<p>I'm torn between the two. I know that they are very different in different ways but they are both attractive to me. Both the vibrant city and the small town, coziness, etc.</p>
<p>Both are great in academics but I really love small classes with engaging conversations with students who have outstanding insights, etc. and I get the feeling Berkeley's student body in regards to the social sciences may not be up to par.</p>
<p>I have a problem with the lack of diversity at Berkeley, though I know I would expand my knowledge of Asian cultures. :) And Amherst seems very diverse.</p>
<p>I think I could be more liberal at Berkeley.</p>
<p>I could go on and on without coming to a consensus with my own thoughts.</p>
<p>Help? Why should I choose Berkeley? Or why not?</p>
<p>
[quote]
I really love small classes with engaging conversations with students who have outstanding insights, etc.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That doesn't exist ANYWHERE, unless if you are easy to please. Small classes exist in the world, I assume there are LOTS of them at Amherst, but except perhaps at the graduate level, you're never going to get lots of students with "outstanding insights."</p>
<p>"I have a problem with the lack of diversity at Berkeley, though I know I would expand my knowledge of Asian cultures." </p>
<p>Are you serious nickthecoolest? I don't know if you realize what a careless comment you made there. </p>
<p>You seem to be implying that there is a "lack of diversity" at Berkeley because there are too many Asians. Are you serious? I doubt such a comment would be made if there were 40%+ caucasians as opposed to 40%+ asians. </p>
<p>The first problem with your comment is that you seem to be lumping all asians together as if they are all the same or too similar such as to not warrant what you would consider "diversity." I don't think I need to go down that route to explain the error in that assumption, right? The second problem is, you appear to be defining diversity simply in terms of ethnicity. There is so much more to diversity than one's ethnicity, including but not limited to, one's life experiences/challenges, talents, aspirations, personality, interests, etc. etc. I hopefully don't have to go into more detail that there is much more to diversity than one's ethnicity...</p>
<p>Hopefully this is not how you really feel about diversity, especially as a prospective Berkeley student. Please be more careful in making those type of comments.</p>
<p>Well said Khan! I am white, but from the southwest. I am very different from people either in California and from people in the NorthEast. Thus, diversity exists even within races. We are not all the same, even if we share skin color.</p>
<p>nickthecoolest, you are not as cool as you think.</p>
<p>
[quote]
That doesn't exist ANYWHERE, unless if you are easy to please. Small classes exist in the world, I assume there are LOTS of them at Amherst, but except perhaps at the graduate level, you're never going to get lots of students with "outstanding insights."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I hate to say so but I agree with this. I'll never forget being in a class with a bunch of Harvard-Yale types and being amazed at the variable quality of insights offered. </p>
<p>I really am a fan of Berkeley, but something in the picture you present of what you want reads Amherst for me. You are clearly very capable; you could find your niche at Berkeley with some of the finest poli sci minds if you were a go-getter, but your hand would be held at Amherst and it is a great, great school.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I hate to say so but I agree with this. I'll never forget being in a class with a bunch of Harvard-Yale types and being amazed at the variable quality of insights offered.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>How can a 19 year-old offer insightful commentary on ANYTHING, much less something he is studying for the first time?</p>
<p>vc08, don't be a jerk. Amherst is not anywhere close to 80% white, and it is reaching out to low-income people perhaps more so than any other elite school (I would know, I am low-income). Do you know anything about the school at all?</p>