How COMPETITIVE is berkeley? Cornell v Cal v Chicago?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
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<p>So I just got admitted to one of my parents' favorite school. But you know how parents are like, they get so stuck on money, they don't care about the social enviornment or the academica atmosphere, and would simply forget about all other schools.</p>

<p>For those who are in CAL, I need an honest report on how competitive berkeley really is? If you are someone who likes attention and help, is it possible? How difficult is it to transfer majors? I'm doing architecture, what if I want to double in buisness or something?</p>

<p>If you could go to cornell or chicago or berkeley, which one would you pick.</p>

<p>Have a great day everyone!</p>

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<p>"you are someone who likes attention and help, is it possible"</p>

<p>at such a big school as Cal, you need to seek it out. Generally, I think Cal students like to think of the school as swim or sink. There are many weeder classes.</p>

<p>"How difficult is it to transfer majors? I'm doing architecture, what if I want to double in buisness or something?"</p>

<p>It's hard to double in business especially because you have to get into Haas, which is extremely competitive in and out of itself (such that you have to apply in soph year and many ppl don't get in) and has many weeder classes...like Business 101 or something. :) </p>

<p>This is all what I've heard from ppl I know who go/went to Cal, so sorry if I'm wrong. Hearsay is not that reliable. :)</p>

<p>it depends on what you like. cornell is probably way more chill than berkeley in that tons of things are not happening all the time...i mean at berkeley, there's lots of excitement and ethnic stuff, but it all comes with stuff like bums and mugging and stuff, whereas cornell is in a pretty rural town where I get the impression that things are quite calm.</p>

<p>i would think chicago is also pretty competitive and probably the only college where you can get lots and lots of intellectual discussion all the time.</p>

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<p>what are weeder classes exactly? Classes that determine whether or not you stay at cal? </p>

<p>Gosh... that kidna scares me. I read somewhere that some classeas aim to only have 35% of the students pass..... Is it REALLY like that?</p>

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<p>"but it all comes with stuff like bums and mugging and stuff"</p>

<p>No.</p>

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<p>they have a harsh curve in some classes.</p>

<p>weeder classes can be like OChem, which is pretty hard in the first place and so weeds out, generally, the people who can't make it (is there really an easier way to say this?) out of all the premeds.</p>

<p>also, i think there's an entry level business class that is considered a 'weeder' class b/c although it's pretty easy, it's one of the few classes that will be considered in terms of your grade on your haas application so there's intense competition there...supposedly to weed out the unqualified ppl from applying/going to haas.</p>

<p>GentlemanandScholar: I'm not pretending to be an authority on this subject, but I've heard numerous stories from my teacher (whose daughter went to berk) and my cousin (who is soph MCB) about muggings in berkeley...and you can't deny that there are bums there. i mean, all you have to do is walk down telegraph or go to people's park and you'll see them.</p>

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<p>Sure, there are bums here. There are mugging too, but it doesn't "all come down to bums and muggings." There are bums and muggings in Ithica. Chicago too. Nobody I know has ever been mugged. All I ask (and I think its reasonable) is that if you don't go to school here you should probably qualify your remarks with something like, "btw, this is all second or third hand info, maybe ask someone that lives there."</p>

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<p>i think you misunderstood and misquoted me:</p>

<p>"but it all comes with stuff like bums and mugging and stuff"</p>

<p>it all COMES with stuff like bums. you can't deny that. I never said it "all COMES DOWN to bums and muggings."</p>

<p>EDIT: plus I did qualify my remarks. if you read more carefully, you wouldn't have misunderstood my comment and would've also realized that.</p>

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<p>Sorry, I did misquote you, but that doesn't change the gist of my post.</p>

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<p>so, in general, if you're good enough to get into Berkeley you will stay in Berekely if you study and you keep up the hard work? I'm just a little frightened by the idea of "weeder" classes. I don't want to be "weeded" out of Berkeley!</p>

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<p>are there any potential arch majors here? does berkeley have weeds for that? does berkeley have weeder class for everything?</p>

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<p>There are no weeder classes, really. Not technically. You won't find any course listings under "weeder classes." For some art majors, I'm sure intro to art history would be a weeder, but to others it wouldn't. Weeder classes are just hard classes, but I've heard people on these boards say things like, "Oh, only 45% of the people make it through the weeders." If that were the case, we'd have a 55% drop out/flunk out rate, and that's not the case. I'm sure someone in the more science type field can give you info on certain classes, and I know this is one of sakky's favorite topics, but I can tell you that most of you are freaking out over nothing.</p>

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<p>Um, no, I don't think so. it's not tha extreme. Which class are you talking about?</p>

