By Emily Resnick
Each and every year, new students enter UCLA hoping they’ve made the right choice. As your student body president, I’d like to share with you my top-10 reasons (in no particular order) why you couldn’t have made a better choice than UCLA.
1. Athletics ““ UCLA students have won 214 Olympic medals, 128 national championships and 107 NCAA titles: more than any other university. UCLA also offers extensive intramural and club sports programs. UCLA has one of the premier sports programs in the country. And who knows? The next star may be playing for the Bruins while you’re here.
2. Tradition ““ Founded in 1919, UCLA has countless engaging traditions. From Bruin Bash to Spring Sing to JazzReggae to Dance Marathon ““ which will be your favorite?
3. Campus ““ UCLA’s campus is absolutely gorgeous! Be it Royce Hall, Janss Steps or the Sculpture Garden, the beauty of this campus is breathtaking. My favorite building is Kerckhoff Hall; have fun exploring and figuring out which is yours!
4. City ““ UCLA is located in one of the world’s greatest cities: Los Angeles. Though there is always something to do on the UCLA campus, Los Angeles is an amazing city to explore and discover, too.
5. World-class research ““ UCLA consistently ranks among the top-five universities and colleges nationwide in research! Best of all, there are countless opportunities for students just like you to get directly involved in undergraduate research.
6. Student government ““ The Undergraduate Students Association Council is here to make your voice heard! Voice concerns and opinions in the fall at weekly USAC meetings on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Kerckhoff 417.
7. Student organizations ““ UCLA has more than 800 different student organizations! Joining a club or organization is a great way to be involved in campus life and meet other students with shared interests.
8. Diversity ““ UCLA is one of the world’s most ethnically and culturally diverse communities, with students coming from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries.
9. Prestige ““ This year, UCLA received 81,235 applications, the most in the nation and in our school’s history! Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked UCLA the second-best public school in the nation, and The Times Higher Education ranked UCLA 11th best university in the world.
10. Faculty and staff ““ From Nobel Laureates to Pulitzer Prize winners, UCLA professors boast some of the most prized awards in the country. With the help of these amazing teachers, UCLA offers 130 majors, many of which rank among the top in the nation.
Congratulations for officially becoming a part of the Bruin family! Your time here will go by faster than you can possibly imagine. My advice to you is to dream big, take risks, study hard, have fun and make the most of your time at this school. Above are the top-10 reasons I love UCLA. What will yours be?
Resnick is the USAC president for 2011-2012.