<p>I've basically narrowed it down to these two, but I'm also kinda considering George Washington University and UC Los Angeles. But not as much.</p>
<p>I live in northern CA right now, and so I qualify for instate tuition at Cal, but my family can also afford NYU, even though it is much more expensive.</p>
<p>I'm intending to major in biology, and to study a foreign language and study abroad. </p>
<p>Here are my thoughts so far, are my perceptions accurate/what do you think?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>For biology, I don't really know anything about NYU's program, so help? I do know that Cal's is suppossed to be really good, and probably better than NYU's? Does anybody know anything in terms of availability of internships and research between the two? I feel like NYU might have more internships and Cal might have more reasearch ops. In terms of grad school and future jobs, which would be better?</p></li>
<li><p>The two seem to be about comparable in terms of foreign language offerings. Cal is much less diverse than NYU, and the city of Berkeley is much less diverse and culturally vibrant than New York. So here either Cal=NYU or NYU wins?</p></li>
<li><p>It seems to me that Cal has much better study abroad programs (in NYU you mainly just go to NYU abroad portals, and only certain majors can study at certain sites. At Cal, there is a much greater variety of opportunites for all majors. At both scholarships and tuition transfer nicely. Here I think Cal>NYU</p></li>
<li><p>Dorms. and Food. NYU FAR outclasses Cal here. Much nicer dorms, I like the city more, I think (at least it's not as near where I grew up, and there's a lot more to do in New York), and NYU has much better dining hall food and many more dining options near it.</p></li>
<li><p>In terms of student resources and advising, I'm not sure if there's really a difference. I do know that there's lots of support for interviews, recruiting, and internships at nyu, and I'm not sure about berkeley. Anybody know? </p></li>
<li><p>Also, there's the student culture. Cal seems a lot more school spirited and sports and Greek oriented, like a normal college, while NYU seems much more individualistic. Which I think I like better for NYU, but I'm really not sure.
What do you think is the overall attitude/feel of each campus? I visited Cal for Cal Day, and it seemed pretty intellectual and pretty hippy.
NYU I didn't really get that good a feel for because I only visited for part of the day, but the people on the tour were all really diverse, there were kids from Italy and China there, and my tour guide was really nice and enthusiastic. From online forums I've gotten the idea that NYU and Cal students tend to be really self-driven and independent?</p></li>
<li><p>My reservations about each:
Cal: in northern california, just a couple hours from my home town. LOTS of kids from my school go there and a ton of my friends are going there. I like my friends, but I kind of want to make new ones and learn more about myself at college and not be around so many of the same people. Also, I'm kind of sick of California weather, I just hate the heat and mild winters. And when visiting Cal at Cal Day I found myself thinking how boring all the trips the dorms took were (they were all to places I had been MANY times before) and how I might get bored by the area if I went there. I'm also afraid of all the horror stories I've heard about Berkeley academics and how insanely difficult they are. I feel like I am smart enough to probably handle them, but I'm not sure how much of a life I'll be able to have if I go there</p></li>
</ol>
<p>NYU: I don't really like the limitations of the Study Abroad program, which is one of my biggest priorties in college. I'm kind of afraid that the biology program won't be as good, or that there won't be as much of an opportunity for internships in biology in new york. I'm worried that if I go there I won't get into as good a graduate school as if I went to Cal. I'm also kind of worried that I won't be able to find quiet time and relax in new york; I know I need to be able to find green space to run around, and I know that I really need to be able to find a nice quiet space for studying. I'm also kind of worried that I won't make friends there or it will just be all snotty rich kids and celebrity spawn, and there will be no intellectuals/nerds like me.</p>
<ol>
<li>Things I LOVE about each school:
Cal: I love their study abroad program, how they all love their school and have pride in it, how it has prestige, how amazing the staff are and how great their biology program seems to be. I love the hippy feel of the campus and the activism of the students, and their famous collective Berkeley desire to change the world and protest. Their academics I feel are all around stronger, and the name is more recognized. </li>
</ol>
<p>NYU: I really really love the fact that it's so diverse and is in New York. I feel like going there would be an adventure and I would have more opportunity to learn about myself and grow as a person (that sounds really cheesy sorry :P ) I really like the idea if getting out of California and going somewhere where I won't know anyone, and getting a fresh start (I'm not sure if I'd get this at Berkeley). Also, having weather that isn't nice california weather would be amazing I actually prefer cold winters over the mild ones we have here, which I know from my visits to my family on the east coast for holidays. I like how the students here also seem to be concerned with activism, and I like how they are not as focused on greek life, which I happen to think is kind of obnoxious.
(I may add more later but it is getting late and I need to get to bed)</p>
<p>Sorry this kind of turned into a rambling of all my thoughts about these two..</p>
<p>But PLEASE respond guys, any information would be helpful. I just honestly have no idea which to go to right now. THANKS A LOT!!!!! :)</p>