UC Berkeley (regents) vs UCLA vs UT Dallas (full ride)

College Search & Selection
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I received the UC Berkeley regents scholarship (as well as regents in every other UC except for UCLA) and I got into UCLA without regents, berkeley for L&S (hope to do economics or maybe economics/statistics) and UCLA for economics/math (but I think I might just end up doing regular economics- is it hard to switch). I’m an in-state student, so they both work out to be around $32,000/year, which my parents can likely afford, but they told me they would expect me to work in the school year & summer, and cut costs when I can. At UT Dallas, I got a full ride (from national merit), plus $6,000 for study abroad and honors program, for finance/economics major- at UT Dallas, I can likely stand out a bit more, get a good GPA, and of course, don’t need a job, and can save money in case I want to go to graduate school. I’ve visited both Berkeley and UT Dallas, of course, completely different schools- I really liked Berkeley’s campus, but it definitely seemed very stressful. UT Dallas was slightly dull, but they are a very academic school, which I like, and it’s, of course, free (I was a McDermott scholars finalist for UT Dallas but I didn’t get in). I hope to visit UCLA soon (though Cal day and bruin day are on the same day, don’t know where to go).

As for what I’m looking for in a college fit, I 'll be happy anywhere in a school that’s relatively collaborative and friendly, and more academic. I genuinely enjoy learning and trying out different subjects, but I tend to get stressed fairly easily, so I was worried that UC Berkeley might be wayy too stressful. I’m also afraid that Berkeley (and probably UCLA) may be do difficult for me, since I didn’t take a very hard courseload in high school, so I wonder if I’ll be able to handle it (what if I don’t get the minimum gpa to get into Berkeley/UCLA economics major). This likely wouldn’t be as much of an issue in UT Dallas, since the average gpa tends to be a bit higher. I really do not care whatsoever about the party/social scene- I’m definitely not planning to party or join greek life. A spirited school may be nice, but not a priority. Dorms/food matter, but my primary focus is on academics (and maybe clubs). I also really like asking questions and getting to know my teachers, and I heard that both Berkeley and UCLA have very large class sizes, so I’m worried I can’t ask questions to professors at the UCs (though there are TAs as well). However, both UCLA/UCB are very good for my major, especially UCB, and getting into to them, especially regents at Berkeley, seems like an amazing opportunity to be surrounded by incredibly smart peers and teachers, and learn a lot as well. Anyone have suggestions? I’m open to other UCs as well, does anyone think another UC might be a better fit?

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anyone?

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OK, I’ll bite – with the caveat that I don’t know the campus at UT Dallas. So I can’t discuss its vibe as compared to Cal and UCLA, campuses I know pretty well.

Obviously Berkeley and UCLA are “name” schools, and while UT Austin is a superb university, UT Dallas is less well known. But let’s get real: it’s still the University of Texas and it likely has excellent connections to the Dallas business community where you’re likely to get exciting internships.

Don’t underestimate the prestige of being on a full scholarship. You list it on your resume, and prospective employers will notice. And be impressed.

As an economics/statistic major, with likely good internships, you will get a job when you leave school. So the “name” factor isn’t as crucial to your post-graduate success as it would have been if you were, say, a history major.

You will graduate debt free and without burdening your parents in any way for your education. You can do study abroad for free!

As a Cal grad, and a relative of quite a few Bruins, I can tell you that this is a bit of a no-brainer for me. A full ride, with study abroad, that’s an offer you shouldn’t refuse. It carries with it significant bragging rights and you should feel very good about this significant accomplishment.

Wishing you the best – and congratulations.

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If you intend to go to graduate study in economics, you may want to consider the recommendations to take additional upper level math and statistics, as well as more quantitative economics courses, regardless of which school you attend:
https://www.econ.berkeley.edu/undergrad/current/preparing-for-grad-school

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As a Regents scholar you are in the top ~3% of students, so it seems unlikely that you will need to worry too much about grades. Normally I’d be a fan of taking the money (that’s what my kids did and we have no regrets) but I wouldn’t underestimate how much of a benefit the Regents scholarship is, both during college (first pass class registration and guaranteed housing) and later on (where it will stand out more on your resume than an NMF full ride). Even though my S chose UCLA over Berkeley and is glad he did, I think a Regents scholarship would have tipped the decision the other way.

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I agree that you should not underestimate both the gravitas and the practical benefit of Regents. In addition to prestige, it comes with registration priority, even ahead of athletes. In the UC system this is a tremendous perk. In terms of your two UC choices, I would not turn down Regents at Berkeley for non-Regents at UCLA.

The relative value of the full ride at UTD is a different and more subjective question. A lot of the value of Berkeley lies in the opportunity to connect with the top-tier scholarship that happens at the graduate level. I would take a deeper look into undergrad research opportunities https://www.econ.berkeley.edu/undergrad/current/research-opportunities - look at the research areas of specific professors and see what sparks your interest. Then look at UTD and compare what would be available to you. Compare specific study abroad opportunities as well.

Tough call - good luck with the decision!

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Thank you all for your help!

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FWIW at least 5 or 6 of my kid’s rivals in the chess world from the West Coast took full ride chess scholarships in the last 2 or 3 years from UTD. But other kids that I know of who got offered turned it down to go to places like MIT, Stanford, Princeton and Brandeis presumably not on scholarship. They are one of the few schools that have a full competitive chess team that competes worldwide. The school seems to give out a ton of scholarships in general. I’m not sure if all the scholarships that they give out for NMF and chess and other reasons is a good thing or not.

Anyhow it is a tough decision, especially with Regents. Personally speaking if you can get into Haas I would lean towards Berkeley. There is a cost difference but it’s not a gigantic cost difference since you’re in-state.