Hi all! So a month ago, I got into Cornell A&S and in-state Berkeley L&S and I intend on studying computer science and economics. In the future, I want to work in management consulting(Bain & Company, BCG, McKinsey) or product management(PM @ a tech company specifically) and I was wondering which school is better suited for what I want to do. Although Cornell is relatively big at 15,000 ,Berkeley is massive at 30,000 and I know that Cornell also has some strong ties to consulting firms and banking firms in New York. I was also thinking of pursing a masters in statistics in the future and an MBA so I understand that my undergrad GPA is extremely important. This is why Berkeley’s grade deflation draws me away however I’ve also heard that Cornell has one of the tougher grading systems in the ivy league. Another thing to consider is that I will be paying 33k for Berkeley and 43k for Cornell. So which should I choose, given what I want to do in the future?
Berkeley’s CS program is rigorous and in order to declare CS as a major, you as an incoming L&S student will have to get a 3.3 GPA across 3 classes (61A, 61B and 70), but of course, you already knew this. Berkeley has a “lot” to offer, but the onus is on students to take advantage of it. Many of Berkeley’s classes are big and therefore you need to be comfortable that you actually draw upon what Berkeley has to offer. If you are not able to or willing to do that, then do not go to Berkeley. On the other hand, you will learn many skills that are relevant to success in life (i.e. how to take advantage of what is given to you when you are not being spoon-fed). Berkeley is close to silicon valley and the internship opportunities are outstanding.
Cornell, as an Ivy, is a brand that management consulting firms like. That is the advantage of Cornell. It is more of a rural campus compared to Berkeley.
They are two very different colleges and so it is a choice that you will have to make. Based on what you write, I would lean towards Cornell.
How likely is it that you will be able to graduate in 4 years from each school ?