LIFE ON CAMPUS

Just five miles from the ocean, UCLA lies in one of the most attractive areas of Southern California. It is bordered on the north by the protected wilderness of the Santa Monica Mountains and on the south by Westwood Village. Some 291 buildings on 419 acres house the College of Letters and Science plus 11 professional schools and serve more than 36,890 students.

A Unique Setting

The Romanesque architecture of UCLA's early buildings blends with the modern design of new structures and provides a backdrop for diverse campus settings. Bruin Walk continually echoes with the chatter of students and vendors, but nearby, the botanical gardens provide a serene escape. While a hip-hop band energizes lunchtime crowds in the Ackerman quad, a classical recital may be taking place in Schoenberg Hall, and students contemplating a Rodin or Lachaise in the Sculpture Garden may be unaware of a political rally organizing in Meyerhoff Park.

To give a feel for the dynamic atmosphere at UCLA, Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools offers tours tailored to prospective undergraduates. See http://www.saonet.ucla.edu/uars/prospect/tours.htm. 310-825-8764

The Campus Visits Program, sponsored by the UCLA Alumni Association, arranges individual and group tours throughout the year for everyone else. Reservations are required. 310-206-0616

A Large Campus with a Comfortable Feel

The general campus population, some 33,093 students, is enriched by an additional 3,797 in the health sciences schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health. While such numbers sound daunting, the University provides orientation sessions and innovative academic assistance programs to help acclimate new students, and through a range of services and social programs, new students quickly meet people with common interests in their academic departments, residence halls, or clubs and organizations. Even athletic events help to cement relationships as the campus comes together to celebrate Bruin victories.

Large lecture groups exist, especially in introductory courses; however, 96 percent of lower division lecture classes in 2000-01 had under 200 students, and the University is striving to further reduce class size. Large lecture classes typically include discussion sections of about 25 students or smaller seminars and laboratory classes. There is an overall ratio of one faculty member for approximately 18 students.

Most UCLA faculty members set aside office hours for students and appreciate the opportunity for informal conversation. Professors are often aided by graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) who are available to talk about academic problems.

A Dynamic Student Body

Students at UCLA pride themselves on academic excellence. The Fall Quarter 2000 entering freshman class had an average high school GPA of 4.05, with an average composite score on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) of 1,277 out of a possible 1,600.

One of the University's highest priorities is to advance the diversity of its students, faculty, staff, and administrators. UCLA's student population--nearly equally divided between men and women--yields the wide range of opinion and perspective essential to a great university.

Although most students are from California, they come from all 50 states and more than 120 foreign countries to study at UCLA. Ethnic minorities comprise 59.5 percent of the undergraduates and 41.9 percent of the graduate student population. and international students and scholars presently number over 3,300, making this one of the most popular American universities for students from abroad.