<p>I am a senior who is deciding between Berkeley and University of Michigan. I want to go to Berkeley but my parents want me to go to Michigan. I am OOS for both and need to substantiate why Berkeley would be better academically. The main major rankings show that Berkeley is a bit better but I need more legitimate proof. I have done my google searches and research but would like additional help and perspective. Thanks</p>
<p>Well why do your parents want you to go to UMich? Is it purely academic? Because academic rankings indicate a bigger gap than major allover rankings do, but I feel like that’s probably not the reason. </p>
<p>My parents want me to go to Michigan for the sole reason that it is closer to NY, and I have some family there. If I could prove that Berkeley would provide me more opportunities/I would be surrounded by more academically motivated students then my parents would open up to sending me there.</p>
<p>What do you want to major in?</p>
<p>Berkeley is in the top 3 for business and engineering and is also incredibly strong in hard sciences (particularly chemistry and physics). Basically, if you’re doing STEM, go to Berkeley.</p>
<p>Michigan is in the top 3 for business and top 10 for engineering. I honestly don’t know much about UMich, though.</p>
<p>In my humble opinion, you should pick Berkeley. The San Francisco Bay area should offer you more opportunities and things to do. If rankings are a big factor, then Berkeley beats Michigan in many academic fields, especially STEM ones. Check the ARWU Shanghai rankings (these might be graduate school rankings, though; use at your own discretion.) Plus, Berkeley has an illustrious academic history: 16 chemical elements were created there, and it boasts quite a roster of Nobel Prize winners. The campus even has parking spots reserved for Nobel laureates.</p>
<p>You should let your parents know that there isn’t much difference between a 3 hour plane ride (at least I think it’s 3 hours to Michigan) and a 5 hour plane ride, you’re still far from home.
If you are doing STEM, you’ll have a lot of research opportunities and the benefit of world class scientists working here. If you’re doing business you have Haas and all the job opportunities/internships in Silicon Valley. Berkeley’s English department is also top, so you’ve got a lot of options.</p>
<p>In the end though, it doesn’t matter much what the strengths are, you want to go to Cal and you need to let your parents know they can’t make such a huge decision for you. I know that’s hard, since they’re paying for it and all. </p>
<p>What possible major(s) are you considering? And what division and major (or undeclared) are you admitted as at each school?</p>
<p>There may be some majors which are capacity-limited at one or both schools, in which case you may have to meet a higher than normal college GPA requirement or otherwise apply to enter the major. Depending on how difficult the selection process is, it may be unrealistic to expect to get into some majors. But that depends on the answers to the questions above.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help! I applied as a psychology/neuroscience major and would like to attend med school but would also complete the pre-requisites to apply into haas as a junior. I am most likely going to pursue medicine but want to keep business open as a future career choice until I make a decision on what I want to do. Michigan is about 2.5 hours with no time difference whereas California is about 5 hrs away with 3 hour time difference so my parents are urging me to go to umich unless I can show them Berkeley is better. </p>
<p>The business majors at both schools are similarly and highly competitive for current students to get into (although Michigan admits a few frosh directly into the business major):
<a href=“Class Profile - Undergraduate Program - Berkeley Haas”>Class Profile - Undergraduate Program - Berkeley Haas;
<a href=“Bachelor of Business Administration | Michigan Ross”>http://www.bus.umich.edu/admissions/UndergraduatePrograms/PDF/BBA_Class_Profiles.pdf</a></p>
<p>Do you have any other admissions to less expensive schools? Medical school is very expensive, so saving money and avoiding debt during undergraduate can help reduce total debt after medical school.</p>