<p>Larger class sizes. More competition. More impersonal. Why attend UCLA? </p>
<p>I really liked the school. However, im having a hard time getting my parents to agree. And since im not paying the tuition...it makes it a litte more difficult. Help!!</p>
<p>Maybe the prestige, maybe the whole survival-of-the-fittest experience…</p>
<p>I don’t know what to tell you. Honestly, I think parents should let college be their kid’s choice. If all else fails, pull the “But I’M the one that’ll be living there for 4 years!” card.</p>
<p>Survival of the fittest game?? Is it really like that at UCLA?</p>
<p>…its really like that in life. o__O</p>
<p>A big reason I favor a big school over a small school is that as a rule, small schools have fewer course offerings, smaller departments, and just “less going on” in some sense. Obviously many reasons to choose small schools, but I like big schools better, as long as I can find small classes + interaction with faculty. </p>
<p>Also, many feel a lot happier in a nice, enormous campus environment.</p>
<p>You’ll find your niche at UCLA, your own small community within the giant campus.</p>
<p>Is the price different?</p>
<p>rice would prob be slightly cheaper because i wont be receiving any or very little aid at ucla</p>
<p>You have asked this question ten different times, ten different ways…I know I gave a very long answer a while back but I’ll chime in again. You seem really torn between Rice and UCLA. Can you visit both one more time before May 1? This is a big decision and you will be spending the next 4 years of your life at one of these schools. They are both great schools but does one just feel better to you? When you walk around campus can you see yourself there? Texas and CA are two very different places in terms of political atmosphere, weather, surrounding areas, things to do, etc. You can’t go wrong with each as far as getting a good education so which feels more like “home” to you?</p>
<p>I know you are worried about size. I am a parent and I was too. My daughter is a freshman this year. UCLA is the biggest school she was admitted to but she loves it and is very happy. Yes, some classes are large but not all. Last quarter she had 3 classes, one had 25 students and one had 23. This quarter she is taking a seminar which is the third part of a year long “freshman cluster” and there are only 20 in the class. 2 or 3 good friends are in it with her. They have already taken 2 field trips to the ocean (it’s a science class about the human effect on the ocean). This is a part of a year long class so she has been with the same students all year. Although the first 2 quarters they were larger lectures. At the end of last quarter all the Profs who had lectured during the 2 quarters got up with matching t-shirts and performed a silly rap song about the class subject (global environment). My daughter said it was very funny. She had the same lectures and the same TA for 2 quarters and really got to know them and now she is in the third quarter seminar with only 20 students.</p>
<p>There are other ways to have small classes, especially for freshman, so don’t worry about that. You meet people and make friends in your dorm/hall and you wil join things that are inportant to you whether social orgs (sorority/frats) or other clubs/sports. The school is big but you can make it small and the opportunities are huge. I would say that if you are a very shy, insecure person than UCLA is NOT for you. My older daughter is a senior at a very small LAC and she never would have considered a school like UCLA. So you have to know yourself and what environment you would be happy in. All the posters here can only give you their opinion. Only you can really know what is best. Go with your gut, go with heart and don’t look back, have no regrets. Either one would be a great choice!</p>