Why is UCLA better than USC?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
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<p>Sure they’re packed, but you can ask them to schedule OHs, the expense is a large concern for many, and it’s a very large one. Think about how much money that is in debt at the end of four years, and how realistic it is to pay off that type of money (depending on your major and what career you will be pursuing afterwards). The tough question is to ask yourself can I make enough money to repay my debt in a reasonable time frame (if you’re a teacher with a 100k debt from UCLA, or 200k from a private school) does that flip the scales?</p>

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<p>Haha, thanks SaltyBruin. I am glad you could look past the obnoxiousness and instead focus on the passion.</p>

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<p>Alright OP, I will first tell you my experiences so far at UCLA that may either support or contradict some of the information previous users have posted. Again, please note that this first part is purely my experience at UCLA, as a first year, as a Psychobiology to a Political Science and History double major (I switched majors). </p>

<p>Alrighty here we go. Most of what everyone has posted is generally true. For the most part, I agree with many of those reasons on why UCLA is “better” than USC. However, some of the information people have posted can be misleading to an extent, so let me explain this in a bit more detail.</p>

<p>Cost of Attendance: The sticker price for UCLA is approximately $26,000 per year and for USC it is approximately $52,000. Yes, it is evident that UCLA is cheaper and this should be very much be a humungous deciding factor if you do not receive any financial aid or scholarship. However, as someone previous stated, USC can sometimes be “cheaper” than UCLA or even the same. For example, when I applied to colleges, my income was less than $20,000 a year. UCLA ended up giving me so much grants that I only had to pay $7,500 per year. I received about $17,500 in grants from UCLA. On the other hand, USC gave me $42,000 in grants. I only had to pay $8,000 per year at USC. As you can see, both ended up being just about the same cost. In that situation, price did not matter to me. In conclusion, the statement that UCLA is cheaper than USC can be relative. The whole UCLA is cheaper than USC is generally based off the sticker price. So don’t worry about the argument “UCLA is cheaper than USC,” it shouldn’t count because everybody’s situation is different.</p>

<p>State Budget/Economy Crisis: Because California’s economy isn’t doing very well, it is natural that public schools have been affected. Yes, it is true that “classes have been cut and student programs have suffered losses in financial resources.” Yes it is all “true.” But let me explain this more. Budget cuts don’t simply affect undergraduate life, it also affects the university as a research institution. Many of these budget cuts include cutting financial support to research that UCLA conducts. In simpler terms, some of the researchers (and I mean the doctors and professors that are doing the research, not the 3rd year Biology student) are given less funding to study whatever it is they are studying. In terms of classes, given my experience as a North Campus major (meaning a Humanities, non-science related, major), the budget cut has affected me by closing several classes. For example, Political Science 123X: The Study of President Obama, was initially offered for Fall 2009 during Spring 09. By the beginning of summer, Political Science 123X was cancelled. Oh and several computer lab tutorial thing that I never even knew we had was cancelled. </p>

<p>Truthfully, on the smaller, undergraduate scale, what does this mean to me? Honestly it didn’t affect me at all. It doesn’t affect me that a certain department received less funding this year for their research (no seriously, it’s not like my GPA went down or anything so why does this bother me?). The fact that a few classes were cut was not a big deal to me. I just found another class that satisfied the same requirement. Realistically speaking, it wasn’t like they were canceling classes madly, just a couple random ones here and there were cancelled that’s all. It didn’t bother me at all that the class I searched for got cancelled, I simply looked for another one (and easily found another one within 5 seconds). Also, it’s not the major classes that are cancelled, it’s usually some random class nobody really takes. In other words, UCLA isn’t going to cancel Organic Chemistry 101, but they might cancel Study of Indian Music 123X. In conclusion, what I’m trying to say is, although it is “technically true” that the budget crisis is affecting UCLA, you probably won’t care about it because it really won’t affect you. Not really anyways.</p>

<p>Alumni Network: Yes, it is true that USC has a better Alumni network than UCLA. Let’s face it, UCLA Alumni Network is crap. But, let’s be realistic here too. Let’s say you decide to work after undergrad. Do you really think a Bruin will hire you simply because “you are a Bruin?” The answer is no. Whether or not the Alumni network is good or bad, you still have to take the initiative to get out there to build your resume. So you gotta work your butt off anyways, the Alumni network isn’t going to save you.</p>

<p>In response to the poster who said his friend went to USC and is working with a professor and got an internship at the largest law firm at LA, to repeat what someone else said, “both have opportunities, neither have guarantees.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Both UCLA and USC have the capability and potential to land you an internship at some big, famous company and whatnot. However, that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen to you. Honestly, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and you’d have to be a pretty awesome, unique student to do something big like landing an internship at a top law firm. Although this can happen to students at UCLA or USC, it probably only happens to a handful. What I’m trying to say is, whether or not one school has a better Alumni network, it really won’t matter. You still have to work hard to have a good GPA and amazing resume. When you do well in school and have built that amazing resume, you’ll see that an Alumni network won’t be needed in landing a good job since so many people will be eager to hire you. I want to add that both USC and UCLA have excellent “career centers,” so if you ever need to look for an internship, both schools will provide you with excellent service.</p>

