<p>What are the pros and cons of both?</p>
<p>Pros: Both are really good schools socially. Scenery is amazing in UCLA. Both are famous :P</p>
<p>Cons: Too crowded...less one on one time w/ TAs(so I hear)</p>
<p>Pros- everything</p>
<p>Cons- you can only attend one (excluding transfer, summer or grad school)</p>
<p>UCLA pro:
-quarter system (fast, get it over with; excellent timing with vacations)
-nicer surrounding area
-nicer weather
-nicer looking campus
-best hospital in the west</p>
<p>UCLA con:
-quarter system (sometimes too fast)
-hilly campus
-competitive, crowded</p>
<p>Cal pro:
-semester system (slower, more time to absorb material)
-the UC to goto (if you're into rankings and such)
-the bay area! (i'm from the bay :D )</p>
<p>Cal con:
-semester system (bad timing, come back from xmas and you have midterms)
-surrounding area (slightly ghetto; hobos galore)
-weather
-hilly campus
-competitive, crowded</p>
<p>It basically depends on what you want. Both are great schools in terms of rankings. Both are great schools in terms of the experience. But the decision comes down to what you like more, not necessarily what's "better". If you like a slighty more competitive rainy gloomy but Bay Area hella chill kinda atmosphere, go for Cal. If you like a slightly more laid back, warm, always something going on cause it's LA busy kinda atmosphere, go to UCLA.</p>
<p>Seriously, my decision was between UCLA and Cal (only schools I got into actually) and this was the entire thought process behind my decision: (And I'm not even joking about this.)</p>
<p>Me: I don't want to live 40 mins from home. So I guess I'm going to UCLA.</p>
<p>The end.</p>
<p>I can beat that thought process. </p>
<p>Me: UCLA looks prettier. The end. </p>
<p>(So sue me, I'm shallow. But honestly, UCLA and Cal had comparable programs, so it was a toss-up between which UC "clicked" better with me. I just had a better feeling with UCLA.)</p>
<p>Cal cons: Ugly, cold,grey, homeless, Bay Area :D , major funding issues, overrated</p>
<p>As everyone else said, biggest factor is quarter/semester system. Quarter systems are fast, but you have more chances to make up a bad quarter. Semester is slower and you have more time to absorb, but you have less chances to make up bad grades.</p>
<p>With the newly-adopted holistic admissions policy and the Tasergate protests, UCLA is becoming more and more like the southern branch of UCB, as it was originally meant to be. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>...hurrah? :confused:</p>
<p>
[quote]
-semester system (bad timing, come back from xmas and you have midterms)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This just isn't true. The term ends prior to the winter break. You must be confusing Berkeley with Harvard or something. ;)</p>
<p>hrmm...i must be thinking of spring break then.</p>
<p>haha alright thanks for all the replies everyone. The thing is, I live in New York, and theres pretty much no chance that I will be able to visit either campus. Berkeley originally caught my eye because it was rated #1 public, but from what I've heard, it gets most of its prestige from the graduate level research. UCLA isn't that far behind on the rankings, but I don't go by just the rankings. I want to be in a more chill atmosphere where a lot of work still gets done, but I'm also afraid that Berkeley has a better reputation, which means it will be easier for me to get into medical school from there.</p>
<p>"but I'm also afraid that Berkeley has a better reputation, which means it will be easier for me to get into medical school from there."</p>
<p>errr not exactly. it will be equally as hard to get to medical school from just about any college in the US</p>
<p>however, ucla does send the most applicants to med school every year</p>
<p>~700 apply, ~300 get in</p>
<p>kLuo28,</p>
<p>You're very unlikely to see a huge difference in your prospects at UCLA or Cal.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Berkeley originally caught my eye because it was rated #1 public, but from what I've heard, it gets most of its prestige from the graduate level research.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Like Harvard/Stanford/etc, it's mostly the faculty/ faculty research that get the prestige. Grad students are just students- faculty members are far more prominent. Of course, some graduate students are the future star profs, but they are few anywhere. The best faculty are the stars at the top research schools.</p>
<p>If u got into the University of Michigan, UCLA, and Cal-Berkeley where would u go?</p>
<p>UCLA. But I already made that choice years ago. ;)</p>
<p>N/A for UMich.....but between the other two...I chose UCLA :D</p>
<p>Probably Cal.</p>