University of California, Los Angeles

UCLA brings big-school energy to the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, with a classic brick-and-arch campus a short drive from the beach. It is a public research university with top programs in the sciences, medicine, film and television, and its Bruins have won an enormous number of NCAA championships. With so many majors, clubs and traditions, you can carve out your own corner of a very large community. Expect a fast quarter-system pace and a highly competitive applicant pool.