<p>Hello all, longtime lurker here. So it's nearing the end of May and I still haven't decided on which school to SIR to. Any and all help will be appreciated!</p>
<p>Here's my situation: I've been accepted into Berkeley and UCLA for Fall 2011. I'm an English major, and I've heard that Berkeley has one of the best English undergrad programs in the country. However, I'm from LA and UCLA has been my target school since high school (because I honestly thought my chances of getting into Berkeley were literally nil), and I have a great job here that is super flexible with my class schedule. My only concern now is that the English undergrad program at UCLA is not as great as the one at Berkeley, because I've heard almost nothing about UCLA except that it is a great pre-med school. Both are giving me about the same amount of financial aid, and I don't really care about NorCal versus SoCal or whatever.</p>
<p>So, tl;dr: which school offers the better English undergrad program, Berkeley or UCLA? Preferably not based on statistics (I know all that already) but from personal experience.</p>
<p>I’m from LA too and have as much LA love as anyone I know. However, if in your shoes, I would NOT pass up the opportunity to go to the #1 English program in the entire nation (UCB).</p>
<p>What were your stats btw?</p>
<p>Honestly, I have heard great things about both UC Berkeley’s and UCLA’s English programs. Actually, a friend of mine in Berkeley is an English major and has had some great professors and challenging classes but she loves it there. Same with my other friend at UCLA. She says the department is supportive and loves their class offerings. </p>
<p>UC Berkeley ranks #1 in USNWR, while UCLA is at #10. awesome! <a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/english-rankings[/url]”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/english-rankings</a>
However I haven’t heard anything negative about either programs, AT ALL.
In your case, I’d say choose UCLA-you can’t go wrong. You’ll keep your job, attend your dream school, and get an excellent education. </p>
<p>Also, what career(s) are you interested in after you get your BA?</p>
<p>Good luck and congrats…!</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your thoughts!</p>
<p>Here are my stats:</p>
<p>Major: English
GPA: 3.9 (Cumulative), 4.0 (Major)
IGETC: Yes
TAP: Yes
EC/Work: Part-time job, worked in family business since high school, Dean’s Honors List.</p>
<p>And I do agree that staying in LA would mean keeping my current lifestyle, but the prospect of such a great opportunity at Berkeley… it’s a very hard decision. And actually, after getting my BA I was considering law school or the like, so either school would really open up doors. Hmm…</p>
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<p>yowhatup11 pretty much nailed it. If your plan is law school, Berkeley is a better shot imo. But if you’re making a decent amount of money in your current job, you should just stay in LA. Law school requires lots of $$$$.</p>
<p>I think your decision should be based on other factors that aren’t based on what is perceived as either the best, or better, program. Even if UCLA isn’t #1, it will still have a great program, just like most universities, that are top schools, will generally have strong programs as well.
Considering the major, English, I don’t think there are any practical benefits for attending the #1 school or #N school for the major as an undergrad. English undergrad is not Law School or graduate school, where you benefit the most from attending the highest ranked program. It’s not like Berkeley English undergrads are all offered publishing deals upon graduation, or are in high demand by employers for the skills learned specifically by being a Berkeley English undergrad(vs any other school). The only benefit I can see in attending the #1 school for the major is if your intentions are to go on to a phd program, and you take advantage of having access to the most well known and highly regarded professors in the field who can then hopefully write you a letter of recommendation when you apply to grad programs.
But if a phd is not your plan(even if it is your plan), make your decision on other factors.
Where do you plan to live after college, So Cal or No Cal? Each schools career resources will serve you best in the region where your school is located in.
Will you regret your choice if you find yourself not interested in English as a major after all?
Have you looked at the curriculum and requirements of the English major at each school? Each program is different, what you are required to take in one English department may be an elective in another. Also, the classes actually offered at a school can vary greatly from what is listed in the course catalog. Does either Berkeley or UCLA offer classes that actually interest you? Check past class offerings(not the course catalogs) to see what classes are frequently offered during the school year at both schools.</p>
<p>From my experience, and I admit I haven’t looked at UCB’s course offerings, UCLA’s english program offers some of the most interesting courses. I might have considered majoring in it or minoring in it if it weren’t for the fact that the actual major requires you to take a lot of classes in specific time periods and taking classes on specific authors/writers. My interest lied more with the electives and seminars offered, than with the classes required by the major. </p>
<p>With all that said, all things being equal(financial aid) I think if I were in your shoes, I’d opt for Berkeley. My reason being mainly having to do with the new living experience. I’ve lived in LA my whole life, and having the freedom and opportunity to make a choice where you can experience a different environment seems interesting to me… Once you are out in the real world, working full time, the possibility of packing up your bags and moving from place to place to experience different environments and cultures may not be as feasible unless you have money saved up or will have the freedom to not work.</p>
<p>Same as what most said. I had the same choice to make and I chose to transfer to Berkeley this fall as an English major. I’ve lived in SoCal forever and thought that I would probably be much more comfortable socially in LA (plus close to friends,etc). But i thought I’d be cheating myself if I didn’t go to the #1 program and decided it’s healthy to have a change of experience.
