Convince me why I SHOULD attend berkeley besides "Prestige" Factor

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>i am a high school junior who plans on applying to Berkeley and Davis (i live near both colleges, i want to remain close to family, and instate colleges are cheaper).</p>

<p>i plan to major in "managerial economics" at davis and pursue an MBA later.</p>

<p>OR</p>

<p>i plan to major in "business administration" at berkeley and maybe MBA</p>

<p>My goal in life is to open up and run an establishment of hotels,casinos,and restuarants all over the world.</p>

<p>Davis is a school with a warm,friendly atmospher, less competitive, easier to get high GPA, students more relaxed, lively atmosphere, and nice,clean campus.</p>

<p>berkeley is a world wide renown college, easy to get jobs, but intense competion, students seem a bit uptight when i visited, and people seem so busy into studies, also tougher to get high GPA, and environment isnt so welcoming with unattractive surroundings and high crime rates. dorms are also below average but manageable and housing is quite expensive</p>

<p>now i understand that berkeley- (because of its name) seems like the obvious option but i really liked Davis when i visited for the reasons mentioned above. </p>

<p>i still have about 6 months left to apply to college! but because it is decision time for most of you high school seniors, i would really like to hear your opinions on which college would be the better choice for me. (dont forget to take into account my intended major based on my dream)</p>

<p>thanks :) good luck to y'all</p>

2

<p>Berkeley isn't for those who can't take care of themselves. To succeed at Berkeley, you need to be able to (or learn how to) take initiative. That said - go to Berkeley if you really want to grow. The uncaring sort of environment is closer to the real world than you would get at other places. Arguably this is not a good thing in terms of education - so read this commencment address from University of Chicago. <a href="http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0310/features/zen.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0310/features/zen.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>Better food in the town of Berkeley.</p>

4

<p>do you guys think that majoring in business administration is the right thing to do if my dream is to open up and run an establishment of hotels,casinos,and restuarants all over the world? thats the main concern i have at berkeley. managerial economics seems like the better option at Davis.</p>

5

<p>why should we convince you :D</p>

6

<p>because you guys are so nice :)</p>

7

<p>Well, zipper22, if opening up establishments is really your thing, then you surely know that business success has a lot to do with marketing and social networking. </p>

<p>You ask why else should you come to Berkeley except for prestige. Well, prestige itself is a very good reason to go if you want business success. After all, let's face it. A lot of people who turn down other business schools for Harvard are doing it for prestige, and there's nothing wrong with that. Prestige helps you gain entree t various business deals (like a job interview, which is just a special case of a business deal). For example, in your case, having a prestigious degree may help you to get in the room to talk to potential investors or clients. </p>

<p>Then there is the social networking idea. You know what they say about business success - it's not really about what you know, but WHO you know. Having access to a strong alumni network is a handy thing to have. I suspect that Berkeley will provide you with a stronger network.</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
do you guys think that majoring in business administration is the right thing to do if my dream is to open up and run an establishment of hotels,casinos,and restuarants all over the world? thats the main concern i have at berkeley. managerial economics seems like the better option at Davis.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Sounds like a candidate for Cornell's Hotel school.</p>

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<p>ahh vicissitudes! i was thinking the same thing:D!!</p>

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<p>I am not into convincing anyone about anything. You should grow up and make your own choices.
But if you really want my opinion, people that need convincing are too insecure for an environment like Berkeley so go wherever else you were thinking of.
Good luck by the way.</p>

11

<p>There are a lot of girls here and if you fail with a lot of them or screw up in some other way (ala the college courtship ritual), it is unlikely you will develop a reputation because Berkeley is so big, and can move on to other girls safely.</p>

<p>In short, Berkeley's size makes it safe to annonymously fail :P</p>

12

<p>Great minds think alike, happyggal.</p>

13

<p>"My goal in life is to open up and run an establishment of hotels,casinos,and restuarants all over the world."</p>

