Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VA schools unless given a free ride and generous additional stipend to attend on of the CA schools.

Uc schools don’t offer merit to oos students.

They don't offer merit

The Regents and Chancellor Scholarships are merit-based and offered to OOS and international students.

Anonymous wrote:Original PP who said Cal above all others.

Now that I know you are in VA, I would still say Cal, then any good VA school, then other CA schools.

But as as Cal grad, I completely agree with the person above... Cal is the most internationally recognized and universally revered. Being from California, lots of people go to Cal, but on the east coast, people act like I went to Yale or something. It really is that special.

really? My brother went to Cal, and I don't think it's all that special. Maybe for more recent kids? But, I know a few Cal grads who aren't all that.

There is a thread on Reddit right now about a student’s experience this week at UCLA when a homeless person came and sat in class and the professor did nothing. Just a reminder that most east coasters totally unaware of how bad rhe homeless situation is in CA cities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VA schools unless given a free ride and generous additional stipend to attend on of the CA schools.

Uc schools don’t offer merit to oos students.

They don't offer merit

Anonymous wrote:As a third gen UCLA grad, married to a Cal grad. With a Brother and Sister-in-Law both Davis and UCSB grads and their kids currently at UCLA and UCSC, and a kid at UVA I have a pretty good perspective. If in-state in VA then it's a no-brainer for UVA unless you have money to throw away.

You experienced ONE place, that's your perspective, everything else you might have learned from others, is THEIR perspective, not yours.

God no. We are opposite — in California and my kid dreams of going to VA schools.

Anonymous wrote:Original PP who said Cal above all others.

Now that I know you are in VA, I would still say Cal, then any good VA school, then other CA schools.

But as as Cal grad, I completely agree with the person above... Cal is the most internationally recognized and universally revered. Being from California, lots of people go to Cal, but on the east coast, people act like I went to Yale or something. It really is that special.

I heard a rumor Cal grads are insufferable. But tell me more about how "special" Cal is?

This kind of imaginary prestige bean-counting reminds me of the dorks that insist in a definitive hierarchy among HYPSM. That said, Cal and UCLA are great schools. And so is UVA. And I have many, many friend who are Cal grads, and unlike PP, they are humble folk, which I believe is a direct result of Cal's garbage athletics program for the past three decades. [Sorry for the low blow, Bear alums.]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Original PP who said Cal above all others.

Now that I know you are in VA, I would still say Cal, then any good VA school, then other CA schools.

But as as Cal grad, I completely agree with the person above... Cal is the most internationally recognized and universally revered. Being from California, lots of people go to Cal, but on the east coast, people act like I went to Yale or something. It really is that special.

Applicants cross-accepted to both Cal and UCLA apparently choose the latter 64% of the time. Ratings almost across the board favor UCLA (quality of life, campus life, split amongst academic programs, etc.), as does UCLA’s admissions selectivity for most of the past 20 years. Finally, both Cal and UCLA are really all about the graduate programs and the research funding anyway - the undergraduate experience is fine, but more of a secondary issue.

Since cost cannot explain it (and please don’t point at Nobel laureates who never cross paths with 99% of the student body) what’s your explanation for the Cal preference (other than the fact that you’re a graduate)?

The education and diversity of experience favor cal. But weather and beauty will favor ucla every time. When I was there it was also very geographically dependent - most of my southern cal classmates chose cal; people from northern wanted ucla. Shrug. I got into both.

Anonymous wrote:Original PP who said Cal above all others.

Now that I know you are in VA, I would still say Cal, then any good VA school, then other CA schools.

But as as Cal grad, I completely agree with the person above... Cal is the most internationally recognized and universally revered. Being from California, lots of people go to Cal, but on the east coast, people act like I went to Yale or something. It really is that special.

Applicants cross-accepted to both Cal and UCLA apparently choose the latter 64% of the time. Ratings almost across the board favor UCLA (quality of life, campus life, split amongst academic programs, etc.), as does UCLA’s admissions selectivity for most of the past 20 years. Finally, both Cal and UCLA are really all about the graduate programs and the research funding anyway - the undergraduate experience is fine, but more of a secondary issue.

Since cost cannot explain it (and please don’t point at Nobel laureates who never cross paths with 99% of the student body) what’s your explanation for the Cal preference (other than the fact that you’re a graduate)?

Anonymous wrote:VA schools unless given a free ride and generous additional stipend to attend on of the CA schools.

Uc schools don’t offer merit to oos students.

No one knows of W&M outside of DMV. UVa is also a 'golden child' only regionally

VA schools unless given a free ride and generous additional stipend to attend on of the CA schools.

Absolutely not, UC’s have huge class sizes, tons of restricted majors, and housing issues at all schools (yes, UCLA guarantees housing but two years of it is in forced triples). Not worth the oos cost.

Original PP who said Cal above all others.

Now that I know you are in VA, I would still say Cal, then any good VA school, then other CA schools.

But as as Cal grad, I completely agree with the person above... Cal is the most internationally recognized and universally revered. Being from California, lots of people go to Cal, but on the east coast, people act like I went to Yale or something. It really is that special.

Anonymous wrote:Would you pick Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD over UVA, W&M and VT?

My random thoughts. W&M is really an anomaly here, it is so much smaller and more undergraduate focused that it provides a type of experience the UC schools can't. Berkeley will be the most internationally recognized. I think UCLA may have some quality of life advantages over Berkeley, though. As someone who has lived in California, I think the UC schools may be overrated as undergraduate schools. They really do prioritize research and graduate study. However, if you want to live and work in California, the UCs may give you a leg up in getting established there. However (again, as someone who has lived in California), it is difficult to overstate the high cost of living in many parts of California, particularly for young people.