<p>So, the money is my main concern:</p>
<p>for JHU BME, I'll be paying 60,000 per year (So 240,000 dollars total)
For UC Berkeley, I'll be paying 32,000 per year (no scholarships/ fin aid for both schools)
My major at Cal is bioE.</p>
<p>How badly are the UCs being affected by the budget cuts? </p>
<p>Which is the better choice???</p>
<p>Thanks so much in advance for your reply:) I really appreciate it! i only have 2 days left to decide though...</p>
<p>you’re asking if Hopkins is worth $112k more than Berkeley in Engineering? I don’t think so.</p>
<p>It depends. You indicated that you didn’t receive financial aid from either school which leads one to suspect that your family didn’t qualify for need based aid. But the question remains how your family is planning to finance your education. If you have to borrow the difference, then I don’t think the advantages of going to Hopkins (and there are many IMHO) justify going deeply into debt. On the other hand, if your family has the resources and willingess to finance a private school education, then it may well be worth it. </p>
<p>Berkeley is without a doubt a fine school. But Hopkins BME is something special, offering both training and opportunities that will not be duplicated at Berkeley. More generally, you’re comparing a large, public institution (albeit one of the best) with a much smaller, elite private university. It is somewhat apples and oranges. </p>
<p>Berkeley will be around and will still be a fine school after the current financial crisis. But it is taking a huge toll, and many top faculty with mobility are leaving or looking to leave. And the fees at Berkeley will continue to rise, particularly for out of state students. In the current atmosphere, I don’t see the California legislature continuing to subsidize out of state students. So the cost difference, at the end of 4 years, may be much less than you are estimating. Also, Hopkins doesn’t have to cost $60,000 per year (that’s sounds high but if that’s what Hopkins says to budget, so be it). After the first two years, you can move off campus, cook your own meals and save a bundle.</p>
<p>How are you going to pay for the difference?</p>