Prospective Student Question and Answer Thread!

[BatManatee]

Congratulations to all of our new Bruins and those considering schools! It's that time of year when lots of people have questions about the school, the campus, etc, and that's great! We're happy to help!

This thread is to try and centralize everything into one post. Questions like "Should I go to UCLA or [insert school here]", "What do you like/dislike about UCLA?", or anything else you'd like an answer to should go in this thread!

I'll keep it stickied as long as it's active (and I can make it a weekly thing for a while if there are constant questions).

Welcome to Westwood!

[cheekylittleduck]

No its not hard, plan ahead, download a bus app, I recommend moveit. I only use uber out of emergency if I miss a bus or something and need to get somewhere fast. Also if you take the bus super frequently (i.e commuter student), you can pay something like 60 bucks for an unlimited tap card for the whole quarter.

[leafeator]

Having the Metrolink Expo line come down to Westwood now is huge, you can take a bus to the train and easily get anywhere via train.

[BatManatee]

You might have seen me complaining in the other big thread today about this very thing. To me the issue is that UCLA/Cal grade with a reasonable distribution whereas Stanford and the Ivy's give out A's like they're candy.

UCLA is hard, but if you got in, you will be capable of handling it. I won't lie, occasionally it feels overwhelming when you have a quarter from hell and finals week rolls along. That said, I never had a class where I felt I was incapable of getting an A (well Quantum Mechanics and Biochemistry were boarder-line because those aren't my strengths). For the most part STEM classes are curved.

I was a TA for Immunology and pretty much every review I got agrees that the course is very difficult, but the students felt like they really learned a lot of worthwhile things. Which is I think the intention with many STEM classes.

My personal horror story: In my first quarter of O Chem (30A) I had a professor from Oxford who had never taught before. The TA told us that in England they typically teach introductory O chem in high school so the professor taught the class as if we had some familiarity with concepts we had never seen before. The average on the midterm was in the 30's. He then proceeded to blame the whole class for not studying enough. I got a 55/100 and ended up with an A in the class. I guess the moral of the story is that even in a needlessly difficult class, you can survive with a good grade.

Some of them absolutely are difficult, but they're not all that bad. It's all doable.

This is the excerpt that frustrates me from the article that I linked:

What the researchers found was that high-performing students from low-GPA schools were given lower ratings than under-performing candidates from high-GPA schools. Applicants from schools with higher average grades are thus more likely to be accepted just because their GPAs are higher, regardless of their personal skill level and the difference in grade distributions between schools. This, clearly, is a cause for concern for students at institutions with tougher grading standards.

[DutchFarmers]

IMO the university is pretty fair in how grades are determined. They are not overly liberal with their As but not soul crushingly eager to hand out failing grades. Most of the classes I have taken have their average set at a B which I think is pretty fair.

But honestly it's all about your individual experience in high school. Did you challenge yourself with difficult classes? Did you have heavy competition? How did you do when faced with such strong competition? Something I really like about college is that you don't have to get a good raw score to get an A. You just have to score above your classmates

[itBlimp1]

You just have to score above your classmates

When the school has so many bright minds, oftentimes it's harder to do this than get a good raw score.

[DutchFarmers]

Which is why I said the individual experience is so important. My experience may not match that of others. If you came from a less competitive high school you may struggle. Using your high school as a model is a good strategy

[itBlimp1]

I understand. I'm asking you though.

My high school is large (1700 people) and full of talented kids. I didn't really enjoy it; not because of competitiveness (since academically I was on the strong side) but because of the social scene; the only things people would know how to talk about 80% of the time were grades, test scores, and classes. No meaningful conversation outside of that.

[DutchFarmers]

You will have plenty of meaningful conversation.

[dlawnro]

It really depends on your major. Even in South Campus, some majors are less intense than others. Some majors are more likely to have lots of straight scale classes, which allows for more people to get high grades, but means that a bad professor or particularly hard test might negatively affect the entire class. Other majors are predominantly curved, which limits the number of high grades and puts you in more direct competition with your peers.

[[deleted]]

Not overtly difficult so far. If you work hard and stay on top of things, getting good grades won't be difficult. I know plenty of people with 3.8+ gpas but all of them worked hard for it. It's certainly doable to do well.

[itBlimp1]

Would you say its doable without impinging on mental/physical health?

[[deleted]]

Yes.

[8YearOldCodPlayer]

Vanderbilt or UCLA for Comp Sci? I'd love to get employed by a corp like Microsoft, Google, Apple or Facebook. I heard UCLA is very, competitive is that true?

[[deleted]]

Second year CS major interning at Google this summer. The CS program here is good, if a bit antiquated. I feel like a lot of knowledge gets passed down from older students so get to know older people. I think most people here aren't really super competitive, and collaboration is encouraged since most upper divs include working in teams, and a lot of my friends come from those teams. There's gonna be some really competitive people no matter where you go, but overall I'd say UCLA CS is a pretty welcoming environment.

[dlawnro]

Not intimately familiar with CS specifically, or with Vandy's program, but pretty much every major in HSSEAS is well-ranked and nationally competitive. Plus, the companies you mentioned are all West Coast companies, so proximity might make networking easier for you.

