1. The admissions office – receives more applications than any other school in the country. At over 55,000 annual undergrad applications (for the class of 2012), UCLA is the most popular school in the United States, if not the world.
2. The “UCLA” letters – constitute the most internationally-recognized college insignia.
3. Bruins – everybody loves a Bruin!
4. Championships – UCLA has won more NCAA championships than any other school in the country...104 titles!
5. Prestige – besides being extremely popular for its athletics, UCLA is very selective in its admissions and has many top-ranked academic programs; the university has recently been listed as one of “25 New Ivies.”
6. Performing Arts – arguably the best program in the world, the university has dozens of famous alumni who have reached star status in Hollywood.
7. Medical Center – ranked third best in the nation and named “Best Hospital in the West” for 18 consecutive years.
8. Nobel Prizes – held by five faculty members and four alumni.
9. The Daily Bruin – the third most widely-circulated newspaper in Los Angeles, following the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News, and has won over 20 national awards in the last five years; UCLA's BruinLife Yearbook has also earned national recognition for content and design, documenting UCLA's rich history and tradition since 1919.
10. Westwood – a small town feel in a large exciting city, with its endless shops, restaurants, and movie theatres. This is Bruin territory.
11. Wilshire Boulevard – our ticket to downtown and the beach.
12. Santa Monica Beach – world-famous for its pier, promenade, and appearance in films, this beach is only a 25 cent bus ride away.
13. Basketball – It doesn't get any better than UCLA men's basketball: legendary coaches, players, teams, and games, in addition to unparalleled continued success and a top recruiting program that will keep the Bruins strong for years to come. Notable achievements include 11 NCAA Championships, 18 Final Four appearances, 88 consecutive wins, and 4 undefeated (30-0) seasons.
14. John Wooden – our time-honored hero, considered the greatest coach in college basketball; the first to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach, the Wizard of Westwood led the Bruins to 19 conference championships and 10 national championships. At age 98, Coach Wooden still attends most home games, and the court in Pauley Pavilion is aptly named in honor of John and his wife Nell. He is widely considered the greatest mentor of the 20th century.
15. Pauley Pavilion – immortalized by years of the greatest basketball and volleyball in all of college, both past and present. It is the only collegiate arena in the country to feature ONLY national championship banners (11 total), no room for conference titles here. EA Sports voted Pauley as one of the toughest venues for visiting opponents.
16. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – all-time leading scorer in the NBA, unmatched six NBA championships and six MVP awards. Lew Alcindor, his name during the collegiate years, was also named the best collegiate basketball player in history by ESPN and is considered the most dominant player in college, winning three national championships under Coach John Wooden and finishing his career at UCLA with an 88-2 record. Other unprecedented feats include two Player of the Year awards and three recognitions as a First Team All-American. Another indirect accomplishment was the NCAA's ban on the dunk at the college level after the 1967 season. Thanks, Lou.
17. Reggie Miller – all-time leading 3-point shooter in the NBA, with a total of 2,560 tres. He led the Bruins to victory in the first Pac-10 Tournament and holds several UCLA records, including most single-season league points, highest league scoring average, and most free throws.
18. Jackie Robinson – the MLB Hall of Fame member and forerunner of the Civil Rights Movement was also a four-sport letterman at UCLA, competing in football, basketball, track, and baseball; he will always be remembered and honored as the first person to break the color barrier in professional sports, although his recognition doesn't stop there: six World Series appearances with the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947 Rookie of the Year, 1949 National League MVP, and posthumous awards of the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
19. Bill Walton - named by ESPN as the third best collegiate basketball player in history, the "Big Red-Head" won three straight College Player of the Year Awards, led the Bruins to two undefeated seasons, two NCAA Championships, and earned three College Player of the Year Awards.The 1973 NCAA Championship Game against Memphis State, in which he shot 21-22 from the floor, is considered the best offensive performance in college basketball.
20. School colors – blue and gold is too cliché…it’s all about the true blue (baby blue) and gold, considered by several publications to be the best colors in college football.
21. In-N-Out Burger – a little piece of fast-food heaven!
22. California girls – like the Beach Boys once sang, “I wish they all could be California girls.” And yes, they’re the real deal here.
23. Diddy Riese – home of the famous $1 ice cream sandwiches and always a hit with the local celebrities during movie premieres in Westwood.
24. Southern California – palm trees, convertibles, and broad avenues abound. The iconic "SoCal" lifestyle has attracted several thousands of students from around the world to study here.
25. Neighbors – we’re bordered by the three B’s: Brentwood, Bel-Air and Beverly Hills.
26. BearWear – this wildly popular trademarked clothing line is considered highly fashionable in the United States and in several Asian countries.
27. Student groups – the university supports over 800 student organizations, more than any other in the country.
28. Student scholars – 97% of UCLA entering freshmen graduated in the top 10% of their high school classes...a statistic which exceeds that of every Ivy League school and ties with MIT.
29. Student athletes – UCLA sent more athletes to the Olympic Games in Athens than did any other university. If UCLA was it's own country, it would have placed 5th in gold medals won between the 1984 and 2004 Olympic games.
