I had the fortune of being admitted as a transfer student to both the University of California, Berkeley, as well as Cornell University. I was wondering if anyone could offer insight into making the optimal choice between the two schools.
Quick info:
Berkeley - Political Economy Major, College of Letters and Science
Cornell - Economics Major, College of Arts and Sciences
Cornell is approximately $8000 more expensive for me each year than Berkeley (I get CA in-state tuition).
Questions/Factors of consideration:
Grad-school placement: Which school/program tends to produce more undergraduates who end up attending top graduate schools (in particular, law, economics, political science, business, etc.)? This is incredibly important for me because I'm dead-set on attending grad school, though I haven't made a concrete decision regarding which specific field to pursue.
Major/Program: Can anyone provide some insight into the quality of the programs (Polyecon at Berkeley and Econ at Cornell)? E.g. courses, professors, class sizes, etc.
Research Opportunities: Can anyone vouch for the availability and quality of the research opportunities at either school (particularly for the social sciences), and if possible, make an objective comparison?
Bias against transfer students: This isn't a huge issue, but I heard that transfer students at Berkeley are perceived negatively by some of their first-year admit peers. Can anyone confirm this? Does this apply to all transfers or just community college transfers (I'm transferring from a four year university)?
At the end of the day, is Cornell worth the additional costs? Please let me know what you think. If anyone has any additional information on the matter, I'd greatly appreciate it.
There won't be any appreciable differences between Cornell and Berkeley on this metric - you can go to a top graduate school from either.
You are going to get great research experiences at both schools. Berkeley obviously has a top-notch economics department with well-renowned economists. Cornell has a great economics department as well, of course. Class sizes will likely be a bit larger at Berkeley just because of sheer size.
The difference is going to be $24,000 over three years, which in the grand scheme of things isn't a huge difference. I'm not sure it's at all worth it - I'd probably pick Berkeley, if it were me, just because they're two choices who are similar in quality and post-grad outcomes and you might as well go with the less expensive one.
Regarding #4, about a third of upper division students at Berkeley are transfer students. However, the social dynamics are different, in that those who entered as frosh have had two years to build up on-campus social networks, while transfer students are starting from the beginning in this respect. Also, transfer students are more likely to be non-traditional students whose social networking may differ from that of other students.
You will have only one opportunity to make a choice like this. If you prefer Cornell (it’s an incredible school, and specifically a beautiful, very highly-resourced academic powerhouse in a great college town), then it’s worth $16 more. (UCB is academically strong of course as well, that’s not at issue.) Good luck.
Unless Cornell is a much, much better fit, or if you are made of money and could easily afford the extra $24k (plus travel…), I think Berkeley makes more sense. Both are top-notch academically and will look impressive on any resume or grad school app.
Cornell is a great school but I would probably choose Berkeley if I had any political leanings (and since you note your major would be political economy I imagine you have interests in politics and current world events). Seems like you’d have a richer experience there because the students would be more charged up about the world. Cornell students are less likely to be politically involved/aware. Berkeley is…Berkeley.
I understand that my remarks are outside of your 5 considerations; but #5 solicits “additional information.”
I am a New Yorker who was looking at law schools. Both Berkeley and Cornell were in the mix. After doing the same due diligence you are doing now, I made school visits (which also included U. Mich.).
These are all top notch schools for law/economics/political science; however, UC Berkeley is higher ranked in each of these areas, and for good reasons. Moreover, and this is the point I want to make, I was unaware of just how hostile and severe winters are in up-state NY and in Mich. It is brutally cold in both places for at least four months of the 9 month school year. Have you considered this? Berkeley, meanwhile, is Edenic, except for a January rainy season.
This may seem to be and may be a superficial concern for you. But for me, Berkeley has the better departments, Berkeley is less expensive, and Berkeley is temperate. This would be a no-brainer for me.
Good luck. You can’t make a bad decision here. I just wanted to help give you a 360 view.
Addendum:
I forgot to mention the profound difference in settings. Berkeley is a bustling school in a bustling town/city in a bustling metropolitan area. Cornell is a bustling campus, in a small town/city in a remote area of up-state New York. This is a matter of personal choice. Are you a confirmed urbanite? Or do you like crickets?
The nationally diverse student body at Cornell would be another factor to consider. It appears that of non-international students at UCB, only 1% come from out-of-state (USNWR).
Though few analyses exist for specific undergraduate programs (though graduate program rankings are often misapplied as a substitute), this study from IDEAS would seem to be relevant to your interests: “US Economics Departments” (online).
Weather is a personal choice: do you prefer four seasons or one?
I grew up in northern Wisconsin, where winters are very cold, so it’s easy for me to say that a Midwest or Northeast winter can be handled.
To a native Californian, I would say that with proper attire, you could handle it. Just be aware that there are days when the wind will find its way onto any exposed skin and make you uncomfortable. Winter has its charms too, but the colder days can suck, especially if you aren’t dressed properly. Facing and learning to deal with those colder days – look, when it’s 20 or 30 out, all you need is a coat and maybe a stocking cap; but when it’s below zero, you’re going to want gloves and something covering your face, especially if it’s windy – is entirely within your grasp; you just have to take it on. That experience certainly would toughen you.
So while weather is a consideration, I wouldn’t let it be among the main ones.
However, UCB’s own source may not be particularly reliable either. For example, the provided link (post 13) states that their 25th percentile ACT score is 20.
@ucbalumnus Yes, I can definitely understand the disadvantage that transfer students would have when it comes to networking. But, would you say that first-year admits tend to look down transfer admits? Again, this isn’t a huge issue, but it was something I was reading about.
@merc81 I really do like Cornell. It honestly seems like the perfect academic environment (campus, location, etc.). But, I also really like Berkeley in that it’d be very familiar (I lived in NorCal for 12 years).
@prezbucky I wouldn’t say I could “easily” afford it, but it is doable. If $16,000 is a necessary investment for better chances at top grad schools, I would definitely take it. But it seems as though the general consensus thus far is that both schools have roughly equal grad-school placement rates.
@lostaccount I certainly am interested in politics, however, constant political activity on campus is not necessarily an attractive factor for me. But, I do really like engaging in conversations/debates with people with a a variety of different viewpoints, so knowing that Berkeley kids are known for being opinionated is certainly something to consider.
