<p>Strange comparison, i know.
I don't mean to sound presumptuous, but if it came down to it that I happened to be accepted to both schools, which do you think would be the best choice?? which would i be happier at? i'm a kinda optimistic person who likes to have fun and also be good at school.</p>
<p>Berkeley-
Pro:
--I love the feel of California and plus, once my parents are settled there for 1 year, i would get in-state tuition
--Great, well-known name, great departments
--Good sciences and math</p>
<p>Cons:
--when i visited, i didn't LOVE it.
--Northern California is still kinda cold.
--Budget problems in UC system
--hippies? hahaa idk</p>
<p>Rice U:
Pro:
--GORGEOUS campus and spanish architecture
-welcoming student body, kinda quirky, #1 happiest students & best quality of life!!
--warm weather (though i hear August is unbearably humid)
--Houston is a lively city
--good for engineering and math
--#17</p>
<p>Con:
--IDK how much financial aid i'll be getting--i hear Rice is good for FA, but who knows?
Family income ~120 K
--extreme heat</p>
<p>What do you think i should go for? i'll probably want to study civil/mechanical Engineering, or law or Econ</p>
<p>In your situation I would choose Berkeley because of the instate tuition, and I kinda like that whole hippie scene. In my situation, I would choose Rice though, because I see no point in going to a public school from out of state.</p>
<p>If you are applying to both though, Rice though, there is a chance you will get a merit scholarship, especially if you’re engineering, because they have specific scholarships for engineers.</p>
<p>Both are great schools and if finances do not end up making the decision for you, go where you feel happiest. That will make your college experience the best. </p>
<p>Also to consider is the defunding/ budget cuts plaguing the UC and CSU systems.</p>
<p>Loving the happiest students and top quality of life reputation. </p>
<p>Another factor to consider is the size. There is a huge difference between the amount of undergrads at Rice and the amount of undergrads at Berkeley. If I were you, I would try to imagine myself on a campus with 25,000 other students, as opposed to a campus with 4,000 others.</p>
<p>Speaking from experience, I find 4,000 an excellent size, because you can always find familiar faces, but will also consistently have opportunities to meet new people; furthermore, Rice’s classes are largely on the smaller end and, thus, allow for greater student-faculty interaction.</p>
<p>I can’t speak for Berkeley, as I have never been to a school that large. You may find that a larger school like Berkeley is what you are looking for. I’m just giving you an idea of what Rice’s size is like.</p>
<p>On a side note, I wouldn’t count Rice out because of finances until you know for a fact what your aid package will be. I was originally going to have to attend Vanderbilt because of financial aid, but after explaining my situation Rice bumped my package up to a full ride (with a couple thousand in loans). So if you decide you like Rice over Berkeley, don’t give up on Rice too quickly. I’m not saying you will like Rice over Berkeley for sure, just using hypotheticals.</p>
<p>Good luck with your apps and with the decisions that will come after.</p>
<p>Getting in state status for CA is much more difficult than your parents living there for a year. Make sure you are aware of the requirements before biting off a financial chunk you can’t chew.</p>
<p>Based on your personality (that I am able to glean from your various posts), I think you would like Berkeley better, however, that is without knowing you at all.</p>
<p>Hmm, cold? We were wearing shorts at Berkeley in February! It’s all a matter of perspective as home was several degrees colder. </p>
<p>The hippies are not obvious. They are there, but not a culture that will affect you one way or the other. The campus is nice. The budget is definitely a concern, but you should talk to current students about how it has affected them, if at all.</p>
<p>For my S, Rice is clearly his choice over UC-B. </p>
<p>If it comes down to those are the only 2 you are choosing from, I would definitely recommend a visit. They are not the same culturally/environmentally at all.</p>
<p>After I did extensive research on both schools, I felt that overall Rice beats UC Berkeley for an undergraduate education. If you want a specific degree like chemical engineering, for example, then I would choose Berkeley, but otherwise I would pick Rice.</p>
<p>I haven’t looked at it lately, but I think that the UC website(s) have a link about in-state status and how to obtain it. You should really look at that. Remember that at age 18, what your parents do (where they live), I believe has no impact on your state residency. I could be wrong though.</p>
<p>I think the bay area is cold because its never really warm. I counter the ‘shorts in February’ with my having to wear a sweater in August. Just my opinion on the weather.</p>
<p>I chose Rice over Berkeley for engineering. Key factors were campus size (Berkeley is huuuge by comparison), larger focus on undergrads → research opportunities/attention, and the residential college system (which is awesome).</p>
<p>Not only is Berkeley the most expensive option in the country if you are out of state, they will be raising the tuition even more once the budget crisis is settled!</p>
<p>As far as weather goes, having been a Texan my entire life, you get used to the weather. It is 110 July through August, but you get used to it. September and October are pretty mild, if you consider 70’s through high 90’s to be mild. November through April, it is pretty cold, if you consider 30’s through 60’s to be cold. May and June are about 90-105, for the most part.</p>
<p>Well I suppose I can’t speak specifically about Houston, but that’s what it is in Dallas. For some reason, they don’t show that on the “data”, but that’s what the thermometers say.
I suppose if Houston is 40 right now, there is a major difference between Houston and Dallas…</p>
<p>Wow… I really didn’t know that Houston was so much cooler! Sorry about the misinformation. I haven’t been around Houston specifically too too much in the summer.</p>
<p>It is not as hot, but the humidity makes you sweat within 5 seconds of being outside. I prefer the Dallas heat, as it does not feel like a sauna.</p>
<p>OP, I would treat this based on tuition affordability + the value of your diploma/degree. </p>
<p>If you will work outside of Texas later on, I think your Berkeley degree would carry far more value than a Rice degree. The top companies go to Berkeley to recruit talents on a regular basis. For example, Berkeley is a target school for BB firms. Silicon Valley is just right in the corner. That said, you may get more attention from your profs at Rice.</p>
<p>I disagree with this. Companies all over the country know the value of the Rice degree. Speaking from personal experience, I worked at a company in Silicon Valley and they were well aware of my school and the value of my engineering degree.</p>
<p>Berkeley is a great school as well. I don’t think that one degree is inherently worth more than the other.</p>
</p>