UC Berkeley vs. Brown (2017)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

Please Help! I received the UC Berkeley Regents’ Scholarship so Cal would cost me $10,000 while Brown would cost me $20,000 but I would be able to do work-study and work summers to bring Brown down to $15,000 so my parents are telling me not to let cost determine where I go anymore.

I plan to major in Environmental Science and add another major, possibly chemistry. I visited both schools and I liked UC Berkeley’s campus better because it seemed more active. However, I know that Brown’s curriculum and courses would be better for me because of the small class sizes and the Open Curriculum. I plan to go to law or graduate school and I know that going to Brown would help get me into a great grad school (given how Brown’s placement to grad school and law school is a lot better). I also love that the students at Brown are just so nice. At Brown, I know I would get a great education without as much stress as at UC Berkeley. However, I feel like I would fit right in UC Berkeley and my heart (is the heart overrated?) is saying UC Berkeley even though my thoughts say Brown. I have only visited UC Berkeley last year for a weekend and I only visited Brown last week for 3 days in the cold rain so I don’t think that I have a true feeling of the campuses.

2

@Llamma

Are you used to the cold weather? Brown can be very cold in the winter.

3

They’re very different schools, for pre law I’d lean to Brown, but majoring in a science is not typical of pre law students they usually major in government, history, poly sci so they get experience reading, writing, researching in undergrad, which is a big part of law school. For science, I’d lean to UCB, lol, it’s a tough choice I agree. Berkeley is sprawling, more nature-ish, more into sports, and of course protests and free speech. It’s a grittier place than Brown as well. Also the demographics are different, take a look at that as well. Brown is going to have better access to professors, smaller class sizes, more resources. If you know you’re going to law school, go with Brown, if you think you’re going to change say to consulting and want to switch to economics, UCB would be the way.

4

If you can afford the extra $5k ($20k total) for Brown, choose based on fit… so:

If you prefer Brown and can afford it, go to Brown.

If they are tied or if you prefer Berkeley, go to Berkeley.