UVA vs UCLA...plus a question about pre comm

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
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<p>i'm trying to decide between the two and i am completely torn! i visited both campuses and they are so different from each other, I don't know what to do. My major problems with UCLA is that it is on a quarter system and that it has SO many students. UVA has fewer undergrad but it's in charlotessville which is super tiny.</p>

<p>Also, i read somewhere on this board that there is some racial discrimination at UVA? i'm kinda concerned about that too because i am really want a school that has a diverse student body.</p>

<p>Last but not least....does anyone know the acceptance rate for the school of commerce at UVA? What do they look at during admissions?</p>

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<p>If you are instate at either, I strongly recommend going to whichever one you have residency to. If not, your decision is tougher.</p>

<p>You need to ask yourself a few questions. Whats wrong with the quarter system? You won't be doing any more work than in a semester system, however, your breaks may be off compared to most schools. This is a problem if you like going home when most of your HS friends are home.</p>

<p>UVa does have about half the ugrads that UCLA has. I've never been to a school much larger than UVa, so I don't know what its like to have 25000 ugrads, but I can imagine its similar to 13000. I'm guessing the biggest difference is LA vs. Charlottesville. Charlottesville is small, but has soooo much to offer. I have yet to do half of whats available in Cville, and I only have 1 year left. However, if you want big city life, Cville isn't for you. I guess the biggest difference is that UVa is the center of your life while your at school, yet at UCLA, you'll have the ability to live a city life...while going to classes.</p>

<p>Racial discrimination isn't really a problem--like i've said before, i believe its more of a self segregation thing. However, you CAN belong to a very mixed group, it just may not happen naturally...you'll have to be proactive about it.</p>

<p>The comm school admission rate is around 55% or 60%. However, keep in mind, the average GPa is about 3.4, even though the average GPA of a 2nd year is only about 3.0.</p>

<p>Also, I would venture to say if none of this makes your decision easier, decide where you want to be post college. Grad schools will look at UCLA and UVa the same, but if you want to go straight to work on the east coast, UVa will be better, while if you choose to work on the west coast, UCLA will probably be a better choice.</p>

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<p>for the record...i am from out-of-state (thanks for the reply!)</p>

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<p>how hard is it to maintain a 3.5-3.6 at UVa, arent precom classes cut throat competitive (like people sabotaging each other)?</p>

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<p>live2dance, you should visit both schools and decide. Also, consider where you'd like to work after graduation. UVA almost certainly places in the big east coast markets (NYC, Washington DC, Atlanta, etc), while UCLA likely places better in west coast markets (San Fran, LA, etc).</p>

<p>MDT89, pre-comm classes aren't cutthroat. About 70% of applicants from the college end up getting accepted. Not terribly difficult. The difficulty of maintaining a 3.5-3.6 is entirely dependent on the courses you take. Want a 3.5 in math and physics courses? Be prepared to work quite a bit. Want a 3.5 in anthropology and af-am affairs classes? I'll see you at bars this monday night ;) .</p>

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<p>But doesnt UVa know that the class is easy and expect you to get a 3.8+ cause i wanted to do a French major+precom, would they expect me to do extremely well or is it the same standard?</p>

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<p>Just take the required pre-comm classes and whatever else you're interested. You'll be fine.</p>

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<p>I went to UCLA for my MBA--but am encouraging my son to consider UVA's undergraduate commerce school as a transfer. UCLA is a great school, but has no undergraduate business program, just a graduate one. </p>

<p>UVA's school is ranked #2 in Business Week, and #9 in US News and World Report. If you are sure you want to do business, go to UVA. If you want to do other things like Aeronautical Engineering, Linguistics, French Language Studies, Philosophy, Psychology, or Economics, then UCLA is for you. (P.S. And the weather on the west side of LA will be much better than in Charlottesville in the winter)</p>