<p>I'm out of state, sadly....so I'd bepaying full price for either school because my family doesn't qualify for any aid either. I am pretty torn at the moment. At first I thought Berkeley, then I was leaning towards Cornell and now I'm back in the middle again. How cut throat is the premed program at Berkeley? And will i really be one of hundreds, hence less attention from profs? And also, is it tought to get a decent GPA at Berkeley? I mean, is it rare to meet kids with 3.5+'s? Berkeley means SFO, which is where my extended family lives which is a perk because Ithaca is in the middle of nowhere. But, how is the school spirit at Berkeley? I want a tight knit college...is that possible there? I'm visiting during Cal weekend and I can't wait...so any feedback? How do the premed programs compare? Thanks for the advice!</p>
<p>funny, i was in your shoes 4 years ago, deciding between cornell and berkeley. I chose Berkeley, and I don't regret it one bit. Keeping a 3.5+ GPA is very possible. If you know in your heart that you want to go to med school, become an MCB major because that major in geared for pre-health professionals. Be sure to get active volunteering as soon as possible, but devout much of your free time during freshmen year to finding your niche in terms of your social life and activities. Be sure to visit the Berkeley Hills/ Northside of Berkeley when you visit....many people only see the slum part of Berkeley (Southside; bordering Oakland) when they visit and they get discouraged from attedning Cal. North Berkeley Hills is one of the most beautiful places i'ver ever lived in, and i'd like to return here after i get a career going. Be sure to check out the view from the UC Botanical Gardens and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab on the hill. Take a car ride through the hills if possible and stick around long enough to see the sunset over SF Bay. Berkeley is a very close knit campus considering it's a HUGE campus...you'll love it.</p>