be but that could be because I went on decision day. I’m going to Bruin day to see how I feel knowing that I got accepted. Thanks for the advice!

11

I should have clarified that i’m a senior in high school so i’m going for my undergraduate degree right now, so did you mean I should go there for my graduate or both undergraduate and graduate?

12

I agree with you, I just feel like it’d be easier to get into CSULB if I don’t end up liking UCLA after my first year. I feel like it’d be harder to get in UCLA if I went to CSULB and changed my mind and wanted to go to UCLA for undergraduate or graduate. I realize CSULB has the best pro’s if i’m looking at class size and the semester system but I can’t help but think about if I could have handled UCLA and if i’m making the wrong decision if I reject them. But i noticed their biggest pro for me was how their prestige could help me out in the long run but not so much in the years i’ll have to spend there dealing with the quarter system and large class sizes and maybe my overall happiness. It also bothers me how at UCLA TA’s teach discussion sections, not professors. To pay 9k for a TA to teach me in a smaller class setting just doesn’t seem right. I heard at CSULB their discussion sections are taught by professors not TA’s which is a pro.

I’m also trying to think about if I decide to change majors for whatever reason and choose something that doesn’t need masters then I would have wished I chose UCLA but i can’t tell if thats the way I should be seeing things right now. I constantly hear how psych is a risky major and isn’t a smart choice when finding a career. I would love to be an MFT because of the salary, the flexibility and helping others so I don’t see that major changing at least as of now. One of my cons for UCLA was how I didn’t feel comfortable and I think that speaks volumes yet I keep watching UCLA videos to get more information. I think I am trying my hardest to like UCLA for more than just its prestige.

13

UCLA doesn’t offer a grad MFT masters or PHD.

14

I would go with UCLA for the simple reason that if things don’t work out, you can always go to CSULB. The opposite most likely will not be the case.

I’ll assume that UCLA has a class structure similar to Berkeley’s - large lectures sessions along with small discussion groups for each class. Graduate student TAs are the norm for leading discussion sections at all major universities, whether it be Harvard or Stanford or UCLA. I kinda doubt if discussion sessions are led by professors at CSULB, since I know that SJSU discussion sections are almost always proctored by a GSI. There may be more classes without discussion sections that are taught by a professor though - that I can believe.

15

CSULB is my alma mater. All of my classes were always taught by professors. I never had any class over 30 students, but I transferred in from CC, so that’s not surprising. I had some very small discussion-based classes with maybe ten students. There were plenty of opportunities to interact with profs, but I rarely did because I wasn’t interested. (I definitely could have made more out of my education at LB.)

I think a lot of these posters are giving you great insight to UCLA, but are not listening to you, OP. It seems very clear that you prefer CSULB. As many posters here on CC can attest, fit can play a very important role in college success. If the OP gets the Honors college at LB, that’s going to be beneficial. Furthermore, if the OP is headed to grad school and has a stellar experience at LB, that is a big positive.

FWIW, my D is currently majoring in psych. Study what you want to study and be great at it. Btw, grad school admissions are going to be based on exams scores and your transcripts. You won’t be turned down because you went to LB and not UCLA.

16

If your parents want you to go where you feel comfortable then it sounds like CSULB is the right place for you. I am trying to make sure that you aren’t just fearful about the transition.

If you are striving for a 4.0 then being a big fish in a small pond would more likely give you the results you want. The reason I asked why the 3.7= A+ matters is because an A+ and an A are the same with respect to GPA calculation. https://catalog.registrar.ucla.edu/ucla-catalog18-19-117.html

You have probably heard before that a school needs to be an academic fit, financial fit and a social fit. It sounds like you feel that CSULB will be a better fit for you in all three areas.

17

I just found out that CSULB is actually going to be 3k more than UCLA and I’m not sure where to go from here now. I’m really hoping to get the presidential scholarship from CSULB but over qualified people get it with way higher stats and GPA’s than me so fingers crossed. I’m also not striving for a 4.0 but if I were to, I feel like it’d be easier at CSULB than UCLA whether if thats because the smaller class sizes or the non-competitive students/atmosphere

18

Transcripts from where? what does OP and D stand for? and I just found out that CSULB is gonna me 3k more than UCLA and now i’m a bit more lost on my decision.

19

I will be an undergraduate not graduate this year.

20

OP is the original poster, or post. d is daughter.

Wow, for $3K more, go to UCLA rather than CSULB, unless the money is not an issue…