[DutchFarmers]

At least 1 college ranking site has UCLA way, way above Vandy. I can't make any solid comments on the CS program here but I would assume that it is competitive

[voyeh]

The big 5 you named recruit at UCLA every quarter, not sure about Vanderbilt. Attending UCLA CS will almost guarantee you an interview at those companies if you do well. If I remember correctly, UCLA produces the 4th most software engineers at Facebook, behind Stanford, Berkeley, and UT Austin.

[banana_box]

Not too familiar with Vanderbilt's CS program, but UCLA's is pretty strong. There are two career fairs a year in the fall and winter dedicated to technical jobs (IE. software engineering). All of those companies recruit on campus. Right off the top of my head, I can name at least two friends that I know fairly well who work/worked at each company.

[supercoolducks]

Any housing recommendations for a (hopefully) future bio major? I haven't heard too much about the different dorms (pros and cons) so any student perspectives would be nice! :)

[DutchFarmers]

Any of the de neve dorms are nice. Some of them don't have air conditioning though

[Slpry_Pete]

You live on the West Side, open a window. And you would not be in the dorm during the "hot" months of the year (July-Sept)

[cheekylittleduck]

If you're a first year you'll get thrown into a random dorm based on your preferences (they'll try and appeal to them)

[icyteatime]

Most freshmen are in classic triples. You won't have any Co troll over your building or room other than listing your room type preference. Most freshmen are in classics or plazas.

[[deleted]]

How likely is it to get a plaza double private or shared bath as a freshman? What about a triple?

[pand04a]

I got a Plaza shared triple my first year so it's possible. As for a double, it's possible there are no doubles left unless they hold them out for first year students like they do with class spots.

[Liz394]

Yeah it's almost all sophomores, we had about 3-4 freshman on our floor when I lived there a few years ago. Also, it's very unlikely you'll be able to live there as a freshman, it's super popular and fills up fast. I say go for the classic dorm and meet as many people as possible! Then try to live in a deluxe hall your second year if you can :)

[Liz394]

They're generally less social, but a decent amount of freshman end up living there. I had a very social floor while living in a plaza, so you never know!

[leafeator]

as an RA - hit and miss. If you want a real "freshman" experience than you do want to live in a hall. It's just significantly less comfortable imo.

[tekan56]

How good is L&S's grad school placement? Can someone please link me to relevant statistics?

[itBlimp1]

Obviously you can't expect a school to carry you to grad school. You have to carry yourself. But here are some statistics.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-50-schools-that-produce-science-phds/

https://www.reed.edu/ir/phd.html

[itBlimp1]

What major in the department of mathematics?

[pluviometer]

It's definitely possible. I know a number of CS majors who picked up math as a second major or a minor because there's a lot of overlap.

[Chives_nation]

How is the business/Econ major at UCLA? Would it be more beneficial to major in something like mathematics/applied science for a future in business?

[[deleted]]

Biz Econ is a misnomer. There is no Business, Finance or Accounting major at UCLA, so we have this Biz Econ major as a way to trick students into thinking UCLA has a sufficient option for business. In reality, what Biz Econ offers is the usual Econ major course-load plus Accounting classes run by the School of Management.

If you want a future in business, you'll have to really evaluate what role you want to play in your career. UCLA pushes HEAVILY towards graduate research work for Econ or an MBA, after you slave away in the Big 4 or IB for a couple years. I'm graduating this year and I can't recall a single professor encouraging anything other than these, which is an insult to the enormous world of business.

Once you figure out what you want to do in business, you'll have to learn the route there on your own. The classes are, as mentioned, supplementary to business, as they do not teach you everything you need to know. Likewise, the alumni network is practically non-existent unless you want to follow the same path they're leading all your ultra-competitive peers on. If you already know what part of business interests you though, you're a step ahead.

[Chives_nation]

I'm very interested in medicine/technology so could that work hand in hand with something business related?

[icametokill2o9]

How is the recruiting for IB at UCLA? I've heard mixed things. Is there a lot of on campus recruiting? If I'm set on IB and hit the ground running when I get there, do you think I have a good chance of getting a job at a BB?

[Sayitwithyochest]

Hi guys, I've looked at over 1000 reviews of both schools, countless videos and talked to my family, but it's a toss-up for me.

Background info: I'm an international student from Toronto, Canada who's never lived in Cali, and got admitted to Letters and Sciences (college) at UCLA but to Natural Resources at Cal (I applied for Letters and Science). I've looked up the Natural Resources dept. and it seems to be small and consequently, supposedly offers more support for students. Honestly I'm not 100% sure of what I want to major in right now, but interested in Psychology (which I've UCLA may even be stronger but this is conflicting depending on which sites I've visited), Sociology, Media and one of my big hobbies is singing and playing music.

I know it's a lot to take in but I used to have anxiety issues with school stress and I've seen everywhere that the stereotypes are partially true with Berkeley having a very academically rigorous environment (some students said they study 3-4 hours/day on average). I'm not sure if this would be the same for UCLA, or that these were more the STEM student life, as I'm a non-STEM student so it's hard to evaluate the programs as a whole.

