<p>I'm deciding between UCLA and NYU. I want go into astronomy or physics, as of now. UCLA has an astrophysics major, which I like. Both have physics majors. Also, I could minor in German at both and study abroad in a German-speaking country.</p>
<p>I'm from NJ, an hour out of Manhattan by train. I'm very comfortable with the area around NYU and love it. I would know people around there and be able to see my family. I loved UCLA when I visited it, but it is a six hour flight and I don't know the rest of LA very well.</p>
<p>Neither are offering me financial aid. UCLA is $56000 and NYU is $61000, though this would come close to evening out with the transportation costs for UCLA. I am somewhat scared to go so far from home.</p>
<p>I've been struggling a bit in my AP Physics class this year, though I really enjoy my BC Calculus class. The ability to have good teachers and good academic support is important to me, though I realize these are both huge schools. I get the impression that UCLA has stronger sciences in general.</p>
<p>I'd much prefer the weather in LA, but I am used to the weather around NYU.</p>
<p>Most of all, I just want somewhere I'd be happy. People seemed friendlier at UCLA, but again, I'm used to New Yorkers.</p>
<p>Both are solid schools, and since you’re out of state the price would be pretty close. I think it will ultimately fall down to what you feel comfortable with and what you want. Do you want a brand new experience across the country where you’ll meet new people and see different things? Or do you want a more comfortable and familiar experience?</p>
<p>I didn’t have the option of going to a school across the country. As an LA native, what i can tell you is that the people i’ve met at UCLA are vastly different from any of the people i’ve met in LA proper. That’s because i’ve met people here from different cities, states, and countries. I’m bringing this point up because i imagine NYU would offer similar experiences with people you’d never met before. You clearly like both schools, so go with what feels right.</p>
<p>I’m from LA, and I applied for transfer to NYU this Fall. My reason for applying to NYU, and 3 other east coast schools, was so I could have an experience that is different from anything that I am used to. LA is a great place to live, with a multitude of people from various backgrounds, just like NYC, but the city culture is different. People are much more laid back and nicer, but, especially in the UCLA area, they are quite pretentious. The comments you hear about people in LA being fake, and materialistic is true for certain areas, and the blended area of Westwood (where UCLA is located), Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and much of West LA is probably the focal point of those claims. If ranking matters to you at all, UCLA ranks higher than NYU overall, though I’m not sure where it stands on your chosen major. I would also recommend that you take a closer look at how California’s budget crisis has affected the UC system and their course offerings, I hear it is making it difficult to get the classes you need.</p>
<p>Academically, they are comparable. And while they are both large urban campuses, they couldn’t be more different. UCLA is mostly a traditional college-type campus with beautiful buildings on green quadrangles. NYU has almost none of that; it is basically buildings in the city. So the choice is really whether you want a New York City experience v. a more traditional college environment. It depends upon your preferences and one is not necessarily better than the other but they are certainly different.</p>