Wow, thanks so much for your detailed response! Your insight on how graduate level research applications was super helpful. When I go into undergrad studies, I’ll be sure to research on the faculty that I’m interested in researching with at both my school and other schools! It’s pretty neat that although many people still don’t know about WPI, they have such a great CS department!
The USNEWS rankings are misleading a lot of students and parents. Just on the east coast alone, Drexel (#102), RPI (49), Stevens (70), U Mass (70), VPI (76), and WPI (59)I are just a few universities with (in my, CAUTION, opinion) are under recognized for their CS departments. To believe that a top 20 certification from USNEWS defines quality and opportunity is a vast exaggeration.
People seem to be reaching for easy answers their friends will agree with. Why would a friend agree if you mention a university they never heard of? USNEWS supplies the easy answer. Research should not work that way. Don’t get lazy. My father always used to say, “never follow the crowd!”
You’re so right. I was surprised that UMass was so low. Its a really good school. Same with Drexel because of the Co Op and WPI for its innovative community feel.
UPDATE:
UC Berkeley REGENTS!!!
1 Like
HECK YEAH BOIIIIIII
Yes, @ucbalumnus-I didn’t mean that the reason they provided more support was because they were need blind. I simply meant that with need blind schools, you can end up with a private school being far less expensive than the state schools even when the state school is generally considered a best buy.
@awesomepolyglot Thanks 
It’s really reassuring to know that I could get into Berkeley! Now, time to wait for March and start preparing for the interview 
Forget the other schools. Just accept the Berkeley offer and call it a day.
@GoBears2023 Congratulations!
EECS?
@ProfessorPlum168 Honestly tempted to but I am still going to wait. I wanna make sure I can afford the schools first. Want to see how scholarship stuff turns out.
@Ranipetgirl Yep! EECS
Hey @GoBears2023 congrats and yeah obviously that’s the right thing to do. I’m biased of course towards UCB. But realistically the only school close to Berkeley from a CS ranking standpoint that might offer good merit money is U-Dub (I think). If you’re Cal in-state think of UCB as offering you a $35K scholarship.
How much is regents worth for berkeley? Is it full tuition? Still kinda confused.
Berkeley is definitely up there. Hopefully I can afford it!
@GoBears2023 regents is not worth much. $2500 at Berkeley for the whole year IIRC. But one does get housing priority/contract at Bowles (not a big deal IMO) and priority registration (a big deal) as benefits.
If you would normally get FA, Regents scholarship at UCB may effectively replace the loan and work study that is normally included (historically up to about $8,000).
Congratulations, Go Bears! If Bowles is really part of the housing guarantee (couldn’t find anything about that), I would put that as a big bonus. That was a great place to live. Awesome location.
@youcee @ucbalumnus @ProfessorPlum168 Sounds good! I really hope that the FA works out!
The ones I know who got Regents got 4 year contracts at Bowles, but a lot moved out after one year. I find that most if not all students in CS tend to find non-Berkeley housing after the first year which is why I sad it wasn’t a big deal.
The Regents’ scholarship housing guarantee was a bigger deal in the past when there was not enough housing for even frosh to be assured a space in the dorms.
Bowles is more expensive than other dorms. http://www.bowleshallresidentialcollege.org/ lists prices that are equivalent to $20,000 per academic year for a single and $19,740 for a double (including the equivalent of the highest meal plan in the other dorms – but note that the Bowles meal service is separate from the other dorm meal service). Other dorm prices are listed at https://housing.berkeley.edu/rates . https://financialaid.berkeley.edu/cost-attendance lists assumed costs for financial aid purposes. Note that off-campus housing is assumed to be less expensive.
Some of the cheapest nearby housing is in the BSC co-ops. Rates are shown at https://www.bsc.coop/index.php/academic-year-rates ($7,218 for the 2018-19 academic year, compared to the $14,004 assumed for off campus housing and food by the financial aid office). If you are interested at all (even for second/third/fourth year but want to live in the campus dorm the first year), put in an application now because order of application matters in the BSC wait list.
Obviously, costs and financial aid office estimates may change in future years.
@GoBears2023 unless there is an MIT or Ivy acceptance with large amounts of aid, go with Cal EECS + Regents. Congratulations and the schools that rejected you can go pound sand…
@Hamurtle Thanks! Yeah, unless HYPSM or CMU accepts me, I’ll be a bear. I guess making my username “GoBears2023” wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Now looking at it, bears are the mascot of a lot of colleges. UCB, UCLA (bruins are basically bears), Brown, Cornell (we could’ve been together…), etc.