University of California-Los Angeles Top Questions

The student body is diverse, and there are enough social networks in existence for people of all stripes to be comfortable. UCLA is probably near the top in tolerance, and where there is intolerance, as I said, there are support networks of people going through similar experiences. This doesn't mean UCLA is perfect, but it does mean is it "less bad" than other places. Students wear, quite simply, what everybody else is wearing. If you want creativity go to art school, you aren't going to see it here in these stepford children.

UCLA is an incredibly diverse campus, and the vast majority of students, faculty, and staff all celebrate the cultural, ethnic, spiritual, and economic diversity of everyone on campus. Oddly enough, the students who tend to feel out of place are those who don't belong to some sort of group, and in a sense feel too normal by not having a special trait to bond over. Students dress very casually during class, and people are always friendly and outgoing. UCLA students are primarily from California, but there are many out of state and international students as well. Some people are financially independent, but nearly everyone relies on financial support of some kind. Students are somewhat political, especially with the upcoming election. People are predominantly social democrats, opposing economic freedom but favoring some personal freedom. Students focus not on how much they'll earn one day, but on what they want to do with their lives.

UCLA has a very diverse student body. There are hundreds of student groups on campus, from sororities and fraternites, to racial and religious sororities and fraternities, to dance groups, to religious clubs, to bible studies, to activist groups, political groups, and anything else you could think of! Everyone at UCLA is very accepting of one another. No one is afraid to share their opinion, but at the same time no one ever gets offended by another's opinion. They accept it, learn about it, or move on. All different types of students interact with eachother. There aren't any cliques. People of all different races, religions, backgrounds, and student groups hang out. Its one big melting pot of students. People from all different financial backgrounds are also here, but you can't really tell. There isn't an emphasis at all on how much money anyone has. No one judges another on the brand names of their clothes. UCLA is a very accepting, laid-back environment. Students here are very politically aware. We have many political student groups. When the time comes to vote, students are all over the school advertising the vote, setting up on campus poll booths, and advocating their chosen candidate. The students are very well-informed and are always willing to back up their choices with legitimate reasons. There isn't really a predominant party at UCLA. It's pretty spread out, however there are probably more democrats than republicans because California is a predominantly democratic state. Students here do talk about how much they'll earn someday, casually. It's not a major issue though. Most of the students have realized that life will be more satisfying if they do what they want, rather than what will make them rich. However, the average UCLA graduate makes approximately $70,000 within a few years of graduation.

There are all kinds of groups on campus. Groups for different ethnicities, groups for different interests, groups supporting different sexual orientations. I feel like there is a group for everyone here. I'm not really sure if there is anyone who would feel out of place here, except for maybe people from a smaller town. Los Angeles is a big place, and there's always a lot going on. Students from all different backgrounds can be seen interacting all the time. Sometimes this can lead to debates between different groups, such as between Palestinian and Israeli students. Sometimes these debates don't really solve anything, but often, I feel that the interaction between the different student groups helps give the students a better understanding of each other, as well as of different cultures and viewpoints. One of my professors discussed the UCLA dress code not too long ago. Basically everyone just walks around in t-shirts, jeans, and flip-flops or sneakers all the time. Most UCLA students are from SoCal. However, there are a considerable number of kids from Northern California, and a sprinkling of kids from out of state. As far as financial backgrounds go, I feel like they kind of span the spectrum, but of course there is a more prominent number of kids from the middle class. Students here are pretty much equally divided between the left and the right, although there seems to be a bit more to the left. Many of the students are actively interested in politics. I have never heard anyone discussing how much they'll earn one day.

I am Jewish yet I havent found the time to align myself with any jewish orginizations yet. The campus is very diverse and it has groups in any possible thing you can imagine. I see students from every race and religion constantly interacting and providing each other with the necessary tools for success. There is no chance that a student will feel out of place as long as they know what they are in search of. Most students that I've been in contact with are either local (southern california) or from northern california so they have alot on common. In terms of poitics, I think there is an interesting divide among leftists and rightists; they seem to clash alot during rallies, events, etc. but nothing ever gets out of hand and it all comes down to personal opinion. Everyone hear has such powerful ambitions that they don't let any obstacles stop them.

UCLA is known for its diversity. Well, that and it's Asians, but mostly for its diversity. I only mention the Asian population because I came from an area of Southern California lacking a strong Asian population, so it was a bit of a culture shock, but a good one. The great thing about being at a school where there are so many types of people is that you can't help but get along. If someone harbored racial or another type of tension toward another group, he/she would have nowhere to turn because of the extensive diversity. I experienced the environment first-hand in my own room, where one of my roommates was a Japanese bisexual atheist bio major from about 15 minutes away from where I lived, and the other roommate was a debating conservative Vietnamese physics major from San Jose. Personally, I'm a flaming art-minded liberal Jewish guy who is undecided on major but knows he's going to live in a box in due time. The thing is, we have become good friends and get along great. People of all socio-economic, religious, sexual, racial, and cultural backgrounds learn and interact together on campus, and it makes UCLA a better place. People are generally very active; you'll see student groups on Bruin walk every day advertising another event, activist organizations pushing for another cause, or people debating another intellectual topic or controversy.

UCLA has a very open community, with a student group for just about any hobby/sport/religion/ethnicity/community/minority/etc you could belong to. sometimes it feels like the groups separate a bit too much and get exclusive to the point of no interaction. a great lgbt center. some people get ridiculously dressed up for class, others go in flip flops and sweats. you can easily spot who the sorority girls are. a lot of people do the crossword and the sudoku from the daily bruin in class.

Everyone on campus seems to be open-minded. I've never come across anyone who does not accept of another's circumstances. I don't feel anyone would feel out of place, almost every person manages to find a niche in college! This is where young people really develop themselves! Casual is the key here, since campus is rather hill-y, I opt to wear comfortable shoes - but I have seen people more dressed up, specifically the business students. Some extremely lazy people roll in to class in their pajamas and of course, sports gear is quite common. UCLA consists of a large population of commuters (local Angelenos) and resident students. Being a commuter though, I don't know what resident student life is like - I'm sure it's great! Of the students I talk to, all are politically aware and active. The majority are left/center but there is a population of right wing students. No one talks about their future earnings, most are too caught up in the busy student lives they lead in the present. UCLA runs on quarters and so it keeps things moving at a rapid pace, it's nice to move so quickly but it doesn't allow for too much time to daydream!

If you are an extremist of any kind, you will most likely not fit in at UCLA. The student body varies a lot, but you probably won't find the most extreme versions of anything there. I came from San Francisco, the most liberal city in the most liberal state, and went to the most liberal high school. It was hard at first to adjust to a community that is so varied in its political and social orientation. If you're gay, don't worry! There's a nice gay community-- mainly among the male chearleaders/ gymnasts and in the theater department.

well the white and asian students are probably the least likely to talk to or reach out to a latino or black students, from my experiences at least. anyone who is not the majority here would feel out of place, because it is so overwhelming. i think the latino percentage is like 12{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}, im not sure if thats it but it is extremely low. there is not much diversity here. most people here pretty much stick to their "kind". four tables would be jocks, sorority/fraternity people, whites and asians. a lot of ucla students are from the bay area, some from LA, some from san diego and the IE. students here are mostly liberal, conservatives are very much the minority here.