@GuitarANDMe will Berkeley actually give me “lesser” access to resources? I was under the impression that Berkeley would have a lot or resources for me, especially in the STEM field. And I figured that since I’d be admitted into the College of Engineering, which has only about 800 freshman(I think lol), I’d be a little isolated from the “Lost in the crowd” effect that comes with joining a Public School. @oldfort I again felt like the COE in Berkeley would be financially secure enough to give me a great undergrad experience. OH NO I’M STARTING TO NOT LOVE BERKELEY AS MUCH
From their websites, Cornell and Cal undergraduate engineering schools appear to be similar in size. About 800 per grade.
But, Berkeley is a larger school overall. About 27,000 total undergrads at Berkeley. About 14,000 total undergrads at Cornell.
Visiting the campuses would probably give you the best sense of whether the size impacts you or not. Attend classes at each. Go to the cafeterias and see if there is any crowding. Are the people you meet friendly?
Since the number of kids in your major will be much smaller than 800 at both universities, you will likely feel a part of a smaller sub-group at either place. Engineers tend to have to take a lot of the same classes, so hopefully you would be surrounded by familiar faces each year.
I hope you win the lottery and are fortunate enough to have the choice of these two schools or similar ones in the future. Don’t forget to apply to a range of schools, not just competitive ones.
@MOMANDBOYSTWO you make a valid point. Though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to visit both. Thank you I hope I have the opportunity to choose between the two as well!
What major are you going for? My girlfriend went to CAL for landscape architecture and it was a breeze for her.
what school did you decide on?
I went to Berkeley in the dinosaur days and loved it!. My daughter is at Cornell now and loves it and we love it for her.
Coming in late to the discussion, I would add my two cents to say, the schools are comparable in stature and academics.
The big differences?
Cornell has very cold winters. Berkeley has great weather year round. That alone is a deciding factor for many Californians. But since you are from OOS, you may be used to the cold winters and Cornell may suit you just fine.
My daughter still hasn’t gotten used to it, even after 3 years.
Berkeley has huge classes in the first two years. My daughter found it easier to get the classes she wanted at Cornell. Not Getting the classes you want at Berkeley when you want them is a common complaint.
Berkeley is in an urban area and has all the benefits of being in an urban area but all the disadvantages. The crime rate is worse at Berkeley than at Cornell, but overall Berkeley is still safer than other nearby cities.
Cornell is in a rural area and hard to get to. It’s safe and we like that for our daughter.
both campuses are scenic. cornell has the beautiful gorges. Berkeley has the views of San Francisco Bay and the sun setting behind the golden gate bridge.
Berkeley has a PAC-12 football team and all the school spirit associated with college football. We hate Stanford. Nobody attends Cornell football games. Their big sport in Cornell is ice hockey. They throw fish on the ice against Harvard.
Berkeley has a very diverse population and there is easy transportation access from the airports.
Cornell is harder to get too via airport.
When you graduate from college, where do you want to be? East Coast or West coast?
If you are looking for a CS job in the SF Bay Area, Berkeley has a slight edge, because all the high tech companies know about Berkeley, but my daughter had no problems with a Cornell resume to find a CS internship and job in the Bay Area.
Which school would be cheaper for you? The OOS tuition at Berkeley is steep, but Cornell’s cost isn’t cheap either.
Are you eligible for financial aid? Cornell has financial aid for any student who needs it. There is no financial aid for OOS students at Berkeley.
So in summary: decide on WEATHER, URBAN vs RURAL, Big vs medium size school. where you want to locate after college? EAST vs WEST coast. COST.
good luck/ let us know what you decided.