Also, think about if you might get better grades in the semester system or the quarter system, especially if you’re planning for law school afterward. Nevertheless I’ve heard that they are both very excellent programs that will both look great on a resume.</p>
<p>It’s a drive away… still in CA people. not like he’s going out of state. </p>
<p>Who’s to say you’re not going to meet new friends at Berk? </p>
<p>If you want to go to law school the FACT is that most IVY league schools recruit ONLY from Berkeley out of all the UC’s. Look it up, fact.</p>
<p>Anyway, I think what other people on the forum are trying to say is that either way you can’t go wrong… which is probably right. However, I think if you’re going to major in English, doing it at the nations #1 university is the right way to go</p>
<p>I actually wasn’t aware that Berkeley had the best English program in the nation. No one has ever told me about that; however, I have A LOT of friends who got accepted into UCLA’s English program. One person even completed undergrad and a PhD there. I would say Cal and UCLA are about neck and neck, though I have a feeling Berkeley provides more grad school opportunities.</p>
<p>I’m from LA and I go to SMC - I used to hate it here, but now I’m used to it and I love it. My family and friends are here too and I’ve got a pretty cool job. UCLA is my target school too. Choosing all depends on you. </p>
<p>Do you wanna keep everything you have here or go experience a new life, make new friends, live in a city with AWESOME food? (I visit the Bay Area once a year just for their food)</p>
<p>Hey there. I’m another English major who had to choose between Cal and UCLA, but I ended up with UCLA.</p>
<p>I think you should also consider the environment. While I’m sure you can make every atmosphere work for you, the campus you feel the most comfortable at (as well as the surrounding area) WILL contribute to how well you adapt to the change. I personally liked UCLA’s campus and surrounding area more than Cal’s and felt much more comfortable. </p>
<p>Secondly, have you looked into additional minors, double majors, programs, or clubs that will interest you? I knew that I wanted to supplement my English degree with something considering it is so general. If you want to go to law school, you MAY not have the same concerns, but at least a minor would give you a good fall back because your degree will not just be English (critical thinking, analysis, and good communication skills) but perhaps a minor in political science or history will give you a good edge for newspaper writing and etc. Check out these things at both schools on their websites if it’s a concern of yours.</p>
<p>Have you looked into the student ratings of the professors? I was able to find Bruinwalk.com which had amazing ratings for the English professors. In fact, a majority of the overall best ratings were for English teachers there, which is really promising.</p>
<p>There’s much more to it than name recognition and it takes time to dive deeper into all of these elements that will inevitably affect you at the university level. Cal was initially my dream school but after seeing both campuses, looking at their academics (I’m also coming from the semester system and SO tired of it), looking at the programs offered, the professor ratings in my given field, and other things, I realized that there is much more beyond that. </p>
<p>I think at this level, as some have mentioned, the prestige is negligible. You have so many opportunities coming from both schools. If you’re planning on going to law school, you should consider how environment and perhaps having a job with more strict hours might affect your GPA. Just wanted to offer some other opinions from someone who has done way too much research on this stuff. Good luck no matter where you choose :)</p>
<p>I went through the same dilemma too! UCLA was always my dream school so I thought I would still turn down Berkeley if I got into both. I researched A LOT. I especially looked into internships and job opportunities since I’d love to get a government related internship or do something that involved public policy. I may pursue law school as well but I didn’t really factor in whether or not Berkeley would give me an ~<em>edge</em>~ in that regard. </p>
<p>I’m from the Bay and also wanted to be able to come back here for a job more easily so that was a factor for me. I actually really liked LA’s classes way more but something about Berkeley drew me in. If you haven’t already, visit the campuses – or see where you could see yourself. That cemented my decision. I didn’t want to live 7+ hours away from home and only come back during breaks. I will also have my car at either place so I HATED LA traffic. Bay Area traffic can be annoying but it’s not as horrible as So Cal. I like the distance Berkeley gives me – but not so much that I can’t come home for a weekend!</p>
<p>Berkeley’s program no longer requires you to pick a concentration so you can take any classes you want. I also have room to take a minor, and I found one that really interest me. I’m actually bit a nervous switching to semester from quarter but I think it’s good. I was also a little more scared of Berkeley (even though I’m sure the rigor is the same at both), but I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone.</p>
<p>Just really research everything – academics, clubs/organizations, internships, food, entertainment/recreation, weather, etc. – and see what is more you. Either school will be a great choice as their programs are both highly regarded.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>a college ranking has NOTHING to do with its academics. What it does have to do with is the amount of funding and donations they get. You can check it out on Forbes top schools. If a school gets little funding, it does not rank, therefore, people think it is not a good school. This is not true. Many past presidents daughters go to non-ranking private schools and have stellar educations. These kids are brilliant! The academics are good, that is why. If Presidents gave more money to these schools, they would rank higher…but then tuition would go up, the classes would get over crowded, and the institution itself might have to change to meet demand. Also, some schools are nonprofit, so there is no way/no need to compete for top rank - some see academics as more important than ranking and the burden of maintaining the image of a name. As long as they have enough money to operate, they are happy. I guess I should tell you that Ivy Leauge has absolutely nothing to do with academics either (its all about identifying a sport type…so why are so many people trying to get into them? Ranking!). </p>
<p>when thinking about programs, you should think of which program is going to give you the most bang for you buck, you know, which one will take you the furthest. If it is a MA/PhD program, think about the professors you would like to work with, and what you want to do in the future.</p>
<p>People who think schools are ranked based on academics are in the dark and sound rather silly. If you want to attend the school with the most funders - Berkeley all the way. But if you want to attend a school that is good for you, take a moment and research institutions. It may very well be that Berkeley is for you. </p>
<p>Don’t forget that because of ignorance, people think Berkeley’s ranking has to do with its academics and the name goes a long way. However, I caution, are you willing to leave somewhere not as smart or fulfilled as you could be just for a name? (Not that this is/will be the case, just something to think about).</p>
<p>Good luck with your choice, and please do note the difference between good school and rank. I know its too late, but this is something everyone should know. Its never too late to educate yourself.
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<p>Someone forgot the date today…
I guess the OP has SIRed to either Cal/LA and is having a good first semester there already lol</p>