<p>So I got into Cal and Stern and Im very happy with my choices. The problem is deciding which one to go to this fall.</p>
<p>I am not too concerned about the campus and social life; I am sure that at any school I will find good friends and I'll be content in either city. So this is not a factor in my decision. I am mainly focussed on the academics and my future prospects with either school.</p>
<p>Berkeley has a great reputation overall and the Haas school is very prestigious as well. Also, I heard that there is grade inflation for courses outside of the sciences which is always a helpful plus. There are also negatives though; my entrance to Haas is uncertain since I have to apply from within. Furthermore, California has a budget crisis. Originally when i applied, I kinda ignored this fact and didnt think it was a big deal. However, my counsellor is urging me not to go because of the financial situation since they have cut classes and professors (I also heard some cant graduate within 4 years?). Can anyone explain the impact this had had on Cal and if this should deter me?</p>
<p>NYU as a whole is not as highly regarded as Cal but the Stern school seems to carry weight in business circles. The very important advantage of Stern is that it is NYC, and has a lot of opportunities for internships and jobs during and after school. On the downside, Stern is well known for its deflating Stern curve which makes it really difficult to obtain high marks. This worries me regarding my job and grad school prospects.</p>
<p>Overall, I think I am basically choosing between Cal's high prestige and Stern's job opportunities. What are the perceptions regarding Stern and Cal in the eyes of employers and grad schools? Which one will give me more opportunities for jobs or business school (i.e. higher grades, better career services, alumni connections, location etc)? </p>
<ul>
<li><p>If you’re pursuing a job in finance, Stern has many more opportunities. </p></li>
<li><p>If you’re interested in living in NYC in the future, Stern is better. If you plan on living in the SF Bay Area in the future, you might want to consider Haas.</p></li>
<li><p>Also, a problem with Haas is that because it’s a two-year program, we’re behind all the other business schools when it comes to what we’ve learned.</p></li>
<li><p>Not being able to graduate in 4 years is a myth. If you’re focused and not triple-majoring you’ll be able to graduate in 4 years easily unless you have the planning skills of a 4 year-old.</p></li>
<li><p>With regards to UC Berkeley, are you in-state or out-of-state?</p></li>
</ul>
[quote]
Also, a problem with Haas is that because it’s a two-year program, we’re behind all the other business schools when it comes to what we’ve learned.
[quote]
</p>
<p>yeah tell that to iv league kids majoring in history. and whens the last time people actually used what they learned in business school on the job?</p>
<p>OP: u’ll graduate within 4 years dont worry, haters (ie ur counselor) r gonna hate. if ur a chill kid, come to berkeley, if u want to be a grown up and wear suits go to stern</p>
<p>i just got into haas, pm me if u have more questions. btw i’m not worried at all about opportunities</p>
<p>Yeah, everyones been telling me how difficult a decision I have because both schools are so different and both have so many advantages. I think both will give me great opportunities but it really comes down to where I want to live: west vs. east. im an east coast kid and although california seems so chill, I probably will end up living in the east coast. in this case stern seems to be better. </p>
<p>i just feel like im losing on such a good opportunity by giving up berkeley…</p>
<p>im visiting nyc this weekend and san francisco next so hopefully this will help me make my decision.</p>
<p>Are you instate? I do not recommend Cal at OOS prices unless you are entering its Engineering or Chem program directly. Yes, Haas is possibly worth the OOS price, but choosing Cal is a HUGE risk. There is no guarantee that you can transfer into Haas Jr year. While a Cal Econ degree is solid, it is not undergrad biz. </p>
<p>If you are instate, Cal is less than half the price…a much different financial investment.</p>
<p>Two completely different cultures: NYC is NYU’s ‘campus’. Cal has college community, and school spirit and D1 sports.</p>
<p>Yes, I am an international. Berkeley will be around $50,000 while nyu stern $60, 000.
