<p>Is Berkeley in grave trouble? I'm a recent EECS admit, and I got into other CS schools as well(UIUC, UT Austin, UCLA, and UCSD). My question is, would it be wise to give up a spot at Berkeley and go to UIUC just in case things become worse at Cal?
Please help out. I'm anxious as anything.</p>
<p>D got into UCD, UCLA and UCB, but has no intention whatsoever of going to any of them. Why? Her counselors recommended against it because of the reports of unhappy kids sitting in too full classrooms, not able to graduate in 4 years, strikes and protests and ever-increasing tuition fees.</p>
<p>D did not want that kind of stress. She will definitely be going to a private school.</p>
<p>Thanks dignified1. That really helps me since I got into 5 state schools. :|</p>
<p>UCLA and UCSD would be subject to the same California state budget problems that Berkeley would be subject to. Texas has its own state budget problems. Not sure about Illinois.</p>
<p>How much difference would net cost after non-loan financial aid be at each one? And also how would it change if worst-case tuition increases occur? (It is possible that an in-state university even with worst-case tuition increases could still be less expensive than a private or out-of-state public university.)</p>
<p>I’m an international. So tuition will be 50k at all the places. Unless of course…</p>
<p>Um I have gotten into every class that I’ve needed so far and I wouldn’t listen to parents on this one. People think that 500 kids in a chem class is too many and it sounds like it is, but once you’re actually here, it makes no difference whether there are 500 or 5 kids in the class (because of the way they’re run). Usually a LECTURE has 500 and if you sit up front, it’s like any other class you can take at any other school. You don’t need a small class to LISTEN to a professor speak. Most professors are willing to answer questions at any time no matter how many students there are. </p>
<p>You eventually break up into discussion groups for smaller class sizes and that’s where you can get even more help. These are top schools and if they weren’t run properly, well then no one would come. </p>
<p>If you plan your classes from the beginning, you’ll finish in 3-4 years. The only problem that I’ve ever encountered with budget issues is not having enough tutors in the SLC for the amount of students that come but even then, i’ve never had trouble getting help. There are several resources. I hope that helps!</p>
<p>All public schools in the US are having trouble right now, sadly. The UC System is just bigger and in California, so that’s why they’re in the news more often and get a bigger reaction. But every state university system is undergoing cuts and fees increases.</p>
<p>You’re going to find problems at any of the five schools you listed, but Berkeley isn’t going to cut much from its most important major (EECS). And really, people are frustrated here, as everyone is with the entire public education system around the US, but it isn’t enough to make them want to transfer. Aside from a couple protests, there isn’t even much dissent here. And usually those who don’t graduate in four years have that problem because they don’t figure out what they want to do regarding majors until it’s too late to complete them in the time they have left. Classes get full, but really, the worst I’ve seen is friends having to take harsh lab courses over the summer–no one I know (but I’m sure there’s been some) has been forced to take on another semester because of no seats in classes. And that’s probably more to their poor planning.</p>
<p>Whether you decide to go to UIUC or Berkeley is up to you and what you prefer, but I’m just saying that it’s going to be a bit sucky in any public university.</p>
<p>Grain of salt because i’m just a simple psych major…and a transfer…
But my experience at Cal has been absolutely phenomenal, lots of stuff being said but i’m just not seeing it in my own experience.
My classes have been almost all psych and anthro (upper div, taking one lower div anthro class right now), even when there are a lot of people in class it’s still fine, discussion sections are obviously a lot smaller at about 15-20 people and the main lectures are almost always at least 25% less than the class capacity anyway.</p>
<p>Maybe you guys in the hard sciences are having a more difficult time.</p>
<p>
Nope. 
Gotten into all my classes (yes, even Chem 1A), doing pretty well and I’m not even using all the available resources (SLC, office hrs, etc.). It’s even very easy to talk one-on-one with a professor, even during a huge lecture.</p>
<p>
this implies people actually want to take hard science courses. which kind of isnt the case. i phase II my math courses every time… it’s kind of sad really. </p>
<p>the classes that are “hard to get into” are either (i) the popular intro courses, or (ii) the lower divs that satisfy prereqs for many many different majors
(i’ve been told polisci UDs fill up fast though)</p>
<p>feel free to disagree or educate me if i’m wrong</p>
<p>Her counselors recommended against it because of the reports of unhappy kids sitting in too full classrooms, not able to graduate in 4 years, strikes and protests and ever-increasing tuition fees.</p>
<p>Her counselors should work in the L&S advising department. XD</p>
<p>xunxun, UT Austin should be lower than the other schools on the tuition piece?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.utexas.edu/business/accounting/pubs/tf_flatsemf10.pdf[/url]”>http://www.utexas.edu/business/accounting/pubs/tf_flatsemf10.pdf</a></p>
<p>You didn’t really get in anywhere else worth turning an eye for so . . . .</p>
<p>You’re all freaking out over nothing. Tuition’s never going to be more than it is for top private universities, how would that possibly make sense? Tuition is increasing for in-state students, but not too a point where it is unreasonable. The majority of the protesting is being done by a small group of people who would probably jump on any issue they could possibly protest. Seriously, the last protest I walked by was one obnoxious girl screaming into a megaphone while everyone else just tried to get to class. Media does a good job of making it look like a huge schoolwide crisis though!</p>
<p>Unless you are a transfer or have some extremely unusual circumstances, you will graduate in 4 years or less. I am double majoring in two difficult and unrelated fields but can graduate a semester early. I have been waitlisted for classes a few times but have always been able to get in. Overall there’s great professors, best research opportunities you could ask for, and better post-graduation prospects than almost anywhere. I think it would be a mistake to pick anything over Berkeley except for maybe HYPMS.</p>
<p>^ I agree with some of the things you said… </p>
<p>But you’re just a superb student flutter. lol</p>
<p>I know many people at Cal would worried about this same thing in a variety of competitive majors, including EECS! And most all of them are on time for the four-year graduation track. Everyone’s experience will differ, of course. </p>
<p>Also, flutter’s advice is pretty much on-point. 
Good luck!</p>
<p>You will see a huge difference in answers about this between two groups - students who have actual experience here, and everyone else. Notice what the people who attend Cal say, not so much what the other group ‘heard from a friend’, read in the paper, were told by peers who either weren’t accepted or are boosting their own competing choice of school, or just assume without checking. </p>
<p>Still not convinced? Come visit.</p>
<p>What do you guys think of this? How do you think it will affect the campus in terms of undergraduates/research/overall experience?</p>
<p>[The</a> Daily Bruin :: News: Off The Press : Gov. Brown warns UC tuition could double](<a href=“http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/blog/off_the_press/2011/04/gov._brown_warns_uc_tuition_could_double]The”>http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/blog/off_the_press/2011/04/gov._brown_warns_uc_tuition_could_double)</p>