<p>In about a week and a half I will become a senior at my high school and obviously senior year means college applications. But before I go on I would like to let you all know a little more about myself so that you can help me out. I live midwest and there aren't many good universities around my area so I will be apply to lots of colleges out of states. My first choice school is UCLA but I know that it is a very difficult to get in as an out of states applicant. Others have advised me to also apply to Berkeley, USC, and University of Virginia. I don't know too much about those three schools. Are they similar to UCLA? What's your impression on each of these other schools. I willing to look beyond UCLA but I only have a few week to finalize my list and begin working on my application. Thanks a lot everyone.</p>
<p>(Incoming UCLA student) Personally I think UCLA is a perfect combination of an assortment of things to look for in a college. It has the academics, athletics, club activities, parties, etc. Your really can’t go wrong with UCLA and you probably know that since its your first choice school. Now since your out of states, I wouldn’t know what your chances are without your gpa, sats, essays, etc.</p>
<p>Berkeley is also a great school but its much more rigorous academically. I think the competition is very fierce but again if you enjoy studying then you are sure to find your outlet at Berkeley.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about USC except that as a Bruin you should really hate them.</p>
<p>University of Virginia from what I know is a predominately Caucasian school where students dress more formally than other schools. Virginia is also a good school but in my opinion is not as good as UCLA or Berkeley. </p>
<p>All in all, if I were you apply to all of them as they are all pretty similar. If you get into all of them, I would chose UCLA if I were you.</p>
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<p>Are you serious? There’s Northwestern, UIUC, Michigan, Wisconsin-Madison, Chicago, Case Western, Notre Dame, and WUSTL. The rest of the Big Ten is also good.</p>
<p>Anyways, Berkeley is more sciency, more cutthroat than UCLA with a lot less emphasis on sports. USC is a private UCLA. UVa has a more “conservative” and “private” feel to it than UCLA. UCLA is the most awesome school ever (next to BC, my alma mater, of course).</p>
<p>Please be aware that as an OOS student you will be full pay at UCLA and UCB, and most likely at UVA as well (last I saw they did have some scholarships for top OOS applicants).</p>
<p>Thank you for all the replies. I’m fully aware of the cost of attending a school like UCLA or Berkeley.</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>Berkeley is the better UCLA, while USC is the weaker UCLA.
I can’t comment on UVa. </p>
<p>Berkeley is worth the extra bucks, if you’re OOS or International. It’s an amazing school with global reputation. Go to Berkeley if you can hack it, but neither UCLA nor USC would be a bad alternative if you can’t get into Berkeley.</p>
<p>Berkeley is better than UCLA in academics but not by much for the undergrad level. Other than that UCLA is better in my opinion. UCLA is definitely better than UVA and USC. </p>
<p>Check this out:</p>
<p>Here are 25 major reasons why attending UCLA is so special:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>UCLA finished as the #1 overall Collegiate Athletic Program of the 20th Century and is #1 in the 2000’s in overall NCAA titles won.</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA enters the 2008-09 academic year with 103 NCAA team championships, more than any other school in the country. All 103 championships have been won since 1950. No school can match UCLA’s variety of successful teams.</p></li>
<li><p>Since the 1976 Olympics, UCLA has produced more Olympians and Olympic Medals than any other university. UCLA was #1 in overall gold medals won among all colleges since 1976. From the 1984 Olympics in LA to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, UCLA would have been 5th overall as its own country in gold medals won.</p></li>
<li><p>Since 1998, UCLA has been the nation’s most popular university to attend, with over 50,000 applications for admission currently. More students apply here than any other college for UCLA’s 5,000 admission spots per school year. The average student applying has over a 4.0 gpa and combined SAT over 2000.</p></li>
<li><p>In the U.S. News & World Report surveys on top academic universities across the nation, UCLA is among the Top 4 public universities and top 25 overall. UCLA has five times as many individual academic departments ranked in the Top 10 as its cross-town rival USC. In fact, UCLA had over 60 more departments ranked in the Top 20 in the annual academic survey. Several UCLA academic departments rank with the Ivy Leagues in overall recognition and prestige. Newsweek has called UCLA “the hottest mega-university in the country.”</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA won the National Championship in football in 1954. The Bruin men’s basketball team has won a record 11 NCAA titles, more than any other university. The Bruins have appeared in more championship games than any other school. UCLA won the 1978 Women’s Basketball National Collegiate Championship, the first major university to ever do so in front of a record crowd of 9,351 that stood for 8 years. UCLA is one of only a handful of universities that have won national championships in football and basketball.</p></li>
<li><p>The most successful active team coach in NCAA history is UCLA’s Al Scates, with a record 19 NCAA men’s volleyball titles. Scates is believed to be the only current NCAA coach to have won titles in five decades - 60’s (two USVBA’s), 70’s (seven NCAA’s), 80’s (six NCAA’s) and 90’s (four NCAA’s) and the first title of the new millennium (2000) plus another title in 2006. He was the first volleyball coach to 1,000 career victories.</p></li>
