Student accepted to UCLA and Berkeley for political science. Intend to add Econ or communication major/minor if that works.
in-state and similar cost for both
Visited both schools on regular days and admitted student days.
UCLA:
Loved the campus, location, housing, vibe! Students who we talked to seemed happy.
Not sure how the poli sc department is in terms of faculty, opportunities etc. Did not get any information from the table at bruin day. Plus not sure how difficult quarter system is. Getting mixed reviews from older students.
UC Berkeley:
Political Science ranks better and undergrad advisors were very helpful talking about it.
Cons: Housing, food, reputation of extreme competitive culture. People keep warning about grade deflation as well.
Can anyone with poli sc experience in any of these colleges comment on this?
With only a few days left, we keep coming to same points again and again.
Forget the departmental structure or perceived rank - it’s a poli sci degree. Who’s rank are you even looking at?
What do you plan to do with the degree?
What school made you feel like - wow, I want to be here - sounds like UCLA.
UCLA is on quarters. UCB on semesters. Does that matter?
UCLA has amongst the highest rated food in the country - typically considered top 3 with UMASS and VA Tech. Does that matter? Food is important. You don’t want low blood sugar.
Does either have a specific focus or institute that interests you? Both offer you an opportunity to go to Washington, DC for a term.
I would not choose a school based on advising. How hard is it to read the requirements and take courses to fulfill them. Don’t get me wrong - it’s nice to have better advising - but that’s what it is - nice to have. You’ll find many kids don’t even want to go to their advisors.
Both are great - but which is better for you? Reading what you wrote - UCLA, unless you prefer semesters over quarters.
Thank you for responding. I think we started looking too closely.
UCLA was where she wanted to go but so many people (none of the ones that have attended either one) are advising that political science program, GSIs and internship and job opportunities are much better at Berkeley and not to pass that for just a fancier college.
I think now what she wants to know is if UCLA poli sc department - professors, opportunities, branding for future employers or grad schools if she chooses that aren’t very different.
If the difference is really that much, she would choose Berkeley.
There’s nothing she can’t do at UCLA that she can’t at Berkeley - short of a specialized program and by the way, I’d say the same of SDSU, Arizona, wherever.
My kid went to College of Charleston - not on anyone’s radar - a regional school - interned one summer for our state (Tennessee) and at a high level think tank in DC during her DC semester. Now she’s in Teach for America.
It’s a Poli Sci degree - the where likely doesn’t matter. But some (like her school) do have special institutes or things like that - that you can take advantage of. You have to work hard to find an internship and job - period, end of story.
I’d choose UCLA based on what you wrote - fancier is important. You wake up every day. You look outside. You have to eat - bad food = not eating = low blood sugar = calls home, mom I’m miserable. Why not be at a place that you are more comfortable and confident in.
Good luck.
PS - not a believer in rankings - but UCLA and UCB both show in the top 16 of this one (one being higher - that’s silly - that’s like the #9 undergrad being better than the #16, etc. - when there’s really no difference.
And then you have college raptor which rates LA higher than UCB.
Ranks is meaningless. What matters to the student is what matters.
We knew several of our daughter’s friends who attended Berkeley and I currently know of a student, newly graduated from Berkeley last year.
The general consensus has been the happiness factor.
Berkeley is a very strong school. But I know that several of my daughter’s friends at Berkeley, came to visit her at Davis because they needed time out from an intensive environment.
They were trying to get through the programs, as quickly as possible, because the intensity is something that adversely impacts the students at Berkeley.
It doesn’t matter which department your daughter chooses. She needs to be happy at the campus that she will be attending for four years.
If she came from a California high school, more than likely, the high school trained her for the quarter system. She’ll be able to handle it.
Our daughter attended Davis and had a phenomenal time there because the students work well together and study collaboratively. They receive free tutoring because the professors want their students to be successful.
I think UCLA is more along those lines. (Our daughter maintained an “A” average throughout 4 years of Davis because she attended the tutoring sessions to reinforce her learning. She was successful in being admitted to every med school where she applied.)
As a parent, I wanted my child to have a good experience. Initially, she had trouble finding her tribe but once she did, she took off!
You all have a difficult decision to make. Both are very good schools. Berkeley is closer to the state capital for internships but I think UCLA can also provide that.
My D22 is a senior at UCLA, double majoring in history and communication. She has had an absolute blast and received a phenomenal education from top notch professors. The UCLA vs Berkeley conundrum happens every year, and I dare say, most people end up happy with their choice.
The things around UCLA that separate it from Berkeley—like food, guaranteed housing, a “college town” in Westwood, easy access to the beach and Santa Monica, those things do make a difference. And while some things are competitive (like certain clubs) there’s an overall happiness factor that leads to collaboration and a feeling of camaraderie. My daughter’s made friends across all majors, she is a writer for the Daily Bruin, she’s had 4 internships, she’s been a trip lead for a club that brings professors on hikes around LA, she’s now the VP of the pre-law frat (she has no intention of going to law school, she just likes the people and the networking aspects). She’s really developed into herself at UCLA. It’s not perfect—she’s had lousy registration times occasionally, the advising is lackluster. But she is a very proud and happy Bruin and we couldn’t be happier with her decision.
Of course we know many people who chose Berkeley, and I think they are happy too. But if your kid prefers UCLA, then that’s an easy yes. You aren’t leaving anything on the table imo.
She should go wherever feels right. Both departments will have world-class faculty, a similar range of courses (with some variation depending on faculty specialties), and both schools will be able to help her find quality internships in their major metropolitan areas and beyond. Given the comparable academic strengths, she should look at other differences in the college experience, location, practical matters like housing, and so on. (Personally, having grown up in LA and having gone to HS a couple of miles from UCLA, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough when I was ready for college – but I know most people seem to like it! I happen to love the Bay Area.)
It sounds to me like UCLA is the winner based on your preferences. My son (last year) agonized because he preferred a big state school over an Ivy admission; we encouraged him to visit again and follow his dream (the rankings were similar in his field as they are in your case). He’s at the big school now and very happy!
When I visited graduate schools in 1994, I loved UCLA but I picked Caltech for prestige. I have been sorry about that decision for thirty-two years. So - live out my dream!
First - congratulations! These are both amazing acceptances.
Since there really is not substantial difference between the two - both have stellar reputations in the field and the will cost the same. So you should go with the one your kid loves, which is obviously UCLA.
These two schools are academic peers and no doubt both will have sound undergrad poli-sci, econ, and communication departments. Sounds like the student prefers UCLA so that is where they should go. Easy.
One of my daughter’s close friends graduated UCLA Poli Sci in 2024, did a gap year, and just finished her 1L year at Harvard Law School. She loved the program, got great recs from profs and had an amazing experience. I grew up in CA and had acceptances to both schools a million years ago (attended CMC), but I think the general impressions on vibe ring true. Berkeley has a more competitive culture…
