Reed Vs. Berkeley

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am having the worst time deciding between Reed College and UC Berkeley for undergraduate school. I've beaten the horse to a pulp and weighed pros and cons. Reed is small and seems to promise an awesome undergrad experience with the attention and all, but Berkeley has all my friends and San Fran right next door.</p>

<p>There are professors who really care about you all 4 years at Reed and there are a ton of advisers to guide you through your undergrad years, but I'm a little worried since no one has really heard of the school. I'll post my list of pros and cons shortly.</p>

2

<p>Berkeley is a much better school.</p>

3

<p>Some of these are by word of mouth so feel free to correct me on any misunderstandings! Thanks.</p>

<p>Reed Pros- Intellectual environment, more care for the undergrad student, professors readily available, seems like the education is of better quality (individual attention, passionate professors and not TA, not just a number), offers skiing, kayaking, archery, cool stuff like that to their students, you stand out more among 325 students rather than 4,000 at Berkeley, Oregon has no sales tax. HAHA., pretty campus (maybe even TOO naturey), Surrounded by a passion for learning, supportive peers where work is collaborative rather than competitive.</p>

<p>Reed Cons- Colder, far from home, a little too nature-ish to the point where I feel isolated from the rest of the world (I'm a pretty self-proclaimed extrovert.. social.. I like people), I don't know a single person there, two times more expensive than Berkeley (however, money is not so much an issue), Portland, from what I've gathered is a little boring, drug use is certainly a little more liberal than Berkeley's, Less courses from which to choose.</p>

<p>Berkeley Pros- Big with a ton of people, reputation, half the cost of Reed, San Francisco is right next door, Friends, Professors available but just have to take the initiative to meet with them, Dad likes Berkeley (Both support both schools but dad leans towards Berkeley), closer to home, but just far enough too, nice campus, alumni group increases human relations later on, more class selection</p>

<p>Berkeley Cons- just a number, too many people, professors don't care about undergrads (only concerned with research), close to a "seedy" city with hobos and shady people just outside of campus, no diversity (47% Asian), some say it'll just be like high school (But I think you can make college what you want it to be), competition is cut throat</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
Berkeley has all my friends and San Fran right next door.

[/quote]

As much as I love Berkeley, this should not be the top reasons for selecting Berkeley.</p>

<p>The two schools will give you a completely different experience. Do you like the smaller environment and more personal attention that Reed would provide? Or do you prefer the larger environment of Berkeley with all the opportunities a big university can provide? IMO, you need to be an independent and active person to take advantage of all that Berkeley has to offer...you'll need to actively seek opportunities, nothing is served to you...</p>

<p>What are your academic interests/intended major?</p>

5

<p>I take it you have visited both. Since they are very different, did you feel you would be happier at one vs. the other? When you visualize yourself at each college, which scenario appeals more?
UCB is better known nationally, but my impression is that the student body at both are highly intelligent and hard-working. What do you plan to study? Have you looked at the course catalogs?
I personally would choose UCB, but I love Berkeley.</p>

6

<p>I applied as undeclared but plan to head into political science or environmental science. From what I've researched, Reed has an amazing program for both fields as well as Berkeley! GAH! I have visited both campuses. I see myself more at Berkeley, simply because I am more familiar with the atmosphere (friends have gone and given their input, lived in California all my life). I don't know what to expect with Reed which is why I can't imagine myself there as well.</p>

<p>It's a paradox! I love the intimate environment a student has with his professors, but I love how big Berkeley is with all the people. I've visited both schools, yes. :)</p>

<p>Having friends at Berkeley definitely is very very low on the pro scale. I plan to make my own friends and meet as many new people as possible which is why the number at Berkeley helps. But a friend of mine that likes smaller liberal arts schools said Berkeley has a lot of people, but that doesn't mean you'll be socializing with them and that you'll necessarily make more friends. It just means Berkeley has a ton of people. At a small institution, you still make a ton of friends, but instead of walking to class amongst a ton of strangers, you'll be walking among people you know or at least have talked to before.</p>

<p>A small liberal arts like Reed will definitely hold your hand. I like knowing that I'm taken care of, but with Berkeley I am also okay with taking initiative. My "track record" in high school suggests that won't be a problem. But do you think that since professors are a little more intimidating and less accessible that people usually just let opportunities to talk to them slip by? Office hours, I hear, are not well utilized. Is it that easy to be lazy and not take initiative? Do any of you experience that?</p>

7

<p>I am pro LACs and small schools simply for the environment it offers, so my vote is for Reed. You're paying for an education, you might as well get to know your professors and have a close relationship with them.</p>

8

<p>A small liberal arts like Reed will definitely hold your hand. I like knowing that I'm taken care of, but with Berkeley I am also okay with taking initiative.</p>

<p>I can't really tell what you expect, but I think you'd find Reed quite a bit harder, meaning more work (check the freshman reading list for an example), and the initiative is still completely on you, but you have the benefit of all full professors, even at the intro level, and they really care about you.</p>

