I was recently admitted to both UCLA and WashU, and I have no idea which school to pick! I live in CA so UCLA is definitely the more economical choice, and is ideal in terms of the weather, city, and the school spirit. However, I am scared that there are too many students and I won’t get into the classes/majors that I want, because I am still not sure what I want to major in. WashU would give me this opportunity to explore, taking classes across schools and also allowing me to take a gap year (which UCLA does not allow). However, it lacks school spirit, socioeconomic diversity, has poor weather, and is not located near a great city. I know students at both schools who love their schools very much, I just don’t know which one is best for me.
If you are seeking socioeconomic diversity, school spirit, and good weather, then UCLA is the clear choice.
Also, COA is about $73,000 per year at WashUStL, while just under $30,000 per year at UCLA.
First of all, congratulations on two excellent acceptances.
What determined whether you get the classes you want isn’t the number of undergraduates per se. It depends on the faculty/student ratio, and preferred class size.
WashU would be more likely to have small classes, which, on one hand, allows for a more personal experience, but, on the other hand, increases the likelihood that classes which you want will be full, even though their faculty/student ratio is better than UCLAs
So, while the number of undergraduates and the class sizes are important differences between UCLA and WashU, neither is better or worse at availability of classes.
However, you have no bad choice here. WashU is an excellent college, with a great reputation for undergraduate teaching, while UCLA is, arguably, one of the best universities in the USA.
Students at both are super smart and ambitious, but you will find many more very wealthy White kids at WashU than at UCLA. WashU is more geared up to provide a more supportive environment on part of the faculty, while UCLA treats you more as an adult making your own decisions. WashU likely makes finding undergraduate research opportunities easier, but UCLA has far more of them, and has far more major research projects.
Basically, if you feel that you need more support and a more “nurturing” environment, WashU may be better for you. However, if you do much better on your own, and are good at taking advantage of available opportunities, even those which are not immediately obvious, UCLA is the better place.
Regarding "creature comforts (often overlooked), UCLA has far better weather, while WashU has far better food and accommodations.
WashU is also very Midwestern and East Coast, while UCLA is very West Coast.