having grown up in SoCal and went to Cal getting away from your parents is definitely part of the college experience to factor in. I liked it, and only outside of coastal california would anyone say the weather is not great at Cal. The views of the golden gate bridge from the hills of Berkeley are unforgettable. And yes UCLA is a bit cooler than most of LA due to proximity to the ocean and not being in a valley where it does get hot in CA. So you are literally comparing A+ weather at UCLA to mere A weather at Cal (afternoon fog in the summer (when you may not be there). I’ve lived in many major metros two east coast two west coast and most of the country would die to have Berkeley weather be it Chicago, New York or Boston. Although it’s true that grad rankings are not as relevant to undergrad, employers probably will have some bias when comparing potential hires. If you liked the classes you sat in on, that should make you more confident too.