<p>I'm an international student from Serbia and I'm trying to decide between the three schools. I've never visited Berkeley, I've visited the other two, but not with the mindset of "I might actually go there." I've been to Stanford before but I don't know how similar the two are...?</p>
<p>I think I'd want to study psychology but I've also always been drawn to business so in that case Barnard wouldn't be good because they don't offer business as a major. How would I know what I want to major in though before I actually go to college... If I end up at Barnard and realize I want to study business, how easy is it to transfer into Columbia?</p>
<p>As for Northeastern, they offered me quite a bit of money which is financially helpful to my family, particularly if I end up going to graduate school right after.</p>
<p>Any thoughts from people who have experience these schools?</p>
<p>The Berkeley and Stanford campuses are completely different. My oldest D and I visited both many years ago and found that Stanford had more of a ‘sunny California with palm trees’ feel than Berkeley, which was more ‘concrete’, although with plenty of greenery. The surrounding area was also very different. At Berkeley, the town is right at your doorstep, whereas at Stanford, it’s a walk across a main thoroughfare, at least 10-15 mins. away on foot, if I remember correctly. That said, D preferred Stanford.
Boston is a great city for students. There are so many universities in the Greater Boston area, and there are plenty of things to do and opportunity to meet other students from these different schools.
I know nothing about Barnard and Columbia, but I’m sure there are plenty of other posters who can help you. Good luck!</p>
<p>Did you get accepted to Berkeley and Barnard? If so, what kind of financial aid did these schools offer you? Money should be a key consideration. </p>
<p>If all three schools would be equal in finances, I’d seriously look at Barnard, then Berkeley. Barnard is a women’s school with a less-known name. But it’s a very good school and has the added bonus of its close relationship with Columbia. Lots of opportunities there. And it’s in NYC. If you love cities, this is one of the best on the planet. Berkeley gives you a world-class reputation, and an opportunity to live in one of the prettiest places in the US. But it’s a big public school, lots of bureaucracy, and you could have difficulties getting the classes you want due to constant budget cut backs. On the other hand, it costs less to live in Berkeley than in NYC or Boston. </p>
<p>You should know that of the three you listed, Northeastern is the most “different” in terms of students. The school attracts very professionally-oriented students who already kind of know what they want to do. They’re drawn to the co-op program, and their main goal is to land a specific job after graduation rather than education for education’s sake. I would actually characterize the vibe on campus, and among the students, as less intellectual and more practical.</p>
<p>As to what Berkeley is compared to Stanford - the Berkeley campus is beautiful, though not at all as quiet/sunny/spanish/mexico-looking as Stanford. The architecture at Cal is classical/modern, you get spectacular views of the bay and San Francisco, and the campus is both more crowded and more urban than Stanford’s. The weather is cooler than in Palo Alto, so you won’t have that laying-by-the-pool-in-a-bikini vibe that you see at Stanford. Many people say Berkeley has more to offer than Palo Alto – I know lots of grad students who head to Berkeley/San Francisco on weekends because these places are simply more fun/diverse/busy than Palo Alto.</p>
<p>I doubt if the Barnard name appeals to the Serbian employers. Meanwhile, Berkeley is prestigious worldwide. If your motivation is money, go for the brand name, and Berkeley is the best brand amongst your choices.</p>
<p>Barnard doesn’t have the name appeal of Berkeley - very true. But because it’s small, private and affiliated with Columbia, it could offer research/name-brand NYC internships that will be much harder to come by at Cal. It also doesn’t have the financial/funding constraints currently faced by Berkeley, where it’s increasingly more difficult to graduate in 4 years.</p>