<p>Not that I have great choice. I am admitted also to Cornell.
I am international and my intended major is EECS. I am also interested in doing a minor in ME. I have interests in Robotics. I have not done research but I would like to. Will Berkeley Undergrad prepare you for a good PhD program.</p>
<p>I've seen numerous university rankings and they all rank Berkeley right after MIT and Stanford for Engineering. So, is this true for undergraduate study or only for graduate.</p>
<p>So the basic question is: "Is worth spending 40K for education at Berkeley". Will I feel satisfied knowing that our family did no waste those money.</p>
<p>I think that both engineering programs are very good. From what I've heard, many people in industry only need an MEng, and PhDs usually do research. If you do well in either program, you will be prepared for a good PhD program. Hopefully sakky will respond to this. PM him if he does not.</p>
<p>i got admitted to both too. after much research, i believe cornell definietely gives a better education. smaller class sizes, more counselors, and great undergraduate research. if you don't mind a lot of work in a cold climate and simply want the best education, go with cornell. they will take care of you very well there.</p>
<p>cornell has great robotics competitions also. forgot what it's called. go look it up at engineering.cornell.edu</p>
<p>but, berkeley has san fransisco next to it, thus a great night life, a much better weather.</p>
<p>all in all, i think i'd recommend you to cornell since i'm sure you're familiar with cold weather, it won't be hard to adjust.</p>
<p>I suggest evaluating both campuses, looking at their programs directly on their website and seeing where you want to be. And search for a few pictures online to give you a feeling what's it's like since you're an international student and it won't be difficult to visit both Berkeley and Cornell without blowing a budget.</p>
<p>i think i need to clarify something here. smaller class sizes does not equal better education. some people prefer the more intimate setting while others detest it. i personally relish the anonymity that berkeley offers me (as did joan didion if you read her essays) so this is really all a personal opinion. i personally could not live in a place as artificial as cornell; its just too far removed from the real world. does that affect the quality of education? no, thats my personal opinion.</p>
<p>if you're from bulgaria i'm pretty certain that you'll find berkeley/san francisco a much more intersting place to live than ithaca, new york. and who says you want to live in the freezing cold your entire life? come to california and enjoy the sun for 4 years</p>
<p>Weather is no concern for me. The temperatures here (and especially in my town vary from 110 F to -20 F. I want to choose my education based on its quality and less on other factors.</p>
<p>I know that being in a private university means smaller classes and more personal attention (which I think is good for me) but I have never seen a ranking which ranks Cornell higher than Berkeley for Engineering. I know that rankings do not always reflect reality but Cornell being consistently behind Berkeley does mean something. But maybe I am wrong and these ranking reflect only graduate studies.</p>
<p>Each ranking will tell you what it's measuring. Berkeley graduate and undergradute engineering often ranks higher than Cornell engineering in many engineering fields in various rankings. Know that each is known and supposed to be good in general</p>
<p>Do you have any idea what type of engineering you expect to go into?</p>
<p>Berkeley engineering courses aren't too big, at least for the upper division courses that aren't the core requirements (based on a few sit ins for bioE and IEOR).</p>
<p>In a career aspect, Berkeley also appeals in many senses since the prestige and the name will carry you a long way (future job prospects + salaries = very good). Also, silicon valley is there in NorCal, where IT flourishes.</p>
<p>Berkeley engineering is stronger than Cornell, no question, but also tougher and more competitive. But you should be able to handle it, because European high schools are very solid. Culturally, the majority of the students in EE at Berkeley are from Asia.</p>
<p>At $40k, it's a bargain. You will make that much in a few months' worth of salary when you get out.</p>
<p>BTW, one of my roommate at Cal (this is Berkeley's nickname) was from Sofia.</p>
