Your DC might not be able to get into neither. Looks like they are looking to limit OOS numbers.

http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-uc-outofstate-column-20141022-story.html

Anonymous wrote:The academic and reputational differences are small. The main difference is that some people love Westwood, while others think its like living in a shopping center. Some people love Berkeley and the Bay Area, while others don't.

+1 Bay Area and LA have a completely different feel, personality, etc. Someone who really likes the Berkeley environment probably won't like UCLA as much and vice versa.

I went to Berkeley, very close friend went to UCLA. She loved UCLA, I hated CAL. Main issue was quality of life. Living in Berkeley sucks. It's not safe, people harass you for money on your walk to school -- it's just not a pleasant place to live. Yes, Berkeley has a stronger reputation and has an international reputation, which UCLA does not. But who really cares? Both are great schools, and if I had to do it all over again, I would have gone to UCLA and enjoyed college more.
Do you mean this happens while you're walking to school from OFF campus housing? Is there a problem with this type of harassment on campus? I guess the campus police would be on top of that though.

DH lived in Berkeley for a while, and I have been there many times. I have never felt unsafe in Berkeley, and while there are a lot of homeless people, you learn to ignore it and go on with your business like any other urban area--say, the DC metro. It's an urban area with some crime, so that means lock up your bike, don't keep your doors unlocked at night, etc. but I don't think it's horribly unsafe. I don't know anyone who has been the victim of violent crime, and I know a lot of people who feel comfortable letting their elementary aged kids walk to school.

The academic and reputational differences are small. The main difference is that some people love Westwood, while others think its like living in a shopping center. Some people love Berkeley and the Bay Area, while others don't.

Anonymous wrote:I went to Berkeley, very close friend went to UCLA. She loved UCLA, I hated CAL. Main issue was quality of life. Living in Berkeley sucks. It's not safe, people harass you for money on your walk to school -- it's just not a pleasant place to live. Yes, Berkeley has a stronger reputation and has an international reputation, which UCLA does not. But who really cares? Both are great schools, and if I had to do it all over again, I would have gone to UCLA and enjoyed college more.

Do you mean this happens while you're walking to school from OFF campus housing? Is there a problem with this type of harassment on campus? I guess the campus police would be on top of that though.

Anonymous wrote:The UC schools are high on the list of best schools for Asians, but so are Penn and Maryland:

http://www.asian-nation.org/best-colleges.shtml

UC's don't discriminate against asians - penn does.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Asian comments completely have to do with these schools. What rock have you been hiding under?

Anyway, both schools are awesome, speaking from a UCSD grad (UCSD is too!)

So OP should make their decision as it relates to Asian students? Why should that have anything to do with it?

OP here. I was interested in a comparison of the schools related to academics, social, what makes the schools stand out from each other. I was not interested in the ethnic makeup (already knew about that) but it seems that is important to some people so the discussion went in that direction. I can't control the thread but I notice that whenever there is a discussion about ethnic makeup on campuses, it inevitably turns into a heated discussion about who and who should not be in attendance.

I have seen the same comment "hiding under a rock" a few times on other threads in the College Discussion Forum, most recently in a thread about student insurance. Insulting people invariably results in a retort. I am not condoning one way or another but most people who reach out for information are looking just for that. Most people, like myself, reach out to get insight. With that said, it is not unusual or unheard of for a thread to go on another track, sometimes good and at times bad.

I think I have all the information I need from this thread and will now look at other college forums for additional insight.

And for the record, we are not Asian.

The UC schools are high on the list of best schools for Asians, but so are Penn and Maryland:

http://www.asian-nation.org/best-colleges.shtml

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Asian comments completely have to do with these schools. What rock have you been hiding under?

Anyway, both schools are awesome, speaking from a UCSD grad (UCSD is too!)

So OP should make their decision as it relates to Asian students? Why should that have anything to do with it?

Let me guess. You're white.

It is relevant if OP is Asian.

I'm sorry you're so slow.

And I'm sorry you're an idiot. And your crystal ball is cracked, dumb ass.

I like how people curse when they have no argument.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Asian comments completely have to do with these schools. What rock have you been hiding under?

Anyway, both schools are awesome, speaking from a UCSD grad (UCSD is too!)

So OP should make their decision as it relates to Asian students? Why should that have anything to do with it?

Let me guess. You're white.

It is relevant if OP is Asian.

I'm sorry you're so slow.

And I'm sorry you're an idiot. And your crystal ball is cracked, dumb ass.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Asian comments completely have to do with these schools. What rock have you been hiding under?

Anyway, both schools are awesome, speaking from a UCSD grad (UCSD is too!)

So OP should make their decision as it relates to Asian students? Why should that have anything to do with it?

Let me guess. You're white.

It is relevant if OP is Asian.

I'm sorry you're so slow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you can't go wrong with either. They are the top 2 ranked public universities in the US according to US News -
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public

Berkeley is no 1 and UCLA is no 2. Good luck getting into either.

Is DS an OOS Asian? No Berkeley or UCLA for you! But maybe if he is a Jew.

Weird comment .

+1

Anonymous wrote:The Asian comments completely have to do with these schools. What rock have you been hiding under?

Anyway, both schools are awesome, speaking from a UCSD grad (UCSD is too!)

So OP should make their decision as it relates to Asian students? Why should that have anything to do with it?

I went to Berkeley, very close friend went to UCLA. She loved UCLA, I hated CAL. Main issue was quality of life. Living in Berkeley sucks. It's not safe, people harass you for money on your walk to school -- it's just not a pleasant place to live. Yes, Berkeley has a stronger reputation and has an international reputation, which UCLA does not. But who really cares? Both are great schools, and if I had to do it all over again, I would have gone to UCLA and enjoyed college more.

I don't think you could go wrong with either one. It depends on what kind of feel you are looking for in a college experience.

One more thing about the quarter vs. semester system. I went to a school with a quarter system. We got out for summer break in mid-June, and the summer jobs were always already all taken by then by semester system students.