I am an international student who has been living in the United States and I have recently been accepted off of Berkeley’s waitlist to the College of Letters and Sciences but have accepted my position at Wesleyan. I was very set on Wesleyan and love the school but am now considering Berkeley and would appreciate any advice and opinions on these schools.
One of the considerations is the financial aid, Berkeley is much cheaper than Wesleyan IF they approve my residency application. If they classify me as a non-resident then it is much more expensive than Wesleyan.
It is hard for me to say what exactly I want to major in and what I want to study but I am sure both schools could offer me what I need. I am very interested in the Wesleyan Film program which is very well known but there I could also do film studies at Berkeley. I would also like to explore many other subjects - Wesleyan has an open curriculum making this quite easy but I think I would also be able to do a fair amount of exploring at Berkeley.
Lastly, I think I would really enjoy the small environment and support that you get from a smaller LAC, I spent two nights at Wesleyan and really enjoyed it (I have also taken a tour at Berkeley but have not stayed overnight). I am worried that I won’t cope at Berkeley as it is so large and it normally takes me some time to settle into a place - also because I hear that it is very competitive and I know that I would get more support at Wesleyan if I was struggling academically.
I guess the biggest choice is choosing between Berkeley and its amazing reputation and (potentially) smaller cost versus the less well known small college which I was originally very excited to go to.
Yes quite a tough choice given your personal preferences.
Why would Berkeley consider you a resident? Are your parents residents? Are you self supporting and paying your own tuition? Then no, I can’t see that happening, you are a foreign student.
I probably should have explained in greater detail but my mother has been a Californian resident for a few years and I got my greencard last year but was outside california for a few months so I haven’t been in california for a full year.
The question you have to answer is whether what you are seeking are credentials or an educational experience? If the latter you should stick with Wesleyan. You went to a lot of trouble choosing it; it’s the best fit. You haven’t said that you can’t afford it, only that Berkeley would be cheaper.
But, you knew that going in. What’s changed?
If the next four years is just about graduating on time with the proper credentials, then definitely go with the less expensive alternative. FWIW, unless you plan on working overseas, where the concept of a liberal arts college is difficult to explain, Wesleyan and Berkeley CAS have comparable reputations.
Speaking just personally, I would choose Wesleyan because I would prefer the smaller classes and atmosphere of a top LAC. But if finances become a factor and you establish residency, then Berkeley would be a great choice too. You can’t go wrong with either, but they will offer very different college experiences.
First, it’s far from axiomatic that Berkeley has a better reputation than Wesleyan. Of course, Berkeley may indeed have an “amazing” reputation, but Wes has a national reputation that should not be discounted. (A tangential, but related, point: Wes, as a private school, attracts a more nationally diverse student body.)
Almost everything in your post suggests Wesleyan, with the possible exception of cost. At that, I would still consider paying somewhat more for Wesleyan. How much more is a personal and family decision.
@circuitrider Thank you for your comments. What did you mean by Wesleyan and Berkeley CAS have comparable reputations? I am unfamiliar with the CAS abbreviation.
In your opinion, do you think that Wesleyan is as good as Berkeley in undergrad teaching if the humanities and social studies subjects? I know that Berkeley has a top economics program but does anyone know how Wesleyan’s compares?
@merc81 and @profparent Thank you both for your comments, I appreciate the advice. Do you think there is anything that Berkeley could offer that Wesleyan couldn’t and vice versa, besides the obvious class sizes and individual attention? Thanks!
I’ll jump in on the simpler first question first. CAS stands for College of Arts and Sciences. This is a more common designation for what you have described as Berkeley’s College of Letters and Sciences. Wesleyan does not have an academic division along these lines, as the entire university is essentially a college of arts (letters) and sciences.
Regarding your second question, the case for Wesleyan has been fairly well made on this. Berkeley may be preferred by some students for several reasons. One may be the greater social options available at a university. Another may simply be the feel that some students experience while on the campus.
However, you have stated that you liked Wesleyan’s feel. I’d recommend you use caution in overriding this positive experience through over-analysis.
ommission: this [thread].
clarity: use caution [with repect] to overriding.
Ideally, @Myrtle101, a poster with particular familiarity with Berkeley will give you additional insight into the university’s advantages. One drawback to this forum is that few posters can personally assess both institutions.
Consider the number/variety of course offerings.
Look up the biographies/CVs of the instructors.
See if the professor teaches the entire course (or teaches only the lectures and delegates the discussion sections to a grad student.) Check the enrollment sizes.
You also could try comparing comments on the Students Review site.
These won’t necessarily give you a representative sampling of student opinion.
The most dissatisfied students (not the happiest) may be among the most likely to post.
However, if you see the same complaints showing up repeatedly, it may give you some idea of what the biggest negatives are at each school. Then you can decide if those things are likely to bother you or not.
^ The S:F ratio is a fairly crude metric. Those ratios may understate the differences in class sizes and student-faculty engagement between a LAC like Wesleyan and a big research university like Berkeley. Here are a few comments about Berkeley’s S:F ratio from the Students Reviews site:
“Berkeley is overcrowded. Classes are often huge (don’t believe the “official” student/faculty ratio, which is a joke).”
“My first qualm with Berkeley is the incredibly large and impersonal atmosphere. The 15:1 ratio is incredibly misleading. In my time here, I have had 1 lecture with less than 20 people, just 1 and I have taken classes in Math, Econ, History, English, etc.”
“Do not be fooled by the ratios that Berkeley claims: 15:1 student:faculty ratio. In four years as a PEIS major, fewer than 10% of my classes met that ratio. Discussion sections with a TA does not count in my book as fulfilling that ratio.”
These are not the only complaints on that site about huge classes at Berkeley.
On the other hand, even at Wesleyan, a few classes will be pretty big. 5% have 50 or more students. This percentage may be much higher in introductory courses or in more-popular majors. A university as large as Berkeley is sure to have many small classes, especially among upper division courses or in less-popular majors. A more precise way to compare class sizes is to look up specific subjects of interest in the online course catalogs and view the enrollment numbers.
Okay, keeping in mind that I’ve already said I have a strong preference for LACs, and that I firmly believe in the excellence of the faculty at both institutions, one of the benefits of Berkeley would simply be the opportunity to live in the Bay Area. I may be biased because I grew up there, but I really do feel it is one of the most wonderful, exciting, and beautiful places in the world to live–and totally unaffordable for most people. So college is a great opportunity to live there for four years and soak up all of the exciting atmosphere and beautiful weather and experience what it is like to be a student at a huge, famous, vibrant university. But the classes really are too big.
Ultimately, in an ideal world, I would go to Berkeley for grad school and Wesleyan for undergrad.