Berkeley vs. UCSD please help!

<p>From my campus tours, I found the private college experience to be different than the public university experience. They both have pros and cons of course but each of us probably knows which style suits us. The harder choices seem to be within those two categories. Comparing private versus public seems like apples and oranges, not different varieties of apples. The concept of prestige can’t tell you whether you fell like an apple versus an orange. Choosing solely on prestige is lazy, it’s basing your decision on other people’s research. If you really can’t tell which school you want, you haven’t spent enough time on campus talking to current students.</p>

<p>cal would be a better choice</p>

<p>Personally, I just picked UCSD over UC Berkeley for Neuroscience! :D</p>

<p>I visited UCSD once for Admit Day (April 4) and UC Berkeley twice - once with some of my friends who go to Cal and another time for Cal Day (April 18). I was pretty much stuck between the two schools for quite a long time, but in the end I chose UCSD. I had several friends who chose UCSD over Berkeley, but there are others who would do just the opposite.</p>

<p>For me, both schools costs about the same (I did not get Regents for UCSD).</p>

<p>I liked both schools and both environments. Both had awesome clubs and students there, and I felt that I could fit into both schools quite easily, and both places had wonderful professors and faculty. However, I felt that UCSD would be better for me, personally, because I liked SD’s academic programs, school services, and campus better, although I would definitely enjoy Cal too.</p>

<p>SD isn’t the right school for everyone, and neither is Cal the right school for everyone. Berkeley is definitely a great school, and I also really love Cal a lot. However, keep in mind that prestige and high school friends shouldn’t determine which school you want to go to. Choose the school that you think will positively affect YOU the most. </p>

<p>In the end, it’s YOU that matters most - your skills, your life experience, what you’ve learned, the connections you’ve made, etc. Prestige, in the very end, won’t really matter that much. Think about which place where make you a more confident, prepared, and mature person at the very end. Berkeley and San Diego are both very prestigious schools with relatively similar rankings, and both schools have their pro’s and con’s. Also keep in mind that San Diego got to where it is right now in only around 40 years, and it does have an amazing reputation, especially for the sciences. Both schools also have awesome students organizations (contrary to popular opinion, what I found out was that SD is NOT socially dead - it’s because it’s a suburban campus that’s quite spread out. Its clubs and EC’s other than sports, nevertheless, seem to be on par with Cal’s).</p>

<p>Here’s a list I made of both schools (it’s not perfect, but I tried my best to make it fairly accurate and bias-free):</p>

<p>UCB (Berkeley)
-Founded in 1868 – more heritage, history, notable alumni, traditions
-More overall prestige
-US News ranking: 21st
-World public university rank: 1st
-Neuroscience ranking: 9th
-Average undergrad GPA: 4.35
-About the same / slightly less prestige for biology – ranks below UCSD in some science rankings
-Some of the best sports in the country
-Amazing school spirit, always something going on
-Biology and chemistry classes are impacted, difficult to get into
-More emphasis on mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science
-Undergraduates have least emphasis; graduates have more emphasis
-School is large and easy to feel “lost” in, but clubs and organizations are excellent
-More connections with generally more top students in every field
-3.0 unweighted GPA for each 1 semester needed for senior year of high school
-Highly competitive student body
-Possibly worse for future science career. Lower chance of attaining career goals due to less availability of classes, competition, etc.
-Very good at liberal arts
-Pre-medical fields are very highly impacted
-More rain, colder, more polluted air
-Urban, maybe more high-stress environment
-Very theoretical emphasis, as with all UC’s
-No medical or pharmacy school nearby
-Nearby: UCSF, medical opportunities in San Francisco (BART ride needed)
-Internship and research opportunities are much more limited
-B.A. program
-Harder to switch majors
-Counseling and career center resources are much harder to access
-Registration is notorious (Telebears)
-Notorious for weeder classes and cutthroat competitions
-Lower chances of getting into more medical and professional schools due to lower GPA
-Transportation – cheaper: BART, bus
-Semester system – more time (over half a year) to learn material
-Amazing libraries: Doe Memorial Library
-Older, neo-classical architecture
-More crowded campus and programs
-Smaller, older, more crowded dorms
-Lively, urban feel: more exciting city life
-Classical / Greco-Roman architecture
-High-crime downtown area
-Recreation: San Francisco, Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
-San Francisco museums
-Natural surroundings: Tilden Regional Park, Mt. Diablo</p>

