@lbwaterpoloman Rankings have to be taken with a grain of salt, but they can give you insight into the opportunities you get by going to the higher ranked school. A #3 and #14 school are not always virtually identical in what they offer you; there are differences in rigor, faculty, and opportunities, so it’s important to look at why the school is ranked higher and what you get by going there. In this case, Berkeley is also ranked 3rd in the nation for mechanical engineering, and has one of the strongest mechE programs for undergrads in CA. The resources and opportunities available to him at Berkeley are greater than he would get at LA, and the bonus is getting prestige from a more renowned program. If UCLA was actually stronger for mechE, he would certainly consider it. But it’s ranked (a lot) lower than Berkeley in this discipline, and saying they are virtually identical is not accurate.