<p>Hey guys. </p>
<p>I have been accepted to both UC Berkeley and Columbia School of General Studies and I am having a hard time deciding which to attend. I love the idea of both schools for very different reasons. I am a physics major, so the physics program at UC Berkeley is extremely enticing. It seems like academically UC Berkeley might be a better place for a physics major (research opportunities etc...). However, I have grown up in California not too far from UC Berkeley. The idea of moving to NY and attending a school like Columbia (Ivy League, private, out-of-state etc...) sounds amazing (and more what I set out for when I began applying to schools). </p>
<p>So basically, I am stuck between making what seems like the best choice academically for my major and making the choice that might ultimately be a better, more interesting college experience. </p>
<p>I have been offered effectively a full scholarship to both schools, so cost is not really a concern.</p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>But isn’t columbia gs more for adults/continuing education? Their actual full college is Columbia College and/or Fu School of Engineering for undergrads. I would rather go to Berkeley vs. GS. It would have been a different story had you been accepted to Columbia College or Fu Engineering</p>
<p>I was hoping this thread wouldn’t turn into a thread about GS’s reputation as there are already many of them out there haha. Columbia GS is one of the three official undergraduate college at Columbia University. Same classes, same professors, and still a degree from Columbia University. It’s basically just a different admission board reviewing the applications looking at some different criteria.</p>
<p>But isn’t the Columbia GS for non traditional students? For a traditional student it sounds like Berkeley would offer more advantages.</p>
<p>I am a non-traditional student (I probably should have put that in the original post). I took 10 years off between high school and college.</p>
<p>I’ve worked for physicists who got their phDs in engineering at Cal Tech. When their daughter, a geophysics major now enrolled at UC Berkeley, was applying to colleges they made her apply to Columbia on the basis of how strong it is in both teaching physics, and providing research opportunities to students. </p>
<p>I’d go with Columbia, assuming costs are equal. Why not explore a new city? It’s not as though your physics education would be noticeably worse if you went to Columbia. Also the school of General Studies may be better for students in your situation. It appears as though GS students can take a wide variety of courses in physics [Courses</a> | General Studies](<a href=“http://gs.columbia.edu/courses]Courses”>Courses < School of General Studies | Columbia University)</p>
<p>Are you certain that you have the full COA covered at Columbia? What is the breakdown of your aid pkg there. GS usually doesn’t meet need nor give great aid.</p>
<p>also, as someone who has moved across the country, it is super expensive to do so. Do you have the funding for that?</p>
<p>Sorry, meant to write engineers who majored in physics and went on to get their phDs in physics and engineering at Cal Tech. </p>
<p>Anyways, would you be fine with Columbia’s Core [The</a> Core | General Studies](<a href=“http://gs.columbia.edu/the-core]The”>http://gs.columbia.edu/the-core) From what friend at Columbia tells me that’s the biggest drawback to a Columbia education. It seriously restricts the courses you can take during your college career but gives students an excellent overview into many different ways of thinking about life. </p>
<p>UC Berkeley, although it has gen eds, is far more lenient regarding which courses you can take.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids, they generally don’t offer much aid. They have named me one of the PALS scholars, which I guess is one of their biggest awards and comes with all tuition and fees covered. </p>
<p>whenhen, that’s actually really helpful information. Thank you.</p>
<p>How much of each school’s financial aid offer is loans and work versus grants? Be careful with this when comparing financial aid packages.</p>
<p>[Special</a> Scholarships | General Studies](<a href=“http://gs.columbia.edu/special-scholarships]Special”>Institutional Scholarships | School of General Studies) indicates that the PALS award may include Perkins and Stafford loans and work study.</p>
<p>Would you be entering as frosh or junior transfer?</p>
<p>Berkeley College of Letters and Science general education requirements are here:
[url=<a href=“http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/requirement/summary.html]Office”>http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/requirement/summary.html]Office</a> of Undergraduate Advising: Summary of Degree Requirements<a href=“However,%20if%20you%20are%20a%20transfer%20from%20a%20California%20community%20college%20who%20has%20completed%20IGETC,%20that%20can%20replace%20most%20of%20them.”>/url</a></p>
<p>Having some experience with CU, I would recommend Berkeley.</p>