The whole uncertainty of Haas is certainly a deterrent from going there. I still want to see what its like because I heard the campus is beautiful and that the students really love it there.</p>
<p>i’m shocked everytime someone says this to me. why would you go to school near where you grew up and near where you’ll end up in the future? thats like a fob coming to america to study, then going back to china to study abroad.</p>
<p>coming to cal doesnt mean it’ll be harder to find a job in the east coast, there’s less of us there SIMPLY BECAUSE MOST OF CAL GRADS CHOOSE TO STAY WEST. its self-selection.</p>
<p>You get admitted straight to Stern, that’s true. But if you won’t perform well at Stern, you will also be weeded out. Don’t believe you’ll graduate from Stern with minimal work. You’ll need to put the same amount of work at both schools. If you’re from outside of the US, the more you should go for Berkeley. It has the better brand name internationally. </p>
<p>Both are great schools with top-notch biz programs. Being from the Bay Area, I know tons of people affiliated with Haas/aspiring to go there. I say try to get in touch with alumni from both programs and hear their take on their academic/employment experiences with Stern/Haas.</p>
<p>If you can do well at Stern, you can get into Haas.</p>
<p>Personally, Berkeley offers a lot of opportunities being in Haas and having gone through recruiting. If you want to end up in NY, plenty of people end up landing internships in NY and where ever they want to end up :)</p>
<p>Yeah, Berkeley is definitely a great school and going to Haas would help me a lot in the future…but what if i dont get in?!
A family friend was telling us that their daughter who is apparently very hardworking and intelligent could not make it into Haas. Just the uncertainty of not making it in is quite a turn-off compared to Stern where I am guaranteed.
Plus, one of my friends’ brother goes to Berkeley now and even he told his brother (my friend) not to apply.</p>
<p>^ Again, most of those who didn’t get in end up majoring economics. and economics at Cal is also a top-rated program. you’ll get the same job prospect as Haas grads do. </p>
<p>This is should be a question of where you want to work after graduation. If you want to work in the East Coast, going to Stern would probably give you an advantage. But if you plan to work in the West Coast, it’s logical to study in a California based school.</p>
<p>^ Is Berkeley econ really comparable to haas in terms of job prospects? what then is the advantage of working your butt off to get into haas? would econ be easier?</p>
<p>Actually, employers find it more convenient to do on-campus recruiting at local universities’ career centers than to fly somewhere. For example, a “Silicon Valley” computer company may make recruiting stops at San Jose State’s career center even though it would not fly across the country to recruit at a similar reputation university elsewhere. If they fly, they’ll likely go to the top schools like MIT, CMU, UIUC, UT Austin, etc… (Obviously, Berkeley and Stanford have a double advantage for “Silicon Valley” companies, having top reputations and being local.)</p>
<p>And also self-selection by employers. I used to know an HR recruiter for Goldman Sachs and she said that it was more difficult to get kids out of California, to move to NYC. She said it was much easier recruiting from east coast schools because their grads really wanted to work in Manhattan. (Many Calif kids would rather work for a VC firm in Silicon Valley.) Thus, she didn’t recruit as hard in the west.</p>
<p>the mature answer?
a trade school degree (business) vs academia and theories (economics). different curriculum, research, graduate school options. different career resources</p>
<p>the real reason most people apply to haas?
they see a correlation between haas kids and professional success, so they interpret that as getting into haas is a direct route to succeed. they work hard in academics and extracurriculars to get in, and through a routine of hard-work they land a great job. then the cycle starts again </p>
<p>
in that case, yeah, but then all schools have this comparative advantage so it evens out. i’m saying after you get in the interview office, no employer is gonna say
“so you go to berkeley, thats a great school, but if you wanted to work on wall street why didnt you attend upenn/nyu?”</p>
<p>^well they wont ask that question if you DO get an interview but i think the question is getting that interview in the first place. ucbalumnus’s point about the location as a factor in recruitment makes sense because wall st. firms will have to take a 7 hour flight out west to recruit at Cal while in Stern’s case, they can take a 10 minute cab ride…</p>
<p>the problem is im not even completely sure whether I want to work on wall st. or in new york. west coast seems great as well!</p>
<p>all BB banks/major investment firms come to the west coast to recruit, and they make two stops, at Cal and Stanford. there are more boutiques in the east coast, but there’s more competition with IVs stern MIT etc, in sf theres pretty much only two schools competing for all the jobs.</p>