@sadsenior - Talk to your teachers and see if there is ANYthing you can do to pull up your grades. Don’t leave it to chance. You can do this!
My sister got rejected from all the UCs during freshman admission and ended up transferring to UCLA as a junior only one year after high school graduation, thanks to the number of AP and community college credits she earned during high school. She earned a 3.7 CC GPA during that year and got accepted to all the UCs she applied to, including UCD, UCSB, UCSD and UCI, except for one rejection at UCB. She is graduating from UCLA in June one year ahead of her peers and only cost my parents 2 years of tuition and room & board. Also, my sister lived in the UCLA transfer living community dorm and got the same experience as the freshman. She made tons of lifelong friends and even pledged a sorority Consider this route if you really want a degree from UCLA. Whether you came in as a freshman or transfer doesn’t matter. It’s where you get your diploma.
Opinions on semester versus quarter systems?
@collegekid171 My high school was quarters so I’m used to the fast pace. What I like about it is that if you hate a class then it’s over quickly. Also breaks coincide with quarters so it’s truly a break with no studying. Cons: it’s really fast and leaves you exhausted. Semester is slower but it drags out hard classes plus breaks are in the middle of a semester so there will always be work to do. For me, I’d rather suffer for 10 weeks and get a break.
I only applied to 6 UC’s and Cal Poly SLO for engineering for the following majors and have gotten into these and am waiting on Berkeley still:
UCI - Environmental Engineering / Honors College
UCD - Biological Systems Engineering
UCSB - Electrical Engineering
UCSD - NanoEngineering
UCLA - Materials Engineering
CPSLO - Industrial Engineering
I only had a 4.33 weighted gpa and 2150 sat score so I am not sure how I got into LA but I feel like they look for well-rounded applicants so that might be why I got in over my 4.6/2300 friends.
Anyways, I am really struggling with choosing the best college for me. I want to be an engineer but I also want to do business on the side or at least get a master’s at a highly ranked school for it in the future.
While UCLA is a little much for me, I do know it is an amazing school. Any input or knowledge of any of these schools compared to it would be amazing. Thanks!
Thanks for the advice it would be nice to have no hw during breaks! I have another question: For math majors do you think it would be too fast to go into a quarter system or is it better with semester since it’s stretched out?
@collegekid171 It should be ok. As long as you do the homework and study you’ll adjust. But that’s with everything. I wouldn’t worry about the academic system as much but more the rigor of the program. And Ucla math is rigorous. Most math classes are taught with proofs and you’re expected to apply that to the homework. It’s not like high school where all you do is examples.
@kac123 One thing to consider is the MatSci program at Ucla is our weakest and lowest funded engineering major. It’s easily overshadowed by our mech e, ee and CS programs. In your case I would do UCSB EE but that maybe because I’m EE.
@kac123 It seems like Berkeley would be a really good fit for you (hopefully you get in)! Their engineering programs are some of the strongest in the country as well as Haas Business School, in case you want to look at some business administration courses.
@kac123 If you do choose Ucla the management tech breadth would be a good fit for you. That’s what I want since I’m heading straight to industry or consulting after graduating. For all students deciding:
UCLA engineering has each student pick a tech breadth which can be any engineering major outside of your own. This allows you to explore other engineering majors built into the 4 year plan.
Hello!
How hard, academically, is UCLA? I was admitted for L&S and I’m hesitant on accepting the offer because I heard it was cut throat, especially for a Bio major like myself.
Can anyone give me input?
Thank you!
If you chose Biology, I think you dont want to stop after undergrad school right? If yes, then no matter how hard UCLA is, you should try your best to fight for your good grades. It prepares you for UCLA grad school better than if you go to somewhere else. Remeber you choose the major because you like it and want to work in the field, if you choose it because you think it is easier than other majors, you are going to be disappointed soon. A major, or a school is harder for its reasons. If you want to go for an easy major, an easy school, and an easy job, you are going to get an easy pay. So, go Bruins!
Hi 10s4life (ucla Bruin),
I got question for you. I am comparing pros and cons of UCLA and UCSD Chem Engineering. One factor I am comparing is UCSD requires 2 x writing courses and cannot be waived by AP credit. How about UCLA? If I get 4 or 5 in AP Literature and AP Language, can I exempt from writings requirements at UCLA?
Also, would you mind sharing which residential halls would be more suitable for freshmans: Rieber Terrace/vista or Sproul Cove, Landing etc or any suggestions? If anyone can contribute to any opinions - pros and cons of UCLA and UCSD, please reply here. Thank you.
Hello Kac123,
I am in same situation like you. I can’t decide between UCLA and UCSD Chem Engineering. I don’t want to be getting C’s at UCLA because I heard some bad posting about UCLA chemistry dept/ advisors and the curve competition with pre-med’s taking chem courses. Although I am in Engineering but I do have to take lots of courses in Chemistry being ChemEng. I do like UCLA food compares to UCSD Warren school. And seems like UCSD is less cut throat so I am pretty confident I can maintain my good gpa at SD. I will be visiting UCSD 4/8 and UCLA Discover Engineering on 4/9. I did stay over UCLA last summer completed a lab course so I already have a feel of the sproul dorm and the food. It is excellent and no one can compliant. If anyone can share their experience from UCSD and UCLA ChemEng major, please reply to our post. Thank you.
@dennisy Hey if be happy to answer. If you tag me I get a notification so it’s easier to respond. Ucla has 2 writing requirements for engineering. Writing 1 can be waived by AP credit. Writing 2 is fulfilled by engineering ethics and cannot be waived. So you will take one less writing class at Ucla. Excluding the 5 GEs we take which are basically writing classes. I was weighing between ucsd and Ucla EE last year and chose Ucla because as a total package it was a better fit for me. Both are very Comparable schools in fact on us news ucsd is now ranked higher than Ucla for engineering. It’s gonna come down to where you fit in. Ucla is very lively and if you attend Bruin Day you’ll get to see that. Ucsd is more laid back. For dorms as a freshman you don’t get to pick which specific hall you want. Instead you preference the type of dorm. Most likely you’ll get a classic. Some get plazas or suites depending on what’s left. It’s because current students pick rooms early (like 2 weeks ago). At orientation you will stay at rieber terrace which is a plaza. I lived in a classic and really liked how social it is.
@10s4life In order to get waived out of the writing class, what score is required on the AP exam at UCLA?
@jewishmother a score of 4 or 5 is needed
@dennisy It’s such a tough decision, but both are great schools! I do think UCSD is easier to excel at though and I have heard the engineering is even better there. I am leaning towards Cal Poly SLO but I am also going to the UCLA Discover Engineering Program on the 4/9 and I am from San Diego so I have been to UCSD many times already. I also got into Warren too!
@10s4life is this on AP Lang or AP Lit?
@nervous17yearold either is fine