Hiya, I’ve recently been admitted to Northwestern and UC Berkeley and I’m trying to decide which to go to!
I’m an international student looking to study Political science/IR- but this might change! I also keen to keep my languages
I’m conflicted as northwestern is ranked #9 in the US and is a well respected school. Some even say it trumps ivies like Cornell and Dartmouth. I like that 75% of classes have <20 people as it’s a much smaller school in comparison to UCBerkeley. This means I’ll be able to select classes more freely and have better access to my professors and the alumni network. Moreover, northwestern has really good certifications I can pick up from Kellogg and also Medill which might be extremely useful for my portfolio and CV. On the other hand, the weather is atrocious and I’m not sure I can handle it.
UCB however globally has an edge, and is more well regarded in an international level. Isn’t this really essential?!
Nevertheless it does have over 30,000 undergrads and I’ve heard that one can feel ‘Lost’. Added to this, it’ll be more diff to change classes/ majors due to the number of students. I’ve also heard it’s really good for engineering but not so much for global affairs/politics. Some feel that Berkeley is more competitive with no one looking out for you.
Cost of living is also a factor for Berkeley as Cali is expensive.
For a degree in global affairs, and more importantly for my career and networking, which uni is better.
Which uni would be more enjoyable but useful after uni?
UCB might be a bit more well-known internationally, but Northwestern still has quite the reputation, so in that area you really can’t go wrong between the two of them.
Both schools have strong political science programs, although it’s true what you say about the size of Berkeley; the opportunities are there, you just have to work a lot harder for them. Same with the alumni networks. Berkeley’s exists, for sure, but I haven’t heard anyone say it was particularly helpful. Northwestern’s is supposed to be fairly good, although not at the level of say Dartmouth or Wellesley.
Almost 75% of students at UCB live off campus, compared to 40% of Northwestern students, so that’s something that you’ll definitely want to consider.
Have you visited both schools to get a feel for the environments? They are pretty different schools. If you haven’t visited, I’d contact admissions and see if you can talk to some students there to get to know both places a bit more.
The weather in Evanston can be a challenge if you’re not used to the cold. Or the heat. Or the humidity. Or the wind. You’ll get every kind of weather imaginable, that’s for sure!
There are quite a few pros and cons YouTube videos for Berkeley. I suggest you to check them out. Except the weather, I do think things are “easier” and more personal at Northwestern.
Since I live in the Bay Area, let me share with you a little about the cost comparison. We are known for our high rents. But less mentioned is the fact that many other things can also be significantly more expensive than, say, the same/similar things in Chicago. A round trip from Berkeley to San Francisco with Bart would cost $8 (I don’t know why student discount only applies at the middle and seondary school level). Bart isn’t exactly a city subway and only has limited stops within SF. If you need to take muni within SF, that’s gonna cost another $6! Now you are talking about $14 just on a single trip using public transit! A round trip to Chicago would be free with the intercampus shuttle or $1.50 (student discount). Our restaurants are also pricy. I usually expect to spend a minimum of $25 after taxes and tips without any alcohol. Fast food would be cheaper but a simple burrito at Chipotle in Berkeley still would cost you about $8 before tax.
Rankings are irrelevant, it will be more important how you do at the respective school. UC Berkeley students are academically as smart as any students in the country, perhaps even smarter because UCs focus much more on academic accomplishments vs extracurricular activities. Because you are an out of state student, the difference in cost between a UC and a private school is substantially less than in-state vs. private. You will receive a lot more support, nurturing and guidance with Northwestern vs. Berkeley. UCs generally have the attitude that if you don’t want to be here, I can find 1000s of others that do so suck it up.
I forgot one more thing. There are “Live from Northwestern” videos on YouTube covering variety of topics such as housing, undergraduate research, diversity, and entreprenuerialship. Based on the live chat, it seems that many prospective students find them very helpful.
Both schools are excellent academically and have nice campuses, but the point re living off campus cannot be underestimated. At Northwestern you can live on campus all 4 years if you choose, whereas that would be difficult to live on campus after freshman year at UC Berkeley. Northwestern’s smaller class size may foster more of a community feel, particularly for someone who is coming from abroad.
All else being equal, I would lean toward a more personal undergraduate experience which Northwestern would offer. UC Berkeley is a fantastic school (I got accepted for ChemE and hope to attend!) but it is gigantic and there is less student support. I can imagine it being potentially overwhelming to an international student to have to acclimate himself to that along with the change of country.
I don’t think that the difference in reputation between UC Berkeley and Nothwestern is significant whatsoever.
OP: I wonder which school you ended up attending in the end, and what was the deciding factor for you? Either way, enjoy your college life (Go Bears or Go 'Cats!)
