5 more days till decision deadline.....HELP!

Applying to College
1

<p>So yea, the title sort of sums up my situation. Ive been accepted to both UCLA and Berkeley for civil engineering. I have visited both campuses twice each, and I have never been more confused than ever. I see pros and cons for both schools...so deciding between them is giving me a headache.</p>

<p>First of all, I am a California resident with too much money apparently so I get no financial aid, but my parents are willing to cover it all so its all good (i just gotta maintain decent grades). Also, Ive lived both in socal and norcal, so im pretty used to both (although i kinda prefer socal).</p>

<p>Ill first start off with my observations of Berkeley. The main factor that is pulling me toward Berkeley is its prestige. I hear from many that companies love Berkeley students, and, coupled with the fact that Berkeley is ranked #2 in USnews for undergrad civil engineering, it seems that nice jobs will be plenty if I go to Berkeley. On the other hand, I plan on going to graduate school, so it seems to me that prestige does not matter too much (or does it? im confused). I talked to an actual civil engineering student at Berkeley, and she told me that there isnt too much competition amongst the civil engineering students, and that they are pretty chill with each other. However, I hear a lot of dreadful stuff about how professors are focused on research and grad students more than undergrad students, and I fear that I will not be able to connect with professors if I go to Berkeley. On top of that, I hear the food is crap, the girls are ugly (i experienced that first-hand at Cal Day), and the surrounding areas are dangerous.</p>

<p>On the other hand, UCLA struck me as having a really nice atmosphere. I visited the civil engineering department and talked to one of the professors and one of the civil engineering students, and they were very nice and helpful. What surprised me during my visit was when I found out there are only about 250 undergrad students in total doing civil engineering in UCLA (compared to about 2000 in Berkeley). I don't kno if thats good or bad; it means easier connections with professors and easier access to internships, jobs, etc, but also it could mean that most prospective students turned down UCLA civil engineering and preferred the civil engineering departments in other schools. However, UCLA is known for good education so I am guessing it will be reflected in civil eng. In addition, totally contrary to Berkeley, I hear the food is good, and I saw a decent amount of hot girls during my visit. I definitely liked the atmosphere in the central part of cmapus where the engineering buildings are at, and North campus was f'ing lovely.</p>

<p>The good and bad of both campuses are in conflict, and I am getting headaches when I try to choose one. Which would you say perfectly matches me? Reccs or comments would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance</p>

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<p>Hmmm...if you're a democrat you'll love Berekely ahhahaha.</p>

<p>And UCLA is a very chill place, so if you can't handle temptation go to Cal. UCLA is more diverse though, and come on...it's THE BRUINS!!! Hahahah, just wanted to point it out to you since you didn't mention it in your post :)</p>

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<p>You forgot the weather factor! Which do you prefer - chilly/foggy/sweatshirts or warm/sunny/t-shirts?</p>

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<p>For an engineering school, don't go by prestige since both of these are excellent schools. Go for what school "feels" better, and focus on social aspects and the overall enviorment. Also, look at the specific curriculum (if one school has more liberal arts requirements, if one allows for more electives, ect). Focus on those smaller things, because both schools are good schools. But you'll like your undergrad experience more if you pick based on those factors, as not only is it important to get a good education, but to enjoy where you're living and learning for the next four years. If you don't, you'll be miserable and your school work will show it (trust me, i'm transferring engineering schools to a more liberal arts-based school that has a social life that suits me better...the only good thing is that I maintained a 3.2 GPA here)</p>

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<p>@premature_grey: sunny+t-shirts of course</p>

<p>I definitely like the whole sports thing goin down in LA.</p>

<p>Now considering the whole prestige thing, why would it not matter at all for engineering? Does it matter when Im getting my first job say right after my 4 years? Does it matter when Im trying to get into grad school?</p>

<p>Also, I hear maintaing good grades in the UC system is hard. Is it harder in Berkeley than UCLA or about equal?</p>

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<p>NOTA,
From your post, I gather that the major thing that tilts you towards Berkeley is the prestige of the ce program. Otherwise, your description of UCLA make it sound like the school for you. I do not know the rating of UCLA's ec program but it must not be too far off.
Good luck in your decision.</p>

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<p>UCLA and Cal's rankings are both in the top 20 overall, but not sure about Civil.</p>

<p>Trust me, if I can give the best advice, its don't just judge a school on its ranking. At this point, since they're so close, it's just not worth it to base your decision on a ranking. I did, and it sucks. I'm trying to transfer down, but only about 15 spots, which is nothing when i'm going from #17 to #32. The difference between Cal and UCLA is barely there in rankings, but its differences will lie within the curriculum of the schools and the schools themselves (campus/social/housing/food/ect). Focus on those, because rankings will change quickly and possibly drastically within your four year, but the actual school won't. Do some research over the next few days, but it already looks like you want to be at UCLA (look especially at the curriculum, not all engineering programs are the same...some offer more electives, some don't, ect).</p>