<p>UCSD (San Diego)
-Founded in 1960 – less heritage, history, notable alumni, traditions
-Less overall prestige
-US News ranking: 35th
-World public university rank: 7th
-Neuroscience ranking: 1st
-Average undergrad GPA: 4.07
-Possibly more prestige for biology – “Hottest for Science”
-Little school spirit, not much sports
-Biology and chemistry programs are large, much easier to get into
-More emphasis on biology, medicine, biotechnology, biochemistry (not as well-rounded as Cal)
-Very undergraduate-friendly due to presence of 6-college system
-6-college system allows for more intimate feel
-3.0 weighted GPA for both semesters combined needed for high school senior year
-Competitive, but more laid-back students
-Better for future science career. Much better chance at attaining career goals due to excellent science programs
-Not as good at liberal arts
-Biology labs are impacted
-Sunny, warm, very fresh air, sometimes wildfires
-More relaxing environment
-More connections in biotech and medicine
-Presence of UCSD Medical School
-Nearby: Salk Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, Pfizer, many hospitals
-Internship and research opportunities are everywhere, and very easy to obtain
-B.S. program
-Very easy to switch majors
-Counseling and career center resources are much easier to access
-Competition and weeder classes exist, but not as difficult as Berkeley
-Higher chances of getting into more medical and professional schools due to a possibly higher GPA
-Transportation – more expensive: cars, airplane
-Possible majors: Physiology & Neuroscience B.S., Biochemistry / Chemistry B.S.
-Quarter system – less time (only 10 weeks) to learn material
-Stunning Geisel Library
-Newer, excellent facilities
-More spacious campus and programs
-Housing guarantee for 2 years; newer, larger dorms on average
-Quiet, suburban feel: laid-back life
-Modern, shiny architecture
-Low-crime suburban area
-Recreation: Beach, Balboa Park, Mexico
-Balboa Park museums
-Natural surroundings: Beach, Mission Hills Regional Park</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK!!</p>

<p>Bookmarking. Excellent compilation andyy on ucb vs ucsd.</p>

<p>I picked UCSD over Berkeley, also. I am a neuroscience major and I am pretty sure I made a good choice.</p>

<p>It is quite easy to get a research position at UCSD because of all the labs and hospitals and clinics surrounding the campus, and the opportunities are countless. </p>

<p>I recently just got a research job at the school of medicine and I know a lot of people who are already partaking in research who are also first years. It’s not hard if you take some time to look for them.</p>

<p>I can’t really tell you that it’s easier here to find these opportunites than at Berkeley because I was never a student there, but UCSD is definitely an awesome place to do your studies if you are looking into to the sciency stuff.</p>

<p>I would go Cal…</p>

<p>Prestige is incredibly important and there is no doubt the Cal brand name is great . If you’re considering opportunities for employment, as much as I hate rankings, employers don’t have time to go delve into every single aspect of a college and compare which is better in which. Rankings translate an overwhelming amount of information about a university, it’s student body, it’s professors, and everything into an easily understandable and convenient metric. </p>

<p>It’s probably not the best way to evaluate where to recruit their employees, but that’s the reality. I don’t know how it’s like for science majors but for business, Cal > SD, no doubt.</p>

<p>It is your opinion dude, </p>

<p>I chose UCSD over UCLA, UCB, and PRINCETON. Could you believe that???
However, it was just my inner feelings abt what school fitted me best and where I should go, and UCSD was the right place for me.</p>

<p>My major is Aerospace engineering. Plus, B.S. doesn’t matter so much IMO if one wants to go for masters or PhD. in the long run</p>

<p>That’s pretty impressive, I have respect for someone who is confident in their abilities to not care so much about the ranking or prestige of their school.</p>

<p>Alright, you chose the school which you felt was most right for you. However, your undergrad school does help you in getting into good graduate school for a masters or PhD.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, Devry U. does not have a PhD. program.</p>

<p>^^^Yes, I agree with you on the fact that undergrad school does matter when getting into graduate school but not a lot. </p>

<p>However, masters in my major i.e. Aerospace engineering is not a major that is offered everywhere. My dream school is MIT (I am wait listed over there). I want to get a grad degree from MIT or Stanford in the field of Aerospace engineering. The acceptance rate for masters at MIT for Aerospace engg. is 45% for outside of MIT applicants. Therefore, I am in a good position.</p>

<p>Continuing on the importance of undergrad school for a masters program, I would like to say that GRE scores, College GPA, and most most importantly the recommendation letters from your professors carries a lot more weight than the school you go to. The contacts that you have with the professors researching in the field you are interested also matter and can help you a lot in your acceptance to a well reputed masters or doctorate or post doctorate program in your field.</p>

<p>Cheers,
SYNCHROTRON</p>

<p>TOUCHE!</p>

<p>10char</p>

<p>It just all boils down to what fits your tastes.</p>

<p>some advice for the potential ucsd student:
if you are going to live in warren, that’s amazing! they have i think the best apartments/dorms and eateries on campus.
and if you are going to ucsd for human bio, try to switch to physiology and neuroscience. you can take virtually the same classes, and it sounds better rolling off the tongue</p>