<p>I know that sounds crazy, but I feel better going to a private school in this recession and berkeley is public. But I think I know the right choice anyway.</p>
<p>eh i live in claremont and have to say i would not want to go here as a college student. maybe its just that i’ve lived around the colleges so long that i’ve grown accustomed to them, but i would seriously not want to go to college here. its boring plus most people have never heard of scripps (its true).</p>
<p>berkeley on the other hand… has the prestige, low cost (comparatively), big city, lots of things to do.</p>
<p>my sister had this same choice (UCB/Scripps) a few years back. She chose Scripps, and is extremely happy there. It’s amazing, it’s easily the most beautiful campus I’ve seen…reminiscent of some sort of European villa, the food is great, and most importantly, the academics are too. Plus it made sense because they had a better finaid package than berkeley.</p>
<p>To breathe or not to breathe. That is the question. Have you seen the air at Scripps? One look is enough for me.</p>
<p>Also, in Scripps, you have a right-wing pro-war Congressman and you are near one of the most racist areas in the state. In Berkeley, you have Barbara Lee.</p>
<p>^ i assume you’re suffering to Fontana? lol
most students at the CC stay on campus and dont leave - which is one of the reasons i would advise not going to scripps. i hardly ever see college students walking around claremont (its obvious who they are) which is odd. </p>
<p>claremont is the most liberal city in LA so dont listen to this fun fun noob. its also called the ‘city of trees and phD’s’.</p>
<p>the pollution isnt as bad as they make it out to be. the only days it’s noticeable is when there are fires up in mt. baldy (every year or so this happens - generally harmless because it’s natural).</p>
<p>I got my undergraduate degree at Scripps and am currently getting my graduate degree at Berkeley. As someone who has experienced and likes both schools, I would recommend Scripps for your undergraduate degree if you can afford it and Scripps offers your major(s) of interest. At Scripps you will have much smaller classes, more access as personal relationships with professors (plus no TAs), and less difficulty getting into courses you want. As a Berkeley student you will be in very large lecture classes your first two years and one of many fish in the sea. Social life is also difficult as an undergrad at Berkeley (it’s much better as a grad student, where you have a small niche department within the huge school) - from what I’ve heard, it’s very difficult to meet fellow students as a Berkeley undergrad unless you join a sorority. This is due mainly to the huge student body and that everyone lives off campus after a year or so.</p>
<p>At Scripps students are intelligent, accessible, and easy to get to know, and the school makes an effort to make you feel welcomed and comfortable. You will also live in beautiful dorms on one of the prettiest campuses in the country and have plenty of access to additional courses, resources, and male students through the other 5Cs.</p>
<p>Also, you’ll barely notice the fog most of the time in the Claremont, and as other have said there’s not much interaction with the outside community. I very happily spent most of my time on campus outside of occasional trips to Target, Starbucks, and the La Verne mall. I usually went into LA once or twice a semester with friends, which is accessible via train and car.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot! Your reply really helped me. I really appreciate it 
I’m pretty sure I know where I want to go now.</p>