My son is rejected by Berkeley EECS (he didn’t apply for L&S), all his friends got accepted by Berkeley L&S. Right now he is depressed since he could not go to Berkeley. I am trying to cheer him up since he got accepted by UCLA, UCSD, UIUC, UT Austin, U Washington, all majors are CS. But he told me UCLA CS is much worse than Berkeley. Is there really a big difference between Berkeley CS and UCLA CS? I’m try to help him out.
Let this discussion go for a week or two. Right now he is mourning not getting into Berkeley. Let him do that.
Then start discussing the options he does have on his plate. Presumably he applied to all of them because they offered what he wanted. He needs to pick from the schools,where he got accepted. So he needs to pick what he thinks is the best of that lot.
Are there financial considerations between these schools? If so…please lay those out on the table as well…in a week or so…when you discuss his college acceptances.
Thanks @thumper1. We are in California. My son told me he might go to UCLA, but he felt sad since he could not go to Berkeley.
UCLA is perfectly fine for CS (as are the other schools you listed).
Yes…he feels sad now…because he has this perception that everyone he knows is going to Cal.
In a week or so…start the discussion about the schools where he DID get accepted. Those are his choices. And there are great schools on that list.
Does he know that UCLA had over 100,000 applicants this year? He is lucky that he got accepted there!
But really, this week…let him feel sad. Then move on.
And I personally really don’t think there is a big difference between Berkeley CS and UCLA CS. I could not convince him, though.
No, no big difference between the two CS programs. Cal is ranked 3-6, while UCLA is 6-16; immaterial differences, and both rank among the best of the best.
(OTOH, EECS woulda been a bigger deal.)
Both are on the list of preferred schools that we recruit at.
Thank you all for your reply. Appreciated!
Is UIUC affordable? I’ve heard good things about UCSD and Irvine as well.
If you look at enough different ranking systems you’ll see that depending on just what the rankers value there is a lot of jostling for places. But all of the rankings have UCLA right up there with the big guys. I liked this one which tells you a little bit about each school: http://www.computersciencedegreehub.com/50-innovative-computer-science-departments/
I think it’s fine for him to mourn a little, but he’s got some excellent choices there.
My son had the same happen to him. declined at UCB, accepted to UCLA. Both Computer Science. He actually chose USC, since he liked the CS/Game Design unique major there. And he might have even chosen it over UCB.
Part of it is how much we mourn, we pass it onto the kids.
I always told my kids Throw the dice, and choose the highest ranked school in your major that is affordable. We spent no time mourning.
Thanks @mathmom. UIUC is affordable. We are also considering it. I completely agree with @rgosula. I’ll pass this to him.
I personally think:
UCB EECS > UCLA > UCB L&S
EECS and L&S CS majors at UCB choose from the same CS courses. The differences are in other courses (e.g. more physics and math for EECS majors, EECS majors can take more EE courses in their major, different breadth requirements, L&S CS has more free electives).
No doubt, but then UCB EECS > UCB CS in L&S. (IMO, Cal’s EECS program is one of the tops in the world.)
btw: OP, tell your son he is in good company. A local HS girl was accepted at MIT but rejected by Cal.
Well, this kid dodn’t get accepted at Cal…so,that option and its rankings are not going to help him.
I would be interested in hearing more about UCLA…I mean really…isn’t it a great option?
I was specifically addressing the OP’s friends who are going to Cal L&S. and pointing out that UCLA CS is probably more prestigious than UCB L&S. Probably more difficult to get in also.
I would guess many applicants to UCB L&S do so because they fear not getting into UCB EECS.
^or they don’t want the EEng part. 
Both majors choose from the same offerings of CS courses. For someone emphasizing CS (not EE), s/he can choose the same CS courses with either major. In that respect, there is no significant difference. Curricular differences are in other course work. There are also differences in admission – EECS is more selective for frosh admission than L&S, but L&S students need to make a 3.0 GPA in prerequisite courses to declare the L&S CS major.
agree with the ‘or’