I am a current high school senior preparing for college applications, but I am not entirely sure whether I should apply for UCLA or NYU as one of my options. I understand I can apply for both but why apply if I won’t be happy even after getting in? I’m applying for other schools that I’m sure I would happy with if I got accepted; I’d rather understand the pros and cons of each university prior to wasting application money.
Both schools are fairly expensive, to live in and to pay for tuition-wise. I have yet to research the program rankings for computer science (my intended major), so I am primarily focused on the location as of now.
My sister goes to NYU, so I have a higher chance of getting in due to legacy. She enjoys the city so I can’t necessarily rely on her biased perspective. I have been to New York plenty of times, but I’ve never particularly enjoyed the city or felt at home. It seems very lonely and difficult to make friends in.
I’ve never been to California, but from what I’ve heard it’s very superficial and glamorous. I’m not sure if I would enjoy how large the UCLA campus is and the constant risk of not being able to get into the classes I want. That’s ridiculous and an unnecessary hassle. Apparently NYU does not have that con. I also want to be able to drive in the area of the university I attend, and I would be able to do that at UCLA. But I live in Maryland, so it would be unbelievably expensive to transfer my car from across the country. Because of that, I’d probably end up having to move to California without a car anyway.
I don’t want to deal with any superficiality or obnoxious frats/sororities. I’m fully willing to party, I just don’t mix well with overly-spirited people. I don’t want to end up choosing UCLA and, if I get in, hate my time there because of the location.
If anyone who lives in the UCLA campus could tell me more about it and possibly disprove any misconceptions I may have I’d really appreciate it.
@mmun99: Your post is too funny. You do not think that there are some students/people in NY that are not “superficial and glamorous”?
As a parent, I would insist you visit the school campus and surrounding area before shelling out $60K/year (no Financial aid for OOS) and form your own opinion.
On every college campus, you will find a mix of student types. If you do not want to “deal” with Frats/sororities and no one will force you. Most students eventually find their niche.
Regarding a car, getting around California is not easy without a car and the traffic is horrendous which makes it more a chore than a pleasure which is comparable to NY, but Californian’s love their cars. There is a bus system which allows you to get around town, but eventually you will probably need a car. Gas is expensive along with housing (again comparable to NY).
As for the CS program, it is very selective and considered top-notch. The acceptance rate is below 10% so I do not know what kind of stats you have, but it will be definitely a tough admit.
Remember this is from a parent, not a student and hopefully you will get more replies, but VISIT before making any conclusions.
I don’t recall ever saying that NY did not have people who were superficial and glamorous. I mentioned that I had HEARD California had superficial people so that if I was wrong, someone could correct me. As for acceptance into the CS program, I am holding onto the hopes that my gender (female) will give me at least somewhat of a leg up. I have yet to take my final ACT until this coming September
No need to be snarky. Yes, California has its superficial people, but so does everywhere else in the country. As a California resident, I have also visited over half the country and I can tell you that you will find different types of people that you can connect with and cannot connect with wherever you go.
As a transfer to NYU, I can honestly say that you’ll have no issue meeting people. I’ve never felt lonely in that city, not even once! If you put yourself out there in your classes, dorm, and parties, you’ll have no shortage of friends, trust me. It’s a very social and outgoing school.
One thing I might add though is your comment about the campus size. As I’m sure you’ve heard before, NYU has no official campus. While most classes are in and around Washington Square, there are classrooms all over the city. On my first day as a transfer I realized I had to navigate my way through the city down to Brooklyn because one of my classes was on the engineering campus. It was a stressful day. I wouldn’t necessarily say you’ll have trouble getting to your classes on time, but the “campus” is literally endless so I’d think long and hard about that if even just UCLA’s campus seems daunting to you. As for the superficial thing, being a CA resident I can say there is is definitely a different feel to LA than there is NYC, but they’re very hard to compare since they’re so different. LA has a lot of beautiful ambitious people just as NYC does, but they’re very different in a way you have to see to understand. Don’t worry about “superficiality” because the majority of people you meet at either school are interesting individuals who can’t be lumped into one category or another. They’re people just like you.
UCLA and NYU entail very different college experiences, and to thrive at NYU you really have to want to be there and love the city, because you’re in it constantly. There’s no secluded campus to retreat to if the rest of the city gets to be too much. Good luck!
@anxiousenior1 Again, nothing about my post was snarky. I never said other universities did not have superficial people, I clearly stated that I HEARD that California in particular was known for superficiality. Rather than getting offended over something so small, maybe you could answer the actual question in my original post. Just a thought
No school you attend won’t have the stereotypical people. Ex; in colorado theres a ton of people from california, so we get those types all the time. Personally I prefer the city scene, but if it never felt homey to you then it might not be for you. They always say it takes some getting used to for the non-locals. Also, you are very lucky to have the opportunity to go to either of these schools! Consider which is closer to home of course, but in general i know that i would be happy at either school (just me). Both cities are very diverse, and you will meet a lot of different types of people from all over. Good luck to you and your college years.
NYU’s big attraction is it’s proximity to Wall Street. You could get an internship and attend school at the same time. UCLA is ranked a lot higher in CS and you have better contacts with silicon valley. Why not apply to both and see where you get in? I’d apply to UCB, CMU, Michigan, GT and a few other highly ranked programs as well.
There’s really no point in shelling out 65K+ year for NYU computer science. NYU computer science isn’t really that great, no offense. They recently incorporated a new engineering school that used to be a pretty third tier (Poly in Brooklyn).
Depending on where you live, schools like Michigan, Illinois, Ga Tech, UT-Austin, U Washington would be MUCH better options, both from a economic and educational perspective.
Unless money is no object and you really want to live in NYC (neither of which seem to be the case), I see no reason to pick NYU over UCLA for CS considering the cost difference.
NYU CS is good but not stellar. If you’re a top student and you want a top-notch CS program and aren’t sure whether you would like the “LA atmosphere” then apply to CMU - arguably the best CS program in the country (and probably the most competitive), or Stanford (also a high reach).
Other more realistic options are UWash, Michigan, GTech, UT-Austin, USCD, UC-Berkeley, V-Tech. And if you want to work in Sillicon Valley, I’d even pick SJSU over NYU.
For privates, I’d pick Harvey Mudd, I’d even pick RPI for CS over NYU.
Unless money is no object and you really want to live in NYC (neither of which seem to be the case), I see no reason to pick NYU over UCLA for CS considering the cost difference.
NYU CS is good but not stellar. If you’re a top student and you want a top-notch CS program and aren’t sure whether you would like the “LA atmosphere” then apply to CMU - arguably the best CS program in the country (and probably the most competitive), or Stanford (also a high reach).
Other more realistic options are UWash, Michigan, GTech, UT-Austin, USCD, UC-Berkeley, V-Tech. And if you want to work in Sillicon Valley, I’d even pick SJSU over NYU.
For privates, I’d pick Harvey Mudd, I’d even pick RPI for CS over NYU.
NYU is ranked in the top 50 for computer science by QS. The cost isn’t that much more than UCLA or the other colleges listed above. Ccmputer science at CMU has a 3% acceptance rate. Harvey Mudd’s is 13%. Computer science is a very hard admit anywhere. You’ll need to cast a wide net.
If you prefer NYC and all that goes with living there & if you will have no financial concerns attending NYU or living in NYC, then NYU should be your choice. Otherwise, in all other regards (location, weather, campus, education, etc.), I would have to recommend UCLA. And I am an USC parent saying such… which is hard - but still true.
