On my first day of college, I carried a book bag in hand and an M16 rifle on my back. I can still distinctly remember that evening like it was a few weeks ago. I was so excited and nervous and exhausted all at once. For years, I had dreamt of attending college and there…
Choosing UCLA meant choosing community
When I chose UCLA back in 2017, it was a no-brainer. Growing up around the LA area, there was nothing really new or special about it. I came up here for summer programs and field trips at least once every year in high school. I didn’t even visit the other schools I was considering after…
A Transfer, a Bruin, an Optimist!
I would be lying to you if I said UCLA was my dream school. As a matter of fact, I had no dream school. I knew so little about the higher education system that sometimes I am amazed that I am here today 6 weeks away from graduation. However, I always knew I would go…
Searching for today, but instead I found tomorrow
Early on in my schooling, I internalized messages that college was not for me. As a first-generation, low-income, non-traditional Chicano student, I clearly remember being told by my high school science teacher to “get used to taking order at McDonald’s” after him accusing me of being drunk. In addition to these messages, I was also…
Welcome, New Bruin Transfers!
Dear Newly Admitted Bruin Transfers, Congratulations on your acceptance to UCLA! On behalf the Transfer Student Center, we are thrilled to welcome you to UCLA. We appreciate and applaud your hard work and dedication to your academic endeavors. Admission into UCLA is an incredible accomplishment and we are so excited to watch you thrive as…
Learning and Growing at UCLA
At nine years old, a random thought popped into my head: “I’m going to go to UCLA.” I have no idea where this idea came from. No one I knew had ever gone to UCLA. Quite frankly, I do not know when or where I heard about the university, but I knew wanted to be…
What UCLA truly offers
I first stepped foot on UCLA’s campus when my older brother was touring colleges to try and get a sense of where he would apply. Although I was only a freshman in high school at the time, the campus had alluring control over me. I was aware of UCLA’s historically dominant academic and athletic programs…
Choosing UCLA: My Perspective as a Nursing Student
I did not know much about UCLA when I applied. All I knew was the name – it was a UC school in Los Angeles. My older brother attended another UC when I was younger, so my perceptions of a UC school were very limited. All I remembered from roaming around the huge campus was…
Adventure: How I Chose UCLA
Two years ago, I was in your same position reading the same blog and deciding whether to attend UCLA. I still clearly remember reading this post by our director of Undergraduate Admissions the day after I got in. These words stuck out to me then and have proven to be true: “Remember that there are…
Finding My Bruin Family: Why I Chose UCLA Over An Ivy League
Decision season is upon us, which means it’s a reflective time at UCLA. My friends and I have had conversations over the last few weeks talking about our acceptance stories to UCLA- where we were, who we cried tears of joy with, and who we thanked immensely for their mentorship and guidance the next day…
