USC versus UCLA

College Search & Selection
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<p>Recently I just got accepted into both USC (Annenberg) and UCLA (Letters and Science) and I'm having trouble deciding where to go. I'm stuck in the middle and I want to go to both equally, I just never thought about it because I honestly wasn't expecting any acceptances from either school. Just wanted to hear some advice on which school is better!</p>

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<p>This topic has been beaten to death on CC over the years. Perhaps you need to start off with a search on these boards, and then come back and ask your questions.</p>

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<p>Are the financial packages similar?</p>

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<p>tsdad: I did look at the other forums but those are generally from 2008 or even earlier. I want newer perspective because a lot has changed about these two schools over the past two years.</p>

<p>siliconvalleymom: Yes the financial packages are similar. There is not a huge difference although UCLA is a bit cheaper but not so much that it would effect my decision.</p>

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<p>If the financial packages are similar, go with USC</p>

<p>They are both great schools and UCLA has been a good school for many years but USC has so much more upside. UCLA is facing severe budget issues but USC has so much money to really rise in the future. </p>

<p>Annenberg = well respected in its industry</p>

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<p>I would be on the fence also if the choice were UCLA v. USC for many majors. However, Annenberg would tip it in favor of USC. USC in general is more pre-professional in its orientation and support systems.</p>

7

<p>They are both great schools. I love UCLA and I hope to transfer there, but for you I say go to USC because financial aid isn’t an issue. Also, you’re in at Annenberg. Communication is extremely impacted at UCLA so there’s a good chance you won’t be admitted into the major…unless you’re ok with English or some other related major. USC is such a fun school and the alumni network is amazing. USC is also more diverse and seems to keep moving up in the rankings. I predict UCLA will stay where it’s at and USC will keep climbing.</p>

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<p>I think SMCGuy’s explanation is excellent wrt the things that may (do) apply to you: your being int’l and a non-resident per your first post; your desire to attend either being ~ equal; your being admitted to L&S, rather than Comm at UCLA, etc. Comm majors at UCLA have amazing options, but as SMC said, the major is really impacted. UCLA is also more grad oriented also undoubtedly.</p>

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<p>Choosing between UCLA and USC is kind of like choosing between diamonds and gold. Both of them are listed on the Princeton Review’s Top 10 Dream Schools list. </p>

<p>[College</a> Applicants’ Top 10 Dream Colleges: Princeton Review List](<a href=“College Applicants' Top 10 Dream Colleges: Princeton Review List | HuffPost College”>College Applicants' Top 10 Dream Colleges: Princeton Review List | HuffPost College)</p>

<p>Take a stroll through each campus and try to imagine yourself as a student there. And don’t rush your decision, you will have to be on campus at least 4 years, so make sure that the choice feels right.</p>

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<p>Admittance to Annenberg is tough to beat! USC is well known for it’s School of Journalism and you can’t beat it. UCLA is a great university but as someone else stated, the California budget cuts are impacting the public universities so that it is taking longer for many students to graduate in the typical ‘four-year’ time-frame. USC has a wonderful Alumni network support system also. The two colleges are very different however. Though both are large, UCLA is spread out and feels much larger than USC. USC is a compact campus and feels much smaller than the number of students enrolled. It’s really where you feel at ‘home’ the most. The ‘better school’ is the one where you feel at home the most. You don’t say if you’ve visited either or both schools. If you have the opportunity to attend the admitted student days, take them. It can help you picture yourself on campus. You also don’t mention where you’re coming from…a large high school, small town? etc. I came from a rather small high school and for me personally, UCLA was just too large when I visited the campus. USC felt great though and I chose USC. It was the best choice for me and it was the right one.</p>

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<p>… and to the OP…</p>

<p>Prior to the budget problems, it took a typical UCLA student a bit more than four years to graduate, ~ four + one quarter. We’ll have to see if this holds or time to graduate is extended because of the budgetary cuts. Here are some statistics somewhat related to this topic:</p>

<p>Those entering in 2003:</p>

<p>USC, 88% Graduated, 7% Transferred Out</p>

<p>UCLA, 89% Graduation, N/R Transferred Out, I’d imagine most of those unaccounted for 11% will have taken longer or flunked out because UCLA takes more at-risk students.</p>

<p>Of course we can’t predict for those who have yet to enter college, the class of ~ 2015. Hopefully UCLA will keep us updated as to the progress of these new students towards their degrees, with class availability, etc. But the u should note that schools like LMU, USC, Pepperdine will hold the budgetary items over its head until the administration addresses them.</p>

<p>Wrt to campus feel, both are urban campuses; both are in LA proper. UCLA is indeed the larger campus wrt enrollment and acreage. Campus location: USC is in more of a gritty urban setting and the school has expanded beyond the four very large streets taht surround it, Fig, Expo, Vermont, and Jeff. But the main campus will always be within those four large streets. UCLA is in the elegant Westside of LA, and the school is hilly with a lot of foliage and more expansive spread-out feel, even if it is only 419 acres. It feels more spread out because in comparison, USC is so tightly compacted with buildings.</p>

<p>Yes, if OP wants journalism without grad studies (or even with), then USC would be better. (The OP noted that he/she was from China in his/her first post in another thread.) But, again, UCLA Comm Studies majors have great options, somewhat related to J, but more general in scope of studies, not tightly confined as J would be, with a wide array of professional prospects, added to the same wrt grad studies, Law, J, MBA, etc. In fact a good option for the OP might be UCLA for undergrad, say, English, then USC Annenberg for grad. My advice to the OP is take an undergrad degree in something different than grad, if this is your intent to go to grad school. If not, then USC Annenberg would be great. </p>

<p>And wrt USC ascending rankings and UCLA being ~ static: </p>

<p>The lone report that has USC > UCLA is USN’s National Rankings. USC has worked the variables to this specific ranking to ascend them. UCLA is indifferent to them, eg, fairly indifferent to SAT, which has large weights in USN. But on an individual hs basis, specifically, the good to excellent high schools, UCLA students have greater stats (grades/scores) than USC students. USC possibly surpasses UCLA in mean SAT because UCLA will take more at-risk students. Both probably have two-tiered admissions wrt enrolled student stats: USC for merit students and non-merit full-payers; UCLA for those from good high schools and those from bad high schools. </p>

<p>USC would probably be a better option for non-CA students, and UCLA for in-staters, generally. If money isn’t an issue (oddly enough for UCLA, a public university, which tries to even the field wrt monetary background, a seeming contradiction since the school is seeking non-resident full-payers), go with your heart.</p>

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<p>

USC financial aid packages have not yet been released, so what information are you using to compare packages?</p>