I have Cal degree, D at UCLA, live in midwest smack in Big10 territory. I agree that choosing on nonacademic factors is fine, happiness is critical to academic sucess. The schools are very different, B10 schools are very white, Cal is 45% asian, UCLA 40+% asian. Off campus the Bay Area is one of the great cultural centers of the country, but they will all have great on campus offerings. Off campus housing very expensive in CA, I think more variety and more interesting at Cal. Some think SoCal bland and superficial, others think NorCal grungey and radically liberal.