<p>If you go talk to professors and GSIs and the academic resources available, they will be of tremendous help to you. If you do nothing, they will be wasted. A lot of responsibility is on you.</p>

<p>Architecture isn't particularly competitive- it is self-competitive in a way. You could compete with other people, but really, you have to make the best project that you're capable of doing. The difference in cost between cornell and Berkeley for architecutre is pretty big, I think. Isn't it a five year program at Cornell? 45k*5= a lot of money. But on the other hand, do you need an advanced degree (beyond what Berkeley offers, as in, post Berkeley) to go into architecture if you go to Berkeley? Doubling architecture and business is probably difficult, as the overlap is fairly minimal, but it might be possible (although very, very, very difficult). </p>

<p>A lot is sink and swim, but there is help available. Students need to seek it. </p>

<p>Switching majors is possible, as long as you meet the procedural requirements if the major is in a different college, which are fairly easy for many (good standing and the ability to complete the new program of study within a certain amount of time). Many people come in undeclared, and switch, but you generally don't have to deal with much when switching to a different major in your own college.</p>

<p>Business has some but not many weeder courses, and is somewhat but not incredibly competitive.</p>

<p>You could probably find intellectual stimulation to your satisfaction at each of the schools, but I would imagine it would be more readily available at Chicago given what people say the nature of the students there is.</p>

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<p>If I want to be a licensed architect, yes addtional schooling is required after berkeley, a masters or sth. does anyone know which is better/easier to get licensed/job, 5 years or 4+2/3?</p>

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<p>
[quote]
If that were the case, we'd have a 55% drop out/flunk out rate, and that's not the case. I'm sure someone in the more science type field can give you info on certain classes, and I know this is one of sakky's favorite topics, but I can tell you that most of you are freaking out over nothing.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well, I wouldn't say that 55% drop out or flunk out of the school entirely.</p>

<p>However, anecdotally speaking, it is definitely true that well over half of people who start out in certain majors, especially engineering, will not actually complete the major. Many leave because they find that the weeder classes are just too hard and so they drop the class, and since those weeders tend to be gateway classes to later classes in the major, dropping the class ultimately means dropping the major. And others stay in the weeder and get grades that are bad enough to prevent them from continuing. </p>

<p>I'll give you a topical example. Take ChemE 140, a notorious weeder. You need a C- in ChemE140 to proceed to other classes in Chemical Engineering, and the Chemical Engineering department will actually check people who register in later classes to see whether they got such a grade, and if they didn't, they will get de-registered. However, even if you got a C-, you may personally feel that you probably shouldn't continue, even though you are allowed to, for the simple reason that you still have several more weeders to go (ChemE141 is another weeder), and you've probably had enough. In fact, I would say that's true of most people who got less than a B-. They could continue, but they don't want to. And then of course there are those people who take ChemE140 and can see that they are going to get a bad grade, so they drop the class and henceforth switch to some other major (i.e. Chemistry). </p>

<p>So, while I don't know about the 45% success rate, I would not be surprised if that was the right figure, as long as we carefully define what 'success' means. Success doesn't just mean getting the minimum passing grade to continue. Success is the 'intersection' (to use set theory terminology) or your being allowed to continue and your wanting to continue. A lot of people who get grades that are technically good enough to continue nevertheless decide that they don't want to. Let's face it. A C might allow you to continue, but it's still not a very good grade. And a lot of people in the weeder classes end up with C's.</p>

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<p>"However, anecdotally speaking, it is definitely true that well over half of people who start out in certain majors, especially engineering, will not actually complete the major."</p>

<p>How do you know they just don't want to be an engineer any more? And you're always talking about how hard it is to transfer out of engineering, so how is it possible that 1/2 the people can transfer out. Either they transfer out or they flunk out, either way one of your theories is wrong.</p>

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<p>"There are bums and muggings in Ithica."</p>

<p>i seriously doubt that. I hope you know where IthAca is.</p>

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<p>Crime in Ithica in 2000:</p>

<p>murder: 4
Rape: 12
Aggravated assault: 65</p>

<p>Berkeley Crime for 2004 (I think)</p>

<p>Murder: 4
Rape: 17
Aggravated assault: 181</p>

<p>National Average per 100,000 people</p>

<p>Murder: 5.5
Rape: 32.2
Aggravated assault: 291.1</p>

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<p>AHHHH.... That's scary!</p>

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<p>Look up the stats for Oakland which is just a hop, jump, and skip away ...</p>

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<p>Is CMU Electrical and Computer Engineering or Berkeley EECS more competitive?</p>