30. Diversity – students and faculty are drawn from all 50 states and over 125 countries.
31. Classes – over 3,000 courses are offered, including classes teaching every principal language and dialect on Earth.
32. Library System – ranked among the top 10 research libraries in the nation, including 12 libraries on campus.
33. Royce Hall – this famous UCLA icon and concert hall has hosted famous individuals including Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Luciano Pavarotti, Eleanor Roosevelt, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and many more...
34. Hollywood – seeing as the glitz and glamor is only minutes from campus, celebrity sightings are actually very common.
35. Filming on campus – countless movies and shows have been filmed on campus, although the university has yet to earn its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
36. Film and Television Archive – largest university-based archive and second only to the Library of Congress.
37. Spring Sing – a student competition held in front of celebrity judges, this annual event showcases some of the the best talents and performances among college students in the world.
38. Janns Steps – the famous original entrance to campus, which now overlooks all of west campus and is seen in several movies and TV shows, was the platform for historic speeches made by John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
39. Bruin Walk – the heart and soul of student activities on campus. Here lives Joe Bruin, our mighty mascot who watches over the thousands of Bruins and visitors who pass by every day.
40. Henry Samueli – an alumnus, past professor and now current faculty member, the founder of Broadcom and premier researcher on broadband communications. The School of Engineering is named in his honor.
41. Leonard Kleinrock – a current professor of Computer Science, he worked with a team along with grad student Vint Cerf to develop a primitive Internet (ARPANET) and was the first person to send a computerized message (email) when a network was established with Stanford University in 1969.
42. Architecture – the university is graced by arched buildings and towers made in the Italian Romanesque style.
43. Campus – drop-dead gorgeous, to say the least. It is also one of the most filmed college campuses for its proximity to Hollywood and, as stated before, drop-dead gorgeousness.
44. The Inverted Fountain – inspired by the natural hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, recycles 10,000 gallons of water every minute. UCLA tradition holds that freshmen are to be initiated by touching the water before their first classes on campus, and not again until they graduate (unless they want to pay the penalty of another academic quarter every time they do!)
45. Botanical gardens – host to over 5,000 species of plants from around the world.
46. Los Angeles – there is never a dull moment in the City of Angels, and as former mayor Tom Bradley once said, "People cut themselves off from their ties of the old life when they come to Los Angeles. They are looking for a place where they can be free, where they can do things they couldn't do anywhere else."
47. Theme parks – Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain are all within short driving distance.
48. Sunset Boulevard – the world-famous road runs from downtown to the beach and passes by several landmarks as well at the northern boundary of campus.
49. Sneak Previews – for those students already spoiled by the availability of entertainment on and off campus, Ackerman hosts several sneak previews just for students before movies hit the theaters worldwide.
50. Dorms – clean, social, and stylish; the views from higher floors aren’t bad either. Almost ten thousand students live together on "The Hill", a perfect environment for studying and socializing alike.
51. Weather – you can’t beat over 330 days of sunshine and the ability to wear shorts and sandals on almost any given day.
52. Graduate school – 31 of the Ph.D. programs offered are ranked in the top 20 nationally, third highest in the country.
53. Joe and Josephine Bruin – other schools wish their mascots were this cool.
54. Lifestyle – work hard, play hard, sleep hard. Bruins strive for excellence at every level.
55. Shapiro Fountain – although not as famous as the inverted fountain, it is one of the most photographed landmarks along with Royce Hall.
56. Famous alumni – number more than the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
57. Undie Run – do we even need an explanation? Even ESPN has covered the event.
58. Bruin Bash – the enormous kick-off Welcome Week celebration which includes shows on campus and a concert with famous performers.
59. Blue and Gold Week – unofficially “Beat SC Week”, the week before the football game includes rallies, celebrations, and a large bonfire in Wilson Plaza.
60. Festival of Books – sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and held annually, considered “America’s largest literary event.” The event attracts over a hundred thousand visitors over the course of a single weekend, as well as over a hundred author panels and book signings.
61. Recreation – from exercising in the Wooden Center to running along Sunset to surfing at the beach and everything in between, including two Olympic-sized pools at the Sunset Recreation Center.
62. Nearby places of interest – include the Millionaire’s Mile on Wilshire Blvd, the Fox Theatre, Armand Hammer Museum, Rodeo Drive, Melrose, Beverly Center, The Grove, Venice Beach, and the Playboy Mansion.
63. Westwood Village theatres – many of Hollywood’s top hits are premiered here before they are in theatres worldwide…sneak preview anyone?
64. Fight Song – “Sons of Westwood” is one of the most widely-recognized college tunes, along with the trademark claps to "U-C-L-A fight fight fight!"
65. Research – ranked by the as the number 1 public research university in the nation (National Science Foundation).
66. Ackerman Student Union – food, a grand ballroom, and the official UCLA Store, headquarters to the most popular brand in college apparel - BearWear!
