So I am deciding between Berkeley, from which I have received the Regents scholarship, and UCLA, without Regents. Academically, the obvious choice would be Berkeley: it has one of the top CS programs (my major), and Regents would provide me with a faculty mentor, research opportunities, and other helpful connections. The $2500/year, priority class enrollment and housing, and dedicated financial aid advisor are nice perks as well. It is also nearby all the Silicon Valley tech companies, which I hear hire a lot from Berkeley, and I think the Regents title would make me look better for future internships and graduate schools. However, I love Southern California, the exciting things to explore in Los Angeles, and the collaborative and happy environment at UCLA (compared to the generally competitive and stressful environment at Berkeley). I visited and really loved it. I live pretty close to Berkeley and have visited many times, including staying for 2 weeks for a summer program. Frankly, the idea of living there for 4 years bores me. I’m not a fan of the not so safe area either. I also fear that I won’t be able to handle the difficulty of Berkeley, and I could possibly get better grades at UCLA. But would it be a mistake to throw away Berkeley Regents for UCLA? Please be real with me. It’s not that I absolutely hate Berkeley, and maybe I would come to love it, but as of now UCLA seems like a better college experience, but Berkeley could possibly help me a lot for the future.
For UCB, are you in the EECS major, or in L&S? If you are in L&S, you need a 3.3 college GPA in the three prerequisite courses to declare the L&S CS major.
For UCLA, are you in the CS major? If not, it will be very difficult to get into the CS major.
@ucbalumnus L&S, and yes, I’m aware, which is somewhat of a worry to me, but basically goes along with worrying about not being able to handle the difficulty. I am already in CS for UCLA.
Looks like you prefer UCLA and have direct admission to the CS major there.
Most students at UCLA have to do an extra semester in order to get their requirements in. With the Regents at UCB, you’d have priority registration which really makes a significant difference. You’d also have guaranteed housing for 4 years. My daughter had the same choice to make and chose UCB. She thought without Regents, getting her needed classes at UCLA to graduate on time would be horrendous.
http://www.apb.ucla.edu/campus-statistics/graduation-ttd says the following:
4 year graduation rate: 71%
12 quarter graduation rate: 86% (apparently at least 15% take quarters off school, so they take more than 4 years to complete 12 quarters)
Average time to degree: 11.8 registered quarters (excluding time off)
First of all congrats on your accomplishments! UCLA alum here. If you loved the thought of Berkeley this would be a no brainer. But the language you use (“bores me”, “could come to love Berkeley”) indicates you have your heart set on UCLA. Follow your heart.
Can you handle Berkeley? Absolutely - that’s why you were accepted and given the Regents Scholarship. But will UCLA be a career-diminishing choice that you will somehow regret later on? Absolutely not.
Being happy at college is critical to your success in the classroom. Plus, you may find all sorts of connections to a career in SoCal during your time down there. You should go to the school that you feel is the best fit for you. Bottom line.
Good luck!
@ucbalumnus So both my kids were admitted to UCLA. At the UCLA revisit night in my area (E Coast), the admissions staff said that most kids end up staying an extra quarter to get their requirements met, and the students on the panel talked about how hard it was with regular registration. That’s just what they said. You can find numbers to assert anything. I’m talking about the human experience. that’s all.
Perhaps the admissions staff thinks that 29% staying longer than four years or 14% needing more than 12 quarters is “most”?
^^^well, if not most, it’s a lot.