NYU vs UCLA for math/premed?

unflawless
Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:21:08 +0000

Hi again~ I’ve crossed Michigan off the list (and lost the old thread too), so now it’s between UCLA and NYU. I’ve already visited NYU (even though it has no campus I love the city feel) and I’m visiting UCLA (I heard it’s gorgeous and the weather is perfect) next week, so I’m trying to begin making a decision based on other factors alone. I don’t have a preference for campus or no campus anyway; both would be fine.

I’m going in as a math major and I plan on doing premed. I know both of these schools rank high overall, for math, and for their premed program (UCLA is just a bit higher but still about the same… kind of.) I didn’t really get any money from either, lol, and I’m out of state for both.

What I like UCLA is it’s prestige (don’t jump me for saying that, okay?), the weather, the atmosphere, and the quality of its academics. The main qualms I have with it are the whole party thing (I’m the quiet nerd…) but all schools have a party scene so that’s unavoidable. And I don’t know if I’d fit in in California… I was raised in a small town close to Chicago so that’s pretty different. But I’d love a change of environment and I’m willing to try it out… I mean, I don’t think I’d hate Cali…

What I like about NYU is it’s location in New York, the urban feel, all the opportunities available because it’s in NYC, and the dorms (from what I’ve gathered, no communal bathrooms at all.) I guess the biggest thing I have with NYU is the idea of safety… because there’s no way I’ll be able to always find someone to walk with or always make it back to my dorm before it gets dark and late. It’s the city that never sleeps but that doesn’t mean it’s always safe…

And med schools apparently don’t really care where you go for undergrad, so it’s just all numbers and extracurriculars. Not that either of these schools would be easy, but are classes at one typically “easier” than the other? I’m prepared to work my butt off but there’s a limit. If the curve for a class is set by an insane genius then I really can’t help but accept a B or lower.

So yeah. I’m visiting next week but I don’t want to leave the entire decision for the last two weeks of April, haha. Thank you! :)