Berkeley VS Northwestern

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys,
Just recently I was accepted into Berkeley L&S undecided (want to get into computer science) and Northwestern’s electrical engineering! I’m having quite a difficult time deciding between the two and would like to ask for more input.

(1) Although CS and EE are both stem majors and are certainly thought to be very difficult, which school would be less intense/cutthroat? I wish to study IP law in the future which makes my undergrad GPA a very relevant concern, so I hope to attend an undergrad program that has more of a lenient grading curve (compared to engineering/cs in other colleges). I am also interested in a lot of ECs so I really hope I’ll have time to build on them in college.

(2) Which school has a better quality of life? (Things to do on campus, environment, weather, clubs, social life, sports…etc).

(3) I am heavily involved in competitive debate and would like to know which college of the two has a better debate team?

(4) Is it easy to get into Berkeley’s law school if you’re applying from Berkeley’s undergrad? (Vice versa with Northwestern)

Thanks guys!

2

I can’t speak to 1,2, or 3. However, as for #4, the things that’ll matter most when you apply to law schools are GPA and LSAT scores (at T14 schools, recommendations and interviews start to carry more weight). Outside the top tier, many law schools are looking for students, and not vice versa.

What you should note - and this is a crucial point - is that CS and engineering majors are heavily “impacted” majors at the UCs. Demand exceeds capacity, and most students applying to these majors will be unsuccessful. As such, being accepted to Northwestern’s EE program is a significant point in the university’s favor.