67. Pinkberry – just a short walk from the dorms, you can enjoy a delicious taste of heaven.
68. BruinSpace.com – we've got our own social network!
69. School of Theater Film and Television – the program is ranked first out of 500 programs nationally; UCLA is also the only university in the country where the study of theater, film, television and digital media is integrated within a single professional school.
70. Powell Library and Dickson Plaza – the epitome of a picturesque group study area.
71. Apartments and Frats – follow the music any given Thursday to the parties around Westwood.
72. MyPizza – this is the stuff you dreamed about as a kid.
73. Squirrels – ours are cooler...deal with it.
74. Shopping – from Santa Monica to Beverly Hills and everything in between, shopping is only limited by your bank account.
75. Fundraising – Campaign UCLA collected over $3.05 billion and was the most successful fundraising campaign in the history of higher education.
76. Worldwide recognition – ranked 12th in the world by Newsweek in its survey of The 100 Top Global Universities.
77. Boelter Hall – Birthplace of the Internet; years after Professor Kleinrock's development of ARPANET, Al Gore delivered the historical "Information Superhighway" speech at Royce Hall in 1994.
78. Dance Marathon – tradition of 26 hours of non-stop dancing to raise money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation; last year alone, they raised over $330,245! The event includes thousands of Bruin dancers and cheering fans, as well as local celebrity guests.
79. Terrence Tao – of the mathematics department, the youngest person to receive the Fields Medal (equivalent to the Nobel Prize in Mathematics) at the age of only 33.
80. Medical research – Physician Dr. Michael Gottlieb identified the world's first cases of AIDS at UCLA Medical Center in 1981; since then, researchers in the nationally-renowned AIDS Institute of UCLA have been working to develop new treatments and fight the disease.
81. Jazz/Reggae Festival – A two-day concert with famous performers, run by USAC Cultural Affairs Commission, is the largest student-operated collegiate festival in the country.
82. Jason Kapono – NBA Rookie who transformed into one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA. Kapono was the first Bruin to earn First Team All-Pac-10 honors all 4 years and the only UCLA player to lead the school in scoring 4 straight years. Jason Kapono won the 2007 3-Point Shooting Contest at the All-Star Game and tied for the most points ever (24).
83. Al Scates – most successful coach in NCAA history, with a record 19 men's volleyball national titles, and the first volleyball coach to reach 1,000 career victories.
84. Doctoral degrees – more doctorates are awarded to minority students at UCLA than those at any other college.
85. Sports Illustrated – rated UCLA #1 for it's balance in academics, athletics, and social life.
86. Public tuition – and yes, all of this at the relatively low cost of in-state public tuition.
87. Washington Monthly – ranked UCLA #2 in it's Top National Universities with criteria based on research, community service, and social mobility.
88. The UCLA Bruin Marching Band – 1993 recipient of the Louis B. Sudler Trophy, voted on each year by college band directors from across the country and presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation in recognition of the band's tradition of excellence and innovation.
89. Celebrations – winning high-stakes football and basketball games, then partaking in mass mayhem in Westwood.
90. Dorm food – no complaints here; in fact, most everyone loves the food from our four all-you-can-eat residential restaurants, with food that ranks second nationally only behind Cornell.
91. Coaching – since the early 1970's, UCLA is the only Division I university to never have had a head coach leave for another Division I coaching job, due to the fact that UCLA is the nation's #1 desired school to be a head coach.
92. Professional Sports – if you add the current UCLA professional athletes in every professional American league, there are more Bruin representatives playing than any other school by a wide margin.
93. Public rankings – Shanghai Jiao Tong University places UCLA as the world's 4th best public university; Newsweek considers it the "hottest mega-university" in the country.
94. The Sculpture Garden - once rated the #1 place in LA to make out by Playboy magazine.
95. Dinner for 12 Strangers - a well-known and popular tradition which has brought together Bruin students, faculty and alumni for dinner for many years.
96. Pacific Ties - UCLA's Asian/Pacific Islander Newsmagazine, founded in 1977, is the oldest student-run Asian-American or Pacific American publication in the country.
97. Popular culture - like "Coca-Cola", the acronym "UCLA" is recognized in every major world language - a testament to the impact the school has made in its relatively young history.
98. Academic growth - UCLA is the fastest rising academic university in the nation and the only one founded in the 20th century that is ranked in the top ten academically.
99. The Rose Bowl – the world's most beautiful and famous stadiums is home to Bruin football!
100. The first university to 100 NCAA National Championships!
101. Every other reason that can't be contained in this list...
taken from this facebook group
UCLA Pride: 101 Reasons to Be Proud You?re a Bruin | Facebook
Bruins, as a rule, are a humble bunch, not prone to ostentatious displays
Bruins on the Hill is an organization created by a group of UCLA alumni in Palos Verdes for other UCLA alums on the Peninsula who want to reconnect with the University's academic and athletic achievements. It's a group dedicated to rediscovering old friendships and making new ones with others who share a common bond. In the process, Bruins on the Hill have a lot of fun -- and help support UCLA's tradition of excellence through sponsored social events. 
