Extremely torn between UC Berkeley and Stanford

<p>I found it funny that some of you would say Stanford focuses on grad students. Well, may be relatively if this is Stanford vs LAC. But compare to Berkeley or any UC? I hope this is a joke.</p>

<p>It's pretty true. Stanford is wary of increasing undergrad size by 200 students, yet in one year increases grad by 2,000. What does that say about Stanford?</p>

<p>Grad education is the focus at UCs, too.</p>

<p>Economies of scale...
UCs do a real good job of educating the masses, though. Has anyone ever estimated a figure for the return on investment the UC system has provided to CA and the nation?</p>

<p>I guess "undergrad/grad focus" means different things for different people. It's always good to clarify. I was thinking more the resource available to undergrads like undergrad research opportunites, academic advising, premed/prelaw advising...etc.</p>

<p>STANFORD.
how can you turn down a school that rejects so many people?</p>

<p>(i know it sounds vain but it is a better school)</p>

<p>Well no matter where you end up, you won't be alone. There are a LOT of kids at Berkeley who gave up Stanford, and there are quite a few kids at Stanford who gave up Berkeley.</p>

<p>^Hmm...I doubt "a lot" of kids give up Stanford for anybody except Harvard/Yale; it has a whopping 70% yield.</p>

<p>We</a> offered, they declined: Many admits choose other prestigious universities

[quote]
For the Class of 2008, the university admitted 2,486 students; 1,665 accepted the offer of admission and arrived at the university last month. Of the 821 students who declined admission and filled out a form that indicated where they were going instead, 28 percent said Harvard, 20 percent said Yale, 13 percent said MIT and 8 percent said Princeton. All other universities that were mentioned did not represent more than 2 percent [each], and no more than 1 percent indicated that they would attend a Pac-10 school, according to the figures provided by the admission office.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>go to stanford, definitely.</p>

<p>"^Hmm...I doubt "a lot" of kids give up Stanford for anybody except Harvard/Yale; it has a whopping 70% yield."</p>

<p>They do. A lot of it comes down to cost.</p>

<p>"A lot of it comes down to cost."
Not any more.</p>

<p>
[quote]
There are a LOT of kids at Berkeley who gave up Stanford,

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
^Hmm...I doubt "a lot" of kids give up Stanford for anybody except Harvard/Yale; it has a whopping 70% yield.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I too seriously doubt that a "lot" of kids at Berkeley gave up Stanford, unless a bizarre definition of the word "lot" exists of which I am not aware.</p>

<p>As to how many Stanford admits choose Berkeley instead, try this:</p>

<p>The</a> New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Collegiate Matchups: Predicting Student Choices</p>

<p>Asa:</p>

<p>how many people do you actually KNOW that have turned down Stanford for Cal? And, of those, did you actually see the Acceptance letter from that "Junior" University?</p>

<p>I know five students here who turned down Stanford for Cal (all for monetary reasons). However, I've heard the financial aid has changed significantly at Stanford...</p>

<p>Interestingly, all five of these students are engineers (3 EECS, 1 MechE, 1 ChemE).</p>

<p>
[quote]
For the Class of 2008, the university admitted 2,486 students; 1,665 accepted the offer of admission and arrived at the university last month. Of the 821 students who declined admission and filled out a form that indicated where they were going instead, 28 percent said Harvard, 20 percent said Yale, 13 percent said MIT and 8 percent said Princeton. All other universities that were mentioned did not represent more than 2 percent [each], and no more than 1 percent indicated that they would attend a Pac-10 school, according to the figures provided by the admission office.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>If what they said was correct, then assuming the same distribution for those that didn't fill out the form, no more than 1% of 821 people turned down Stanford for Berkeley (8 students) in 2006.</p>

<p>In 2006, 5 students from my daughter's high school chose to go to Stanford. Two students, accepted to Stanford, chose Berkeley.</p>

<p>I can't believe I know 2 of the 8 students that chose Berkeley over Stanford. :)</p>

<p>according to the chart, it seems like most people who have choice btwn state colleges and the ivies, the majority chose ivies. it is also noteworthy that the yield rates for hypsm are insanely high....this tells me that there aren't that many people out there who turn down these schools for 'lesser' schools in reality.</p>

<p>
[quote]
However, stanford focuses more on graduates than undergrads.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
There are a LOT of kids at Berkeley who gave up Stanford,

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I guess this confirms the theory that two wrongs might become right. Thank you for the utterly comical interlude. </p>

<p>I would highly recommend Tonydear to accept Berkeley's offer over Stanford. This way, we'll be able to claim knowing someone who actually was accepted at both schools and accepted Berkeley for its academic superiority. Because of the utter scarcity of such an event, Tonydear will be quite the hero on the Berkeley forum. </p>

<p>PS Dstark, that must quite a high school for having 7 students accepted at both Stanford AND Berkeley. I guess everything is possible. I also know someone who turned down both Stanford and MIT for the opportunity to be part of the new program in neuroscience at the University of Texas.</p>

<p>That survey, represented by the chart, worked backwards. </p>

<p>If I remember right, the people who did the survey found out which high schools the students who prefer the "top" schools graduated from, and then surveyed students at those high schools. </p>

<p>Not too random. ;)</p>

<p>"PS Dstark, that must quite a high school for having 7 students accepted at both Stanford AND Berkeley. I guess everything is possible. I also know someone who turned down both Stanford and MIT for the opportunity to be part of the new program in neuroscience at the University of Texas."</p>

<p>Xiggi, I have no idea what you mean.</p>

<p>I looked at the numbers again. Five students got into Stanford officially, an additional turned Stanford down, making it 6. Sorry for saying it was 7.</p>

<p>Of those 6, They all got into Berkeley too, and 2 decided to go to Berkeley.</p>

<p>In 2006, 21 students applied to Stanford, and 5 officially got into the school, 3 are there now.</p>

<p>For Berkeley, 68 applied, 30 got into Berkeley and 14 accepted the acceptance.</p>

<p>I am sure that many of the 21 kids who applied to Stanford and didn't get into Stanford applied to Berkeley.</p>

<p>I have a niece and nephew at Stanford. Neither one wanted to go to Berkeley (if that makes you feel better). :)</p>