Berkeley vs. Cornell

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Just wanted to get some insights here.</p>

<p>I have a good friend who is trying to decide between the two. I have been advocating Cornell because I believe it gives a better overall undergrad experience. However, perhaps I have cut Cal short.</p>

<p>My question is, what are some reasons one would pick Berkeley over Cornell?</p>

<p>There are certain factors such as cheaper, better weather, in a city, closer to home, etc.</p>

<p>But I want to get past the superificial.</p>

<p>Just comparing the two SCHOOLS, the quality of the education, not the surroundings.</p>

<p>What are some good reasons to attend Berkeley over Cornell? (or, over any similar private school)</p>

<p>Please keep in mind that this is a topic about the UNDERGRAD and has little to do with Berkeley's graduate programs.</p>

<p>Thanks for the replies.</p>

2

<p>Berkeley has awesome Poli-Sci and English Depts.</p>

3

<p>berkeley has close to 10,000 more students and it is very easy to get lost among the undergraduate population.</p>

4

<p>Bobobob, if you will get lost with 23,000 undergrads, you will most likely get lost with 14,000 undergrads.</p>

5

<p>Sorry to point this out, but I don't think this is superficial: Cornell is REALLY REALLY COLD!</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
berkeley has close to 10,000 more students and it is very easy to get lost among the undergraduate population.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This is advocating Cornell. I'm looking for things that advocate going to Berkeley.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Sorry to point this out, but I don't think this is superficial: Cornell is REALLY REALLY COLD!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes this is a concern among many. However, I am looking for differences in the quality of the undergraduate EDUCATION. Something that students gain from the Berkeley undergraduate education that they can't find in a top private institution.</p>

<p>For example, aspects of a Stanford undergrad education that excel Berkeley's are more personal attention, more staff support, easier transfer between majors, better advising, higher success rate of admission from graduate schools, etc.</p>

<p>What does Berkeley, in turn, have over these top private colleges? That makes a Berkeley education more valuable?</p>

7

<p>What departments?</p>

<p>UC Berkeley humanities and social sciences, though not as well known as Berkeley engineering/sciences, can quite easily rival that of private institutions. Actually, I wouldn't say rival as much as emulate and match. The professors are world-renown and within most of those majors (say, philosophy), you have just as much personal attention as you would get in a private school.</p>

<p>Haas business school, and I'll lump economics in here too, beats out pretty much all the Ivys except for Penn's Wharton. Economics at Berkeley ranks as one of the top in the nation, far above most Ivys, trailing mostly behind MIT. I personally avidly researched Cornell's prowess in this sector. If I were to choose schools purely by academics, I could not choose Cornell over Berkeley in business and economics.</p>

<p>Science-oriented majors can expect to, with initiative, find research opportunities in cutting edge science. It is often forgotten that UC Berkeley owns Livermore Laboratories and Los Alamos Labs. Why is that important? The research and in-progresses funnel over to Berkeley, where research is being done as well. Did you hear about the new malaria drug that is at the moment declared to possibly wipe malaria out of existance? It was researched and made in Berkeley.
Not only that, in general Berkeley has never had a problem matching up academically in the applied sciences/engineering against the Ivys.</p>

<p>Finally, if you ever decide to start outside the US... realize that other than Harvard, and in Asia, Columbia, the Ivys are more or less unknown to most people. UC Berkeley holds international renown due to its research, however, and is held in high regard.</p>

<p>I believe you know the downsides to Berkeley as well. The large student body, which is sometimes rather watered down with... questionable admits (though I suppose that is an inescapable fact at any school), impersonal attention, etc. At the same time, there are extremely attractive aspects in other areas, such as the cultural surroundings... food (not a small factor if you've sampled around Berkeley food)... But you asked for purely academics.</p>

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<p>Which factors do you think determine the quality of education?</p>

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<p>the world renowned judith butler teaches at berkeley</p>