<p>just FYI, I can tell you alot of rankings are pretty skewed. Go with domestic rankings. Out on the west coast here (I’m from canada), we hear alot about Berkeley but hardly great things at the undergraduate level. More commonly we hear about crappy dorms. Yes, Berkeley is recognized as a research university but certainly not on the calibre of Harvard and Stanford as a previous poster mentioned, in anything except physical sciences. There are a ton of parents who think Berkeley is great but those who actually apply or go to these schools typically have a different opinion for undergrad. While it may seem I’m blasting Berkeley, I’d just like to say that Berkeley has some great points about it but they aren’t pertinent to this discussion as previous posters have mentioned. If you care about rep, Penn is held in far higher regard for undergrad. Research wise, the general consensus is that you won’t do much as an undergrad, except at a few particularly rich private unis. Public schools like Berkeley that are known for some level of research typically excel at graduate levels and have a significantly reduced undergrad focus when compared to private instutitions. Also consider financial aid if you are eligible, Berkeley will likely not give you any and you’ll end up paying as much as an ivy as an international. Go Penn for undergrad and apply for Berkeley as a grad. You’ll simply have more resources to work with. Plus, you can get a more rounded education.</p>
<p>Also, for social sciences, Berkeley is not as reputable as some think. Most outside of Berkeley fans only know Berkeley for engineering/physical sciences. Penn is a better choice in this regard as it will give you the liberty of having an inter-disciplinary education which is much harder to get at Berkeley. That said, definitely choose Berkeley over Penn for grad school in your major.</p>
<p>Makes sense to me. Penn and Dartmouth are near polar opposites…large, urban university vs. small quasi-LAC. All they have in common are Ivy League labels, and anyone who applies to both is clearly after Ivy-ness</p>
<p>Granted, Ivy-ness IS pretty awesome ;)</p>
<p>You really should go to Penn over Berkeley.</p>
Berkeley is ranked #21 because USNWR uses a formula that includes average SAT scores, graduate giving rates, etc. These factors favor small privates.</p>
<p>USNWR ranks undergrad programs in business and engineering, in which Berkeley ranks #3 and #2, respectively [Penn’s Wharton school is rated #1 for undergrad business]. For all undergrad programs, you need to look at USNWR’s Peer Assessment score, which rates a university for distinguished academic programs.</p>
<p>Berkeley: 4.7 (only surpassed by HYPSM)
Penn: 4.5<br>
(not a huge difference)</p>
<p>Berkeley is a MUCH easier school to get into, people there are usually not Ivy caliber (yes, average SAT scores are an important factor, and I’m not sure how that favors privates), and it is certainly not comparable to HYPSM at the undergraduate level. </p>
<p>If you’re asian, chances are your parents know about Berkeley. However, this is because many people from asia come to berkeley for GRAD school, not undergrad.</p>
<p>Everyone at my school who got into an Ivy (any Ivy) was also admitted at Berkeley. I’m not saying Berkeley has weak programs, but like disgradius said, Berkeley is not considered prestigious in the West coast–more like a back-up for Ivy applicants</p>
<p>A “back-up”? As in a safety school? Not really. Penn CAS is extremely selective, and it’s not really a back up for anyone. There are many people who get into HYPS and get rejected from Penn CAS.</p>
<p>Of course, if you say things in a sarcastic and condescending way, it makes that true, right?</p>