<p>thoughts, why you like one over the other? anybody who goes to either of these schools want to share what they are like?</p>
<p>I'd go with Berkeley, because it's just as prestigious, but has a nice, public school price tag. </p>
<p>I also prefer NorCal to SoCal....personal preference.</p>
<p>First, let me start off by saying I'm a bit biased since I go to USC and can't imagine being at any other school :-) . I can't judge berkeley since it don't go there but usc is definitely an amazing all around experience. Everyone here loves it and the school spirit is rivaled by few other schools anywhere. I don't know anyone unhappy with their choice to come here. The students and alumni love the school. However, as far as pure academics are concerned, Cal is more prestigious but I think Cal is a better grad school, that's more the focus than undergrads there. But the 2 schools are complete opposite experiences. It really depends what you are looking for in your college experience. USC = typical college experience and good academics (exceptional if you want to study journalism, film, etc). Cal is known for being a bit stranger but has all around excellent academics and your degree will be recognized world wide. They are both good choices though.</p>
<p>Most people outside of the US never heard of USC and you would have a hard time explaining to them that it is a prestigious school. UC Berkeley, on the other hand, is a gloabally famous school; considered top by many or equal to Harvard/Oxford/Cambridge. It's one of those few top-pick schools of HRDs at giant global corporations.</p>
<p>Aspirant, I'm glad you think so, but at the undergrad level, I would hardly say that there are many people who think that Berkeley is truly at the level of Harvard/Oxford/Cambridge. After all, just consider the cross-admit yield info. For the schools to really be at the same level, you would expect just as many people to be, for undergrad, turning down Harvard for Berkeley as vice versa. Yet I think we can all agree that Harvard has the best yield rating on Earth. Let's face it - Harvard is Harvard. Harvard wins the cross-admit battles with everybody. </p>
<p>Oxford and Cambridge too. Few people are going to turn down Oxford or Cambridge for undergrad to go to Berkeley.</p>
<p>The thing in other countries is, they think of an institution -- as a whole. They do not separate undergrad and grad levels, unless there is a need to be so like MBA or Law. If your school is seen very prestigious, then it is prestigious, end of story. I know the context in the US is quite different in the sense that school's prestige is measured separately.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Most people outside of the US never heard of USC and you would have a hard time explaining to them that it is a prestigious school. UC Berkeley, on the other hand, is a gloabally famous school; considered top by many or equal to Harvard/Oxford/Cambridge. It's one of those few top-pick schools of HRDs at giant global corporations.
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<p>ahem...No.</p>
<p>More international students come to USC than any other major research university (undergrad+grad) in the United States</p>
<p>If anything, USC's reputation internationally is actually quite superior to that of its domestic reputation, given how many people in the US still have outdated and otherwise just plain wrong perceptions of USC.</p>
<p>Undergrad for Berkeley is, in my opinion, a bit overrated. The grad programs are great because of the high-caliber faculty, but I for one would prefer the smaller class size and better student-faculty interaction at USC.</p>
<p>berkeley is overrated for ugrad</p>
<p>USC by a mile. It's fun, has a good social life, and is better for ugrad.</p>
<p>berkeley is overrated for ugrad</p>
<p>USC by a mile. It's fun, has a good social life, and is better for ugrad.</p>
<p>"More international students come to USC than any other major research university (undergrad+grad) in the United States"</p>
<p>**I don't think top students around the world apply to USC or even dream of attending there. Top students around the world would only apply to top schools like Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE... </p>
<p>USC is certainly not yet in their league, a sad reality. but it's a good school, nonethelass. **</p>
<p>There are nearly 5,500 international students at USC from nearly 115 countries, composing over 1/6 the entire student body (counting grad students, I don't have a number for undergrad). This is one of the highest percentages of any major US university.</p>
<p>Obviously these students saw something in USC to justify taking the extra english proficiency tests, paying the extra fees, moving to Los Angeles, and paying the extraordinary $33,000 a year in tuition (the ones that don't are the PhD students, and the international students qualified enough to win the competitive merit scholarships) since internationals get zero financial aid, not even work study or fed loans.</p>
<p>So, though maybe I wouldn't compare USC undergrad to, say, Stanford (which has an extraordinary ugrad, best in the world in my opinion), when comparing USC to the UC's undergrad programs....</p>
<p>^ There's no question that USC has planty of international students. The question is, are they the top students? Are they equall to those students who go to Harvard and Berkeley?</p>
<p>i dont know... I talked to a guy from Hng Kong though the other day and I asked him what they think of USC in Hong Kong nd he said its the most popular American College that Hong Kong students apply to and its very competitive and considered a dream school for students there. (Part of the popularity is caused by the fact that USC accepts the Hong Kong standardized test in place of SAT scores for them) but it has made USC the top choice for Hong Kong students. I haven't talked to any other foreign students about their reasons for USC but the Hong Kong students are very bright since only the top graduating students gets into USC and many of them come because it has a great reputaition with employers in their home country.</p>
<p>I have not heard of USC until I got across to it here in CC. </p>
