<p>I enrolled at UC Berkeley already, but I just got admitted into Princeton off the waitlist yesterday. I'm all for dropping Cal and going to Princeton, but my parents need some more convincing so I'm searching for some good argument material. They've already learned to refute what I have...
I applied to both Cal and Princeton as Civil & Environmental Engineering. Anyone out there have any advice or thoughts on this? My parents' concern is mainly that going to Princeton for engineering is "a waste" and that Cal is better, especially for civil. :/
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!</p>
<p>oh ahaha. i say berkeley! if you live in california. but then again, i can imagine how hard it would be to turn down princeton…</p>
<p>but if its your parents who are paying, then you might want to reconsider? esp since cal’s engineering just crazy good… and well. for practically double the price, princeton’s isnt worth it i believe.</p>
<p>however, if you’re taking loans or something, then i would say go princeton, in case you decide later that engineering isnt right for you</p>
<p>Well, I think that Cal for engineering is excellent and probably better than Princeton, although the Princeton engineering program is no slouch.</p>
<p>Things about Princeton that are different and, one could argue, better than at Berkeley, although Berkeley is a great school:</p>
<ol>
<li> Princeton has a much smaller student body and there is generally more personal attention given to students.<br></li>
<li> Princeton has an amazingly loyal alumni network</li>
<li> Princeton has name recognition everywhere (Berkeley is stronger in California, but Princeton is probably better-known almost everywhere else)</li>
<li> Princeton’s undergraduate teachers are incredibly strong and focused almost entirely on undergrads</li>
<li> Princeton has students from all 50 states and all over the world, Berkeley is 90% from California (although California is a very diverse state)</li>
<li> In the event that you wind up not majoring in engineering, Princeton offers an unsurpassed undergraduate experience.</li>
<li> In this era of budget cuts and particularly given California’s precarious financial situation, it is likely that Berkeley will experience significant cuts. Princeton is much better positioned to weather the storm.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>In terms of engineering, a degree from Princeton probably opens as many doors as a degree from Berkeley. In addition, I believe that college is a time that you should challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone, and assuming you are from California, Princeton would be a huge change and a wonderful opportunity to experience life on another coast with kids from all over the world. However, I agree with newnonstop91 that finances could definitely make the difference here.</p>
<p>Congratulations!! If you really want to be a civil engineer, then Berkeley will be your best choice. You will have a lot of opportunities from it’s alumni network in engineering and construction companies (like Bechtel or Fluor…).</p>
<p>You might enjoy seeing this video on the Keller Center For Innovation in Engineering at Princeton:</p>
<p>[Princeton</a> University - Video: Keller Center: My idea of a better world](<a href=“Video: Keller Center: My idea of a better world”>Video: Keller Center: My idea of a better world)</p>
<p>Here is a link to the Keller Center website:</p>
<p>[Princeton’s</a> Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education: Home](<a href=“McGraw Commons – Online Platform for Course Blogs, Course Websites, and Course Projects”>McGraw Commons – Online Platform for Course Blogs, Course Websites, and Course Projects)</p>
<p>…and here’s some information about projects in civil and environmental engineering:</p>
<p>[Engineering</a> research - Civil and Environmental Engineering - Princeton School of Engineering and Applied Science](<a href=“http://engineering.princeton.edu/research/cee]Engineering”>http://engineering.princeton.edu/research/cee)</p>
<p>Wow, thanks so much! That’s definitely a lot to think about…
Yeah, I’m from California, but I just got my aid info from Princeton today and it comes out to actually be cheaper than Cal for me (!)
I am pretty worried about the California budget crisis… education is usually one of the first things to go. Though I doubt they’ll let Cal go bankrupt, there definitely will be cuts. When I talked with UC people, they did say that they’re cutting certain areas… it seemed like a very painful question to answer.
I wonder if it would be plausible/practical to do Princeton undergrad then Berkeley grad?
Again, thanks so much for the speedy responses! Everyone’s very helpful here!</p>
<p>Hmm. This is a difficult choice, but I would say if you’re sure you’re going to do engineering, go to Cal. However, if you think you might have second thoughts later, I would choose Princeton, since as midatimom said… Princeton does offer a great undergraduate experience I believe, although UC Berkeley is also great for almost any majors.</p>
<p>But yes, like others say, I think this might be a financial issue, only because both schools are wonderful schools… esp. in regards to engineering</p>
<p>edit: i just read your post on your new financial information. I say, Princeton is the way to go! If it’s cheaper, then I dont see a reason why you would pass up Princeton, and why your parents would object anymore.</p>
<p>Here is the bottom line:</p>
<p>Berkeley has the best civil engineering program in the country. My sister went to UC Berkeley for civil engineering and had no trouble getting a really good job and fast promotions.</p>
<p>Princeton has tons of grade deflation and a not-so-prestigious engineering department.</p>
<p>If the costs are the same, I’d still choose Princeton for the experience and the quality of learning. But if Berkeley is much cheaper, I would go with that.</p>
<p>“I just got my aid info from Princeton today and it comes out to actually be cheaper than Cal for me”.
That’s what he said.</p>
<p>^In that case, come to Princeton! :)</p>
<p>Haha, I am female…</p>
<p>I think I’ve pretty much decided on Princeton at this point! Thanks to everyone for all your input and advice - it helped a lot!</p>
<p>Im glad thats how you decided, I accepted princetons offer from the waitlist yesterday, deciding that over the M&T program at Penn, I know how tough a decision it can be.</p>