Tell me about UCLA

[Anonymous]

If she was at private, she had small classes, teachers she bonded with, discussion based classes where her opinion mattered, and was able to get in all the classes she chose.

She will not have that experience at all at UCLA. Classes of 250+ mainly taught by graduate students, professors that are really there are only to do research and don’t care about undergrads, and no one really cares what you think. Classes are rambled info and you 100% need to take initiative in anything as you are left on your own. And others are right about course selection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she was at private, she had small classes, teachers she bonded with, discussion based classes where her opinion mattered, and was able to get in all the classes she chose.

She will not have that experience at all at UCLA. Classes of 250+ mainly taught by graduate students, professors that are really there are only to do research and don’t care about undergrads, and no one really cares what you think. Classes are rambled info and you 100% need to take initiative in anything as you are left on your own. And others are right about course selection.

NP: This is what gives me pause about the UCs - the overcrowding which affects housing, class sizes, graduating on-time, attention from professors, etc.

Students are still enamored of course, with the prospect of living on the West Coast and the name recognition of UCLA, Berkeley. But to pay $63K for my child to be in that environment, and just say "GOOD LUCK! You'll be fine." I would say, no, this is not a good investment into the education of my child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD is a great school. DC applied there and got in but its hard for UMD -CP to compete (from a location and national ranking perspective) with UCLA or even Michigan/UVA. Of course, DC knows that going OOS is a luxury that is not to be taken lightly. We've saved diligently since DC was born so we do have enough saved up that DC can graduate without loans.

While traffic is definitely an issue getting out of Westwood, it's not like commuting for a job where you have to face traffic jams twice a day.

We're aware that DC may not want to move back to the East Coast after graduating - at least not immediately - but we're trying not to think about that too much. No use stressing about that now.

I think UCLA beats UMD from a location standpoint. Uva/UM not any better though. From the ranking perspective, if you believe in ranking, you haven't done your homework. Paying full cost for OOS state Uni seems crazy to me. I know, I know, it's not my money, it's not my kid... but why waste money like that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD is a great school. DC applied there and got in but its hard for UMD -CP to compete (from a location and national ranking perspective) with UCLA or even Michigan/UVA. Of course, DC knows that going OOS is a luxury that is not to be taken lightly. We've saved diligently since DC was born so we do have enough saved up that DC can graduate without loans.

While traffic is definitely an issue getting out of Westwood, it's not like commuting for a job where you have to face traffic jams twice a day.

We're aware that DC may not want to move back to the East Coast after graduating - at least not immediately - but we're trying not to think about that too much. No use stressing about that now.

OP: what major? I think this is important when comparing schools.

[Anonymous]

Going to UCLA because that's where you kid wants to go, I can understand that. Going to UCLA because you think it's "better" or higher ranked than UMD for undergrad education, I think that's crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she was at private, she had small classes, teachers she bonded with, discussion based classes where her opinion mattered, and was able to get in all the classes she chose.

She will not have that experience at all at UCLA. Classes of 250+ mainly taught by graduate students, professors that are really there are only to do research and don’t care about undergrads, and no one really cares what you think. Classes are rambled info and you 100% need to take initiative in anything as you are left on your own. And others are right about course selection.

This was my experience having TAd there as a grad student. The professors don't care one lick about the undergrads. At one point I was told to TA a lab class without the required chemicals. The stockroom and professor were fighting about something, so the students just didn't get to do the labs that quarter. The stockroom refused to provide supplies. I encouraged students to drop, but most needed the class because they were already 5th years and they'd been waiting to take this lab class since they were sophomores. They would have had to stay for a 6th year. They ended up writing hypothetical lab reports about the experiments they would have done if they'd had chemicals for C's.

Other quarters the students at the end of the week also didn't get chemicals because they we usually ran out by Thursday morning. Professors didn't care.

Professors also taught material out of order if they didn't like which class they'd been assigned to teach (e.g., instead of teaching 14CL, they'd teach 14BL material despite it actually being a 14CL class).

Oh, and MANY calc, chem and engineering classes were graded by scantron. Lots of cheating in the big classes. Tough curves, too.

I also found that the campus had a very commuter feel since many students were from LA. It was also very racially and ethnically segregated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she was at private, she had small classes, teachers she bonded with, discussion based classes where her opinion mattered, and was able to get in all the classes she chose.

She will not have that experience at all at UCLA. Classes of 250+ mainly taught by graduate students, professors that are really there are only to do research and don’t care about undergrads, and no one really cares what you think. Classes are rambled info and you 100% need to take initiative in anything as you are left on your own. And others are right about course selection.

This was my experience having TAd there as a grad student. The professors don't care one lick about the undergrads. At one point I was told to TA a lab class without the required chemicals. The stockroom and professor were fighting about something, so the students just didn't get to do the labs that quarter. The stockroom refused to provide supplies. I encouraged students to drop, but most needed the class because they were already 5th years and they'd been waiting to take this lab class since they were sophomores. They would have had to stay for a 6th year. They ended up writing hypothetical lab reports about the experiments they would have done if they'd had chemicals for C's.

Other quarters the students at the end of the week also didn't get chemicals because they we usually ran out by Thursday morning. Professors didn't care.

Professors also taught material out of order if they didn't like which class they'd been assigned to teach (e.g., instead of teaching 14CL, they'd teach 14BL material despite it actually being a 14CL class).

Oh, and MANY calc, chem and engineering classes were graded by scantron. Lots of cheating in the big classes. Tough curves, too.

I also found that the campus had a very commuter feel since many students were from LA. It was also very racially and ethnically segregated.

I guess my takeaway from this is that your daughter needs to be VERY proactive about selecting her major, picking professors and getting into the classes she needs. She can't just blindly register for classes and assume that it will be fine. If she wants to take advantage of UCLA's world class reputation, she needs to find a way to get to know professors in her major. She has to be proactive and go to office hours, departmental seminars and other opportunities to network. No one is coming to her. The same is true for jobs--network, network, network. Start as a freshman and go to career fairs, make contacts, and devise a plan. No one is going to hold her hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she was at private, she had small classes, teachers she bonded with, discussion based classes where her opinion mattered, and was able to get in all the classes she chose.

She will not have that experience at all at UCLA. Classes of 250+ mainly taught by graduate students, professors that are really there are only to do research and don’t care about undergrads, and no one really cares what you think. Classes are rambled info and you 100% need to take initiative in anything as you are left on your own. And others are right about course selection.

To tell you the truth, UCLA needs you (full-pay OOS) more than you need UCLA. My D received full tuition scholarship at various UC campuses, some offering more than others (> tuition & fees), honors, chancellor's. We decided on a out-of-state SLAC for many of the reasons you see in this thread. This instinct was confirmed when we learned how cut throat UC administrators are. Last year, UC Irvine screwed up on yield calculation and ended up rescinding 500 admissions just weeks before fall classes were to start. This doesn't surprise anyone who knows UC.

[Anonymous]

Yikes, this thread is enlightening for prospective students and their parents.

[Anonymous]

In the news for a while has been talk of real budget issues. That always rolls down hill.