UCSD vs. UCLA?

<p>So my parents really want me to go to UCSD’s Bioengineering program, and the only way they’ll let me go to UCLA is if I present a case that can prove UCLA is better.
So I know UCSD’s Bioengineering program is one of the best in the country, and UCLA is like number 40. That’s kinda the information they’re looking at.
Anyone know any information about UCLA’s program? Why it’s better than UCSD’s, specifically?</p>

<p>Ranking for undergraduate engineering overall (not program specific) Your two schools are tied (along with quite a few others).</p>

<ol>
<li><pre><code>Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. (NY)
</code></pre>

<p>Rice University (TX) </p>

<p>Univ. of California Los Angeles * </p>

<p>Univ. of California San Diego * </p>

<p>Univ. of Minnesota Twin Cities * </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Ranking from US New premium online edition</p>

<pre><code>University of Washington *
</code></pre>

<p>Undergraduate engineering specialties:
Biomedical / Biomedical Engineering (UCLA doesn't make the list)</p>

<ol>
<li><pre><code> Johns Hopkins University (MD)
</code></pre></li>
<li><p>Duke University (NC)</p></li>
<li><p>Univ. of California San Diego *</p></li>
<li><p>Georgia Institute of Technology *</p>

<p>Massachusetts Inst. of Technology </p></li>
<li><p>University of Pennsylvania </p></li>
<li><p>Case Western Reserve Univ. (OH)</p></li>
<li><p>University of Michigan?Ann Arbor *</p></li>
<li><p>Boston University </p></li>
<li><p>University of Washington *</p></li>
<li><p>Rice University (TX)</p></li>
<li><p>Northwestern University (IL)</p>

<p>University of California?Berkeley *</p></li>
<li><p>Stanford University (CA)</p></li>
<li><p>Vanderbilt University (TN)</p></li>
<li><p>Washington University in St. Louis </p></li>
<li><p>Univ. of Wisconsin Madison *</p>

<p>University of Virginia *</p></li>
<li><p>U. of Illinois?Urbana-Champaign *</p>

<p>University of Texas Austin *</p></li>
<li><p>University of California Davis *</p>

<p>Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. (NY)</p></li>
<li><p>Tulane University (LA)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Rankings from US News premium online edition</p>

<p>I was looking for something that could help my case. My parents already flaunted all this information in my face, even before I knew where I got accepted.
But thanks anyway.</p>

<p>Uhm, in all honesty, when my friend went to the orientation last year, he said they were just starting to piece it together. I don't know, though, since I'm in the same seat. I'm going for med school, so I want to go to a better school, but if you ARE going to be a bioengineer, it might be a better idea to go to UCSD/Berkeley for your graduate studies instead, since that's what the rankings are for.</p>

<p>maybe you shoulda told them you got rejected from SD? if all they care is the rankings...its gonna be tough to convice them. tell them there is more to life than just the major and if you are at a school you dont like, you wont do well in it regardless if they have higher ranking or not. "mom/dad, dont you want me to be happy? its 4 years of my life and im young! i want to play hard and study hard. and at _________ i will be able to do that". hopefully your parents will give it some thought, or else theyre just plain mean :[</p>

<p>hmm...well, the reason i chose UCSD over UCLA was because I was a bio major (im a freshmen at the UCSD by the way)</p>

<p>well, a year later, im not a bio major anymore, how bout that? i kinda wish i would have gone to UCLA. dont get me wrong UCSD is a great school, but the UCLA campus life is appealing. :)</p>

<p>Well, you could just say that UCLA is a higher ranked school overall.</p>

<p>A good friends son is graduating from USC this year with a degree in bioengineering and he is stressed. The discipline is so new that jobs for this area of specialization are scarce. Dad now says he wished son had persued a more broad area of engineering. He could still be qualified for jobs in bioengineering without the bioengineering degree. You might want to do research on your chosen specialization. Then you could point out that you will most likely switch to another discipline of engineering and UCLA is ranked the same overall as UCSD.</p>

<p>Umm I didn't get into UCLA and in a way it's better because it makes my decision that much easier. haha.</p>

<p>You know what though, shouldn't this be your decision and not your parents'?
I mean it's you spending 4 years of your life there. I know gotta listen to your parents especially if they pay for it but still.</p>

<p>Anyway, what you didn't tell us is why you don't want to go to UCSD.</p>