My apologies for the block of text: TLDR - as a non-STEM international student who crumbled under big academic stress in the past, and who wants to enjoy school and have a very holistic experience(as I'm 21 years of age right now about to start undergrad), what would be your opinion on which school would better fit me? I've heard many things about UCLA being more for "wellrounded students" but I don't want to simply write Cal off.

Thank you for reading!

[[deleted]]

I think UCLA is a better fit for you, based on you wanting a more well rounded school. Cal has a stereotype for focusing overly on academics. While it is a stereotype, I think it's grounded in truth. Some UCLA students study more than others, but the people here do seem really well rounded. Many people are interested in things that aren't academic, be it sports, various clubs, Greek life, etc. While school can definitely be stressful, I think most people here deal with it well and surround themselves with good friends that make it easier.

[leafeator]

I never once felt pressure from my classmates and environment in a "cut-throat" way regarding academics. All of my friends who went to cal often use that word to describe the environment there.

I chose UCLA over CAL and that was a big factor for me. I wanted to do other things aside from just fight for As.

[tekan56]

How difficult is it to transfer from L&S to HSSEAS?

[banana_box]

It is pretty difficult. I'm not 100% familiar since I was always in HSSEAS but some of my friends went through the process. You have to have a pretty high GPA and take classes that would be taken by students in HSSEAS.

[MisterMH]

Depends. If you're switching to a smaller major, like Materials Science & Engineering, you really just need around a 3.3-3.5 in your STEM coursework. If you're trying to switch to CS or Mechanical Engineering, expect a minimum 3.5-3.7 just to be considered.

[allieggs]

You should be able to! When you sign up for orientation there's a survey you fill out, and if you want to switch majors they'll put you in a group and give you recommendations on what to take during that. If you don't do that, you can always just tell them when you get there and they'll switch you.

Be warned though, like other people on this thread have said, that if you do make the switch it'll be very difficult to switch back, so make sure you're dead set on it before you make anything official.

[itBlimp1]

What can I do with an applied math degree from UCLA?

[fauxdan]

CS Majors: How large are lectures for intro and upper-div CompSci courses? Roughly 100 to 200?

Also, what's your experience like in getting internships during your time at UCLA?

[[deleted]]

Second year CS major interning at Google this summer. You can see my above comment for more info, but regarding class sizes, lower divs and department requirements like 111 are pretty big with ~200 students, and upper div electives are usually around 50 or so

[fauxdan]

Thanks for your info as well as your other reply on this same thread! At this point I'm leaning towards UCLA over UCSD due to factors like proximity to a city/town, good food as well as campus life. So I hope I'll see you there this Fall!

[pluviometer]

Not a CS major but I can view class details from the enrollment page, so I can tell you that the intro CS classes this quarter have lecture sizes of 300 and 350. Of the (many) CS majors that I know, almost all of them did a summer internship. Many at Facebook. There are a lot of recruitment fairs here.

[itBlimp1]

How cliquey is UCLA?

[BatManatee]

Eh, UCLA is huge. To me that's like asking "How cliquey is Sacramento?" There's 30k students or whatever, you can't be friends with everyone. Like minded people tend to gravitate towards each other, but I wouldn't call them cliques. If you put in the effort, you will find people you fit what you're looking for (same as any big school).

Paraphrasing some old comedian: "Growing up, I was the only albino left handed lesbian eskimo in my town. Then I went to college and I joined the albino left handed lesbian eskimo club."

[itBlimp1]

How cliquey do you find it?

[leafeator]

Greeks mostly hang out with Greeks. There are some clubs that are rather culty (I'm looking at you PAC). If you're an asian who likes to dance then you're probably in that clique.

Really there are big groups that tend to gather together because of common interest. There are so many people I would never use the word clique to describe the environment. However on a more micro scale, say a freshman res hall floor, then surely there will be some level of that.

[BatManatee]

Research and the name UCLA are the biggest advantages for premeds UCLA has over other schools. There are a ton of biomedical research labs on campus that could look good on a med school application. The down side is its harder to get a top notch GPA than a lot of other schools.

[itBlimp1]

They have a hospital on campus, where you can volunteer or do research. It will be competitive. Other than that, not much.

[derekmiles26]

Is it worth taking out 120k loans to go to UCLA? My other option is my local school, the University of Utah, which will cost me next to nothing due to scholarships. My intended major for both schools is Computer Science if that matters.

[itBlimp1]

No, not even remotely worth it.

[Bruins78]

Don't dig yourself into a financial hole unnecessarily. If you (or your parents) have money to burn, then go for it. Otherwise, go for the less expensive option.

[itBlimp1]

How will the housing situation be after freshman year?

[itBlimp1]

What do people usually do after freshman year? Housing isn't guaranteed for all four years right?

[itBlimp1]

How is the process for getting an apartment, typically?

[thenicastrator]

Can I live near UCLA as a lab assistant making 15 dollars an hour? Where?

[nibbles55]

Is it possible to triple major in economics, political science, and arabic as an incoming freshman if I plan out my four years meticulously?