<p>I think he said “having less “smart” people is easier to get a high GPA.”</p>
<p>
It won’t make a difference if you are worrying about maintaining a high GPA.</p>
<p>Btw, UIUC engineering is known to be very rigorous. If you are concerned about GPA, you might want to go elsewhere.</p>
<p>ohh, I see how his wording might have meant that. Anyways usuniversity2017, just make the best choice for you okay?! Whatever that might be when you find out whether you made it into Berkeley or not! Good luck!</p>
<p>In other words how well you do, regardless of where you go, depends on you, not the relative intelligence of your classmates.</p>
<ol>
<li>I kind of doubt that. Regardless, you should have no problem with 2 years of programming experience. Even a few weeks of introduction to the basics of computer programming should be enough to prepare you for CS 61A.</li>
<li>In my experience, time management is the most important factor in determining your grade. The courses can be difficult, but they are definitely manageable if you put the time in to understanding the material. There are some very smart students at Berkeley, but there are also a lot of “average” students because of the wide acceptance range.</li>
<li>The curve, at least in my experience with EE 20N and CS 70, is extremely generous in lower division courses. 37% of students in EE 20N received A’s. I personally BOMBED CS 70 (studied the last 3 weeks of material the day of the final exam, don’t ask why) and ended up with a B-.</li>
</ol>
<p>At the end of the day, you will be glad/or wished you choose Berkeley. End of story. Next thread.</p>
<p>the CS department at UIUC has a nice building with lots of office space. if you’re going into scientific computing, there are lots of resources at UIUC. i’m not in CS but i have taken a few CS courses here and my impression of the department is very good.</p>
<p>these people who say “go where you’re happy” are absolute idiots.
UIUC’s acceptance rate is maybe 3x higher than Berkeleys. You will get a MUCH higher GPA at UIUC and that WILL matter if you choose to go to grad school / law school/ medical school.</p>
<p>But don’t Berkeley cap the amount of As awarded to students? If that’s the case, would it be harder to get into the top 10% (for example only the top 10% is awarded an A) at Berkeley than at UIUC?</p>
<p>But don’t Berkeley cap the amount of As awarded to students? If that’s the case, would it be harder to get into the top 10% (for example only the top 10% is awarded an A) at Berkeley than at UIUC?</p>
<p>But don’t Berkeley cap the amount of As awarded to students? If that’s the case, would it be harder to get into the top 10% (for example only the top 10% is awarded an A) at Berkeley than at UIUC?</p>
<p>But don’t Berkeley cap the amount of As awarded to students? If that’s the case, would it be harder to get into the top 10% (for example only the top 10% is awarded an A) at Berkeley than at UIUC?</p>
<p>I doubt UIUC gives As to everyone.
Curving is a phenomenon everywhere. In the end if you’re of the near-4.0 caliber, you’re going to get it whether you’re at Berkeley or UIUC. Similarly, if you’re not in that range, you won’t be able to claw your way into a stunning GPA either.</p>
<p>And honestly, GPA is not everything. Once you get past a certain number, it’s really more about your experience (research/professional) than anything else. And the difference in grading schemes or student intelligence at UIUC vs Berkeley is negligible in this respect. We are, after all, talking about two top public schools in the country, not UIUC versus some community college.</p>
<p>Try to break out of the mindset that grades are of primary importance. That might be the case in Singapore, but save yourself a world of anxiety by realizing that if you’re looking to work in the US in future, most employers don’t need you to have a 4.0. Also, it is extremely rare for anyone to get straight As in university, especially in a major like CS in the two competitive schools you’re choosing between.</p>
<p>Choose your school based on something else other than your perceived future GPA, because as everyone on this thread has already said, and I’m going to repeat, the difference is negligible. Consider the proximity to Silicon Valley, weather, college athletics, niceness of people in the department, diversity of food – whatever. As long as you keep up with the work and don’t expect just one day of studying to give you the grades you want, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>“these people who say “go where you’re happy” are absolute idiots.
UIUC’s acceptance rate is maybe 3x higher than Berkeleys. You will get a MUCH higher GPA at UIUC and that WILL matter if you choose to go to grad school / law school/ medical school.”</p>
<p>You should look into the quality of students that go into CS at UIUC. You’d be impressed. Their overall acceptance rate, I agree, is quite high. Their CS and Engineering programs are renowned worldwide. Comparing UIUC as a whole to UIUC Engineering/CS is a joke. You’re an “absolute idiot” for making that mistake. The students at UIUC CS and Berkeley CS are of very high caliber. </p>
<p>Your GPA won’t be drastically higher at Berkeley or UIUC. Your GPA will be determined by your work ethic, not the school. UIUC’s Engineering curves are likely equally as difficult as Berkeley’s.</p>
<p>
UIUC selectivity for 2012 admitted freshmen for the College of Engineering (mid-50%):</p>
<p>ACT: 31-34
SAT: 1360-1480 (out of 1600)
HS class rank: 91%-98%
[U</a> of I Admissions: Freshman Admission Requirements](<a href=“http://admissions.illinois.edu/apply/requirements_freshman.html]U”>Page Not Found, Illinois Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well yes, but so does Illinois. And for that matter, EVERY US college caps A’s in stem courses. That is just the way it is. So the question then becomes (if you want to continue down this path), is which school awards more A’s as a % of the total class. Dunno the answer, but I do know that Cal, being the state flagship, and most competitive UC, awards more A’s than all other UCs, but UCLA. My point is that even tho Cal may be a LOT more competitive than say, UC Santa Barbara, Cal also awards more A’s per class than does Santa Barbara.</p>
<p>I am glad we have had people come and give some statistics and facts to help express what I and others were trying to. Good luck OP!</p>
<p>What good is GPA 4.0 cumulative?..if you have that kind of GPA then try applying at MIT or Call Tech, you will not be accepted at all without any strong research. Moral of story, GPA 4.0 is worthless to go MIT or Call Tech. Do you think those universities above are better than MIT or Call Tech?</p>
<p>More importantly, GPA 4.0 if you are being offered a job, you still will be paid just like anybody who has GPA 3.3 etc…</p>
<p>Do you think Univ. of Singapore only concerns with students to have GPA 4.0 and if not those students will be kicked out of school?..</p>
<p>So, why bother with GPA 4.0 if in the end it is not worth the efforts?..think about it.</p>
<p>If you get accepted to UCB then I suggest going there instead of Illinois…just because UCB is more known and hard to get into…</p>
<p>for name recognition and proximity to the Silicon Vally, choose Berkeley. Also do consider the weather. Since you are coming from Singapore, you might not be able to get adjusted to the brutal winter in Illinois.</p>