<p>I was recently accepted to both universities and am having a real tough time deciding which one to choose. I will most be likely double majoring, in math and neuroscience or math and physics. I have heard that Wesleyan has a superb science and math program, and have also heard some good things about UCLA's math(but not much about physics and neuro).
So, where are the academics better? Which has a better reputation for grad schools?</p>
<p>UCLA is superior to Wesleyan in terms of location and weather. However, it seems to be too large. UCLA also seems to be very engrossed in its sports culture. While Wesleyan's student body seems to be more unique, I have heard that it is a bit weird and not for everyone. Wesleyan's average SAT scores are much higher than UCLA's, so I guess smarter people go to Wesleyan. UCLA is a public school and accepts many dumb californian residents so it is really large,so I think Wesleyan's atmosphere would be more intellectual. But I have also heard that Wesleyan students are not as competitive as those at UCLA. But since UCLA is much larger, it has better campus facilities. Unfortunately,since I am an international student I will not be able to visit.
So where is environment better? Which university is more intellectual? What are the unique things about campus life at UCLA or Wesleyan?</p>
<p>I am currently leaning towards Wesleyan, but may end up choosing UCLA . Help please!!!</p>
<p>I am a big proponent of the “best fit” being a huge factor in college choices…UCLA and Wes are dramatically different campus experiences (I was born in LA and grew up there and my son is a happy junior at Wes)…research that angle thoroughly…</p>
<p>I am also going to be studying math at Wesleyan this fall and I am super excited for the academics and the campus life! You will get more personal attention at Wesleyan because it is smaller than UCLA but it’s not as small as most LAC’s so you won’t think it too small. So if both math programs are about the same (don’t really know anything about UCLA academics), you will at least get more attention at Wesleyan. Wesleyan has had a great reputation for ages and has a higher graduation rate than UCLA. Both have good reputations for grad school. In regards to the competitiveness of Wesleyan, it’s not that the students aren’t competitive–they are more relaxed about their work. Work hard and enjoy everything else. Something unique about Wesleyan is its music scene. Ever since a couple of bands formed by Wesleyan students gained fame, the college has attracted more musicians and thus there is never a shortage of music shows on campus. I did some research to compare UCLA to Wesleyan on the surface but I don’t know too much about UCLA. I hope I helped!</p>
<p>I am very familiar with UCLA which is an excellent University – but I couldn’t stress enough how different it is from Wes so I will reiterate what Perilous said, figure out which atmosphere YOU are more likely to thrive in. UCLA has a reasonably big sports and Greek scene —although not near as big of a focus as say USC – but it is a big enough university to accomodate all interests and I’ve known many UCLA students who were happy there and not greek or interested in sports; still those things are one part of the culture so if you are intolerant of that kind of thing, it may be a tougher fit. At UCLA you would experience very big classes (particularly for the first 2-3 years), and significantly less access to professors. Yes the LA weather is great, and the UCLA campus is beautiful. I think I understand your shorthand expression for “dumb Californians,” but the kids who get into UCLA from California are not “dumb” at all (ok, there will be some less stellar students when you look at the atheletes). It is very tough to get into UCLA, even from California. Still, I would have to say that UCLA students as a general group are better described as very smart, rather than intellectual. The UC admissions formula heavily weights grades (and does not distinguish between grades earned at a public high vs. very competitive private high school) so UCLA is heavily made up of kids who worked hard in high school and achieved amazing grades – less of kids who got good grades but rolled out of bed on SAT day and got an amazing score just because they are so darn smart. I think you’ll find more of the later at Wes. But again, UCLA is a big university so there are many niches. You need to figure out where you will be happy and thrive.</p>
<p>Are you serious? I heard Wesleyan is extremely strong in the sciences. It also provides a lot of research opportunities. Could you elaborate a bit please</p>
<p>I think it comes down to personal preference here… both schools will provide you with an excellent education, research opportunities, etc. going forward. They are both excellent schools with good reputations (but as said elsewhere, Wesleyan may have slightly more prestige while UCLA has more name recognition among the general public). </p>
<p>Each has subtle advantages i.e. a wider range of courses offered at UCLA (though Wesleyan does offer >900 courses each semester, so still pretty good) while Wesleyan may provide more personal attention/better grad school recommendations (though there may be chances for personal interaction at UCLA as well).</p>
<p>Weather and size are two big factors here… do you want always sunny and warm California, or the blossoming trees/fall foliage/snow of the seasonal weather of Connecticut? Do you want a school where you can hide among the crowd and have more “personal space” (UCLA) or where you will always walk past friends on the way to class, see people you know in the dining hall, and everyone lives on campus (Wesleyan)?</p>
<p>I’m biased (I went to Wes) and I will say that Wesleyan has the advantages of both worlds, having the personal interactions of a small liberal arts college while having the science graduate program-level research of a much larger school. The size is also such that it is not stifling but yet still intimate (some LACs are as small as 1,200-1,600 students, while Wesleyan is 2,800).</p>
<p>About the only thing you lose by going to Wesleyan is general lay public knowledge of the school you attend. However, rest assured, grad programs all over the US (including California) know Wesleyan well and all of the academic strengths that go along with it.</p>
<p>As for Wesleyan’s “uniqueness” it simply means there’s a wide range of interests on campus i.e. it’s very likely that other people on campus share your interests. Wesleyan’s student culture isn’t as “extreme” as its stereotype makes it out to be.</p>