<p>I'm having some trouble deciding.
Given:
1) I have no idea what I want to major in.
2) Money is not an issue</p>
<p>Considering "prestige," the general opinion seems to be "Go to Berkeley."
But I get the vibe that Tufts will be a happier place to be.</p>
<p>Any advice?</p>
<p>Go to Tufts! that's my opinion. Im choosing William and Mary over all the UCs.</p>
<p>I would take Berkeley. It's one of the top public schools in the nation, and the social life and atmosphere there seems to kill that of Tufts. Berkeley also has top programs in many different areas for when you decide what you think you'll try to major in.</p>
<p>If money is not an issue, go to the one you want, Tufts.</p>
<p>When I was applying to schools, I thought about whether or not Berkeley was the place for me. Berkeley is a great institution, but it depends on what you really want out of college. I couldn't see myself being a student there for a number of reasons (too close to home), but a few others held me back. The academics are cut-throat and highly competitive - there will be no hand holding at Berkeley. The introductory class sizes will be huge and the mentality behind the courses will be to weed out the weakest to leave the strongest behind. If you thrive off of the competition, you will rise to the stars. However, Tufts is not competitive like this, well, not 99% of the classes at least. At Berkeley, it is difficult to get into certain majors as you have to be accepted into certain programs; at Tufts this is not the case as you will have a greater facility in choosing what to study, albeit a slightly smaller selection. Visit the Tufts forum to see more of what our life is like if you would like to get a better idea of what we have to offer.</p>
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I couldn't see myself being a student there for a number of reasons (too close to home), but a few others held me back. The academics are cut-throat and highly competitive - there will be no hand holding at Berkeley.
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<p>Berkeley is not so dire as you describe it. </p>
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the mentality behind the courses will be to weed out the weakest to leave the strongest behind.
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<p>This very much depends on the subject.</p>
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At Berkeley, it is difficult to get into certain majors as you have to be accepted into certain programs
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<p>This is true, but the list is fairly small. Depending on your college, engineering, business, economics, might be on the list. There are a few others.</p>
<p>Also, you say that you have a "slightly smaller" selection, but it appears significantly smaller- it could just be misleading, though. 47 departments, although Tufts probably has more than 47 majors. </p>
<p>Anyway, there are plenty of reasons to choose Tufts, but lets not be too hyperbolic in our descriptions of Berkeley.</p>
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Berkeley is not so dire as you describe it.
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This very much depends on the subject.
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Perhaps, but for the sciences and engineering, I have several friends whose personal anecdotes support my assertions. Certain luxuries at Berkeley are conspicuously absent, one of which includes the professors' flexibility. Admittedly I have an intimate bias against Berkeley, but someone has to provide an alternative viewpoint as CC has plenty of defenders for the #1 public institution :)</p>
<p>I've visited both. Didn't even end up applying to Tufts even though I applied to a lot of most east coast schools because I didn't like the environment of the school. It's in an oddly residentialish area and not close, but not <em>that</em> close to Boston. The school is kinda small.. but not <em>that</em> small. The dorms/eating areas seemed mediocre to be, especially for a private school. </p>
<p>(I think) it's easier to get to SF from Cal that it is Boston from Tufts. That'a all personal preference I suppose... But if you're realllllllly into small classes/individual attention I would go to Tufts.</p>
<p>why not another uc, did you not apply to other uc's like ucsb or ucla?</p>
<p>Does anyone actually have to decide between Cal and Tufts for anything engineering or science related? I see this as a very moot point. Cal is the cream of the crop for these fields. Engineering/sciences are not Tufts strengths by any stretch of the imagination.</p>
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Does anyone actually have to decide between Cal and Tufts for anything engineering or science related? I see this as a very moot point.
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It may be moot in a superficial glance of reputation and prestige, but the debate lies more in intimacy of a science education versus the breadth of research opportunities taught by the very best of the field. Both have advantages that are not so clear when considering where one would be happy. Why would anyone go to a LAC for a science education if this were such an obvious answer?</p>
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Engineering/sciences are not Tufts strengths by any stretch of the imagination
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I beg to differ.</p>
<p>I would go to Tufts. Berkeley has way too many kids for me.</p>
<p>Tufts. At Berkeley, Asians outnumber caucasians.
Tufts will be a saner place.</p>
<p>^ Racist much?</p>
<p>You are somehow implying Asians are "insane" or abnormal?</p>
<p>Snuffles, if you think Berkeley doesn't have explicitly vocal detractors, you are kidding yourself.</p>
<p>Yes, it seems to be very much centered in the siceneces and engineering, and probably particular types of sciences and engineering far more than others, and perhaps not some branches. I have a problem when people make a part of campus out to be the entire campus. A certain part isn't representative of the whole, and many times, the wording implies or dirrectly states that it is.</p>
<p>Really, op, if you would be happier at Tufts, go there. I think it's that simple.</p>
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Snuffles, if you think Berkeley doesn't have explicitly vocal detractors, you are kidding yourself.</p>
<p>Yes, it seems to be very much centered in the siceneces and engineering, and probably particular types of sciences and engineering far more than others, and perhaps not some branches. I have a problem when people make a part of campus out to be the entire campus. A certain part isn't representative of the whole, and many times, the wording implies or dirrectly states that it is.</p>
<p>Really, op, if you would be happier at Tufts, go there. I think it's that simple.
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<p>Touche - I find the same about Tufts as well. We're both victims of the same generalizations.</p>
<p>9ine, if you want to go to Tufts, go to Tufts. I would actually recommend Tufts myself. But be aware that the two schools are very different and have very different strengths.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>But I get the vibe that Tufts will be a happier place to be. Any advice?<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>The important thing is to define how solid that "vibe" is. Is it something you've developped fairly superficially, by surfing the net, or is it something you've felt from visiting both campuses and getting a deeper insight?</p>
<p>Personally, I think you're overblowing all the negatives that are thrown around about Berkeley. The range of perceptions is very wide. Use actual data from surveys to assess things like student overall satisfaction and satisfaction about their majors. 86% of Cal students are satisfied with heir college experience, while close to 80% IIRC are satisfied with their majors. I don't think those numbers are much different at Tufts.
<a href="https://osr2.berkeley.edu/Public/surveys/ucues/2005/core2005.html%5B/url%5D">https://osr2.berkeley.edu/Public/surveys/ucues/2005/core2005.html</a></p>
<p>The numbers in the survey also show general satisfaction about things like access to faculty, and class sizes are actually very comparable to places like Stanford according to the numbers published:(<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=165910&page=2&pp=15%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=165910&page=2&pp=15</a>)</p>