<p>Ranking: USnews ranks UCLA as 25 and USC as 27. So currently, according to rankings, UCLA is “better” than USC. You must note OP that UCLA also has a long term reputation of being the better school that is consistently ranked top in the US. USC back in the 1980s and 1990s had a reputation for being a party school and a school for rich kids that bought their way into a university, hence all the stereotypes and nicknames for USC. Back in those days, USC probably had the same connotation people today have of a crappy, easy to get into college. It’s only recently this past decade or so that USC has risen up to the top ranks of US universities. So take that into consideration.
Also, in terms of job prospects, ranking only really matters when you’re comparing schools from totally different levels. Obviously when it comes to looking at one guy who graduated from UCLA/USC and the other guy from CSU Chico, ranking matters. But UCLA and USC are so closely ranked that it really doesn’t make a difference. And please, don’t ask the “Oh but what if two guys were from UCLA and USC and they both have the same stats, who would be chosen?” That never happens, nobody is going to have the same resume as someone else. It’s very clear that either will be more qualified than the other.</p>

<p>School size/Office Hours: Look, UCLA has 25,000 undergrads and USC has 16,000. Even though USC is a private school, it’s still really, really big. Generally private schools mean you’ll get more attention and care because the school population is so much smaller. Not in terms of USC. USC may be private, but because it’s so huge it probably does not offer the same pampering small private schools may offer. I’m sure it’s possible that to an extent USC may treat it’s students better in comparison to UCLA students (maybe USC students are given mints on their pillows?). I don’t know what it really means to be pampered, but as a current UCLA student, I’m doing just fine with the services the school has to offer. Unless you were home schooled, or attended a private high school with a senior class size of 30, you really have nothing to differentiate and contrast between USC and UCLA as a private and public school.
As for office hours with professors or TAs, if you’re a Humanities major, dude nobody ever goes to Office Hours. The professors practically beg people to go because they’re so lonely in there. I’ve gone to Professor office hours only once my entire year at UCLA. It was for a Math class. If you’re a science major, it’s a whole different story. On the other hand, (for Humanities majors) people do go to TA office hours. It’s not uncommon you may see a couple other students asking for their TA to review their essay draft. It’s not a big deal though, at most I’ve had to just wait 10 minutes so the TA could talk with me.</p>

<p>Prestige: For the past decade or so now, UCLA and USC are pretty much the same. If you tell someone you go to either, they’ll still probably be amazed and impressed, especially in Southern California. In California, most people pretty much hold UCLA and USC on the same level, so neither school in terms of prestige is drastically superior to the other. I don’t know how it is out of state, but I will say that if anything, it is pretty standard that people probably wouldn’t question the standing of UCLA as a top college in the West coast. Someone also mentioned that UCLA is more famous internationally. Just to add my experience, I’m currently writing this in Guangzhou, China, and nobody, not even my cousins who attend Beijing Institute of Technology (one of the top colleges in China), know what the heck UCLA or USC is. They’ve heard of Harvard, Princeton, Stanford though, heh go figure.</p>

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<p>This really depends on the classes you take. If you take ANY contact with your teacher in class or OH to mean that you are not isolated, then sure that is the case. In the traditional sense, you are isolated from your professors (again depends on your classes but generally speaking) when it comes to the really big classes. It’s hard to talk to the professor during class and during OH unless you really go out of your way to wait. </p>

<p>I’m not saying we are isolated because I’ve heard that statement a lot prior to going to UCLA. I’d say its entirely true for the person who isn’t willing to wait. You just have to go the extra mile to make sure you get your face time with the professor.</p>

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<p>Honestly, it really comes down to your gut feeling once you visit campus. I was stuck between UCLA and USC for the longest time. If you’re struck by an overwhelming wave of “This is the right school for me”, you can put up with the cons. There are great aspects to both schools, but I just felt more at home at UCLA.</p>

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<p>^I was eating with some friends I knew from my hometown who were finishing their first year at UCLA. We were in the Rieber dining hall, and I was having a very homey meal of steak and potatoes or something. I definitely remember the mashed potatoes. <em>Mmmm…</em> We were talking about the tour I just went on, and they were explaining about some stuff like registration, orientation, majors, etc. I looked out the window to see a beautiful view of the campus (North Campus and the athletic fields), and the sky was cloudy (my favorite!). I got a huge smile on my face. I was in love with UCLA.</p>

<p>That’s why, to me, UCLA is better. It makes me warm and fuzzy inside. :)</p>