<p>I would agree that you look at UCLA a bit more closely if Berkeley appeals to you. It does seem to fit your criteria a little more closely and it would be a touch easier to get into (although still very tight for OOS).</p>
<p>I doubt you’ll find much difference in “feel” between a school with 20K undergraduates and one with 30K but if so, then Berkeley’s 25K undergraduate count should be of concern to you, too. IMO, at some point less than 20K a school just moves from “medium” to “big” and that quality sticks to it. That is not to say there aren’t significant differences between big schools, only that these differences don’t arise from size alone.</p>
<p>If financing is concern for you then by all means leave Iowa in. Many students in other states would count themselves lucky to have such a school as a “financial safety”.</p>