Anonymous
06/11/2025 03:16
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Kid is interested in Los Angeles area schools - he's thinking about political science, business/economics, maybe centered on the entertainment business.
Here's what I know - what am I missing?
USC - super hard to get into, great film school, bad neighborhood.
UCLA - also super hard to get into. Huge. Not sure why it is so great or such a hard admit.
Loyola Marymount - right near Santa Monica, Catholic, mid-size (7k or so), good for people who want to get into the entertainment business but can't get into the two above schools. Has a dedicated business school.
Chapman - good for film, easier to get into.
Occidental - super woke? Is that right?
Claremont Mckenna schools - 5 school consortium, hard to get into.
Whittier - Nixon.
Kid does not yet know what he wants in terms of size. He's doing IB diploma, has just over a 4.0 GPA and should have good test scores...i.e. in-state UVA and W&M are on the table but not guaranteed admits.
What am I missing about the above schools? Other schools in the area that should be on our list?
UCLA is so great because it is a cheap and prestigious in-state school; it is not so great for oos at the undergraduate level. You would want USC over UCLA anyday for oos undergrad — and USC will also be an even tougher admit.
Show us on your Tommy Trojan doll where the Bruins hurt you.
Cross admit rate for OOS favors UCLA.
Anonymous
06/11/2025 03:11
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:USC cares a lot about test scores. NMSF is a big plus. Full pay. Not that hard to get into.
UCLA on the other hand is test blind. Unpredictable but they like OOS full pay.
NMSQT tuition break is done-zo, so unsure how much the NMSF/F status matters any longer.
Anonymous
06/11/2025 02:44
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind UCLA only includes 10th and 11th grades in GPA and doesn’t accept test scores.
It only includes 10th and 11th grade scores in the GPA but it LOOKS at all grades from 9th -12th for continuity, upward trajectory, class choices etc.
Anonymous
06/11/2025 02:43
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:USC cares a lot about test scores. NMSF is a big plus. Full pay. Not that hard to get into.
UCLA on the other hand is test blind. Unpredictable but they like OOS full pay.
No, like all the UCs they have a cap on oos students
Anonymous
06/11/2025 02:05
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Dont forget the other UCs, Irvine, SB, Riverside AND the state schools.
UCSB is an hour from LA and you are basically stranded in a small beach town. Housing, including housing in Isla Vista is really tough and crowded, There are some pros to UCSB but some real drawbacks,
UCI has a good business school and should be really easy to get into from OOS. Drawbacks are that it is a commuter school. It’s in Orange County next to LA. Geographically not far but with LA traffic over an hour. Cal State Fullerton has a good business school but again it’s a commuter school in Orange County.
You are not “stranded.” Such hyperbole!
Anonymous
06/11/2025 00:23
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:Dont forget the other UCs, Irvine, SB, Riverside AND the state schools.
UCSB is an hour from LA and you are basically stranded in a small beach town. Housing, including housing in Isla Vista is really tough and crowded, There are some pros to UCSB but some real drawbacks,
UCI has a good business school and should be really easy to get into from OOS. Drawbacks are that it is a commuter school. It’s in Orange County next to LA. Geographically not far but with LA traffic over an hour. Cal State Fullerton has a good business school but again it’s a commuter school in Orange County.
Anonymous
06/10/2025 23:54
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Keep in mind UCLA only includes 10th and 11th grades in GPA and doesn’t accept test scores.
Anonymous
06/10/2025 23:34
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Peep the UCLA ratings in just about every conceivable academic and quality of life category if you’re still unclear why it receives more applications than any other college or university in the country and why it has been the #1 ranked public institution for roughly the past decade. Having said that, a weighted GPA “just over 4.0” is not likely to yield an acceptance anyway.
Anonymous
06/10/2025 23:17
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:Pepperdine is gorgeous! And right in Malibu on the coast.
Dry campus
Anonymous
06/10/2025 23:16
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:Kid is interested in Los Angeles area schools - he's thinking about political science, business/economics, maybe centered on the entertainment business.
Here's what I know - what am I missing?
USC - super hard to get into, great film school, bad neighborhood.
UCLA - also super hard to get into. Huge. Not sure why it is so great or such a hard admit.
Loyola Marymount - right near Santa Monica, Catholic, mid-size (7k or so), good for people who want to get into the entertainment business but can't get into the two above schools. Has a dedicated business school.
Chapman - good for film, easier to get into.
Occidental - super woke? Is that right?
Claremont Mckenna schools - 5 school consortium, hard to get into.
Whittier - Nixon.
Kid does not yet know what he wants in terms of size. He's doing IB diploma, has just over a 4.0 GPA and should have good test scores...i.e. in-state UVA and W&M are on the table but not guaranteed admits.
What am I missing about the above schools? Other schools in the area that should be on our list?
You’re pretty spot on with your analysis. Student bodies and vibes at each school are very different. Big time sports rah rah at both USC and UCLA. More Asians at UCLA. USC not behind maybe more ethnically racially diverse than UCLA but wealthier overall too. LMU is the backup to both. And Pepperdine. You need to visit each one.
Anonymous
06/10/2025 23:07
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:[img]Anonymous wrote:Pepperdine is gorgeous! And right in Malibu on the coast.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pepperdine+images&sca_esv=0d68eac63f3eb3ca&sxsrf=AE3TifMgwAXpOk1CnFgvdhN19tLgXHZKAA%3A1749602346768&source=hp&ei=KtBIaOPRK6HF0PEPx-TZmAE&iflsig=AOw8s4IAAAAAaEjeOtEYh3n5E8OqYvupL6zU9wcFI9m-&ved=0ahUKEwjjjv_SkOiNAxWhIjQIHUdyFhMQ4dUDCBk&uact=5&oq=pepperdine+images&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhFwZXBwZXJkaW5lIGltYWdlczIFEAAYgAQyBhAAGBYYHjIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yBhAAGBYYHjIGEAAYFhgeMgsQABiABBiGAxiKBTILEAAYgAQYhgMYigUyCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMggQABiiBBiJBUi3F1AAWNcUcAF4AJABAJgBigGgAcIMqgEEMTUuM7gBA8gBAPgBAZgCE6AC-wzCAgQQIxgnwgIKECMYgAQYJxiKBcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAggQLhiABBixA8ICDhAAGIAEGLEDGIMBGIoFwgILEC4YgAQYsQMYgwHCAgsQLhiABBixAxjUAsICBRAuGIAEwgIIEC4YgAQY5QTCAggQABiABBiiBJgDAJIHBDE2LjOgB8y3AbIHBDE1LjO4B_gMwgcGMC4xMy42yAcx&sclient=gws-wiz
here to help!
Anonymous
06/10/2025 22:34
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
My DC looked at various SoCal schools and decided on Chapman--ideal size, nice friendly vibe, beautiful new buildings, and walkability to shops, restaurants, etc b/c it's right in the town of Orange.
Anonymous
06/10/2025 21:44
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous wrote:Pepperdine is gorgeous! And right in Malibu on the coast.
But so evangelical.
Anonymous
06/10/2025 20:40
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Anonymous
06/10/2025 20:39
Subject: Help me better understand Southern Cal universities & colleges
Pepperdine is gorgeous! And right in Malibu on the coast.