<p>No offense meant to USC fans/fanatics here, but I seriously think that in reality, USC is just a fall back school for those who are not smart enough to get into UC Berkeley. It does not mean so much for those who would want to work outside of the US. Some people know about it, but I lot don't. And to those who do know, they don't consider it a top school. UC Berkeley is way prestigius than USC. period.</p>
<p>kaitylin,</p>
<p>that guy was obviously lying. In Hong Kong, Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge are the most popular schools, but UC Berkeley, Stanford, Yale, MIT, LSE, Imperial and University College London are close behind. USC is a little bit known but is not considered a top school in the elite circles and the intellectual elite students in Hong Kong. I'm not sure if an elite student in Hong Kong or anywhere in Asia (Far East, South, Southeast) would pick USC over schools like UC Berkeley, Stanford or Harvard. Like many internatinal students here are saying, it's a good school with decent reputation, but not yet considered a top school. UC Berkeley is a top American school and all surveys will confirm it. And very recently, we in Asia, are reading articles about UC Berkeley guys winning Nobel again. Seriously, how can USC easily topple a school that always win Nobel Prize?</p>
<p>
[quote]
The thing in other countries is, they think of an institution -- as a whole. They do not separate undergrad and grad levels, unless there is a need to be so like MBA or Law. If your school is seen very prestigious, then it is prestigious, end of story. I know the context in the US is quite different in the sense that school's prestige is measured separately.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I agree that the institution is seen as a whole. But come on - this is Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge that you are comparing it too. Why do you have to compare Berkeley to arguably the 3 biggest brand-names in the world? </p>
<p>Put another way, how many internationals are truly going to turn down Harvard to go to Berkeley? Or Oxbridge? Be honest with yourself. There aren't that many.</p>
<p>Well USC's film school is better then Berkley's for sure. I don't think there is any argument there.</p>
<p>
wasn't it you who came into CC clueless about USC's reputation not more than a month and a half ago, and now youre an expert on it? i think you're just being influenced by the prestige-fixated CCers. so please substantiate your claim that USC is a "fall back" for applicants "not smart enough" for Berkeley (and those are harsh but hollow words)...when the average SAT of USC freshmen is higher than that of Berkeley freshmen and their acceptance rates are exactly the same.</p>
<p>i know i can't prove that USC is "more prestigious" than Berkeley. but both schools will provide you with a good education. i think when you come down to it, the ultimate differences are those at the department level (which school has the better program for you), and academic and social environment. and Nor Cal and So Cal are two fairly different places with different people (hella....lol).</p>
<p>my personal experience at USC...i love it here, i really couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. it really is a work hard-play hard experience. my department (EE) is extremely strong, in the top 10 nationwide. my professors are extremely knowledgeable, and usually accessible. when you're done with work, there's always something to do. given the neighborhood, it takes just a little bit of creativity and pushing your comfort zone to find something, but things are there. i wasn't much of a party person before (if anything, i was the perfect antithesis of a party person in high school), but now i realize it's a nice diversion every once in a while. and it's hard to get around without a car, but it doesnt take much to get used to the bus system, and there's always cabs.</p>
<p>for example...this week i had a huge math project that involved programming calculus equations into Mathematica/MATLAB...i stayed up till 3 several nights and finished it. i also had to finalize a robot for my EE class, which took at least 8 hours in the TAs office over the last week. but once i finished all that, i went out with friends last night and had a good time. tonight...i'm going to a concert in Hollywood. tomorrow, football game (versus Cal coincidentally) which should be fun, and right after the game i'm heading over to Hollywood again to see another concert.</p>
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berkeley is overrated for ugrad</p>
<p>USC by a mile. It's fun, has a good social life, and is better for ugrad.
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<p>Now obviously Berkeley's undergrad is not at the level of Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge, but to say that USC beats Berkeley by a mile...come on...</p>
<p>And people on CC say some Berkeley students are too enthusiastic about their college. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>
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so please substantiate your claim that USC is a "fall back" for applicants "not smart enough" for Berkeley (and those are harsh but hollow words)...when the average SAT of USC freshmen is higher than that of Berkeley freshmen and their acceptance rates are exactly the same.
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<p>The SAT can be explained with two factors: one that Berkeley uses the best one-sitting score while USC uses the best composite score, and two that Berkeley accepts so many students that it tends to drag the average down.</p>
<p>I also don't think the acceptance rates are the same...Berkeley's was 23.6% this year. What was USC's acceptance rate for the class of 2010? (I only found data for last year's class and it was 27%)</p>
<p>now, why would USC have more international students than any other university (even the ivy's)? Of course it couldn't possibly have anything to do with USC's reputation being strong internationally, right?</p>
<p>Acceptance rate for class of 2010 was around 25%, which I would peg in the same general region as the 23.6% of Berkeley, especially since the rates are falling rapidly each year.</p>