UCLA vs. UW...help!

sumzup
Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:40:39 +0000

****. I had this long post but it accidentally got deleted. Oh well.

Let’s go through this quickly.



From what I have heard, they are fairly similar academically.



True. UCLA will have a slight edge overall, but they are both very strong schools.



Would one or the other be a better pick if I plan on studying physiology (and ultimately going on to medical school)?



I doubt the education you would get in physiology at either one would be lacking. However, the influence of their respective medical schools may vary. UW Med has a research rank of #6 and primary care rank of #1, while UCLA Med has rankings of #9 and #12, respectively. I don’t know how much this will make a difference, but there will definitely be a LOT of research and volunteering opportunities at both, with perhaps more at UW.



Also, in general, which city is more like NY in terms of what there is to do? Do students actually go into the city and do things, or do they mainly stay on campus (or in Westwood for UCLA and the Ave for UW)?



Hmm…they’re all cities; they will all have their own unique and awesome things that you can do. I’m not sure you can really use that as a metric. And what you get out of a city is what you put in; what you experience depends on the initiative you take. I’m sure a lot students at every one of these schools will go out into the city and experience life there.



One of the main things that is holding me back about UCLA is the fact that I have heard the students are very superficial and materialistic. Is this true? And if so, would it be better to pick UW as I would fit in more there?



I don’t know much about this, but I will say a few things. vociferous is absolutely right in that “there are materialistic and non materialistic people everywhere.” However, all stereotypes have a root in truth, and Seattle is also more generally known to be a less superficial city…so perhaps, Seattle is slightly more down-to-earth. I don’t think this difference should be what makes or breaks your decision, though. Wherever you go, you’ll find your niche.



Lastly, does it REALLY rain all of the time in Seattle?



[Seattle Average Weather by Month](Weather - Seattle Travel)

It rains 50% of the time, apparently, though more so in the winter. Whether you can deal with this is up to you. I could probably live with it, but everyone is different. You would probably get used to it after a while, though.

Verdict: Both are great schools; you really have no wrong choice here. I would say that UCLA is slightly better academically, but maybe you’d fit in better at UW. I don’t really say anything big that would make one school a LOT more attractive than the other. At this point, follow the money. Whichever one is cheaper is probably a better bet (remember to factor in cost-of-living, too…Seattle will be cheaper than LA).

If cost isn’t a factor, I recommend you to try out the time-honored “flip a coin” technique. UCLA is heads, UW is tails. If you are happy with the result after flipping, then that’s the school you should go to. If you are fleetingly disappointed and wanted the other school, go to the other one, then.