I’m a senior from New York. I was accepted into both UCLA and Northeastern, with a $20,000/year scholarship to Northeastern. I’m considering a degree in the social sciences/liberal arts in hopes of pursuing a law degree afterward (though that can very easily change). I’m currently stuck in the process of deciding between the two, since I’ve always wanted to go to California for college where I could branch out but also know that Northeastern’s opportunities are unparalleled. Any advice or personal experiences would be of great help.
If the cost is close, I would suggest UCLA. The prestige of two schools are on different level. Besides, nothing beats California sun.
I would say UCLA because it has a much better reputation than NEU, especially in California. Also, if you are considering going to a law school, it would probably be better to go to an academically stronger school? NEU is absolutely a good school, but it seems to be more career oriented and they have really Co-op program, which means that NEU would be a better choice if you decide to get a job right after undergrad.
OOS tuition for UCLA, plus the cost of living in Calif, probably means its a LOT more expensive than NE.
It’s not worth it to have to spend a lot of extra $ for UCLA.
@sifhsn The OP is OOS so UCLA would be full pay, he has a $20,000/year scholarship at Northeastern.
Go to Northeastern and use the $80,000 you save toward your UCLA law school tuition!
sometimes, no matter where you go, what matters the most is what you do with what you have. What I mean is-- as long as you seek opportunities, invest time in impactful extracurriculars, and keep a strong work ethic, either college is great for you.
UCLA has around 45,000 students (crazyyy) whereas Northeastern has around 20,000. Are you someone who feels lost in large crowds or enjoys it? Most importantly, what matters more to you-- college prestige or standing out amongst a group of people? This is hard to answer because both universities are prestigious…
If you aspire to practice law, it’s important to seek several internship/job shadow opportunities. Additionally (not at all necessary that law and politics go hand in hand), but you would be MUCH closer to DC on the east coast. The east coast is a hub for attorneys, history buffs, and those interested in liberal arts.
But, you also have to think about law school following undergrad. UCLA’s School of Law has a 20% acceptance rate, quite small if you think about it.
Northeastern University School of Law has a 33% acceptance rate. But in context, percentages don’t mean a lot when you think about the type of applicants because if a school receives extremely qualified applicants in the first place, they may tend to have a higher acceptance rate…
Since both undergrads have attached law schools, it’s important to consider whether grad schools will consider your “loyalty” to their undergrad school when reviewing your application. I have heard UC Davis Medical School, for ex, tends to admit UC Davis undergrad students because they have confidence in the quality of their education…
It is something to really think about. Also, are you close to your family? Would they mind if you moved to a different state, lived a very independent, but successful life? AKA are you more career oriented, or would location play a large role in your decision?
Remember, you would also receive $20,000/year scholarship to northeastern. THats great!! Law school will be very expensive in the long run, so perhaps saving money now (im just saying) would be wise.
It’s frustrating when people say “oohh both colleges are great,” so I’m just going to tell you-- In my opinion, you should go to Northeastern University.
Good Luck!
You do not have a much lower cost choice like an in-state SUNY that will allow you to save more money for expensive law school?
UCLA
UCLA if you can swing it financially. It’s a no-brainer.
Have you visited these schools? What is your out of pocket cost for each? Considering your intended major, and the fact that you may decide to not go to law school, I would go with the cheapest.
choose UCLA! As a CA taxpayer I’m trying to raise one million dollars for UCLA so I just need to tip 9 OOS students with their approx $30K/yr OOS tuition to reach my goal.
Sure, UCLA is a large public with little personal attention and hundreds of students in most lower-division classes. In more popular majors like Poli Sci or Psych even upper-division will have more than a hundred. Papers and finals are graded by grad students all 4 years in these majors. And though majors like Econ make you take a set of classes to get admitted to the major, many kids make it thru the screen.
Don’t let any of that matter. Like you said, you always wanted to go to CA and here is a chance! I hope I can count on you for my fundraising effort.
@mikemac =))
UCLA is $65K a year now; the Regents just voted another increase for OOS students. Since you’re okay with this, you can fund another CA resident’s tuition if you decide UCLA.
Northeastern sounds like a good choice, especially with the costs of law school nowadays.