<p>USC - University of Second Choice</p>
<p>S chose UCLA because of its perceived quality, Regents scholarship, support programs for engineering, diversity, proximity, and beautifully historical campus.</p>
<p>UCLA - The best all-around school ever</p>
<p>CAL, because it is THE University of California, and it's also the best.</p>
<p>Berkeley: stellar academics (especially in my major), school spirit, diversity of student body, prestige, urban feel, semester system, proximity to San Francisco, Tom went there for undergrad...the list goes on...</p>
<p>Undecided Mom- WHY would your S choose UCLA engineering over CAL engineering?</p>
<p>^she listed the reasons buddy.</p>
<p>CA2006, several main reasons: First, UCLA has a program called CEED (Center for Excellence in Engineering Diversity) that showed support and interest in the students that were invited to participate in areas such as guidance, tutoring, a two-week summer "trial run" of classes, a computer lab, scholarship and internship opportunities, priority registration for orientation, priority housing, priority registration, etc. Also, he was offered approx. 10 times more free money at UCLA. In addition, he is interested in EE, but more in the hardware/device area than programming and Cal only has EECS, which apparently has more programming (as far as I understand). In summary, however, UCLA made him feel that they wanted to have him there and that they are willing to help him succeed. Cal, on the other hand, offered him none of these "perks," only the honor of being an accepted student.</p>
<p>UndecidedMom: thanks for the explanation, I was just curious since CAL's engineering is supposed to be so much better. I guess bottom line everyone has to feel good about where they are going to be for the next 4 years. For a lot of the same reason your son chose UCLA, I chose CAL. I got regents at UCLA and not at CAL, but got 2 good merit scholarships at CAL. The money was not a big part of the equation for me as much as everything else. My intended major is MCB and Cal has The Coalition for Excellence and Diversity in Math, Science and Engineering which has already privided superb guidance and counseling to me. They seem to have great tutoring programs also. The 'priority' things offered to Regents doesn't bother me because CAL registers differently and also doesn't have the housing problem UCLA has. I am from So Cal and love the UCLA campus, I have a lot of friends that go to school there too. I just fell in love with CAL and everything about it. Good luck to your son!</p>
<p>CA2006, I agree. There are so many factors to consider. Good luck to you as well!</p>
<p>uhh... UCD because of the traditional college experience it claims to have and the large student body, I can recreate myself several times... haha</p>
<p>What do you mean when you say a "traditional college experience?"</p>
<p>Berkeley, because it's better than all the other UCs. 'Nuff said.</p>