@LoveTheBard Thanks for the link 
@MYOS1634 I agree. Itâll be studying 24/7 for me next year if I choose CalâŠ
@doneinamonth Thanks for the input! Will you be working in industry or doing grad school after your 4 years?
Except jobs depend on what you do outside of class: hackathons, ways that show your creativity and skill, etc. That balance is also necessary debtor mental health.
@theloniusmonk given that my dad works at facebook I can see why he cares about the name brand so much⊠
@PurpleTitan UT definitely seems like a close contender to Berkeley. Marginal difference worth $100k? My dad thinks yes but I am definitely leaning towards no nowâŠ
Do you have another choice? (A 3rd acceptance)
The âhardest decision everâ is probably âShould we turn off life support?â
I think maybe you need a teeny little bit of a reality check?
At the end of the day, Iâm a very firm believer in the idea of âblooming where youâre planted.â My vote is for UT.
@MYOS1634, OP has CMU SCS as well.
@MYOS1634 I have a few: UIUC, GT, CMU. Not considering those so its just Cal and UT for me.
@bjkmom Sorry if i sounded entitled. For me personally, itâs probably one of the hardest decisions iâve had to make since itâs a big investment + a decision that could pretty much impact my entire future.
Why are you just considering these two? Cost?
(Congratulations on our acceptances.!)
@MYOS1634 My dadâs coworker who came from CMU both undergrad and grad said that he didnât recommend CMU undergrad along with the hefty $75k/yr price tag. As for UIUC/GT they are pretty much similar to UT but more expensive and in UIUCâs case a much worse location.
Considering berkeley because of its location.
Not entitled at all, just maybe a little in need of some perspective.
You have two great choices. Sit down, and make a pros/cons list of both. Then decide and send a deposit.
There is no bad choice here.
Forget about worrying about âname brandâ and focus on fit and finances. $20,000 vs. $55,000 for two excellent programs is hard to ignore for any but the wealthiest families. If your family is wealthy , you are in good shape as it definitely opens up options. Good luck with the decision.
If you have someone already at FB, then you donât need contacts and networking which are real important in silicon valley. In that case Iâd lean to UT. Name brand wise, UCB has the edge on UT.
So if CMU is out (probably the better choice imo), then UT is a no brainer. Save the $$ use for grad school maybe.
BTW, I think you mentioned you were visiting Cal but I did not hear a recap and comparison to UT.
Iâm a computer professional. School brand name makes no difference whatsoever. What will matter is the amount of debt you will have. If you go to Berkeley, you wonât be coming out with $55k in debt. Donât kid yourself Based on the cost of living, your debt will likely be much higher than that and itâll be a major financial drag for years to come, especially when you decide to start a family. Youâre far better off going to UT.
- How do you feel about Berkeley? If cost was no issue and grades were no issue would you want to go there?
- If yes, who would be paying for Berkeley? Your parents? Or you with loans?
- If you, then UT.
- If your parents, then what would you do if you didnât make the GPA requirement?
- Would you rather you tried and failed at Berkeley and then transfer? or would you rather more of a sure deal at UT?
Computer professionals like @coolguy40 argue that college brand-promise does not matter. An equal number of computer professionals, myself included, know better. If you think that brand doesnât matter save the $20k from UT AND the $55k that it would cost to go to Cal and instead go to the lowest cost alternative you can find. The logical question to ask, from a brand perspective, is the Cal brand worth the delta in cost? It may be, but it should be considered as just one aspect. Access to classes, research, and internship possibilities should be considered. You should also consider the College environment, and in that aspect I can tell you UT wins hands-down.