Fact finding mission. LA vs ATL

[27offsooot]

Being a med student from the SE, Emory has a better reputation in my mind than UCLA. I just looked at an old copy of US News from 05' and they're pretty comparable, so quality of education for her will be v. good at either. Some things to consider though:
1. Will she be able to get in-state tuition after a year. At my school, it can be difficult to convince financial aid to allow u to do this. I would figure out what UCLA's process is for this as it will save at least 10k/ year. This should easily offset cost of living differences.

2. Will she have to move around for her third year clerkships. At my (public) school, I will be moving every month next year. While it'll be really nice to spend time at the beach and in different cities, it is a pain to move constantly and if i was in a long term relationship, it would be a much bigger problem. But if u're married by that time, she would have preference to stay in LA. This may not apply for Cali schools though.

3. I am very happy with my education, but there are some things that other private schools had that I wish we did. Videotaped classes, for one, would be awesome.

4. Atlanta is a really fun city. I have been there many times, but only to LA once. But others here have more experience with this.

5. Just because a school is harder to get in to, doesn't mean she will get a better education there. This especially may apply for her as an out-of-state student. She should try to contact students at both schools before making a decision.

Any questions, PM me.

[CharlieDontSurf]

The problem with LA is that everything in LA is going to get worse and worse

Working in the industry doesn't really having anything to do with why LA sucks...traffic is a nightmare, smog, dirty beaches, housing is waaay overpriced, everything is expensive(gas/food/etc), the people are pretty lame overall, etc. Now there are a lot of cool things about LA too but long term I'd say the negatives out weigh the cool things esp as you get older.

I also know several doctor friends who love it...but that is only because they live and work in one area(Pacific Palisades/Beverly Hills) etc...and never leave that area.

San Diego would be a much better choice if your moving to S. Cali...but it obv wouldn't work in your case.

I doubt going to UCLA would make that huge a difference in her career than going to Emory.

[Aloysius]

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The problem with LA is that everything in LA is going to get worse and worse

Working in the industry doesn't really having anything to do with why LA sucks...traffic is a nightmare, smog, dirty beaches, housing is waaay overpriced, everything is expensive(gas/food/etc), the people are pretty lame overall, etc. Now there are a lot of cool things about LA too but long term I'd say the negatives out weigh the cool things esp as you get older.

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CDS - well I guess we'll have to disagree on these points. I mean the "people are pretty lame overall" comment is kind of absurd considering it's a huge city with millions of people. And if anything, I've found LA people to be more mellow / easygoing than people in SF or of course NYC.

Pretty sure also that LA smog has gotten better (or at least flattened) and is not getting worse due to emissions restrictions etc. And traffic, while it can be bad, is not that bad locally.

I think a couple things (and I'm not sure how it compares to ATL, but I do know vs. SF and NYC) that LA has going for it is that 1) bang for the buck real estate wise (compare what you'd get for $1M in LA vs. NYC or SF); 2) convenience; 3) weather.

Outside of dismal public schools (so added price of private schools for your kids), I think alot of things about LA favor it as being a good place to be as you get older.

Also, and to the OP I agree with Lapoker:

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i think that moving away from where you grew up/where your family lives is always a good idea - even if it's just for a few years.

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And of the different places to try living in the US, LA is definitely up there by any objective metric. For mmbtone and his girlfriend, seems like there are alot of other considerations and it might not make sense to move to LA right now... but if you're going to move somewhere and try something new, you could do a whole lot worse than SoCal.

-Al

[3 VCOs]

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Pretty sure also that LA smog has gotten better (or at least flattened) and is not getting worse due to emissions restrictions etc.

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i was recently watching an interview with an established music producer from LA who said he had lived here for 10 years, moved away for 5, came back and was surprised to actually be able to see the mountains surrounding the city, having not even known they were there before... he obviously didn't get out much to not know there are mountains north of LA, but it is an example on how far LA has come in terms of reducing emissions.

[3 VCOs]

i left Chicago for the LA area (Long Beach), and have spent time in ATL and i must say, S. California kills everywhere i have ever been. i've heard people say that people out here are lame but i have not found that to be the case at all so far. Food and gas only marginally more expensive than the national average, but housing is indeed brutal. the smog is brutal as well, but not too much more so than it is anywhere else with a high concentration of people... "the big one" is serious though, not looking forward to that at all, make sure to have a lot of bottled water/canned food/flashlights... i love it here though, will never leave