<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>well, its coming down to the wire, and I need some help. Of course, I turned to the best possible people for some advice. Is UChicago worth the $25k extra than Berkeley (in state)? Is the lack of social life, or increased academic stress, at UChicago as harsh as it seems? Really guys, anything would be awesome. Thanks.</p>
<p>o, and I'm thinkin about International Studies/Political Science....</p>
<p>lack of social life is a misconception! u can have a social life if u choose, for it is out there for you to find/make if you need to!
iono about the academic stress bc i havent actually had the chance to experience that aspect of uchicago yet...</p>
<p>Post #11</p>
<p>While I LOVE Chicago, I would go with Berkeley unless 25K/year isn't that much to your family. Berkeley is also a very great school (although I wouldn't say its as great), its warmer, and the social life is better I hear.</p>
<p>
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lack of social life is a misconception!
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<p>Chicago is my 1st choice but I'm not going to blindy defend it. I go to a commuter university, have visited my friends at UVa, Emory, and Boston and I feel like those trips helped me understand the importance of social life (not like I undervalued it before anyway). Boston was OK but I didn't like the general area too much so that may have changed my view on their social life. UVa was amazingly fun. The campus was very lively, lot of parties and still they studied. Emory was meh. They dorms/campus wasn't that lively and UVa appeared to be more of a party school. Of course which dorm or hall your in and what time of the year you visit schools can really affect your view of the social life, but still. Now here you guys are saying that there isnt a lack of social life and its there for the taking. These two don't mean the same thing. If there was a great social life you wouldn't have to worry about seizing it, it would already be readily available. Personally, I would rather it be offered to me and then choose to accept it or not (yes, I'm spoiled like that), and that is why I don't think highly of Chicago's social life. Yes, if I go I'm sure I would have a fun time because I'm usually good with making friends and whatnot, but that isn't enough. </p>
<p>In Emory, a lot of the people I talked to complained about its social life (go figure) but the friend I visited loves to party and he joined a frat and there were bunch of parties that we went to, we also went all around Atlanta and did 'fun' stuff. So your college experience depends on your persoanlity a lot, but for the school to already offer a 'great' social life is a bonus I think. A bonus Chicago doesn't offer :'(</p>
<p>$25,000 is a lot of money. $25,000 every YEAR is an immense amount of money.</p>
<p>To be fair, it's possible to pay that back, if you're willing to live modestly for about 10 years after graduation. However, instate tuition at Berkeley is basically California's way of saying, "Don't you wish you lived here?" I love my school, but I probably would go to Berkeley given those choices.</p>
<p>considering the money, i'd go berk</p>
<p>Batman7, see my post in the Berkeley forum. And yeah, $100,000 is a lot of money, especially if you're considering grad school on top of that.</p>
<p>oh, god. i contemplated applying to berkeley and im glad i didn't because if i had gotten in to Uchicago and berkeley, i would seriously die...</p>
<p>i heard that berk students were really unhappy, but i love how laid back california is. berk has a great humanities department.. and chicago does, too... hmm.. but yeah, berk is definitely cheaper.</p>
<p>I heard that Chicago students had no lives and that all Cornell students want to commit suicide...</p>
<p>For those who missed my point, don't believe everything you hear :-)</p>
<p>tiffanyeatsramen,
Who did you hear from that Berkeley students are really unhappy? Just wondering.</p>
<p>I chose Chicago over Berkeley, but I'm in state and getting enough financial aid from Chicago to bring it to approximately the same cost.</p>
<p>I never really considered actually going to Berkeley-- it isn't something that I want as an undergraduate. There are many reasons, and sure, my family has attended Berkeley for like, over a hundred years, but even my dad, a Berkeley grad, knows that it isn't where I need to be. It really, really depends. </p>
<p>At least 5 of my good friends are going there next year, and it kind of suprised me. A couple of them don't really strike me as the "go-getter" types-- and after seeing family members go through Berkeley, I know how much effort it takes to find a niche. For me, I think that most of Chicago is mine, but I guess I won't know until I get there. I've never mythologized Berkeley, so the decision was simple. In fact, today I gave away two Berkeley sweatshirts to friends who are going. It's all Chicago from here.</p>
<p>"i heard that berk students were really unhappy"</p>
<p>I go to Cal and I'm a pretty happy fellow:)</p>
<p>Anyway, I think UChicago is an amazing school that doesn't get the respect it's due sometimes, but I don't think any school is 100,000 dollars better than Berkeley.</p>
<p>I tend to agree (or UMichigan for that matter).</p>