UCLA v. ASU Honors College

College Search & Lists
1

Hello! I am a high school senior who was recently accepted into both ASU’s Barrett Honors College and UCLA. I have a passion for mathematics and I am having a hard time choosing between ASU with its possibly larger pool of research opportunities and UCLA with its more challenging and prestigious math program. I am looking for the one that would give the best chances of getting into a good graduate school so I can become a professor of mathematics.

To start off, I would like to say I have already gotten quite ahead in maths: I have already taken junior-senior level college classes. I want a college that is flexible to me taking upper-level classes and a graduate class or two as a freshman. I talked to a professor at UCLA, and he seemed confident that UCLA could accomodate this. Would ASU be able to accomodate me as well?

It also seems like because ASU will provide me with more credits for my AP classes, I might be able to get my basch there in two years as opposed to three years if I take summer classes at UCLA, which would translate into me going into graduate school sooner so I can focus my attention entirely on maths.

Also, I want a school where I can do research with a professor, even as a freshman. Which school will have professors more open to working with an undergraduate student? I feel like I might be more of a big fish in a little pond at ASU, which would help me to attract professor’s attention, and there is a reason why ASU boasts “#1 in innovation” so much, but shouldn’t UCLA have comparable research opportunities which I would still be able to get a hold of with my unusual passion for math?

Then, there is campus life, which for me UCLA beats ASU for almost every category. I also feel like I would be happier living with the more competitive students at UCLA; even at ASU’s honor college I would have a hard time finding anyone with a similar passion in math as I, considering that, for example, only about seven other incoming freshman there even chose “math” as their major. Sitting in on classes has also given me the impression that UCLA students are more likely to have the type of passion in mathematics that I am looking for.

Finally, there is cost. ASU, of course, is much cheaper, but my parents can handle this, and themselves have stated that this should only come into consideration if both places are about equal, especially since the college I choose to go to will have a large impact on my potential career as a professor.

Right now I am leaning toward UCLA, since I feel like I would be happier there, but I don’t want to give up ASU if they would end up being more flexible to accommodating me, going along with the “big fish in a little pond” idea. Is there anything I have failed to consider while choosing between the two?

2

You didn’t do enough research about UCs. There is a perfect program, the CCS Math program at UCSB. Its a launching pad for exactly what you’re looking for.

3

You need to pay attention to one thing: if you want to grow in your desire field, you need to grow continuously and in a sustained manner, not just during your freshman year! In UCLA the sky is the limit for you, meaning that no matter how much you advance, there are more things you can learn and more advance classes are available for you to take. Besides, the calibar of students in there and the tough competition you will face from your peers, will force you to move farther ahead!

(Not even mentioning the very renowned math professors in UCLA. One of them is a very famous Field medalist: prof. Terence Tao! Just imagine taking a class with him! Even I envy that!)

4

Thank you a lot! @mikemac, it is too bad that I missed out on the CCS program, but I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities at UCLA, as uclaparent9 points out. After hearing what you both have to say, I am sure sure to be heading to UCLA. Thank you for your feedback.

5

Try to find out which professors aren’t hostile to taking on undergraduates as research assistants; then, contact the professors, presenting your profile and asking if they might consider mentoring you and/or taking you on in their lab or for their research. DO NOT focus on the subject: first, you need a foot in the door, so your mentor will matter more than what you do.

It’s really too bad you missed UCSB’s CCS since it’s specifically graduate work for undergrads, but if you find a mentor at UCLA you can make it work.

6

+1 for UCLA

I like ASU, but I think UCLA is a fantastic choice. They are not top 10 in the country in Math for nothing. So many of these professors are going to be well-connected as they write your letters of recommendation.

Although CCS at UCSB might have been a fit also, I don’t think you are giving up anything to go to UCLA. Since it is a larger math department than either ASU or CCS, you will have a lot broader set of courses to take. Given how far you have already gotten, you can use your time to build in some great breadth as well, and UCLA is going to be the best place for that.

And I agree with @uclaparent9 , the cohort effect of having so many strong classmates will push you very far at UCLA.

Congrats!

7

Beside math and English, you’ll need French and/or Russian for your upper-level math programs, perhaps some German - 3 terms/2 semesters of each + Graduate Reading should be plenty. See if you can study abroad (Budapest program, but see if UCLA has direct-enrollment programs at any big “math” university, like Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial,Edinburgh, Polytechnique Paris, Normale Sup Paris, ETH Zurich, EPFL, Teknion, NUS Singapore, Australian National, Moscow State.)