<li><p>Since the early 1970’s, UCLA has lost only one head coach to another Division I university. This stability in coaching is because UCLA is the nation’s No. 1 school to desire to be a head coach. If a head coach leaves UCLA, it is usually for a position in professional sports.</p></li>
<li><p>If you add the current UCLA professional players in major league baseball, pro football, pro basketball, pro soccer, pro tennis, pro golf and pro beach volleyball, there are more Bruin representatives playing professionally than any other school by a wide margin.</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA alumni are known world-wide for their success from entertainment to medicine to business to education to politics. The UCLA name is in more media publications and on television and radio every day than any other college in the world. Academy Award and Emmy Winners are from UCLA; Nobel Prize winners are from UCLA; new discoveries in medicine happen annually at UCLA. UCLA is constantly in the public eye.</p></li>
<li><p>The internet was invented at UCLA. This university awards more doctoral degrees to minority students than any other college. UCLA was the first university in the Western United States at which open-heart surgery was performed. UCLA’s Medical Center has been ranked No. 1 on the West Coast every year since 1989. It is the #1 on-campus college facility in the nation.</p></li>
<li><p>Since national athletic department overall sports rankings began in 1971, UCLA is one of two universities to be ranked in the Top 10 every year. UCLA was honored 21 times as the #1 men’s or women’s program, more than any other university. UCLA was honored 21 times as the No. 1 men’s or No. 1 women’s program, more than double of any other university. The first time a combined athletic program was recognized, it was UCLA. Since the Director’s Cup rankings began in 1993-94, UCLA has ranked in the Top 6 every year, a record matched by only one other university.</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA is the only university to produce an NFL player who has helped his team win three consecutive Super Bowls – Ken Norton, Jr. – and the first quarterback to win three Super Bowls in four years – Troy Aikman. In only three years in Super Bowl history has UCLA not had a player in the game. Most of the previous years UCLA has had a member of the championship team.</p></li>
<li><p>On the USA Women’s Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (AVP), a UCLA player has been in the championship match of either the men’s or women’s finals over 80% of the time from 1993-2004. During that same time frame, a UCLA player won over 75% of the men’s and women’s events on the pro tour. More players have come from UCLA than any other college in the world to participate in the Olympic Games Beach competition. Beach Olympian medalists include gold medalists Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes and bronze medalists Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs. Kiraly, Singin Smith and Steffes are all UCLA graduates and top the AVP all-time win list along with another former Bruin Randy Stoklos. McPeak became the all-time women’s pro beach winner in 2004. McPeak, Youngs, Jenny Johnson-Jordan and Annett Buckner-Davis are 4 of the top 10 players on the women’s tour. Olympian Stein Metzger and 3-time Olympian Jeff Nygaard are two of the top 10 players on the men’s tour.</p></li>
<li><p>When ‘Sports Illustrated’ rated the nation’s collegiate athletic programs for the first time, UCLA was selected No. 1. UCLA was recognized for its balance in academics, athletics and social life. UCLA remains a national fixture when thinking of top schools. UCLA is still #1 in SI Cover appearances.</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA’s Paul Caligiuri scored the goal that advanced the USA team to the 1990 World Cup in Italy, its first appearance in decades. In virtually every international USA match since that time, UCLA has had more players on the USA team than any other college. A record five former Bruins --Cobi Jones, Brad Friedel, Eddie Lewis, Frankie Hedjuk, and Joe-Max Moore were contributing members for the 2002 USA World Cup squad that advanced to the quarterfinals.</p></li>
<li><p>The Pac-10 named UCLA’s Natalie Williams as its first female Athlete of the Decade for her All-America play in both volleyball and basketball. She followed a long line of multi-sport Bruin athletes which included stars such as Jackie-Joyner-Kersee, Rafer Johnson, Jackie Robinson, Ann Meyers-Drysdale, Jonathan Ogden, Kristee Porter, Freddie Mitchell (football & baseball), Lauren Fendrick (volleyball & softball), Whitney Jones (basketball and track & field), Ryan Hollins (basketball and track & field), Matt McKinney (basketball and volleyball), Darius Savage (football and track & field) and Brittany Ringel (volleyball and basketball). UCLA’s Academic Quarter System makes multi-sport student-athletes a strong possibility.</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA was the first university in history to win seven consecutive football bowl games. UCLA has played in the Rose Bowl game in five straight decades. UCLA traditionally produces at least one first round NFL draft choice. UCLA ranks in the top 10 in professional players in the NFL</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA is situated in one of the nicest areas in Southern California, just five miles from the Pacific Ocean. The campus is surrounded by Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Westwood and Brentwood. The average home price within a three-mile radius of the Bruin campus is valued at over 2 million dollars. The average year-round temperature is 74 degrees with little humidity. There are roughly 334 sunny days a year at UCLA.</p></li>
