<p>So I got into Johns Hopkins for biomedical engineering and Berkeley for biology (I'm planning on Neurobiology) with a Regents scholarship ($1000), buit now I don't know what to choose.
Initially, my plan was to just go to Berkeley, because its just an hour or two away, but Hopkins BME is so tempting.</p>
<p>My big issue with Hopkins though is money!!
It is a LOT more expensive than Berkeley since I don't get financial aid.
Hopkins: About $50K - $2.5k NM scholarship
Berkeley: About $25k - $1k - $2.5k NM scholarship</p>
<p>Sooo is Hopkins worth the extra money? Or should I stick with Berkeley?</p>
<p>For reference, I like Stanford-esque campus atmospheres, but with a little more action thrown in.</p>
<p>Also, my parents prefer Berkeley (because of the cost and their perception that it is a better school than Hopkins... they both went to Berkeley).
I think I'm pretty much just upset more with the fact that my parents refuse to see the positives of Hopkins!</p>
<p>And yes, I'm going for pre-med.</p>
<p>Hmm... So the biggest difference is the amount of attention I will receive?</p>
<p>"My big issue with Hopkins though is money!!
It is a LOT more expensive than Berkeley since I don't get financial aid.
Hopkins: About $50K - $2.5k NM scholarship
Berkeley: About $25k - $1k - $2.5k NM scholarship"</p>
<p>Cherrycola, that is a pretty big issue. $100k over 4 years is HUGE! No university is worth attending over Cal for that much money. MIT in Engineering, Wharton in Business and Harvard for almost everything else may be worth spending an extra $20-$30K over years, but $100k over Cal would be a total waste of money.</p>
<p>If money is not an issue, go to Hopkins for pre-med.</p>
<p>It's not worth the money to go to Hopkins, especially since you think you'll need that money for medical school.</p>
<p>If you can, visit. Hopkins and Cal are both great places--but quite different from one another (small v large, etc.). Go where the fit is best. While money is always an issue--the difference, over the course of a lifetime, is not so great that it should be determinative.</p>
<p>Go with berkeley. You're looking at a difference of $100,000</p>
<p>
[quote]
While money is always an issue--the difference, over the course of a lifetime, is not so great that it should be determinative.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Sure, if you want o be paying off your college loans over the course of your lifetime. Most people don't want to spend their lives deep in debt, paying interest on old debt when they want to be doing things like buying cars and houses and paying for their own children's educatons.</p>
<p>$100,000 is A LOT LOT LOT of money. If there are already-rich people (your family, if they already have a lot of money or high earnings) who want to pick up the tab, and the tab for medical school, more power to you. But if you are talking about shouldering that burden yourself, it's a huge mistake.</p>
<p>If you are going to medical school, going to Hopkins or Berkeley will make no difference. Next, if someone is willing to pay for all that education, go where you want--if you want to go to Hopkins, go. However, if a) you're shouldering the undergrad and medical school debt or b) someone is offering to do so but can't realistically afford $100000 more for undergrad and $200000 for medical school, go where it's cheapest. Berkeley is great, Hopkins is great--but with your goals you should be trying to minimize your personal debt.</p>
<p>I just thought I'd add this as a Hopkins undergrad.</p>