<p>UCLA vs. USC
Pros? Cons?
Public? Private
Size?
Environment?
Academics?
Departments?</p>
<p>i had the same decision to make but instantly chose UCLA</p>
<p>both are great schools, but UCLA you are paying less and its in a far better location. certain programs you might opt for USC, and if you like frats and football games. otherwise, UCLA hands down.</p>
<p>haha for the love of peace and sanity on this board, use the search function :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I also thought about USC vs UCLA but its cheaper, far better location, and its better for my major (elec. eng.)</p>
<p>okay, since I got the presidential scholarship for USC, both schools would cost the same. Which school should I go to? If i want to go to medical school and want to have a good chance of getting into the best research medical schools, which school should I pick? (when financially they are the same)</p>
<p>Oh by the way, is it possible for a student at UCLA to get school-sponsored scholarships for high academic performance?</p>
<p>I got presidential scholarship to USC and accepted to UCLA (no scholarship) so money is about the same (I'm out of state). Plan on med school...which one is a better pick UCLA or USC.</p>
<p>Don't really care about the location issue at USC.</p>
<p>Please comment.</p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=135736%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=135736</a> :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Some majors that are better at USC: film, communications, business, architecture, music. They're also better at football and a few other sports I think. Other than all those things, I honestly don't believe USC has anything on UCLA. The greek life/on campus party scene is MUCH more intense there, and if that's something you'd like then seirously consider the school. The alumni network only means something in So-Cal and if you're looking for work in So-Cal. I have no idea why people see this as some contrasting factor to UCLA though. UCLA students are just as actively recruited, and there is also a huge network, it's really not that hard to seek it out. </p>
<p>Minus football fans, USC doesn't have nearly as much fame or prestige, particularly academic prestige as UCLA does country or worldwide, if that means anything to you. </p>
<p>bnd123, UCLA has a much tougher, much more competitive pre-med program. I know someone that picked USC over UCLA (even though she got a scholarship to UCLA and nothing to SC) because she was worried it might be too hard and impersonal? </p>
<p>Visit both schools. Each campus has a very distinct feel and atmosphere about it. Both are very different. I'll admit though, I didn't go with the school I felt most comfortable or secure in, I went with the one that seemed more exciting and challenging. (For me the latter was UCLA and I'm very happy with my choice.)</p>
<p>
Where else but USC do they let you declare "football" as your major... :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I've visited the UCLA campus once and thought it was amazing. How does the USC campus compare? (I'm also deciding between the two schools)</p>
<p>The USC campus is about half the size of the UCLA campus (235 acres vs. 419 acres excluding the UCLA Medical Center), and is much more flat and linearly arranged than the UCLA campus. The architecture at both schools is the same, and the main quad area is about the same size as well. The housing and surrounding neighborhood at USC is much worse though. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>USC is superior in business and has much better alumni connections/networking.</p>
<p>Football may not be so great this year at SC...</p>
<p>Anyone else see or hear the news last night at about their Freshman Quarterback Mark Sanchez getting arrested by LAPD for alledgedly sexually assaulting a student? And their other quarterback Bootie (?) is still not a for sure thing, recovering from back surgery.</p>
<p>About the alumni connections, UCLA has 3x more living alumni than USC does.</p>
<p>If you look at US News Graduate School for MBAs, there is a category called recruiter assessment, what companies think of your school.</p>
<p>UCLA and UC berkeley got scores of 4.0 and 4.1 or something like that. I remember they were in the low 4.0s with 0.1 difference. USC on the other hand got a recruiter assessment score of 3.0.</p>
<p>UCLA and Berkeley are respected in the eyes of recruiters. When you move out of the USC alumni network, things aren't so bright for Trojans.</p>
<p>UCs are cheaper and better... end of discussion</p>
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UCs are cheaper and better... end of discussion
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<p>Not quite. For some privates are cheaper, yes, even USC, and some programs are better at USC.</p>
