<p>Hi, i am a prospective student and is really having a difficult time deciding between the two. My major at cornell will be math and maybe double with econ, while my major at berkeley will be applied math and maybe double with econ.
Berkeley's math undergrad is ranked about #2 or #3 in the nation, while cornell is #12 ish.
however, cornell is a private school and has smaller class size, more chance to get to know professors.</p>
<p>both schools are very competitive, however, in order to get to the grad school i want, i need a high GPA.</p>
<p>can anyone tell me a bit about cornell math major, and why i will be better off choosing cornell over berkeley? (class size for lower and upper division, ave GPA, etc)</p>
<p>thanks a lot!</p>
<p>by the way, i have course choosing priority at berkeley, so getting the classes i want at berkeley is not an issue</p>
<p>Those rankings you are looking at are for graduate schools. They are valuable, but they aren’t everything. Both schools are excellent for math students. Both are likely to have a wide variety of math classes for you to take in preparation for graduate school. Look beyond that and decide which school would be better for you for other reasons. Does one have more interesting course choices outside of math? Will one campus be a better environment for you? Will you fit in better at one than the other? Will one put you into deep debt compared to the other? Is one closer to home for easier travel? Would you rather be farther from home and explore some place new?</p>
<p>My son will also be a freshman math major in the fall. He chose Cornell for more than just the math department. He loved the whole feel of the campus. Every math department he visited was welcoming. At Cornell, he felt at home on the campus. When you choose your graduate department, you will really need to focus on which school is stronger in your area of mathematics. That is less important at the undergraduate level when picking between two highly ranked math departments. A smaller school might not have enough math courses for an advanced student. Both of these have graduate departments with plenty to keep you challenged. Good luck choosing. Both campuses are fun places to be a student.</p>
<p>Without having intimate knowledge of either department, my sense is that undergraduate math will be roughly similar at most schools, and especially between top schools. When it comes to Cornell vs. Berkeley, I think you should base your decision on various non-academic factors. If you are at all concerned about which is better for you academically, look at each department’s website, look at the required/elective courses for the major, read the course descriptions, and decide which one appeals to you more.</p>