<p>Berkeley/SF is ground zero for the food industry in North America. This is wher California cuisine was invented, this is where the best wine stores in the US are. "gourmet Ghetto". You will gain a unique outlook that will be invaluable for your future. </p>

<p>You will also have a great time!</p>

<p>The crime rate in Berkeley is actually lower than the nat'l average. You can lower your costs by sharing a house with a great group of friends. Lots of great neighborhoods around campus.</p>

<p>The only advantage of Davis is its proximity to tahoe, skier's paradise.</p>

<p>Consider majoring in other things than business. IMHO it's a big mistake and it will actually <em>hinder</em> your business career as opposed to enhance it. Study a major you like, minor in business. Or consider doing Operations Research with an Econ minor if you want something that's more "direct". </p>

<p>Read Kermit Lynch's "Adventures on the Wine Road". Lynch is the premier wine importer in the US. Eat at Chez Panisse, the most famous and most respected restaurant in North America. Kermit Lynch and Alice Waters started out as Cal grad bohemians who toured France in the early 1970s and become legends in the food business because of the perspective they've gained from going to Berkeley.</p>

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<p>i never heard of "operations research" , ill check it out.</p>

15

<p>Hey zipper - I know I've responded to you on the Davis forum, but I toured Berkeley today for a second time with one of my friends, a current student, and I simply hated it. Berkeley students overrate the prestige of their undergraduate degree (a Berkeley OR Davis degree is highly respectable) and your future success largely depends on who YOU are.</p>

<p>In short -- While I know I could succeed at Berkeley, I am turning it down for Davis... and I'm not unhappy about it. :)</p>

<p>Also, umm... Berkeley has an above average crime rate. Here: <a href="http://berkeleyca.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://berkeleyca.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>inpltclycorrect- what exactly did you hate about berkeley when you toured again, was it just the environment,location? </p>

<p>and just out of curiosity what is your major at Davis and Berkeley?</p>

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<p>What do u mean by " they overrate th eprestige of their undergraduate degree"? They're just really proud to be Cal students, who wouldn't be?</p>

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<p>masha - I meant specifically in terms of wealth and success. A Berk degree isn't going to hold <em>that</em> much more clout than a Davis degree, with the possible exception of something from the engineering department. But, my friend got his engineering degree from Davis and beat out people from MIT for an internship... there's just a lot of factors that go into the job market.</p>

<p>zipper22 - I'll PM you my thoughts a little later so I don't hijack this thread.</p>

19

<p>I would have to disagree in terms of international business, in terms of degree prestige. Also, a Haas degree would hold more clout if you're trying to found your own company and presenting in front of investors.</p>

<p>Also, it is less degree prestige, and more company recruiting. It's very hard to get into a high position on the job market directly out of college if you simply use the general job market channels. Not impossible, but highly unlikely without recruiters.</p>

<p>Don't get me wrong--go to where you love, since you do have to spend four years of your life there (bad idea to go somewhere you hate, in that case), but also don't entirely discount the benefits, which are quite significant. </p>

<p>But if you're smart and persistant, you should succeed anywhere you go, even if there might be a bit more difficulty involved. So congrats on making your decision in any case.</p>

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<p>"masha - I meant specifically in terms of wealth and success. A Berk degree isn't going to hold <em>that</em> much more clout than a Davis degree, with the possible exception of something from the engineering department. But, my friend got his engineering degree from Davis and beat out people from MIT for an internship... there's just a lot of factors that go into the job market."</p>

<p>In terms of wealth and success, one needn't go to college at all. I can think of many exceptions to your proposed rule that a Berkeley degree will not hold "<em>that</em>" much more clout over a Davis degree. Computer science? Math? Philosophy? English? Not to say that Davis is a bad school, or that its students aren't succesful, or that some students should go there instead of Berkeley. As you said, there's more to jobs than the name of the degree, of course. Who you know and how an employer feels you act are two main considerations. You could always compare data about average GPAs and test scores and graduate/professional school acceptances and average salaries for the various majors to compare things.</p>