<p>"About the alumni connections, UCLA has 3x more living alumni than USC does."</p>
<p>Living alumni has nothing to do with alumni connections. If alumni do not donate to the school nor foster and encourage career placements when they hold sway, then living alumni count is useless. The University of Texas-Austin has faaaar more living alumni than Notre Dame. Are you to say that UT offers better alumni connections? There's a reason USC is known for its alumni; other than Notre Dame, it has the most alumni clubs worldwide. Compared to UCLA, it has almost as many alumni groups just overseas as UCLA does in total. USC also receives far more in alumni giving each year, despite UCLA having, yes, 3x more living alumni. What do you think that says about alumni's feelings for their alma mater?</p>
<p>Before I get flamed, please note that I'm not saying USC is better; rather, I'm refuting the claim that having more living alumni makes a difference. IMO, choosing between USC and UCLA should come down to costs, and strength of intended program/major. In most other respects, student body caliber, student body type, atmosphere, etc. etc. there very alike. Perhaps that last reason alone is why sometimes the rivalry gets so intense.</p>
<p>"If you look at US News Graduate School for MBAs, there is a category called recruiter assessment, what companies think of your school.</p>
<p>UCLA and UC berkeley got scores of 4.0 and 4.1 or something like that. I remember they were in the low 4.0s with 0.1 difference. USC on the other hand got a recruiter assessment score of 3.0.</p>
<p>UCLA and Berkeley are respected in the eyes of recruiters. When you move out of the USC alumni network, things aren't so bright for Trojans."</p>
<p>i would like to take a moment out of my very important and expensive time to respond to this common misconception. but before i do that, let me tell you some of the oppurtunities USC has given me this summer. i have had multiple internship offers, among them:</p>
<p>-harvey and co. (M&A shop in newprt beach)
-sanjo investments (commercial real estate, its actually my top choice right now because its exactly what i want to do)
-northwestern financial (this is a structured program)
-morgan stanley (i turned down an offer from them before b/c they wanted me to work during school, this was not a structered program. 4 people from my fraternity have worked with MS)
-GOLDMAN SACHS (frat connections help sometimes: one of our bro's real brother heads west coast operations while my old pledge bro's uncle is an MD, he got an offer too. i know of 7 people at USC who got offers from GS, 3 of them being in my fratenrity. the job is in downtown HQ, but is not really a tsructered program.)</p>
<p>theres a couple more, i just cant remeber. as yoou read that, i want to you to think how mnay job offer you had this summer as a ucla student. and where.</p>
<p>now, bcak on topic: so you say icla and berk are more respected than USC? well wall street journal would actually disagree. according to there rankings (which by the way are sourced from recruiters and only recruiters) USC is nationally ranked 10.</p>
<p>"The Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California is the only new National school in the latest ranking, in 10th place." </p>
<p>"The Wall Street Journal and Harris Interactive contacted recruiters by e-mail and/or regular mail, using names and contact information provided by the business schools. Each recruiter was sent the online survey's Web address and a unique password to ensure that no recruiter could take the survey more than once." </p>
<p>"The results of The Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Recruiter Year 5 Survey are based on a total sample of 3,267 recruiters."</p>
<p>berk was 7th, a slim difference if you respect the national scope. ucla barely made the list at 19, unfortunately. the rnakings stop at 19. ucla was also ranked 19th back in 2003 and 2004 by recruiters.</p>
<p>see for yourslef: <a href="http://www.careerjournal.com/reports/bschool/20050921-table-national.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.careerjournal.com/reports/bschool/20050921-table-national.html</a></p>
<p>usnews is old news. the street could give two ****s about usnews. usnews actually ranks ut autsin's program on par with marshall for undergrad, how inept can you get.</p>
<p>now, ill tell you a little story about a cousin of mine who just wrapped up his studies at ucla's anderson school. he would actually come over to USC's career center and pretend to be a usc student b/c he thought our career center was much better. as of present, i have more job offers than he does. </p>
<p>the irony must hurt.</p>
<p>and oh ya, i was transfer student coming from uc irvine. USC gave me so much cash, its cheaper for me here than at irvine. so the money argument is really moot, as it depnds on a case by case basis.</p>