USC vs. UCLA competitive admissions

55Smash
Fri, 20 Jul 2012 01:26:33 +0000

First of all I think Grabbit is being a little too biased in order to have an argument that is somehwat valid.
Now, yes, I am a ucla student, but I will try to keep my opinion unbiased. I was accepted to both institutions and there are many many reasons why I chose UCLA, but there are also many many reasons why I should’ve chosen USC as well. Ther are both great institutions, but I have my reasons.
First off, UCLA obviously accepts twice as many students as USC due to sheer size of the respective institution. With that in mind, it is hard to argue the who has the better SAT range argument. Second, UCLA has the duty and obligation under the state of california to serve the top ten-to-twelve percent of students in CA-- USC does not. Therefore USC has an advantage when it comes to SAT scores: the smaller the class the more narrow the threshold to enter in terms of gpa. Another thing, USC superscores SAT scores-- the UC’s do not superscore. I have not seen anything published that fixes this making the SAT score debate semi-invalid.
The argument that USC’s application is more difficult than the UC’s is BS. I filled out the common app, and the only difference was that USC has like ten one-sentence-answer questions like “what’s your favorite food? what’s your favorite book?” and why you chose your major. EASY. Therefore both applications are as much of a “joke” or “difficulty” as the other.
From what I remember UCLA’s acceptance rate was around the high 17% and USC was around 18% for 2012. That is near equal and the true difference probably does not matter.
USC does surpass UCLA on a few rankings-- most famously US News National but 23rd USC 25th UCLA. But there is also the US News international ranking that places UCLA in the thirties and USC in the 130’s if that makes any sense. It does not. I have seen UCLA beat USC in the majority of undergraduate rankings that I have seen-- but that depends on how YOU the STUDENT view the criteria for each ranking. If you think US NEWS is perfect, so be it; if you think it’s a sham, so be it. YOU, the student, possess the ability of discernment. USE IT.
USC does have advantage in sports and in my opinion has the advantage of pride. UCLA students are very very very very proud too, but USC’s pride is almost scary. They also have the advantage in local Los Angeles love due to their football. But that’s a stupid argument considering the average person who wears a ucla or usc t shirt doesn’t even know where they are located in the City of Los Angeles. UCLA has a more national and international recognition than USC AT THE MOMENT. Yes I’m aware of the fact that USC is rising in fame, and yes I’m aware that USC may surpass UCLA’s prestige, but in terms of the PRESENT, UCLA still holds higher world wide prestige.
USC is better for getting a job right out of school due to real world classes. UCLA is better for going to graduate school for the liberal arts and breadth focus.
USC also has easier academics than UCLA because UCLA is more cutthroat and more curved on grading, whilst USC has that private school advantage.

Either way both are great schools and all arguments are stupid because in specific areas one may have the advantage of the other but overall it’s hard to even tell. Their buildings are even the same architecture!
Thank you. I know it was lengthy, I apologize.