UC Berkeley or UC Davis Regents (please help)

Hello everyone! I’d like to preface this post by noting that I’ve seen the similar discussions from past years (I’ve been drowning myself in research for the past week). That being said, I would greatly appreciate any advice anyone could offer.

Anyhow, I was recently accepted to both UC Berkeley and UC Davis, the later with a regents scholarship that provides $30,000, access to professors, a special dorm room, and priority registration for classes among numerous other perks. Although I applied as a psychology major, double majoring is something I am very interested in, and I could see myself adding either philosophy or political science. In the long term, I can see myself either attending graduate school in psychology/philosophy or law school (there is very little chance I’m going to stop after undergrad!). As I’m sure you can already see, I tend to be rather indecisive.

I grew up in Berkeley and I absolutely love the bay area. Unfortunately, I was forced to move long before I was ready, and I am still very attached to Berkeley on both a geographic and aesthetic level. Furthermore, the prestige of the campus is unsurpassed, especially for both psychology and law. That all being said, I’ve traditionally been a very competitive student, and although that characteristic led me to be very successful in high school, I’m not sure I would appreciate an environment that fosters even more competition than I’m used to. After all, college is a place for expanding one’s horizons and Berkeley makes me feel as though I will either have to sacrifice a social life or abandon my plans for a double major (a course my love of learning all but forbids). Additionally, I worry Berkeley’s curved grading system would hinder my efforts to reach graduate school, for I’ve always excelled academically, but having to become the best of the best is daunting.

Enter UC Davis. First and foremost, my financial situation shouldn’t be an issue one way or another. However, the Regents Scholarship is far more than just money! It will give me access to professors and research that could prepare me well both internally (research experience/internships) and externally (letters of rec) for graduate school. The dorm situation seems far more agreeable at Davis. Additionally, the competitive spirit that pervades Berkeley seems far more temperate at Davis, which could allow me to double major, join a few ECs, socialize, and ultimately enjoy a far more comprehensive college experience. Davis seems like a preferable stepping stone to graduate school, but I’m worried that choosing Davis over Berkeley would put me at a disadvantage when it comes to employment opportunities. Additionally, as I said earlier, Berkeley (the city) is still my home and I’m very reluctant to relinguish my opportunity to return there. All this being said, I haven’t visited UC Davis yet—I know that doing so is very important, but the stress of this decision is tremendous and I don’t want to wait until the last minute to seek all the advice I can! So let’s just say I hypothetically enjoy the campus, as the descriptions I’ve seen and heard are very pleasant—but I plan to do so soon.
I apologize for the length of my post, but this dilemma is tearing me apart, so any advice or suggestions anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time.

Tough decision. After reading your post what stood out was your recognition of a “unique” opportunity and 30,000 dollars. I believe you will receive a first class education at Davis that will certainly prepare you for the rigors of grad school if you choose to do so. Go visit the school. My kids knew right when they stepped on campus it was the school them…

Go where you think you would be happier, don’t base your decision on prestige. Both are great schools and congrats on getting in! The UC system is highly regarded and you shouldn’t have trouble finding employment after graduating from either of those schools. You could still visit Berkeley while going to Davis! Your familiarity with Berkeley would probably make you feel good there, but visit Davis and see how you like it to. Make a list with pros and cons for both and see which one has the most benefits for you. Be careful though, for many of us who do excel in high school college is incredibly hard, the truth is we get worn out. So another thing would be to evaluate how much energy you still have to continue working hard and if you’re willing to be in an extremely competitive environment like Berkeley’s. Good luck!

I got regent’s at Davis as well and am choosing to attend. I highly recommend visiting the campus as soon as you can! I spent a few days in Davis and attended some of the honor’s events last week and I must say I fell in love. The honors dorms are great as well, there is an amazing community there! As for me, I didn’t apply to Berkeley because I knew a more relaxed, small college town like Davis was more my speed. Also, while maybe not as widely regarded as Berkeley the school is still extremely prestigious, and I feel that it would be easier to not just be another number in the crowd there. Obviously I’m biased, but I wish you luck in your decision!

Wow, my D is almost in the same spot and we are sitting on pins and needles.

Background:
CCC transfer from DVC
Sociology (pre-law) 4.0
IGETC done, will have all prereqs done by end of this semester
good EECs

Applied to UCB, UCD, and UCSC

Accepted with Regents & a TON of grants to UCSC
Waiting on UCB (#1 choice) and UCD (#3 choice)

Given law (graduate school) is the goal, I am in the boat to say Regents Scholar (and its access to research, projects, etc.,) with a great GPA will look awesome on a law school application. Possibly equal to UCB with none of the above.

You said money shouldn’t be an issue one way or another. That means your parents are paying, right?

Unless your parents are loaded, i’d still go with Davis.
I personally decided to go to Davis because it was the cheapest option for me, even though my parents could afford a more expensive college. This is the reason why:

Even if your parents have prepared money, it’s still their hard earned money. My dad is constantly working and rarely takes breaks. He’s retiring in a few years, and if that extra money can make my parent’s retirement more luxurious/relaxing in anyway, I will be happy.

The material taught/quality of education is same at Davis and Berkeley. It’s just that a lot of more competitive/more academically smart people go to Berkeley.

Thank you all for your advice! After visiting UC Davis I found it absolutely beautiful in both appearance and spirit. I will be attending for at least undergrad. I’ll see you fellow UHP students in a few months!

@Sairion Greetings! I’m an incoming UC Davis undergraduate within the University Honors Program. Happy to see someone else who has chosen the same! See you soon!

Is the Regents scholarship at UC Davis for OOS of $30k per year or $7.5k per year? What % of Tuition/ COA does it cover? Thanks and congratulations!