where would you rather go: UCLA or Cal?

Question

college acceptance decision: i'm a senior in hs and not sure where to go between UCLA or Cal. opinions or advice would be appreciated thanks!

please provide reasons in terms of college atmosphere, people, city, professors, etc.

Answer 1

SoCal vs. NorCal

UCLA: In a really nice part of LA, but still have to drive to get to the beach. Stores around tend to be higher end, and even a lot of the restaurants in Westwood Village are on the expensive side. Think chains more than mom and pop stores. Students, IMO, seem more outgoing and a bit more normal. Sports is big, but they're not quite as rah rah as across town at USC. Housing is expensive any decent distance around campus (even by car).

Berkeley: Berkeley is right next to Oakland. Other than the Berkeley/Oakland Hills area, you're talking the ghettos. Mom and pop stores everywhere, so a lot more cool food for college kids IMO. Sports is pretty big too. Housing is also expensive, and just a touch more run down overall. Kids seem a touch nerdier.

You gotta experience it in person though. It's hard to properly describe a school's atmosphere in words. I've had fabulous times visiting friends at both schools. Cal is a bit more like a stereotypical college. They still try protests, kids are tightening their belts while still trying to have a good time, etc. UCLA has a bit more flash and Hollywood. Personally, I lean more towards Cal. Just felt more like what I thought college would be like.

Answer 2

I had to make this choice nine years ago. I CHOSE CAL!

And if I had to make that choice again, I'd still choose Cal. And by and large, I tell everyone to choose Cal (although i know it's not for everyone.

There's no question that Cal is prestigious. Cal is THE University of California. The students are an interesting lot. They're so freakin' intelligent. They're motivated. Many are highly idealistic. And many are just plain weird. But I like that sort of thing. The town is mellow and little bit off-kitler in its own right. There are some great food finds in the area if you know where to look. And there's a club for just about any interest (my friend started a group called The Square Root of Jesus, but I'm sure it was just a joke). I lived in the jock dorm and had a nice, big room. It was a longer walk, but it was nice. I didn't need a car -- AC transit and BART took me everywhere. And there was cool stuff to do and see. I watched Jesse Jackson give a speech on the steps of Sproul my second week there. I stuck my tongue out at ex-President Bill Clinton as I left a class. My lab partner got her biology book autographed by Dr. James Watson after a lecture. And I even almost wound up in a political riot.

UCLA was nice when I visited. Pretty campus. But it's no Cal. Westwood gave me the creeps. I just don't like being in really rich, polished neighborhoods because I feel like people are excluded or just glossed over. Doesn't feel real to me.

As for crime, I never had any problem in Berkeley. But here in LA, I've been robbed twice in the last 3 months.

btw, if the selection of majors is a significant motivator in your choice, Cal allows students to propose their own majors and craft their curricula. I however, chose molecular cell bio (the biggest major on campus), and it was a bad pick for me.

Answer 3

Do you know what you want to study? This can make a huge difference. In general, both are excellent schools, and congratulations for getting in. Berkeley is more known for its graduate programs than is UCLA, and there is a little bit more focus on undergraduates at UCLA. Sports are a bit bigger at UCLA, and even if you aren't into sports themselves, that tends to mean a better sense of school spirit. That said, the differences in them as schools is minor.

I don't know where your family is, but that might make a difference. I know that I wanted to be as far away from mine as possible as a student, so that I could gain more independence, but some of my students now want to be as close as possible to their families. Another difference is the cost of living. It won't matter to you while you are living on campus, but once you want to move into an apartment later on, the Bay Area is more expensive. On the other hand, many people enjoy the atmosphere in Northern California in general more (and I say that as someone who lives in Westwood).

Answer 4

depends on what your major is, but i would pick ucla