<li><p>Located in the nation’s No. 2 media market, UCLA student-athletes receive national exposure as well as local coverage from a dozen newspapers, seven television stations and cable networks such as ESPN and Fox Sports Net. UCLA’s web site is one of the 10 most looked at college sites in the nation. The UCLA Daily Bruin is as large as any college newspaper in the nation for parents to be able to follow their sons or daughters on a regular basis.</p></li>
<li><p>In the sport of tennis, UCLA is the only university to have two players from the same school play for the prestigious Wimbledon title–Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe in 1975. On the collegiate level, UCLA has been one of the two most dominant programs, winning numerous team and individual titles.</p></li>
<li><p>The UCLA job placement system for college students to locate full-time and part-time jobs plus internships is #1 in the nation as an important academic resource. UCLA is a clear No. 1 in placement of its students and student-athletes in these positions, and the Quarter System allows internship experience with class credit around playing sport seasons. The most internships are in business, communications, science and education.</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA had the longest streak in NCAA history for consecutive winning seasons in the sport of men’s basketball, a record that lasted over 50 years in length dating back to 1948-49 and extending through 2002. No other major program was/is close to that figure.</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA is the university/country that has produced the women’s 100-meter dash winner in four straight Olympics - Evelyn Ashford in 1984, Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 and Gail Devers in 1992 and 1996. UCLA is the only university to produce Olympic gold medalists in the decathlon (Rafer Johnson in 1960) and heptathlon (Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1988 & 1992).</p></li>
<li><p>When you combine UCLA’s prestigious academics (its graduates average over $77,000 per year in income), a great all-around athletic program that produces championships and professional athletes, and an incredible social life so close to the beach, there is no university that can match the “total package” that UCLA offers. That is why our theme is: UCLA…Champions Made Here.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Collegeundergrad, thats quite a list! </p>
<p>Beeohbeeoh, all those schools are great schools. You should consider University of Michigan as well and probably some more private universities. However you can’t go wrong with UCLA. </p>
<p>Proud UCLA student speaking.</p>
<p>Given the state of crisis of the UC system, if you were my kid I would not want to pay the $47K OOS cost. If you can get into UCLA and Berkeley, you can probably get into USC, some of the Claremont Colleges and many other good private colleges that just cost a few thousand more.</p>
<p>^ Are you saying USC would be better for than OP than would be Berkeley or UCLA? Why? What’s the California crises has got to do with choosing schools?</p>
<p>They are cutting classes, deferring maintenance, raising fees, cutting profs. The morale is extremely low among profs, many are anxious to get out of the system. The schools are overcrowded and low 4 year graduation rates are getting lower. Good chance the OP could have to pay for 5 years.</p>
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You’re in the minority with that thinking. There’s a reason Berkeley snags only 19% of OOS admits.</p>
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Have you looked into USC, Duke, UNC, Boston College, Northwestern, Rice, UT Austin, Penn, or Stanford?</p>
<p>“4. Since 1998, UCLA has been the nation’s most popular university to attend, with over 50,000 applications for admission currently. More students apply here than any other college for UCLA’s 5,000 admission spots per school year.”</p>
<p>University of Phoenix has more students than UCLA has applicants.</p>
<p>"University of Phoenix has more students than UCLA has applicants. "</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean that U of P is a popular university. Let say hypothetically 30,000 apply a year and they accept 28,000 and all the students attend then its total undergrad population will still be greater than 50,000 but the amount of applicants doesn’t necessarily equal that of UCLA’s. If you think about it, if UCLA accepted all 50,000 + applicants then UCLA could have 200,000 students give or take a few thousands for those who don’t attend.</p>
<p>Most people try to point out the bad stuff about UCLA but if you must look beyond that, UCLA does have a lot to offer that other schools can’t.</p>
<p>hmom5, </p>
<p>that same problem that you were enumerating are also happening to a lot of private institutions, not just Cali schools. Even Princeton and Yale are cost-cutting for this year. What makes you think USC hasn’t been affected? Besides, it’s not that Cal will plunge significantly because it’s on cost-cutting operation for this year. It has a wide advantage over USC and a slight drop would not mean it’s going to fall tot he bottom of the league table.</p>
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<p>Well, not everyone admitted to Cal as OOS can really afford to attend due to it’s high cost and all, especially that Cal doesn’t offer scholarships to OOS and IS and Berkeley is an expensive place to live in. Do you think many private schools, say Duke or Cornell, would register a 50% enrollment yield if they would not offer scholarship grants and discounts? They’re winning in the cross admit battles against Cal because they’re generally cheaper than Cal.</p>
<p>Hi, my son was admitted to Holly Cross and Boston University. We know that both schools are excellent and prestigious but we would like to have some advice.</p>
<p>I recommend you start a new thread. This one is nearly 2 years old and is not specifically relevant to your issue. Give the new thread a more infomative title than “What’s your impression?” And I believe you mean HOLY Cross, not HOLLY Cross.</p>