<p>Alright, this isn't as prestigious as some of the other threads here (Princeton vs. Yale!?), but I need some perspective on this.</p>
<p>In short, UCSD might be a better place for me to be, Berkeley might be a better name on my resume.
I have visited Berkeley and wasn't blown away, and I'm going on a last minute visit to UCSD this weekend.
I haven't gotten Financial Aid info back from Cal, but it should be around the same for both.</p>
<p>And my main question to you is: Which of them do you think has a better program for Psychology and would pan out better for a Psych major?</p>
<p>Also, any general Pros/Cons and advice about the two that you could give some insight on would be great.</p>
<p>You should go where you feel like you'd be happiest. For a field like psychology, it's not going to make a huge difference in the long run, most likely.</p>
<p>Berkeley <em>is</em> more prestigious, and as mentioend above, a lot of people at UCSD didn't get into UCLA or Berkeley and are there by default, but so what? A lot of people at Berkeley are there because they didn't get into Stanford or Harvard or whatever.</p>
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A lot of people at Berkeley are there because they didn't get into Stanford or Harvard or whatever.
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True, but the OP presumably didn't apply/get into colleges at that level. Also, a lot of people at Berkeley chose Berkeley over some of the best out-of-state colleges because they can get in-state tuition at Berkeley.</p>
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Also, a lot of people at Berkeley chose Berkeley over some of the best out-of-state colleges because they can get in-state tuition at Berkeley.
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UCSD's campus environment is about a tenth as exciting as Berkeley, IMHO.
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<p>It depends by what's your definition of exciting. :D</p>
<p>OP, go to UCSD, especially if you've visited both campuses. Go with what makes you happy because the outcome of your college years will be better overall.</p>
<p>fluke wrote "In short, UCSD might be a better place for me to be, Berkeley might be a better name on my resume."</p>
<p>This is where Heisenberg's principle applies. You assume that your participation is irrelevant to the strength of your resume. NOT TRUE!</p>
<p>Your resume will look stronger because you have taken tough courses and done well in them. You will have done well because you LIKE your college experience. In short, your better fit campus will yield a stronger resume... you will feel more confident, you will be in a better mood, etc. so you will study harder and retain more knowledge.... and you will interview better (or apply to grad schools) as a seeminly more together person.</p>
<p>Go to UCSD. Why is this even a question? I loved Berkeley. You don't. It sounds like you'll love UCSD -- or at least like it better than Berkeley. Go there then. DunninLa got it right here.</p>
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This is no contest, Berkeley is an internationally recognized university and the charter campus of the UC system. UCSD is third behind UCLA.
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<p>You are right. This is not a contest. This is a decision an individual has to make about their own life. It should not be decided by some abstract ranking from "best to worst."</p>
<p>UCSD is an outstanding university, especially in areas like Psychology/Neuroscience/etc.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for the quick responses, I can't even tell you guys how much I appreciate it. Especially DunninLA, that's a great way put it. Definitely going to have to think long and hard about that idea.</p>
<p>To respond to lgellar, I have applied to Harvard and Princeton as my real reach schools and got rejected, but those are probably the only two schools that I would go out of state for. And Stanford was also another reach and reject.</p>
<p>Also, at this point I can say that graduate school is definitely in my plans. Should that have any effect on my decision?</p>
<p>I am giving Berkeley another shot at a visit today to see if I'll change my mind
More comments and advice are very much appreciated.</p>
<p>It rankes UCB 6th and UCSD 11th in the country, undergrad. That is very close, close enough to consider the prestige factor a moot point. This is another case where the overall school ranking is of lesser importance than the reputation among employers and graduate admissions officers.</p>
<p>At the Ph.D. level (NRC rankings), UCB and UCSD are co-ranked #10 in the country. Zero prestige difference.</p>
<p>UCLA Ph.D. -- your thinking (at least as evidenced here) is so broad stroked and prestige dominated that I cannot understand how it could help the OP think through the nuances of this decision.</p>
<p>Do you honestly believe that grad school adcoms and employers will make a relevant distinction between UCB and UCSD (and UCLA for that matter)?</p>
<p>Let me give you an example: In the NRC Ph.D. program rankings in 1994, whom do you think they ranked higher in overall graduate program strength -- UCLA or UCSD? You know the one -- across 41 Ph.D. degree disciplines?</p>
<p>All right, just checking back in in case any of you guys care what I picked.</p>
<p>I will be going to Berkeley in fall 2008. I gave UCSD a shot at a visit, and even though I loved the city of San Diego, La Jolla and the UCSD campus just did not feel like it could be a home for me. Basically, I can't see myself living for four years there.</p>
<p>Berkeley, on the other hand, felt much more comfortable after my second visit, and I definitely felt at home there. The fact that it's the more prestigious one and the one with the better program is just icing on the already delicious cake.</p>
<p>Thanks for tuning in and helping out with the process.</p>
<p>P.S.: If you're stuck between colleges, VISIT and go with your gut. That way, you won't have the option to regret your choice as time goes on.
If UCSD had been the more prestigious school, I still would have been mildly miserable there, and I would have regretted not going to the school I liked to be at.</p>