For many seniors, one of the biggest struggles during the application process is deciding which school is best, as there are so many different colleges to consider.  One school to consider is the University of California Los Angeles.  In fact, for students such as Schreiber alumni Avery Silfin (Class of ‘21), it was the perfect fit. 

University of California Los Angeles is a place that provides opportunities for students to research and study almost anything they could wish for, while also being able to attend an abundance of social gatherings including sport events, clubs, and volunteering opportunities. UCLA is especially famous for their STEM and engineering fields, and has world renowned laboratory facilities where you will find one of the world’s best medical programs.  Not only does the UCLA campus have endless things to offer, but the city of Los Angeles itself is an amazing place to explore as a young teen in college! 

“I didn’t get into many options for colleges besides UCLA and when I visited the campus I realized that I should have been more focused on UCLA because it has a lot to offer.  I also love that it’s in a big city so there’s so much more to do than just what’s on campus,” said Avery Silfin. 

On campus many students attend UCLA’s Royce Hall, where you can find top tier performers, professional theater performances at the Geffen Playhouse, and dance or music events at the Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater or Schoenberg Hall.  Along with this, in general, the UCLA campus is so big and broad that students are constantly finding new things to do and places to work while also enjoying themselves in a positive atmosphere! 

“On campus I love to find new spots to sit and do work.  The campus is huge and there are a million different spots I keep finding. Right now my favorite spot is the music cafe,” said Silfin. 

In addition to its beautiful campus and endless opportunities to become an active student at UCLA, students also have the advantage of attending an extremely sports-prestigious school. Almost all their sports are placed in the competitive Division I title such as women’s soccer, women’s track and field, football, and men’s basketball.  Though, among all the sports that UCLA facilitates, men’s basketball is what they are best known for, as the team is ranked #29 out of 271 schools in its division. 

“Basketball is so much fun.  The team has been really good the past few years and the games are always packed and crazy,” said Silfin. 

In synchronism to sports, UCLA provides over 1,200 clubs for students to engage themselves in and discover new, or satisfy old, interests.  Many of UCLA’s clubs are environment motivated, being that it is a very science administered school, and are all activities created to better the students and the overall atmosphere of the school; clubs such as bruin beekeepers, clean consulting, environmental student network, and surfrider foundation club are all found popular. 

“There are clubs for pretty much everything.  One of the most popular clubs is the surf club. Anyone can join and learn to surf or just come to meetings if they want,” said Avery Silfin. 

One of the reasons UCLA is an extremely admirable school, with its 44,947 attendees, is because of its amazing location and the convenience of being in the middle of the city while also so close to the beach.  Students at UCLA truly get the best of both worlds!

“My friends and I love to go to the beach and go shopping.  There are so many places to go around campus like Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, or the Grove,” said Silfin. 

The campus of UCLA was founded as a public-land grant research university and is, deservingly, famous for its architecture and beauty.  Its rise in popularity deemed it a hotspot for film directors to shoot movies and shows such as The Godfather, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, Scream 2, and All American!

“The campus is huge and beautiful and the architecture is amazing.  UCLA is iconic and is featured in many movies and tv shows,” said Avery Silfin. 

Although there are so many schools to apply to, the University of California, Los Angeles should definitely be one you take into consideration if academics, sports, and location are all on your list!