<p>My parents more than me are very apprehensive about the fact that UC Berkeley offers a BA degree for computer science and therefore take more kindly to the UCSD program. Can anybody tell me if the difference in distinction will have an effect on my future job endeavors. My parents are pretty sure that if I am pitted up against someone that has a BS degree I will surely loose the job. I went to Triton day and I was more than happy with the university but my heart's at Berkeley. At the same time I don't want nicer dorms and prestige to be the deciding factor. If a BS degree opens more doors I am more than willing to go to UCSD. Any opinions!!</p>
<p>Are your parents Computer Science graduates? I received my BS Computer Science degree from a tier 2 college some 30 years ago. Over the years, I have encountered hundreds of Computer Science graduates from all kinds of schools. I have interviewed them, or being interviewed by many. To be honest, I have never noticed if their Computer Science degree is a BA or BS. CS is a CS. Go where you want to go.</p>
<p>Berkeley CS > UCSD, plus more job/internship opportunities in the Bay Area.</p>
<p>BS/BA makes no difference. At Berkeley, History is a BS. (If it really bugs you, write BS on your resume when you’re applying for jobs. Nobody cares.) </p>
<p>Berkeley’s CS program is better than any other school’s in the country, except maybe Stanford and MIT. And you’re in the Bay Area, the hub of Silicon Valley…seriously, you shouldn’t have to sell your parents on the Berkeley CS program. Maybe they just don’t want you to go to Berkeley, period.</p>
<p>San Diego has a lot of tech companies also. One thing about Berkeley is yes, you are in the silicon valley but wouldn’t there be more competition for the internship positions?
As everyone there is also probably the top 5% from where ever they came from.</p>
<p>So visit the schools and go with what fits your personality.</p>
<p>Also curious, you said nicer dorms? Is that ucsd?</p>
<p>Are you kidding?</p>
<p>Berkeley >>>> UCSD on any resume or application ever. I don’t think anyone cares about BS v BA but even if they did, it wouldn’t matter nearly as much as the first thing.</p>
<p>Hope you enjoy the homeless if you go to Cal (Berkeley) .</p>
<p>Please don’t say you were referring to Cal when you said “nicer dorms”. Hahahahaha.</p>
<p>On the other hand, what flutterfly_28 said. There is simply no question about it.
Do your parents want to fuss about a letter on a piece of paper, or do they want to see you have a good career?</p>
<p>Smart employers won’t care a bit. If the employer really disadvantages you because of that, it’s because he doesn’t know enough about Berkeley’s program, and in that case you don’t want to work for them anyway.</p>
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That is a real irresponsible remark (From an adult) in a website that caters to Berkeley students.
And when did you last visit berkeley? Yes, it is not Westwood but isn’t as bad either. Just like NY or SF. Took summer classes for 2 terms there…and it wasn’t an issue. There is so much going on and so many places to eat. A random homeless guy is no big deal. Just ignore and walk on by.
USC is more dangerous [2</a> USC Students Murdered During Attempted Carjacking Near Campus CBS Los Angeles](<a href=“http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/04/11/2-usc-students-murdered-during-attempted-carjacking-near-campus/]2”>2 USC Students Murdered During Attempted Carjacking Near Campus - CBS Los Angeles)
UChicago - known for its gritty areas
UPenn- Same
Columbia - isn’t it like near Harlem?
NYU - yes random homeless everywhere
Yale - <a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-09-17-yale-student-thursday_N.htm[/url]”>http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-09-17-yale-student-thursday_N.htm</a>
UCSD - itself is 30 minutes from Tijuana, Mexico border
and I can keep going…</p>
<p>Berkeley offers much more in a college experience vs. UCSD (University of California Socially Dead) and La Jolla.</p>
<p>Both are good. I don’t think BA versus BS matters. Berkeley has better reputation and culture and spirit. San Diego has better weather and might be easier.</p>
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<p>If your parents are telling you that UCSD is better than Berkeley for computer science because UCSD offers a BS instead of a BA, I’d be really worried about what else they will tell you later in your career. There will be much more important choices to make during and after college.</p>
<p>I guess a lot of people come to ask questions at college confidential because they don’t have a lot of family members that are rich, successful, and knowledgable about colleges and careers. I think college confidential should somehow reorganize their website so that the insider information that CC’ers come to search for are organized and thereby more easily findable. There should also be some kind of ranking system where people can click agree/disagree on answers to certain questions such as: “Is Berkeley better than UCSD for computer science?”. The highest ranked answers for both opposing opinions would then be pitted up against each other. This would allow people to see the best arguments for both view points.</p>
<p>For UCSD:
“UCSD is better than Berkeley for computer science because UCSD has better weather, and this would allow you to be happier and enjoy college, thereby increasing your chance to do well in college. La Jolla is a cleaner and much more beautiful city than Berkeley, so you will definitely have a great time at La Jolla. Moreover, since the admission standards of UCSD are considerably lower than that of Berkeley, it will be easier to perform well against your peers. Finally, the rankings in Berkeley are based on prestige and faculties’ resumes, NOT teaching effectiveness. You should think about how you will benefit from your education in college. Do you really think Berkeley’s professors would be better at teaching than UCSD’s professors? They got where they are because of their ability to succeed, not their ability to make others succeed. It’s likely that the teaching quality is not better or worse in either schools. Thus, the prestige factor would not benefit your education, it would just make your resume look better. But I would say that you will benefit much more from getting the same education where you would at Berkeley at UCSD because you would also get to enjoy La Jolla at the same time. On the other hand, Socal is really sunny, and you might increase your chance of getting skin cancer there. So there are trade-offs to everything. Because of this, you should visit both schools and don’t blow off UCSD over Berkeley as quickly as most people would.”</p>
<p>For Berkeley:
“Berkeley is without a doubt ranked in the top 3 for computer science in the nation in terms of prestige and marketability of its degree (no citation needed… ask any hiring manager in Silicon Valley, and they would agree). Berkeley is better than UCSD for computer science because employers in the field would definitely regard the Berkeley degree in a better light than that from UCSD. Employers from Silicon Valley are jumping to hire Berkeley students year-round.”</p>
<p>I wouldn’t factor in the weather when making your decision. Maybe if you were choosing UCSD vs MIT, where they have real weather… but Berkeley isn’t that terribly different than SoCal - a little more wet in the winter (but nothing like the Pacific Northwest) and foggy in the summer. But honestly, compared to the weather in most places in the world, it’s pretty close to perfect. And yes, Cal has UCSD beat hands down when it comes to computer science and proximity to silicon valley jobs.</p>
<p>UC San Diego has much nicer weather than UC Berkeley. I’ve attended both.</p>