So I was admitted to both USC and UCLA for the Fall of 2016. I was admitted to USC Dornsife with the major of Philosophy, Politics and Law and at UCLA I was admitted into the College of Letters and Science as undeclared. In the future I hope to attend law school as my goal is to become a lawyer and have my own law firm. USC has always been my dream school, but after visiting UCLA I also fell in love with the school. The campus was amazing and I loved the environment. I am indecisive about what school I should attend; USC is about 15k and UCLA is about 6k. The difference is not huge, but I do not feel right putting that amount of money upon my dad as he is the one that is paying for my education so I really believe UCLA is my best option. I have heard that the pre-law program at USC is great, but I have also heard that UCLA is on about the same level but I am not so sure. If it is not too much to ask, can I hear your opinion in regards to my situation? Thank you!
They are both amazing schools, and are quite similar. You will receive an amazing education at both. If you live in California, try to visit them both, if you can: go where your gut tells you, where you could really see yourself living for four years of your life.
Trust your dad. If he tells you the extra money for USC isn’t a big deal, trust him to know what he can and cannot afford. However, if he is worried about the extra tuition and has told you his worries about the increased price at USC, then perhaps UCLA is the better option for you.
Thank you so much! I just visited both campuses this past week and they were both beautiful. I absolutely fell in love with UCLA’s campus and the surrounding area seems much safer than USC’s. I’m just a little worried that I will not receive the same opportunities as a USC alumni in terms of internships and such.
Check out the following thread, perhaps it will answer some of your questions:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/198112-ucla-vs-usc-decision.html
OP seems to be in a similar position as you financially. The majority weighed in UCLA > USC.
Perhaps USC has a stronger alumni network, but the UCLA name is definitely much better known, both nationally and worldwide, as well as having a decent alumni network. I would venture to say the UCLA name would be more useful in getting a job than the USC alumni network, but that is only my impression, please know that I have minimal experience with either school.
I’m not going to lie – USC has the stronger alumni network. Whether that will pay off for you depends on many things including who you meet and whether you plan to stay in So CA. Otherwise, there’s really no benefit to spending that much more for USC, and if you’re talking about that much per year, that’s a significant amount.
Keep in mind you can major in anything and go to law school, and if you look up the statistics on acceptance rates to law school by undergrad major, you’ll find that those with “pre-law” majors (criminal justice, etc.) are lower than almost any other major.
If your gut is telling you that UCLA is a better “fit” for you, I’d go with your gut. You’re likely to do better in an environment you’re happier in. Then if you are absolutely certain you want to go to law school, major in what you enjoy the most and have the most passion for because you are more likely to get the best grades in something you really enjoy, and those grades will pay off when you apply to law school. People who pick difficult majors in things they don’t enjoy sometimes find the law school door closed to them.
Good luck!
UCLA has a higher ranking for law school: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings.
Law school rankings don’t matter when you’re choosing an undergraduate school.
UCLA has a great alumni network, too - it’s very large with a very long list of prominent alumni connected in all kinds of careers. If you feel UCLA is a better fit for you then you should go there.
Both are great schools. UCLA has long been top 20-25. USC has come a huge way in catching up over the years. I was accepted to both ages ago and given a scholarship to USC but back then UCLA was far ahead. I agree USC seems to have a better alumni network – as a public school UCLA doesn’t really nurture it’s alumni base well. While both campuses are nice, UCLA is unequivocally in a better location. Did you drive around the area at USC? If you go to UCLA, consider trying to get into the Comm Studies major. It’s super popular so you have to apply in Spring of Sophomore year and have a high GPA. But at least half of the grads go onto law school and it has a great reputation with top law programs. And while it’s true per the previous poster that it doesn’t technically matter than UCLA has a better law school as an undergrad, in m y experience there are ways of making it an advantage. For example, a few undergrad classes are taught by faculty from the law, business and film schools. Take those, make an impression on a professor, etc. In any event, you can’t go wrong either way.