<p>I've been accepted to several colleges but my choice is between UC Berkeley or University of Washington. I am an engineering major. Which is the all-around better choice? I live in Arizona so I would be OOS for both. Thanks for any advice!</p>
<p>This was my choice too. I’m an environmental science major, so it’s a little different, but I have taken some of the introductory science courses here and I know about budget cuts at UW so I can give some perspective. </p>
<p>I’m in-state, so the decision came down to money for me. I would say that the quality of education is fairly equal between the two, but budget cuts here in Washington look much worse than those in California. It appears that California is saving Berkeley from the worst and putting most of the strain on other universities. Both schools have excellent programs and I believe that UW has a slightly lower cost. You’ll find equally rigorous programs in both schools, but it is a little less competitive here at UW. Another thing is that unless you have been directly admitted to UW’s engineering program, you are not yet an engineering major. If Berkeley has accepted you I believe that you won’t have to apply again, which will save you a lot of stress, since many aspiring UW engineers don’t qualify for the program when application time comes around (depending on their program). Also the quarter system at UW can be very stressful for science/tech. majors because there is a lot of testing in a short period of time. </p>
<p>Do your research and hopefully get some more info. from Berkeley students, good luck!</p>
<p>Washington is a great school, but in no way can you really say the quality of education ^^ is fairly equal. It’s Berkeley. You’re OOS too, so Berkeley sounds like the easy answer here.</p>
<p>You have to visit both the schools. They are VERY different. And of course look at cost.</p>
<p>Berkeley is a phenomenal college town. Surrounding the campus is everything from little shops and restaurants to bars with small concerts. It’s a relatively short drive from San Francisco, and the school itself is a lot of fun to roam around. Berkeley’s engineering school is really selective, and relatively small compared to other areas of study within the university.
I’ve been to both Berkeley and UW to visit, and might be biased because I’m from near Berkeley, but I’d definitely suggest Berkeley. :]</p>