Duke vs Berkeley for Biology (International Student)

College Search & Selection
1

Got into Duke (Trinity College of Arts & Science) and Berkeley (Integrative biology major) International student. Please help in choosing.

2

Your criteria and preferences?

Does cost differ or matter?

Note that UCB presumably admitted you to L&S, although integrative biology is not a capacity-limited major, so you can declare it after passing the prerequisites.

3

You have asked the same question on the UCB discussion thread so what is your criteria and what is the ultimate career goal as a Biology major?

If you answer the questions posted above such as costs for each school, what kind of campus environment is preferred etc… posters can help with some specifics.

4

I think what it comes down to is: do you want a really intimate residential college experience where you can build potentially life-changing connections with your peers and faculty? And, plenty of resources for expert advising/etc… If so, Duke. Harder to do at a place like UCB…

5

currently biology but would like to explore other options before deciding finally

6

Thank you.

7

@mvnmommy

Is cost a factor in your decision?

8

You have asked similar questions for every school where your daughter was admitted.
You are paying full fees for these schools, so if cost doesn’t matter, you need to have HER research each school on the websites, facebook pages, and student sites. Every college and university is different.

What’s the ultimate career goal?

  1. She can’t stay in the US, after graduation, with a biology degree since the universities will educate students, but they don’t employ them nor sponsor Visas for them. FYI: Employers have thousands of students to pick and choose with bio degrees. It’s not a very unique/marketable degree in the US. Sponsorship with a bio degree is not going to happen.

  2. If she’s trying for medical school, she wont get in as an international student. So, what’s the ultimate goal? If she needs “name recognition” with her degree, to return to your country, she has options.

Every school is DIFFERENT. Every school is unique. She should create her own account on CC and ask what she wants to ask. She has to live there for 4 years so she should be the one asking about size, weather, transportation, housing, quality of life, clothing, location, everything.