<p>well, berkeley is more recognized than wellesley, of course... but keep in mind that hilary clinton went to wellesley. whether you like her or not, you gotta admit that the college got her places :) i also have a premed friend going there right now; the professors are great and the research opportunities are excellent, and of course there's the crossregistration with MIT. </p>
<p>soo... if you like a more quiet, calm atmosphere (and if you like small classes), go for wellesley! not that berkeley won't ever be calm, but it's a big uni and bound to be a lot busier than a small liberal arts college :)</p>
<p>Re post #8, I'm another person who says the prestige difference between these 2 is nil. Considering that Wellesley is usually thought of as the top women's college in the country (world?), that it's perhaps the most famous liberal arts college in the country, and that the personal attention/smaller classes there would easily compensate for its lack of Nobel Prize winners, the fame/prestige/quality issues are roughly deadlocked. Go with the environment and fit. By the way, Wellesley is not "in the middle of nowhere." It's in a wonderful suburb with easy mass-transit access to nearby Boston.</p>
<p>I think you should go to Wellesley -if you major in biology at Berkeley your classes will be HUGE and your lab/discussion sections will be led by a T.A.. You will get more personal attention at Wellesley, your classes will be taught by professors, and if you are interested in doing undergraduate research, it is more likely to be an option for you at Wellesley. </p>
<p>Go to Berkeley later on for grad school -- Berkeley really is a much nicer place for grad students than undergrads.</p>
<p>well i wanted to thank you everyone for the posts and opinions, etc...</p>
<p>i actually chose to go to Cal over Wellesley.
because I finally realized that i wouldn't be very happy at all-girl school located in small, quiet suburban town. (although boston is quite close it's not so much close and I would want it to be.) I would enjoy Cal's vibrant, busy, diverse campus and city life much better.</p>
<p>I admit I'm a bit scared for the "super competitiveness" of Cal, but I guess I just have to try harder?:)</p>
<p>Great choice. No contest IMHO actually. Wellesley is too regional in its culture and mindset. Berkeley is world-class. Frankly, practically no one has heard of Wellesley outside of North America. </p>
<p>Don't worry too much about the competitiveness at Cal, the average GPA has moved up to about 3.25, which is still quite low compared to the private schools, but it's not as bad as it used to be. And med schools will calibrate GPAs accordingly.</p>
<p>You're going to have a wonderful and most stimulating college experience!</p>
<p>And BERKELEY isn't regional? Upwards of 80% of everyone there is from California! Wellesley, having produced such as Madame Chiang Kai Shek and Hillary Clinton, is possibly the best known women's college in the world. When I visited, I met a number of international students moving in (mostly from the UK), and one girl in my small tour group of five had come from London to visit.</p>
<p>But having said that, of course, they're very different environments, and I'm glad you picked the one that was right for you, happyggal. :)</p>
<p>Claiming to be the best known women's college in the world is a bit like claiming to be the best horseshoes player in the world. There just aren't any women's colleges of note in the rest of the industrialized world. </p>
<p>There are international students in almost every college in the US, that doesn't speak for their int'l reputation.</p>
<p>True, the great majority of Cal students are from in-state, but they do come from very diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.</p>
<p>Mme Chiang Kai Shek? The wife of a dictator whose street name was Cash My Check... Cal grads are running the cabinets and economies of Asia, as opposed to staying home like Mme Chiang Kai Shek did. One of my former dormmates is now a cabinet minister in Cambodia. Another one is the crown prince of Norway. Part of what makes the Cal experience special compared to that of top private schools is that there is also a vast segment of bright students from humble backgrounds.</p>
<p>Ultimately though, you're quite right frozentears, they're indeed very different environments, and one size doesn't fit all. The important thing is to best grasp the differences and choose the best fit, well said.</p>
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<p>And BERKELEY isn't regional? Upwards of 80% of everyone there is from California! Wellesley, having produced such as Madame Chiang Kai Shek and Hillary Clinton, <<</p>
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<p>Oh please. UC Berekely is far more than just a regional school. Scan this list of distinguished Cal alumni. It's a LONG list and includes people all over the country and the world:</p>
<p>Good luck. It sounds like a good decision to me. If you don't like Berkeley, you can always transfer elsewhere. But, I think that you will like it.</p>