As I was perusing the latest edition of Newsweek, August 27 2007 Edition, I came across a really interesting section that they had published on the “25 Hottest Schools.” They had many different categories like, “Hottest on the Rebound.” This went to Tulane University for obvious reasons. There were a slew of categories and unfortunately Michigan wasn’t amongst the mix. However, the University of California – Los Angeles, typically referred to as UCLA was deemed “Hottest Mega-University." Their reasoning was due to,

The opportunities are so vast and the undergrads so smart (the freshman class had an average GPA of 4.3) that most find their niche. With degrees in 120 majors, hundreds of undergrads do publishable research with senior faculty.

I was so impressed with UCLA that I decided to dig a little deeper to see what else they excel in, and the list is tremendous. From academics to athletics UCLA seems to have a little bit of everything. Here are some of their highlights.

Admissions
Getting into UCLA is the first obstacle to overcome. They have very high standards for their applicants and it shows for the numbers that range across the board. The average entering GPA for freshman is a 4.13. They must do an absolutely incredible job of recruiting the best and the brightest in order have an undergraduate population of about 45,000 people.

Academics
UCLA is home to a handful of Nobel Prize winners and National Medal of Science winners. Their most recent Nobel Prize winner came in the medicine and physiology division in 1960 from a man named, Louis Ignarro. He demonstrated the signaling properties of nitric oxide (whatever that means). Other Nobel Prize winners include Paul Boyer (chemistry), Donald Cram (chemistry), Julian Schwinger (physics), and Willard Libby (chemistry). This is a true testament to the type of academia that takes place at UCLA. UCLA is also home to 10 different libraries which carry over 7.6 volumes. That’s more than just a handful of books.



Social
As far as the Greek System is concerned at UCLA, there are 32 Fraternities and 25 sororities. This equates to over 1,000 students or 12% who are involved in the system. UCLA is located in a beautiful, young area where students can go out and have a great time. The year round excellent weather is also a significant plus.

Athletics
One of the things about UCLA that continues to blow me away is the athletics and history of excellence that they have continually achieved. The most notable of their athletic achievements was the impressive slew of NCAA Championships that they won during the 60’s and 70’s under Coach John Wooden. UCLA won in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1995. UCLA has also excelled in football, going to the Rose Bowl 12 times over the University’s history, and even producing one Heisman Trophy Winner, Gary Beban.

It is hard to quantify and enumerate each and every one of UCLA’s distinctions over its long and careered history, but this is just a start I suppose, and an incredible list if you ask me. They have excelled across the board, and I truly salute UCLA for being able to keep up such a high standard through the years. If anyone reading this is considering going to UCLA, definitely look into it further and follow this link.

This post was originally written by Tyrone Schiff
University of Michigan · Organizational Studies · 19 Aug 2007