The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) began in the year 1882. At this time, the university’s sole purpose was to train teachers. It then became the southern branch of the University of California in 1919, thus making it the second school in the University of California system. UCLA is a large university in western Los Angeles that educated approximately 30,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate students in a variety of fields. It is situated between the Westwood commercial district and Sunset Boulevard. Let us know more detail about ‘Is UCLA An Elite School?’.
Is UCLA An Elite School?
For someone who has lived in Los Angeles their whole life, UCLA may seem like your normal, around-the-block community school and might be taken for granted by the Angelenos. UCLA takes the first position among the public universities in the country and is tied for the 19th position among all national universities in the nation in the USN and WR rankings which is impressive. This school is one of the most recent elite and prestigious colleges in the world. This makes the school highly competitive and this makes more and more students apply here annually. The number of applicants to UCLA last year was around 168,000.
UCLA is not an Elite Institute. Because of its illustrious faculty and alumni committee, research capacity and opportunities, selectivity, and global notoriety, UCLA is sometimes mistaken for an Elite institution. Similarly, to the Ivies, UCLA has a storied athletic history. The Ivies consist of:
- Harvard
- Yale
- Princeton
- Brown
- Cornell
- UPenn
- Columbia and;
- Dartmouth.
Why Is UCLA Not In The List Of Elite Institutions?
This elite group was formed in the 1900s. The Ivy League does not admit new members because it is an exclusive society that has international prominence. The Ivy League does not admit new members because it is an exclusive society with international prominence. Although UCLA is not an Ivy League school, it is sometimes compared to the elite ivies. Hence, UCLA is not in the list of The Elite group, but still nothing less than that.
Is UCLA As Good As Elite Group Schools?
Maybe a yes! Some might even say UCLA is on par with the Ivies. There is also a high employability rate for graduates. In 2015, the First Destination survey was carried out by the UCLA Career Center and it showed that 33 percent of graduates from UCLA with bachelor’s degrees had full-time jobs within 6 months. Some of the companies that hire UCLA graduates are:
- Amazon,
- Apple,
- Boomerang,
- Space X
- Microsoft etc.
I guess this shows that the quality of students being produced at UCLA is well cooked and graduates can fully and actively compete in the workspace. Another reason to lift your hat to UCLA.
Academics and Arts at UCLA
Now that we know that UCLA is a high-brow university, you might be wondering why this is so. Let us first discuss the state of the academic structures of UCLA. UCLA has around 125 undergraduate majors and nearly 90 minors that are dispersed over 109 academic departments. This is impressive and the most sought-after undergraduate majors are:
- Psychobiology
- Business economics
- Political science
- Biology
- Psychology
In addition, UCLA also prioritizes student research by giving quite generous and competitive research grants up to 1 billion dollars annually. The school has a thriving research community because of its proximity to Ronald Reagan Medical Center.
UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television (TFT) is well regarded with the Hollywood Reporter frequently ranking UCLA’s TFT among the best in the country. The school’s alumni consist of notable, successful actors like George Takei, who starred in the movie, Star Wars. He even returned to UCLA university for a brief teaching stint.
The UCLA Student Committee for the Arts is the student arm of UCLA’s world-famous Center for the Art of Performance. SCA members routinely collaborate with CAP UCLA employees to promote the performing arts on campus and organize events that feature student performers. So, considering arts and theater, UCLA is a very good fit.
The Extra Curriculum at UCLA
UCLA is a cultural and activity melting pot and possesses a thriving extracurricular sector with over 1000 clubs which are showcased to students during the yearly fair on Royce Quad. The Student Alumni Association is one of the school’s most prominent clubs. Some of the categories of clubs and organizations in which students of UCLA are particularly active are:
- Faith
- Sports and outdoors
- Careers
- Creative pursuits
- Culture and Identity
- Environment
- Service
All these do not even begin to scratch the surface of the extra-curricular activities that UCLA offers. There are also opportunities to volunteer. UCLA has a volunteer center that displays a very important core value which is service and as you can see, at UCLA, there is inclusivity, there is something for everyone and diversity is something to be impressed about. This goes to show that UCLA is an elite institution.
Sports in UCLA
UCLA has 118 championships, including 12 in softball, 11 in men’s water polo, 7 in women’s gymnastics, and numerous more multi-time champion sporting teams. UCLA was also the first to win 100 championships, and the Bruins’ success in almost every sport outside of UCLA is unparalleled.
Getting Into UCLA
Admission into UCLA is quite competitive and understandably so. More and more students are applying to University of California schools now that SAT and ACT scores are no longer a prerequisite. Getting into UCLA is difficult but not impossible. If you have good grades and AP scores, you can distinguish yourself from the sea of applicants by demonstrating how your values coincide with UCLA. To get into UCLA, at a minimum, it is recommended to get a GPA of 3.0 or better and no grades lower than a c in all college preparatory courses. This GPA is raised for non-residents as they require a GPA of 3.4 or higher. Due to the competitive nature of the school, working hard to achieve a GPA of 4.0 or higher would be the safest option.
Conclusion
Now we have learnt ‘Is UCLA An Elite School?’, In conclusion, UCLA is a top-tier school, and if you are considering applying here, and wondering why UCLA? I hope this article was of use to you. I would advise you to work hard and go for it. It is a university where you won’t be lacking in any area. From academics to sports and during or after graduation opportunities. For those applying, I wish you good luck.