<p>Here is a posting by a current Reed student (in a Reed thread), comparing Reed and U Chicago:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Chicago didn't accept me (wait list). If they did, I would have gone.</p>

<p>I decided to stay here rather than transfer because looking at the situation now, I realize that Reed really will give me a better education. Chicago is a somewhat easier school (or at least can be, if you're seeking that), and more competition-based (meaning there are curves and the like). I got the impression that at Reed, a professor might give a really hard exam and you'll get a C. At Chicago, a professor might give an exam, and you'll get an 85, but after the curve, it will turn into a C (ahem, Gen Chem, cough cough). The schools are difficult differently in that regard. Reed seemed to be more focused on student learning, and Chicago on student evaluation.</p>

<p>Also, the quality of teaching and mentorship from really, really bright minds is unparalleled. I didn't really factor teaching quality / caring about undergrads into my college search, but now that I'm a student, I realize how important it is. (Think about how your favorite high school classes were influence much more by the teacher than the actual material - now imagine if you could have an awesome teacher in anything you were interested in.... Reed). I don't think I can emphasize this enough, even people who dislike a class will readily admit that the professor teaching it is a baller, just not their style. The teaching really is AWESOME.</p>

<p>Go to Chicago if you're looking for more to do outside of school (although I still hear that nobody has fun there... not sure how true that is anymore). And if you don't mind compromising a little (learning from TAs, potentially poor teachers, etc.). If you're big into research, or want a research U type environment, you might want Chicago.</p>

<p>Go to Reed if what you really, really, really want more than anything else is an unreal undergraduate eduction with a bunch of accepting, slightly strange individuals. There are drawbacks to this choice, but for me, it was worth it.</p>

<p>(And I'll negate everything I just said by telling you that wherever you end up going you'll probably like. I spent a lot of time hanging around universities in high school and developed pretty specific interests - I even applied based on the recommendations of my mentors (who were U profs). I applied to Reed two weeks past the deadline on a whim because I heard it was the most intellectual school in the country, which sounded badass. Never prospied. Never visited, ever. Love it.)

[/quote]
When your four years are over, the day-to-day life and social activity will fade, and you'll be left with your education. I'd say, choose the place that will give you the education that best matches your goals. If you imagine starting your career with a BA/BS, Berkeley might be best. If you imagine going to grad school, a future-PhD powerhouse like Reed might be best. These are both top schools, so the decision is difficult!</p>

9

<p>Don't mean to hijack the thread, but insights would be appreciated. </p>

<p>Wowzer, what do you plan to do after college? Also, how important is it for you to find a stable job after graduation? These questions might help you decide.</p>

10

<p>I have many friends who graduated from Berkeley. It's a great school, no doubt. Their experiences were completely different from my own. They went with their friends, partied all night and skipped class regularly yet some graduated with honors. Others really made an effort to take advantage of Berkeley. Even if you take initiative at Berekely, it's easy to become overshadowed by some who don't even try yet because the professors are not involved, they get the grades. Grades are all that matter at Berkeley anyway. So I've been told.</p>

<p>Reed was where I received my education. I had tons of friends who I still talk to regularly just like my friends at Berkeley do. We partied and had a great time just like my friends at Berkeley did. Only, we were genuinely challenged in our classes and our efforts, not our grades, stood out to the professors and to our peers. Reed is all about developing as a person, a functional person. It goes way beyond just getting a diploma. It's receiving an education and a sense of pride in what you are receiving. It's not just a grade. Your experience, I promise, will be unmatched by any traditional state school. I joined just to weigh in on this topic. You sound like Reed is the place for you. I take it that you've visited. If no, you really should call ahead and arrange to stay with one of the students. Mind you, it's quite dead over the summer. As for Portland... it's an amazing city.</p>

11

<p>My plans after college are a bit uncertain seeing as how I applied undeclared. Is it really difficult going to work after Reed? Or is graduate school a must must right after undergrad graduation? I'm not sure about what I want to do. I thought I'd use college to help me figure that out.</p>

<p>So would you say Reed's social scene is just as lively as, say, that of Berkeley's? I visited the campus and it seemed so void of people when I went. I suppose it was a slow day or maybe people were studying? Haha.</p>

<p>Is fitting in difficult? I feel like I'll be a little out of place at Reed. I'm not artsy or vegan, quote poetry or amazingly creative. I'm unfairly generalizing, but that's the feel I got from all the brochures, pamphlets, pictures I've seen of the students, and even the admissions video.</p>

<p>I suppose I might be a little intimidated. :(
I grew up with the UCs in mind. My Asian background has something to do with not being able to let go of prestige even though I know that's not what is important. And what makes the decision so hard is my parents are behind me 110% where ever I go. Sometimes I wish they'd be a little more conservative and give me some direction... haha but I am really blessed. Some of my peers aren't as fortunate. Sadly...</p>

12

<p>If the education is essentially the same on most dimensions in your mind, that is:</p>

<p>
[quote]
beaten the horse to a pulp and weighed pros and cons

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Look at size, location issue. They are vastly different at these two schools.</p>