carolinebillet

Im a native of manhattan but haven't lived there in a few years...obviously i love the city, its the center of the univers and who wouldnt...but i'm deciding between UCLA and barnard..obviously these schools are polar opposites...can anyone offer some advice?

scarfmadness

you're still deciding? i thought the deadline was monday...

one thing to consider is public transportation. i've never been to los angeles (although oddly enough ucla was my dream school when i was little, largely because of the beach boys song "california girls") but i know that you more or less need a car to get around, and it's not like that in new york. i love living in a city where people depend on public transportation, especially since nyc's is reliable and environmentally conscious for a big city.
what kind of weather do you want?
what kind of student body? i'm operating on l.a. stereotypes here, but i feel that barnard students are more uptight and focused on academics, while being just as, or even more, diverse and creative.
barnard definitely has the advantages of a small college - better advising, good food, you can end up knowing a lot of the people in your year, smaller classes, a real focus on undergrad rather than grad. i dont think you could get those things at ucla. basically, everything you can get at ucla, except the sun, you can get at barnard; you can't get everything at barnard, at ucla.

mardad

You're right they are polar opposites. I've had relatives at both. They are both strong academically with great off campus distractions conveniently located. Without a car New York is easier. Also, at Barnard it's easier to get into the classes you want or need.