I am a high school junior, currently living in Texas (can’t wait to leave). I would really like to go to a school in a larger city that is more interesting, more diverse, and offers a lot of opportunities. I am currently looking at schools in Los Angeles (UCLA, USC) and New York City (NYU, Columbia, possibly Fordham). My first choice right now is Oxford (I have visited and participated in HS summer programs for the past two years; I’ve completely fallen in love), but considering the style of the education and the specific focus on one or two subjects (depending on the course you choose), that’s really in a category of it’s own. I want to look at many US schools as well.
Just as a starting note, I am fully aware that it is more difficult to get into UCLA as a non-California resident, and while I have studied hard for the SAT (have scored high on the PSAT in the past) and have maintained a 3.9 unweighted GPA (with a heavy honors/AP load), I am not assuming I will get into either UCLA or USC (or my NYC schools, for that matter).
I have a couple questions about the school and the surrounding area:
- What is UCLA's English program like? I would like to pursue English and/or playwriting/screenwriting, and I know the latter is often offered in the Arts school rather than the humanities. Are there many opportunities for screenwriting and film majors to intern in Los Angeles?
- UCLA is in Westwood, which, according to my research, is in close proximity to Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, etc. Is the neighborhood easy to navigate (can I walk off campus and easily get to coffee shops, stores, etc.)? Do kids often go into Hollywood and Beverly Hills for fun? I am a huge fan of movies and Hollywood, so I have a feeling I would want to spend a lot of time there.
- This question relates more to the one above. I live in Dallas, which is an incredibly spread-out city, so if you want to go anywhere, you pretty much have to drive (unless you live downtown, which few do). I have heard Los Angeles is the same way, and that the traffic is quite bad. Is it possible to still enjoy Los Angeles without having to drive everywhere? Is any form of public transport available?
- Before I ask this next question, I just want to clarify that I know there are plenty of nice people at UCLA, but in general, there are definitely a lot of misconceptions about California (particularly Los Angeles), and I'd like to hear more about the student environment from someone who has gone to the school or knows it well. There are a lot of stereotypes, especially in the Southwest, that all of the students at UCLA are ultra rich and very attractive/tan (particularly the girls). Is this actually true? I am from a middle-class family, don't own much (if any) designer clothing, and certainly won't be modeling anytime soon. My fear is that if I go to UCLA, I won't fit in.
- Again with the stereotypes: how political is the student body? I am generally a Democrat (although my views are a bit split in some areas), and I certainly don't match the conservative Texas vibe (also a bit of a stereotype). However, I am definitely not a "Hollywood Liberal." Are UCLA students fairly radical in their political beliefs? Do political conversations and arguments pop up much across campus?
- Don't get me wrong, I'm not socially awkward, and I can carry a conversation just fine (although it sometimes takes me a bit of time to warm up to people). However, I hate sports/sporting events (I'm the kid who would rather be in the library reading then cheering at the pep rally), and I have little to no interest in joining a sorority. At Southern Methodist University (Texas's major "party school") in my hometown, it is very hard to fit in and have an active social life if you don't attend football games and participate in Greek Life. Is the same true for UCLA? Is UCLA considered a "party school?" (I have nothing against parties)
Thank you so much for any answers/information! I am planning on visiting California over Spring Break, and I’d really like to take a tour of UCLA.
First, be aware that out of state tuition at UCLA (and all the UC’s) is pretty steep. There’s generally no financial aid available for OOS students either, so that might affect your decision. If you figure 60k to attend as OOS, you won’t be far off. USC does offer merit and financial aid, though, so keep them on your list.
http://www.aim.ucla.edu/tuition.aspx
UCLA is walking distance from Westwood, which is your typical college town except a little more high end. It’s easy to stroll down to Westwood for coffee and food. Getting further afield to places like Beverly Hills and the beach requires transportation, but I hear it’s pretty easy to take public transit. I seem to recall hearing that UCLA students get free bus passes or some such thing, but you can check their website to be sure. There’s a couple movie theaters in Westwood and an iPic a couple blocks further down Wilshire.
There’s a mix of students at UCLA. I doubt a majority would be described as wealthy. I expect you’ll fit in just fine. California is a blue state, then add in the fact that college students are typically more liberal, so Republicans at a UC tend to be a minority.
Greek life is more of a Southern university thing. It’s much less prominent on the West coast. I think around 10-13% of UCLA students are in a frat/sorority. It’s a big campus with a big diverse student body, so lots of room for everybody.
If you’re hoping to work in the entertainment industry, I think UCLA is probably the best place to be.
@anomander Thank you so much! Your information helped, and yes, I definitely will consider the cost of tuition.
And I can see what you mean by fraternity/sorority being a “southern” thing. Many schools (like SMU) in the south/southwest have 50% of the student body involved in Greek Life.
