<p>I am a high school senior trying to decide if going to UC Berkeley for four years is worth it. It will cost nearly $100,000 for four years ($24,000 a year). Is the excellent quality of education at Berkeley worth the large cost? My other option is Texas A&M University, which costs only $2000 a year thanks to scholarships. I plan to major in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. I live in California. I'm sure I can afford to go to Texas A&M for two years and then transfer to Berkeley, which would cost $52,000. So, is going to Berkeley for four years and paying the whole cost worth it? Or is it better for me to go to Texas A&M for two years and then transfer? I would especially appreciate insight from students who've attended either of these universities.</p>
<p>berkeley is amazing in engineering, and that is one of the few majors that would make such a sacrifice worth it. go to berkeley.</p>
<p>I can't say if its worth the money or not because that's up to you and your family. If you have alot of money then maybe it is worth it, if you don't then maybe its not. My one suggestion is that if you decide to go to A&M then you should plan on being there for 4 years because there is nothing even close to a promise that you'll be able to transfer into berkeley as a junior.</p>
<p>Actually, I am guaranteed transfer to Berkeley if I do go to A&M. I talked to a Berkeley representative about it.</p>
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Actually, I am guaranteed transfer to Berkeley if I do go to A&M. I talked to a Berkeley representative about it.
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Then go to A & M for 2 years and transfer. You may actually decide to stay at A & M - they have an excellent engineering department.</p>
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I live in California.
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I missed that the first time I read your post. You may want to visit A & M before you decide to go there. The school is definitely not for everyone. Same thing for Berkeley. The two schools are polar opposites on the political spectrum.</p>
<p>StevenD, does your guaranteed transfer into Berkeley after 2 years only apply to you as an engineering major? Or would I (L&S) also apply to that condition as well?</p>
<p>This information would be SO useful in helping me to make a decision between UT Plan II and Berkeley. (Basically, I'm in the same rut you're in, because UT costs much, much less.)</p>
<p>to answer your question: </p>
<p>I definitely think that you should consider going to Berkeley either way- especially because you live in California and get in-state tuition (gah, I'm so jealous). Because I live in Texas, I pretty much know the caliber of students who go to Texas A&M. Let me tell you, it's not hard to get into.. so the competition at A&M is going to be less fierce than the competition at Berkeley. Berkeley's engineering department is going to have the BEST. It really depends on whether or not you would like to fight it out for two years or take it easy. Going to A&M might just be a nice, easy GPA booster. </p>
<p>However, will the professors at A&M prepare you for the work you will encounter at Berkeley? </p>
<p>Just a thought.</p>
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. Because I live in Texas, I pretty much know the caliber of students who go to Texas A&M. Let me tell you, it's not hard to get into.. so the competition at A&M is going to be less fierce than the competition at Berkeley.
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Texas A & M as an overall school isn't very hard to get into, but the engineering program isn't. The original poster would most likely get much higher grades in his lower division classes at A & M than at Berkeley.</p>
<p>I'd recommend that he visit A & M first because the atmosphere is much different than most colleges (very conservative and quite religious). This is coming from someone who is from California.</p>
<p>Umm.. religious? I would question that. Good thing about A&M, there's a WHOLE lot of school spirit. Still, a visit is a must.</p>
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Umm.. religious? I would question that. Good thing about A&M, there's a WHOLE lot of school spirit. Still, a visit is a must.
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I'd guess that 90 % of the students at A & M are Christian and most of them are involved in some kind of religious group or at the very least, go to Church. There isn’t much diversity at A & M (and I’m not just talking about racial diversity)</p>
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Actually, I am guaranteed transfer to Berkeley if I do go to A&M. I talked to a Berkeley representative about it
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<p>I would like to know more about this. What is this guarantee of which you speak? </p>
<p>Specifically, are there any conditions? I have a very hard time believing that you can pull, say, straight C's at TA&M and still be admitted as a transfer to Berkeley. {And if you can, I would say that that's absolutely scandalous - as there are plenty of other transfer candidates with strong grades who don't get in.}. But if there are such conditions, then it isn't really a "guaranteed" transfer, because it becomes contingent upon meeting those conditions.</p>
<p>You're right. I am talking about withdrawing from Berkeley before the semester begins and applying for readmission. The requirement is "You must submit transcripts from all colleges attended since leaving UC Berkeley and you must have completed all courses at those colleges with a minimum gpa of 2.0." I'm sure I can manage that.</p>
<p>I also don't really care about the political or religious atmosphere of the university I attend. I just want to know whether going to Berkeley for four years is worth the cost.</p>
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You're right. I am talking about withdrawing from Berkeley before the semester begins and applying for readmission. The requirement is "You must submit transcripts from all colleges attended since leaving UC Berkeley and you must have completed all courses at those colleges with a minimum gpa of 2.0." I'm sure I can manage that.
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<p>Ah, you're talking about withdrawal and then readmission. Well, that's an ENTIRELY different ballgame, and unless the rules have changed dramatically in the last few years, readmission is NOT guaranteed. What you have stated above is the bare minimum requirement to even be considered for readmission, but does not automatically mean that you will actually be readmitted. I've known people who have tried to be readmitted after withdrawal and were denied. </p>
<p>If you believe that the rules really have changed, and readmission really is guaranteed according to the rules set above, then what I recommend is that you get that promise * signed on paper *from one of the counselors. You don't want to come back in 2 years and find out you can't get back into Berkeley.</p>
<p>What do you mean the rules really have changed? I am talking about this: <a href="http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/index.asp?id=72&navid=N%5B/url%5D">http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/index.asp?id=72&navid=N</a>
If I follow those simple steps I will be readmitted. I talked with a Berkeley rep about it and that's what she said also.</p>
<p>That's exactly what I am talking about - those rules are (or at least they were) * the bare minimum * you need to get readmitted. It doesn't (or at least, it didn't) mean that if you complete all these steps, that you are actually guaranteed to be readmitted. </p>
<p>You can see it yourself in the wording. It outlines the steps that you need to do in order for your application to be approved. But it doesn't say that it WILL be approved if you do those steps. The wording suggests that this is a necessary, but not necesarily sufficient condition. </p>
<p>Consider the following wording - notice how squishy and imprecise it is. </p>
<p>"Remember, these are general guidelines for readmission applications. Your file will be carefully reviewed by the College and you will be contacted if necessary. "</p>
<p>Hence, it seems to me that this suggests that even if you follow these "guidelines", you still have to go undergo a review process and hence you still might not get back in. </p>
<p>So I say it again - I would get it in writing that you absolutely WILL be readmitted if you complete such-and-such steps.</p>
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So I say it again - I would get it in writing that you absolutely WILL be readmitted if you complete such-and-such steps.
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Not only that, but a guarantee that he'd be in the engineering program.</p>
<p>Otherwise, you are better off just going to Berkeley.</p>
<p>Ok... so to answer my main question, is going to Berkeley for four years worth it or not?</p>