<p>as the general population here at cc seems to be pretty well-informed, i’d like to see if anyone has any good advice to offer me in this dilemma i’m having.</p>
<p>i was accepted into uc berkeley engineering as well as penn engineering. i’m a native californian and have lived about an hour away from berkeley my entire life. i would really like to get an out-of-state experience for college, so i was more than happy when penn took me in. here’s the catch: is it worth it to pay an extra $80k (they gave me zero financial aid) to go to penn engineering, which is ranked substantially below berkeley’s engineering program? in other words, would choosing penn prove to be an unwise decision when i graduate four years from now and start looking for a job and/or applying for graduate school?</p>
<p>i’d really appreciate anything you guys can throw out here; i’m open for any suggestions.</p>
<p>honestly i wud choose berkely cos as u say u wont have to pay so much... and itz engi is way bttr than penn's....
but if u are keen on the M n T thign in penn and wud like to try for it at end of yr1, then itz a diff story..</p>
<p>berkeley then. you don't want to be in major debt, and it's really up to you to make the most of your experience in college.. plus, berkeley's engineering is good, and listen, you'll be close to home. that may be a bad thing, but it's also a good thing. u just might miss home =)</p>
<p>I would say Berkeley; not a tough call at all if you want to do engineering. It's stylish to go far from your former classmate, but after a while, you'll realize that it doesn't even matter. To me, your situation in obvious, unlike mine between Penn SEAS, and Cornell Engineering.</p>
<p>Yeah. I mean Penn seas is nice, but when you'd save money at berkeley, and considering it has the better program, it really is a no brainer. There will be plenty of opportunities to go out of state when it won't be so costly, IMO, especially with the opportunities at berkeley.</p>
<p>I could understand the dilemma more if it weren't for the fact that you're in engineering. Berkeley is on a par with MIT in engineering. (Not talking about rankings, talking about quality of students and faculty). Congrats!!!!</p>
<p>though i agree that it is an obvious decision from a 'ranking' standpoint, i have another question. will berkeley be the better college experience? many have mentioned the competition at berkeley. at penn i see myself as having a lot more freedom, both academically (if i ever want to change majors or explore new things) and socially (more diversity/more interesting people) while at the same time still getting a top-notch education. i'm a personal believer in college being the time to get out there, do new things, and become a more dynamic person. berkeley just seems so much more generic, at least where i come from, and much more cold and impersonal than a private school where there is a definite family mentality.</p>
<p>i guess the clincher is, i'm worried that i won't be as happy at berkeley as at penn...anything to say about that?</p>
<p>i love penn. sure, i haven't been there yet, but my gradual research about the school over three years, plus an overnight visit and a few day trips have all really contributed.. However, write down everything you want in a college (try to get less abstract than "having a great time"- obviously, but what kind of activities? how much 'partying'? etc) and then find out if penn fits more or berkeley. or you can post it up here and we'll all try to answer, lol</p>