UCLA vs. NYU

mmun99
Fri, 12 Aug 2016 14:29:39 +0000

I am a current high school senior preparing for college applications, but I am not entirely sure whether I should apply for UCLA or NYU as one of my options. I understand I can apply for both but why apply if I won’t be happy even after getting in? I’m applying for other schools that I’m sure I would happy with if I got accepted; I’d rather understand the pros and cons of each university prior to wasting application money.
Both schools are fairly expensive, to live in and to pay for tuition-wise. I have yet to research the program rankings for computer science (my intended major), so I am primarily focused on the location as of now.

My sister goes to NYU, so I have a higher chance of getting in due to legacy. She enjoys the city so I can’t necessarily rely on her biased perspective. I have been to New York plenty of times, but I’ve never particularly enjoyed the city or felt at home. It seems very lonely and difficult to make friends in.

I’ve never been to California, but from what I’ve heard it’s very superficial and glamorous. I’m not sure if I would enjoy how large the UCLA campus is and the constant risk of not being able to get into the classes I want. That’s ridiculous and an unnecessary hassle. Apparently NYU does not have that con. I also want to be able to drive in the area of the university I attend, and I would be able to do that at UCLA. But I live in Maryland, so it would be unbelievably expensive to transfer my car from across the country. Because of that, I’d probably end up having to move to California without a car anyway.

I don’t want to deal with any superficiality or obnoxious frats/sororities. I’m fully willing to party, I just don’t mix well with overly-spirited people. I don’t want to end up choosing UCLA and, if I get in, hate my time there because of the location.

If anyone who lives in the UCLA campus could tell me more about it and possibly disprove any misconceptions I may have I’d really appreciate it.