Fun Facts About UCLA

December 9, 2022
By AdmissionSight

Fun Facts About UCLA

UCLA at a glance

An overview of UCLA, also known as the University of California, Los Angeles, shows the university’s rich history. There are many fun facts about UCLA that some people don’t know about. The university was established in 1919. UCLA includes the College of Letters and Sciences and several graduate schools and programs, including the highly regarded Anderson School of Management, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Law, and David Geffen School of Medicine.

UCLA main library.

It is situated in the LA neighborhood of Westwood and is five miles from the Pacific Ocean. A distinguished school of dentistry and a school of theater, film, and television are both at UCLA. One of the best hospitals in the nation is the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

One of the fun facts about UCLA for sports fans is that there are a lot of sports that one can join at this university. These include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and UCLA fields, both male and female. Baseball and football are two other sports in which male athletes participate, while women can compete in beach volleyball, gymnastics, rowing, softball, swimming, and diving. The UCLA Bruins are well known for their water polo teams and are members of the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference.

UCLA in numbers

The UCLA statistics show what kind of school one can expect when entering it. The Southern California campus of UCLA is close to the shore and covers over 400 acres. The residence halls are connected to the center of campus by the popular Bruin Walk. UCLA provides three years of housing for its students. More than 1,000 student organizations are available at the institution, including media clubs and more than 65 Greek chapters, which make up roughly 13% of the student body.

UCLA has an 11% acceptance rate, making admissions more competitive. The University of California, Los Angeles, has a November 30 application deadline and a $70 application fee.

The University of California, Los Angeles, has a student-to-faculty ratio of 18:1, and 47.8% of its classes have fewer than 20 pupils. What makes this university popular with students is that one of the fun facts about UCLA is that there are a lot of courses that one can enter.

a female student studying in an open field in UCLA

Social sciences, biological and biomedical sciences, psychology, engineering, mathematics and statistics, multi/interdisciplinary studies, visual and performing arts, computer and information sciences, support services, and English language and literature/letters are among the most sought-after majors at the University of California, Los Angeles. The average freshman retention rate indicates student happiness, which is 97%, which is above the average retention rate.

Facts about UCLA

Some of the information on UCLA is not as well known as others. Some of the more well-known and fun facts about UCLA include:

  • The university notably picked the “True Blue” and “Gold” colors of UCLA to represent the state’s ocean and wildflowers.
  • The football team of UCLA, the “Bruins,” was once known as the “Cubs” in its early years.
  • UCLA’s football team was formerly called the “Grizzlies,” but that name was later changed to “Bruins” in 1928 since the University of Montana had previously owned the rights to it. This was because UCLA was still a younger extension of the parent university UC Berkeley.
  • As one of the more unusual fun facts about UCLA, there was an attempt to use live bears as mascots. However, since the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum forbade live bears from entering the field during UCLA home football games; therefore Joe Bruin, the costumed bear mascot, was created in the 1960s. At sporting events in 1967, Josephine Bruin joined him.
  • Coach Red Sanders first decided on the “Powder Keg Blue” uniforms for the UCLA football team in 1949. To set his team outfits apart from those of other UC institutions, who were all wearing blue and gold, he even placed a gold stripe over the shoulders.
  • Both cultural icon James Dean and renowned musician Jim Morrison of The Doors attended UCLA. After graduating from UCLA’s film program, Morrison connected with fellow rocker and UCLA alum Ray Manzarek.
  • During his time as UCLA’s basketball coach, John Wooden won ten national championships. No other school has amassed as many titles. Kentucky, with eight national championships, ranks second.
  • The UCLA in 1919. It is the only prestigious research center founded in the 20th century in the United States. More college applications than any other university are sent to UCLA. It establishes new records every year.
  • One of the most famous fun facts about UCLA is surprisingly about their study tradition. During finals week, UCLA students participate in “Midnight Yell.” They shout at midnight to take a break from studying.
  • UCLA launched the Internet in 1969. UCLA to Stanford University sent the first Internet transmission. The computer that sent the transmission malfunctioned right after the team sent it.
  • To show how fierce the rivalry between UCLA and USC is across town, a group of students covered portions of the Hollywood Sign in 1993 to make it say “Go Bruins.”
  • The top five sought-after undergraduate majors at UCLA are biology, business economics, political science, psychology, and psychobiology.
  • Westwood Village wasn’t always the site of the UCLA campus. In actuality, it was situated in Hollywood, at the location of Los Angeles City College today. In 1929, UCLA chose Westwood over competing cities like Burbank to become its new home.
  • Royce Hall, College Library (now Powell Library), Physics-Biology Building (now Humanities), and Chemistry Building were the first four structures on the Westwood Campus (now Haines Hall). Students refer to this location as the “Royce Quad” or “Main Quad.” In 1951, Ray Bradbury penned Fahrenheit 451, a great book, at Powell Library.
  • Because of its position in a crowded area of a large city, UCLA is one of the smallest UC campuses (second-smallest), which he liked because he was looking for a calm place away from his home. UCLA’s campus is only 419 acres, or 10%, the size of UC Davis, the largest UC campus (5,300 acres).
  • Dickson Plaza is crossed by a road that serves as a bridge. The ravine it crossed was ultimately filled in with earth, but the construction is still regarded as a bridge today. Even a “Bridge” sign is placed right next to it.
  • The Daily Bruin, an award-winning publication from UCLA, is the third-most widely read daily in Los Angeles. As one of the fun facts about UCLA, this has brought a ton of pride to students and alumni. Also, due to its fame, it has routinely been rated as the nation’s best college newspaper.

Now that you know the fun facts about UCLA, you should have an easier time deciding if you will enter and attend this university. Wherever you might want to enter, you can get help with AdmissionSight with the help of our world-class guidance. With the help of experts, choosing the best university that suits you best shouldn’t be hard with the help of AdmissionSight. You can talk to us today to get started.

 

 

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