<p>Well in an effort to add some threads..I thought I would ask this open-ended question.</p>
<p>For me...there are a myriad of reasons why I want to go to UCLA...but I guess the main one is that it feels liek it would offer the COMPLETE university experience.</p>
<p>I'd have to agree that UCLA provides a good broad experience with a balance of social and academic opportunities in a <em>great</em> location. (I met TheMom at UCLA and she's worked there for 25 years.)</p>
<p>In all candor, though, UCLA is not for everyone. You need to be pretty self-propelled in terms of getting counseling, figuring out your schedule, gaming they system where necessary to get your pre-requisites at the right time. I also think it's better right now in the sciences than in the social sciences/humanities but that's a very subjective impression.</p>
<p>UCLA is not a good place to be. It is tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo crowded with no individuality. Instead, I would suggest UCSD which has smaller enrollment and has 6 independent colleges.</p>
<p>But all big colleges are going to be like that. It's not high school, there's not going to be any Mr. Popularity, unless you're Ferris Bueller. You have individuality within your group of friends and acquantainces, I would think.</p>
<p>As to the question, I would much rather go to Berkeley since it's closer to home, but UCLA is my second choice. I've never been a big fan of LA, but at least Disneyland is close by. Though I do prefer Universal Studios...</p>
<p>I liv closer to Berkeley but didn't apply...I have the grades, just not the interest. The campus i snice, but everything outside of the campus is crap. And I've had my fill of NorCal...I am ready to go back to SoCal..I miss surfing. =D</p>
<p>In repsonse to sempitern555:</p>
<p>Your broad statement that UCLA "is not a good place to be" because it lacks individuality is unfounded. Firstly, I must define individuality. If you want everyone attending UCLA to know your name, what's your pet's name, who your lover is at the present , etc. then you might not find "individuality" at UCLA. With an enrollment of close to 30,000 students, it is difficult for students to know everyone. UCLA is like a small city.</p>
<p>However, if you define individuality as expressing yourself and being treated as an individual, then UCLA does provide that. With over hundreds of clubs and activities on campus, you will find a niche for yourself. If you find your interests are not being expressed, you can start your own club. There are many different outlets to express yourself on the UCLA campus. </p>
<p>As for UCLA being "crowded," there is a lot of open space. Sure there are a lot of people, but you are not pushed against the wall struggling for breath. Dickson Plaza is a wonderful place to study or relax; Kerkhoff Hall is another quiet place. UCLA may be a small city bustling with activity, but like all cities, it has its own quiet spaces.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, TheDad is right that UCLA is not for everyone. Students must be motivated...but, if you're not motivated, you're not going to make it any college anyway. Handholding works only for so long. The concept of 6 colleges with UCSD allows one an opportunity to attend a large school and then a smaller school in which you live, etc. However, I would not say that at UCSD one is more of an "individual." Being an individual requires the self to take action, not the size of the university to define the concept of "individual."</p>
<p>The sciences are strong at the present. Those in the social science and humanities tend to make fun of "South Campus" where the sciences are held. The new Ronald Reagan Medical Center will have facilities that will be a haven for those in the medical sciences. Their new neurosciences institute will offer new facilites and technology for its students. </p>
<p>However, UCLA does still maintain a strong liberal arts tradition (and this is where I have to disagree with TheDad). The English Department at UCLA continues to be one of the best in the nation with a faculty to match its reputation. The Political Science program continues to have a strong tradition of excellence. These two departments are only a small part of the humanities and social sciences. It's drama program is excellent as well.</p>
<p>As for why I love UCLA, it began in the ninth grade. Attending the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, I absolutely fell in love witht the campus. From the Romanesque style of Royce Hall to the Gothic style of Kerkhoff Hall and its great location in Westwood, UCLA became my top univeristy (along side Georgetown). I attended UCLA last summer taking two classes (in English and Political Science; hence my argument that UCLA still does maintain a strong social science/humanities program based on student interviews and my own experience). My English Professor was the Department Chair and my World Politics Professor was a visiting professor. Despite my classes being between 150 to 300, I did not feel I was lost in the crowd. </p>
<p>I lived on campus at Hedrick Hall which was wonderful. UCLA is putting in new dorm halls as well to meet the housing needs of its students. And there is truth to UCLA's notoriously excellent cuisine (it's an insult to call it "dorm food"). </p>
<p>I will have hard choices should I be admitted to UCLA. I don't know which I like better, Georgetown (accepted already) or UCLA.</p>
<p>I think a big school offers you an opportunity to find a number of people who you can be friends with or share interests with. One suggestion is to visit professors during their office hours early in the semester before the time when everyone has a crisis to settle. Just go with a simple question so that you can introduce yourself and get to know a little more about the person in the front of the lecture hall. Then follow up with hellos in passing...I found it made the lectures more interesting and when it came down to negotiating into a upperlevel class..the prof's who knew me were more inclined to say "sure."</p>
<p>well, i guess i just always wanted to go here, my friends claim that one day during elementary school, i said that one day i'd go to ucla. ive been a fan of ucla sports for a long time. there are many, many aspects of ucla that i like. </p>
<p>but i think what sealed it for me was when i visited the campus after i got admitted for a campus tour. right when i stepped onto campus, i just felt at home and felt happy. it was my best fit school.</p>
<p>EiffelGuy, I agree about the English Department. Drama is a separate thing and it's damn good.</p>