I got into UCLA and Cal and I was wondering which one to chose: CSE at UCLA and CS at the College of Letters and Science at Berkeley. If you made the decision, why did you pick Berkeley and are you satisfied with your decision? Thanks!
I went to Cal for of the strong CS department and the location. I’m 100% satisfied with my decision.
Cal’s program is definitely stronger - it’s one of the top four in the country. In addition, the CS major seems to have a higher profile on campus than CSE at UCLA - those two things together mean better research, more student organizations and events, and of course, more recruiting from tech companies for jobs and internships.
Being in the Bay Area is a major plus, since it’s the center of the industry. But I personally like the area more than LA anyway. That’s probably something to consider yourself - absent everything else, would you rather live in LA or the Bay? If the answer is the Bay, I’d say to go to Cal without a doubt. If not, then I’d still recommend Cal due to the strength of the CS major, but would understand why you would choose LA.