Cornell vs Berkeley (EECS)

<p>I got into both of Cornell and Berkeley for electrical engineering. Obviously, Cornell has a higher rank in USNEW; however, the department of EECS in Berkeley is the top three in the world. Its rank in the world is also higher than Cornell's. Cornell has less students, which means less competition and more opportunities for each students. Berkeley is closed to silicon valley and probably many electrical companies, which means more opportunities. Now I know that I am going to apply for graduate school after four years. If I am taking the same classes and have the same grade, in what university does the GPA value more? Still, which one should I choose if I want to apply for a better graduate school? Thank you.</p>

<p>All right, first Berkeley is definitely a good program, but I will say that you will be on waiting lists to get on waiting lists to get your courses. Additionally, the level of personal attention you receive and the quality of the advising will not be the same as you get in Cornell's Engineering school. You really can't go wrong either way, but I think that Cornell's Ivy status, flexibility in coursework, alumni connections, resources, make it a better choice than Berkeley.</p>

<p>To answer your question, a good GPA at Cornell will definitely be valued more, simply because of Cornell's reputation as a rigorous institution. Our grad school placement is among the best in the world, I don't really know much about Berkeley. </p>

<p>As far as internships go - you really can't go wrong with Cornell - some of the top companies in the world recruit here.</p>

<p>Berkeley has just as much name recognition and academic rigor as Cornell. Even though it is a public institution, it remains one of the top universities in the country. I think you'd be fine academically in either place so it may just come down to where you feel most comfortable and other non-academic factors. Berkeley is huge, some students really get lost in such a large environment but I know students who have loved Berkeley. Cornell may be a bit more personal because it is smaller. I also know that the budget crunch in CA has affected the UC system and I find some students complaining that they have difficulty getting the classes they want/need.</p>

<p>hi dianmarch2005, we are in the same boat. i got in ONLY to cornell and berkeley. having a tough time selecting</p>

<p>When I am applying to graduate schools, will those graduate school look at what college I came from? Do they consider that Berkeley's EECS department is more prestigious than Cornell's or Cornell has a much higher rank than Berkeley does?</p>

<p>They are going to be interested in what you did in your major. If you go to Berkeley and do less well than if you went to Cornell, the fact that Berkeley's program is more prestigious may not be a factor in graduate school admissions. Additionally the fact that Cornell ranks higher than Berkeley overall isn't a factor. Both schools are so good that the ranking is somewhat meaningless. What YOU have done and how well YOU have done is the most important thing to a graduate program.</p>

<p>If money isn't a factor, Cornell offers a better academic environment and better all-around student experience. For undergrad, whether it is Stanford, Berkeley, CMU, MIT, or Cornell, you are really going to be learning the same thing wherever you go, so it really should come down to which school is going to offer more professor interaction, more research opportunities, and which school you will feel more comfortable at. </p>

<p>The fact that Cornell is in Upstate New York doesn't matter, all of the top computer engineering firms are beating down the doors for Cornell grads.</p>

<p>The fact that Berkeley has a marginally better ECE department shouldn't really come into play in any decision until graduate school, but even then, it will come down to whatever sub-discipline you are interested in.</p>