<p>Hello blueman, I’m the parent of a high school senior who applied to both UCLA and Wesleyan, and she was accepted to UCLA and wait-listed at Wesleyan. I have a lot of experience with both schools, as I grew up in Connecticut and lived on the east coast of the U.S. most of my life, but have lived in southern California for the past 10 years. Several of my family members attended Wesleyan and several attended UCLA so I’ve heard many opinions about both schools and have visited both frequently. </p>
<p>My daughter is probably going to attend UCLA next year although she’s also weighing one other offer from a smaller liberal arts school in the northeast U.S. so she is making a decision similar to yours. She loves the international feel of UCLA and I also think she’s attracted a very large university where she can feel somewhat “anonymous” for awhile, be independent in an exciting, fast-paced institution with lots of great opportunities, and develop her own identity.</p>
<p>As you’ve heard from others, UCLA and Wesleyan are VERY different. As far as prestige, UCLA is more widely recognized throughout the world, but in the U.S., among those who know about good schools, a Wesleyan diploma would probably be considered a slightly more prestigious education. I believe Wesleyan is slightly more difficult to get into for an applicant from the U.S.</p>
<p>I want to correct something that was stated earlier regarding snow. Middletown, CT does not necessarily have “lots of snow” in the winter. Some years, that part of Connecticut will get lots of snow and other years, not very much at all. Many times, it rains or gets icy/slushy in the winter. It will be grey and cold from December-March, but not necessarily very snowy. Whether or not you feel the winters are harsh is also, of course, relative to your current climate and perspective. If you’re already living in a northern climate, you know what it feels like to experience all four seasons - fall, winter, spring and summer, with all of the positives and negatives of each season. This is similar to what it will be like at Wesleyan, and some people actually prefer that experience to the relatively constant temperatures in Los Angeles. </p>
<p>However, Middletown does not generally have winters as harsh as, for example, Vermont, Maine, Canada, and even schools near Boston, which are further north and generally receive more snowfall…maybe you would not notice the difference, but I grew up in southwestern Connecticut (45 miles north of NYC) and then went to college in Vermont and got my first job in Boston, and the difference in snowfall and harshness of winters was definitely noticeable between those 3 places even though they’re in the same general part of the country. NYC winters are generally not as harsh as northern Connecticut, which are not as harsh as Massachusetts, which are not as harsh as Vermont, etc…the further north you are, the more snowfall there will generally be. Again, it’s all relative to the climate where you live now and the particular year since some years get coastal storms where other years the storms tend to come from inland.</p>
<p>Middletown is not a very exciting place in itself as an older New England city, kind of a gritty place that used to be a factory town, but it has character and could be considered quaint. Lots of older brick, medium-sized buildings. As you know, it is in between NYC and Boston so there’s easy access to big cities by train. The cities of New York and Boston obviously provide a big-city urban experience so if you’re used to going to cities with hustle/bustle, many high-rise buildings, lots of culture (opera, symphony, plays, ballet, etc, etc) then you can go to NYC or Boston for a weekend and take advantage of all that. However, you will probably not be able to go to either city for a quick visit the same night (or maybe you can if you do don’t mind a 2-hr train ride each way). </p>
<p>In contrast, the City of Los Angeles and the area of Westwood, where UCLA is located, is very different from either Boston or NYC, and to me, doesn’t really feel like a large city. Los Angeles is made up of clusters of little areas…there is a downtown business center, but there are other areas, too, like the beach areas, and other areas with lots of boutiques and shops and restaurants. Then, other areas have large to mid-size businesses and automobile dealerships, and there are many, many freeways with 4-5 lanes of cars. It is gorgeous, sunny weather with palm trees in many places, but also a lot of freeways and concrete, compared to the area around Wesleyan, which is older, more historic and has lots of lawns with green grass, leafy trees (except in winter!) and looks like a classic New England town/city. The area around Wesleyan might seem a little dull and old-fashioned to you compared to the vibrant, sunny, hip area around UCLA, but you do have easy access to NYC, Boston and Yale University in the small city of New Haven is very close (about 30 minutes away) and offers a lot of cultural events, as does Wesleyan, which has a thriving arts scene.</p>
<p>Each university’s academic offerings/styles are also extremely different, as many have said. With Wesleyan, you get smaller classes in general, potentially more personal attention, but with UCLA you are part of a large, student body with worldwide recognition and lots of school spirit, especially at huge sports events (such as at football and basketball games, which are a BIG deal). </p>
<p>There are many websites that can help you compare the two, not only on specifics such as academic rankings and such but also on intangible factors and opinions. One such website is College *******, which you should Google. There’s also a book called the Fiske guide that discusses opinions about school that you might want to buy. </p>
<p>I’ve given you a lot of my random thoughts…sorry it’s so long and scattered. I feel for you because you’re unable to visit and you have such an important decision. These are very different schools so I think you have a lot to consider! Good luck and congratulations on your admission to two extraordinary colleges. Either one you choose, you’ll have lots of great opportunities ahead!!</p>