<p>Ok, so my situation is somewhat different. I am a Canadian citizen (born in Montreal) deciding between UC Berkeley, University of Toronto, and McGill University for engineering. I know that Berkeley is outstanding in engineering, but looking at some rankings U of T isn't all that far behind. For the most part, money is not all that big of an issue, but I was wondering if paying the extra $100k+ for Berkeley is worth it. I understand that U of T has not made the same name for itself as Berkeley in the US anyway. I am thinking about going to grad school after. Any input would be terrific...I am pulling my hair out trying to figure this one out.
Thanks</p>
<p>i got accepted to berkeley and ucla and i have friends at UT I think berkeley is on another level than UT. </p>
<p>dont get me wrong, UT is a great school academically (med entrance gpa is higher than harvard med school) but it just isnt getting the same kind of GLOBAL recognition as Berkeley has been getting for the past decade. </p>
<p>simply put, if u graduate from UT engineering, u can find a decent job anywhere in north america. if you graduate from Berkeley eng, u can find a job anywhere in the world.</p>
<p>hmm… I would go with berkeley… </p>
<p>kellogs, the comparison between US and Canadian med schools does not work… they work differently. US med schools focus equally on GPA and MCAT whereas Canadian med schools care way more about GPA… I know of a person who did not get into U of Ottawa med school because he had 3.84 GPA (UOttawa GPA cut off was like 3.87) … he had like 41 MCAT (which is absolutely amazing) and got into Harvard med.</p>
<p>^alam is right about that for sure, but kelloggs is right too. Berkeley is just internationally recognized as a powerhouse. I def. think your choice should be between McGill or Berkeley.</p>
<p>Actually the choice should be between berkeley and berkeley, lol</p>
<p>Strong vote for U of T. Why is it only 100k difference, btw? Gigantic. Can you pay with cash or are loans required? </p>
<p>Try posting this on the parent board. I’m so curious about what they’d say. Talk to those that actually have to PAY this kind of difference. So nice to be in highschool… Show me data suggesting you will have more job offers or higher salary coming out of Berkeley. I don’t think you’ll find it. </p>
<p>Or starting reading about the transfer rate at Berkeley. kids are NOT happy there…big public shcool. Not at all unlike U of T mind you, in fact very very similar. But mega more expensive. </p>
<p>U of T is easily, easily as recognized as Berkeley. You kids have been watching to much TV, lol. </p>
<p>The only exception is I think Berkeley is ‘famous’ to Indian and Chinese families (compare to U of T). If you are planning to work in those countries after graduation, or really need to impress your family, it might be worthwhile.</p>
<p>^Go with the one that offers you the best scholarships, merit or financial aid. Chances are that when a school gives you a lot money, it’s trusting your ability to excel. If the scholarship comes directly from a department, definitely go for it.</p>
<p>Yea, I understand UT isn’t as highly known as UC Berkeley, but after talking to some professors in Boston I came to realize that UT elec. engineering isn’t all that much worse than UC Berkeley. I am Canadian so tuition there is 10k plus about 10-15k room/food/books, while UC Berkeley is 32k tuition plus 10k room/food/books. The one thing that irritates me about UC Berkeley is that it is almost exclusively Californians. Not that I have anything against them, but I want to be in a more diverse environment. It seems that UT is more diverse, and Toronto as a city is extremely international.
Thanks for your input.</p>
<p>UofT is a top engineering school. Maybe not quite as good as Berkeley, but I don’t think you would miss much.</p>
<p>UT is a great choice for Engineering.</p>
<p>There’s also absolutely no reason to spend 100k+ for the Berkeley name. It’s outrageous to even consider it when you have access to Canada’s top universities at resident tuition price.
I doubt Canada goes past the border just to hire US candidates, especially recent graduates.</p>
<p>Great choice and good luck with your future.</p>
<p>@ nirvanatear</p>
<p>Why the heck does that matter? He should be worried about cost, not how much financial support he gets.</p>