Los Angeles, CA: Whenever I think back on my visit to UCLA, "big" is the wordthat comes to mind. Everything about UCLA is big: big buildings, bigcampus, big sports, big academics, big people. UCLA is not for theeasily overwhelmed, and may require some getting used to.

Thecampus itself is quite stunning, set on a hill away from the businessand confusion of downtown Los Angeles. As with most college tour guides,mine was extremely talkative and knowledgeable, providing the group withan informative tour. Of the many witty remarks that left his mouth thereis one I still remember. He kidded that a person could live his entirelife on campus without needing to leave, and I wouldn't put it past himbecause UCLA really does seem to have everything.

As for theschool's other aspects, UCLA is an institution that believes in overallexcellence, from academics to athletics. The popular saying, "Ifyou can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen," comes to mind; ifyou are one who tends to falter under pressure, UCLA is probably not foryou.

The 35,000 undergraduate and graduate students at UCLAexude an air of competence and maturity, bordering onsuperiority, to an extent that I have yet to encounter at anyother campus.


Reviewed in 2001