I was recently accepted to both Berkeley and Stanford. Stanford offered me a good amount of financial aid (though my parents will still have somewhat of a burden) while I am a Regents scholarship candidate at Berkeley.
I’m not completely sure on the specifics of what I want to do in the future, though I know that it will revolve around something in the business world–perhaps consulting, investment banking, etc. These are both amazing schools, so I’m wondering–which school would suit me and my career goals the best (which major at which school would look best to future employers)? Besides these things, campus safety and accessibility (travel to restaurants, malls, etc) is also really important for me.
Congratulations! I graduated UC Berkeley, and I’d been to Stanford many times - have several friends in Stanford.
UC Berkeley is surrounded by many many restaurants, malls, cafes, and student housing (on and off campus), not to mention the movie theaters, bars, banks, etc, and the wonderful view from Berkeley Hills where you can see the entire Bay area! I’m quoting my Stanford friend’s words, “Many Stanford students are somewhat jealous that Berkeley has a lovely town around it”. However, Stanford is a bit safer, because it is too large and it’s in a relatively rich neighborhood - after all, it’s silicon valley. You probably need a bike or a car to travel around Stanford. And Stanford’s university avenue looks pretty much the same as Berkeley’s surroundings, but it is much smaller.
These are two different kinds of schools - one is arguably the best private university and the other is arguably the best public university. Stanford has much larger campus, and Berkeley has many more undergraduate students. Even the style of architecture is quite different. You really need to visit the two places and talk to people there before you make a decision. After all, one man’s meat is another’s poison. Good luck!
I graduated from UC Berkeley, but have spent a lot of time on the Stanford campus (my Dad was a professor at Stanford). I agree with all the comments above comparing the two schools. The only thing I would add is that there is a high end mall right next to the Stanford campus that is not really comparable to anything in Berkeley. So, if you are into high priced shopping, that may be a plus for you in the Stanford column.
It looks like you are headed toward a business or econ major which future employers will find attractive from either Berkeley or Stanford. I have never really seen this in action, but I have heard that having Stanford on your resume is a bit more of a plus simply because there are a lot fewer Stanford grads.
One thing I have noticed about the two places is that Stanford has become much more materialistic. While that has probably always been true given the cultural differences between Berkeley and Palo Alto, I recently visited the campus for the first time in awhile and noticed that people were really into talking about how much someone had donated or how much some building cost, etc. That may be something you find attractive as a business/econ person, but I found it very odd.
Bottom line, you cannot go wrong choosing between these two schools. You will get an excellent education either way .
agreed that there is no wrong decision. i’d probably base it on the finances of it all (ie. which is cheaper), unless you visit both and really don’t like one.
Many, many Stanford students have envied Berkeley students’ access to great restaurants, clubs, theaters, breweries, music venues, etc. It’s also closer to skiing, water sports, San Francisco and the wine country.
That said, both are beautiful campuses in very pretty areas. And while having Stanford on your resume will look mighty impressive to employers and grad schools, do not underestimate the prestige of Regents Scholarship, University of California Berkeley on it, either. Those in the know - meaning California employers and grad schools - will quickly realize you’re someone special.
Still, even as a Cal grad, I’d say you should give Stanford serious thought. Discuss the financials with your parents. Without knowing what “somewhat of a burden” means (debt? possible difficulty of sending your siblings to college?) it’s hard to advise, though there are people on CC, and elsewhere, who say that Stanford, with its worldwide renown, among a handful of elite schools “worth” struggling for.
Business at Berkeley requires applying in your second year. Economics needs a 3.0 GPA in the prerequisites to declare and has a high math and low math option.
Many people on this thread haven’t brought up the main difference of the two, and really what should be the driving factor behind your decision (finances aside). In a business program, you will learn how to apply business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, while an economics program will focus mostly on theoretical issues without the real-world component. Take these factors into consideration, especially if you plan on going a more “traditional” route career-wise (investment banking, consulting, etc.). With a BA in econ, you may have to get an MBA while if you have a BS in business from Berkeley, the MBA may not be as necessary. There is no right or wrong answer, as both of your choices are outstanding; it just comes down to what you want out of your college experience. Good luck with everything!
I agree with you content-wise but not employment-wise. Stanford is a target school for consulting and banking firms, which means that a student could major in art history or philosophy and still end up on Wall Street doing consulting or investment banking if they wanted to. (I’m not kidding - I knew kids with all manner of majors at Columbia who ended up on Wall Street or Wall Street-equivalent firms.)
And in both cases to advance at prestigious firms you’d probably need or want an MBA anyway.
Seriously, you can’t go wrong, so I would probably go with whatever’s cheaper unless you have a preference for a certain kind of experience (huge public university vs. medium-sized private).
Both are excellent and Haas > Econ, but I’d still say Stanford has the edge because:
Far fewer undergrads than UCB, meaning you stand out more to employers.
Excellent business network (tons of companies started by Stanford grads), especially in the tech and VC industry (which also connects to consulting and investment banking)
Much smaller undergraduate body which can translated into smaller classes, more contact with profs, etc.
Palo Alto >> Berkeley for safety and nice surroundings [you've got Los Altos and Skyline you can hike or bike to, beautiful] but that is subjective and I'm admittedly biased :)
If you think you might go to grad school (MBA), then definitely Stanford. If you for sure don’t want to go to grad school, then a business degree from Haas might be on par.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/14204944/#Comment_14204944 describes the Wall Street recruiting scene at Berkeley. Unlike at super-selective schools, it does appear that such recruiting at Berkeley is major-sensitive (the comment indicates that business (with competitive secondary admission) or a math-heavy major is favored).