<p>If you look at each school’s common data set, section C7, you will find that both check “important” (as opposed to “very important”, “considered”, or “not considered”) for standardized test scores.</p>
<p>Where they check the same categories:
Rigor of secondary school record - very important
Standardized test scores - important
Academic GPA - very important
First generation - considered
Religious affiliation - not considered</p>
<p>Where they check different categories:
Class rank - M:very important, B:not considered
Application essay - M:important, B:very important
Recommendations - M:important, B:not considered
Interview - M:considered, B:not considered
Extracurricular activities - M:very important, B:important
Talent/ability - M:very important, B:important
Character/personal qualities - M:very important, B:important
Alumni/ae relation - M:considered, B:not considered
Geographical residence - M:considered, B:not important
State residency - M:not important, B:very important
Racial/ethnic status - M:important, B:not considered
Volunteer work - M:considered, B:important
Work experience - M:considered, B:important
Level of applicant’s interest - M:considered, B:not considered</p>
<p>Of course, the goals of the schools’ holistic admissions practices may differ. Middlebury may be “building a class of interesting individuals” (and may not be as consistent or predictable from year to year), while Berkeley designed its process with the goal of consistency and scalability.</p>
<p>Payscale surveys based on entire schools can be misleading due to the mix of majors of the students at the different schools. The four schools higher than Berkeley on this list are not the most well known names, but one can guess why they are higher – SUNY Maritime, Colorado School of Mines, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and New Jersey Institute of Technology.</p>
<p>Middlebury’s weakness in subjects like math, physics, and computer science likely has a significant effect here.</p>
<p>If you truly value college experience more than anything, or whatever that means, why didn’t you apply to either Oxford or Cambridge? I guess we all know either one of those UK unis would offer that much better than Midd does. Many people I met at Cambridge even turned down Yale for it. And, Yale, like Cambridge, has residential colleges and is now mimicking Oxbridge’s famous tutorial system. Yet, a substantial Yale admits are still turning down Yale for Cambridge.</p>
<p>If we are to concede that Midd is weak on those areas, (which I certainly believe to be true, btw), then in what areas are Midd stronger than Berkeley’s then? English? Economics? business? psychology? politics? what?</p>
<p>That was true several years ago when you were perhaps in elementary years. After that has been revealed, the admissions system has then been changed. Berkeley Law has a new dean who does not discriminate its own grads.</p>
<p>@Middlover - I have nothing against both schools (and I don’t think Middlebury is better than Berkeley; neither do I think Berkeley is better than Middlebury in general - again, you can’t compare them since they are so different so the point is moot) but I wish to point out that yes, traditionally, in many Berkeley departments, Berkeley undergrads are disadvantaged in admissions because the committee wishes to recruit a more diverse set of applicants. They also know that the Berkeley undergrads have already benefited from having the Berkeley “experience”, etc. </p>
<p>Telling us that Berkeley doesn’t want to admit their own undergrads, without saying why, does not help make your case. They prefer Middlebury graduates to increase their diversity pool. So what? They would prefer Harvard, MIT, and even Stanford grads too. While Middlebury being ranked above MIT is good for Middlebury, that doesn’t mean it’s “better” than Berkeley, at least in this case.</p>
<p>Of course, now the discrimination isn’t as explicit, but I believe it still happens informally.</p>
<p>Weakness is generally pretty obvious in that the department is missing some of what could usually be considered core in-major courses.</p>
<p>Strength (especially in comparison to other schools) can be much more difficult to determine, once you are past the “good enough” threshold of offering decent quality core in-major courses and a reasonable number of electives. Often, which school’s department is better depends on the student (e.g. strength in particular subareas).</p>
<p>woah. Berkeley was one of my dream schools till I read all this…</p>
<p>I thought berkeley was a good school, but if the alumni of Cal (RML, i think?) have gone to grad school, and have gotten married…yet spend hours of their days on an internet forum angrily losing arguments against teenagers… This school can’t possibly be that good… It seems to lead to a sad life…</p>
<p>idk guys, in my school (I’m in a private “elite” high school in the midwest), a lot of the smartest kids dream of being accepted to Midd. Not a lot do, but the ones that do usually go there. Last year we had 2/3 rejecting harvard for Midd… And they were the only two that got in…</p>
<p>Berkeley’s that school which average guys like me go to… Not complaining though. </p>
<p>but after reading this and seeing how berkeley grads spend their time… against some happy teenagers who’re at their dream school (and honestly, being 40 or something and losing to people who are barely 20 must be really sad on your ego…) I’m not sure if i’d want to go to Berkeley even IF i get in next year. </p>
<p>please don’t hate on me, I’m just a junior in high school (and I was totally on berkeley’s side at first) but I just wanted to drop my two cents.</p>
<p>If you are who you say you are, don’t let a ****ing match between internet tough guys affect your assessments of schools. Whichever colleges you get into next year, do visit the campuses and form your own opinion rather than depending solely on the thoughts of people on CC.</p>
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