Is it truly a good school? Is it worth it to attend? Is it worth the 34K?
Econ major right? What are your other options? Econ at Berkeley is amazing if you take the quantitative/theory track. The professors here are insane (the Romers, David Card, George Akerlof, Brad DeLong, and countless others), and whether you want to go to grad school or industry, as long as you do well here, you could go anywhere.
Short answer: Yes. However, that depends on your financial situation and your other options. Use your best judgment, talk it over with family and friends, and good luck!
Yes, I am doing applied math and econ.
UC Berkeley is the #1 Public university in the U.S. and the world… So, yes, it is more than a ‘good’ school.
If you have to ask then the answer is no.
In-state? In a heartbeat. OOS? You can probably get a better deal elsewhere, but it’s still a great school.
Yeah, I am actually planning to take the quantitative track. I am a bit worried about the GPA deflation. How bad is it?
The grading at UC Berkeley is and can be very competitive and harsh. You are pitted against “the best of the best” for the limited number of A’s and B’s. The ones who do well will find good jobs or get into prestigious graduate schools. You can still achieve the same goals by going to a less competitive school and get the top grades.
The grading sucks when you compare to schools like Harvard and Stanfurd, but it’s not impossible to get good grades as long as you put in the work. You’ll find that despite how much we all complain about the boatloads of work we have, not everyone is exactly focused all the time (thanks to reddit). Maintain focus and don’t waste time, and you’ll be golden.