- The English program is very good, but I can't offer too much details as I wasn't an English major. There are plenty of opportunities to intern in the entertainment industry, but specific internships in screenwriting will be more challenging and elusive. It's not uncommon to land an internship during your sophomore to senior year for a major film studio as they're all based somewhere in the Los Angeles area. NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, and Disney/ABC are in the same area in Burbank. Fox and Sony are near Westwood in Culver City and Century City. Paramount is in Hollywood. And there's more around the LA area.
- Hollywood is not what you think it is. Hollywood is like the touristy place that no native LA person wants to go to because it's crowded, dirty, and gross. On the other hand, lots of people hang out in West Hollywood, which is full of bars and clubs.
Students don’t hang out in Beverly Hills or Bel Air per se, but there are plenty of coffee shops in Westwood Village. Westwood Village is literally right by campus and there are many restaurants and bars that UCLA students go out to. In addition, Santa Monica is a short drive away and there are many coffee shops, stores, and restaurants in Third Street Promenade. Nearby downtown Culver City also has plenty of cool restaurants and the Sawtelle area/Little Osaka has plenty of delicious Asian restaurants. LA is huge so there’s a lot of places you can go…as long as you have a car (or make friends with someone that has one).
- As mentioned above, you probably need a car to really enjoy LA. You can get to some parts of LA like Santa Monica through the Big Blue Bus that stops by in Westwood (and many students do take this option). But overall, if you really want to enjoy all of LA, you'll need a car.
- UCLA is a public school. This means you'll find a pretty diverse range of people from all sorts of socio-economic backgrounds. Yes there are wealthy students, but that doesn't mean they are jerks or terrible people. There are also many people who are middle class (again, its a public school), so I really don't think this would be an issue to worry about. As for the attractiveness, UCLA as a whole is deemed an attractive campus, but again that doesn't necessarily mean people are shallow and superficial. You'll find people who are exactly like you and like you for who you are.
- I personally believe UCLA is not as liberal as some other universities (cough UC Berkeley cough) and is actually right in the middle with a lean toward the political left. You'll always find some group protesting about something. On the other hand, there's a sizable portion of "conservative" students on campus. It's a fair mix, but overall I would describe UCLA as moderately liberal with most students leaning toward more progressive ideologies.
- Nope. While UCLA does have an active Greek scene and does have a strong sports and party scene (Go Bruins!! Beat $C!), UCLA is also a very large school and offers entertainment for all types of students. If you are into theater, go join a theater company (go google Hooligan Theater Company UCLA). There's like a million clubs on campus, even for things you've probably never heard of. There are also plenty of fun events throughout the year including a free concert at the beginning of the year (Bruin Bash), exclusive movie screenings, a huge student talent show (Spring Sing), a dance marathon, and more. Trust me, there's something for everyone. At the same time, I would encourage you to give the sports scene a chance. UCLA is a great university and its students have a lot of pride, especially when the football and basketball team do well ;)
Anyway, hope this helps.
^ As an LA native, totally agree that Hollywood is a place you’d want to avoid for the most part.
I went to UCLA law school awhile back so my experience is from my days as a graduate student. However, I visit the campus a few times a year due to my passion for UCLA football and tennis.
My D was admitted into UCLA but did not attend. Her feedback on the admissions process is high GPA and a genuine/interesting essay to go with it.
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I can’t speak to the ranking of the English department but UCLA hosts many entertainment seminars. Internship opportunities with movie studios and production companies are the big advantage of being at UCLA and its proximity to the entertainment companies. I work for a movie studio so I know we get a majority of our summer interns from UCLA (& USC)
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You can walk/bike from the dorms into Westwood Village. The north part of campus is next door to the famous Sunset Blvd. and Bel Air. You will need transportation to get into Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc. Traffic can be frustrating but going into Santa Monica for meals and movies seem to be the popular thing. As a freshman, going into Hollywood can be a bit dicey because of the heavy alcohol and rough nightclubbing culture. Since UCLA has a big student body with different interests, I’m sure there’s a crowd that enjoys going to these different locations. Your choice on that one. You mentioned enjoying movies. The best reason for you to go into Hollywood is that that most movie studios have movie premieres in Hollywood at the old Chinese Mann Theatre (now called TCL Chinese Theatre).
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Your concerns about LA traffic is real. It sucks. However, you can enjoy the UCLA campus and Westwood without a car. There are so many events happening on campus that you wouldn’t miss out on not having a car.
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UCLA is a top tier state school so the only common thing they attract are high achievers and motivated students. I would say that the majority of the UCLA students do not come from elite or upper class economic background. Because the weather is nice and the school has the most national championships, there’s a bit of the athletic/fitness culture that may result in a having a good looking student body. Beside, the campus is hilly so you can’t help but stay active, LOL. Don’t worry, you’ll fit in. UCLA kids wear mostly shorts, t-shirts or tank tops.
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I don’t have any insight to this question, sorry.
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UCLA has a greek system but they do not dominate the social scene. Although the school does well in sports, I remember a big part of the student body not caring about attending the football games. They have passion and interests in other great things at UCLA beyond athletics.
Good luck with your college applications!