Okay, so I’m a PA resident (technically international, but I’ve been living here for a while and qualify as a resident) planning on pursuing a career in the life sciences; possibly in research, I’m not sure. Right now I’m leaning towards Berkeley because of its Genetics & Plant Biology major and its location (nice weather, San Francisco city life, etc.). But as an out of state student, I’d be paying around $66,000 per year for Berkeley, compared to around $32,000 per year at Schreyer… I really do want to go to Berkeley over Schreyer, and I feel the experience I would have at Berkeley would better prepare me for either grad school or the workforce, but I’m not sure whether it’s worth the OOS tuition.
That’s a tough one. The difference is right now $136K over 4 years, and by the time you are finished, probably closer to $150K. How will you pay for the difference? If money matters, then save the money and go to Berkeley for grad school. The $150K should fund that.
The experience will be better through Schreyer (smaller classes by far, more personalized advising, excellent housing guaranteed for 4 years).
For OOS students, Berkeley isa better choice at the graduate level. save the money for your Master’s.
Not a difficult decision in the slightest – stick with Penn State for all the reasons mentioned by @MYOS1634. You’ll need a PhD for a career in organismal biology, and you have plenty of time to get out of Pennsylvania after graduation.
I am not a big fan of the UCs for undergraduate education, at last in huge departments like the biological sciences, and I say that as someone who has taught at one.
With the current pandemic, cities like Berkeley and San Francisco are ghost towns and will not be what they once were for a very long time. Many restaurants and shops that make Berkeley such a cool college city are shut down and will never open again. My DD is graduating from Cal in May, so this is particularly sad for us. Considering the cost and the fact that a portion of your classes may wind up being be virtual, I’d stay in PA for undergrad. Also, bio classes at Cal are the devil.
Thanks so much for all the feedback! @simba9 Yes I’ve visited the Berkeley campus before but it was over Christmas break on a chilly night so it’s hard for me to judge based on that. With the current situation on COVID-19 I’ve also considered deferring for a year (Berkeley doesn’t recommend it but it’s possible), especially if the fall semester is all remote instruction. @sbdad12, the difference over 4 years you mentioned is a really good point and I am likely going to grad school, so it would really save me a lot of trouble in the future. I was just worried that going to Penn State wouldn’t open as many doors for grad school as it would with Berkeley. @warblersrule, that’s interesting, do you know anything about the Rausser College of Natural Resources? I was admitted to Rausser for Genetics & Plant Biology, so I wasn’t sure if by the bio department you were referring to L&S or Rausser. From what I’ve heard, Rausser is one of the smaller colleges with closer professors, and it’s one of the main reasons why I’m considering Berkeley (the major of my interest + college + location). @MYOS1634 Yeah, I agree with the better housing and greater attention I would get at Schreyer. As I mentioned above, I’ve been feeling that Rausser at Berkeley might also give me a similar experience (minus the housing, but I’m fine with that) based off of what I’ve researched. @itsmedrew Could you elaborate?
Financially, Penn State has an edge. UC Berkley is an amazing school, but Penn State Honors is very strong. Penn State is nationally recognized school. Sure, it’s no Berkley, but it’s still a strong contender. Penn State has a strong alumni network. I believe Penn State would prepare you for grad school just as much as Berkley if you apply yourself. Going to a certain school won’t determine your success in the work force and grad school. The one thing that is certain is that you would be in debt for much much longer if you went to Berkley. But take what I or anyone else on here says with a grain of salt. At the end of the day you have to go where is best for you. Trust your intuition.
@nanaimo, I’ve heard, but can’t confirm, that Berkeley has a lot of grade deflation, especially in the sciences. You should research this because that will impact your chances for grad school more than Berkeley vs Schreyer. https://www.dailycal.org/2015/05/15/grade-deflation/
I hadn’t thought about how SF and Berkeley are ghost towns. Interesting thought. College towns generally are insulated from economic downturns as they have a captive audience, as long as students are in session.
Berkeley is great, but so is Penn State, especially Schreyer. You shouldn’t have any issue getting into a good grad school with a high GPA and good test scores from either. But you will have an additional $150K of debt from Berkeley to add to your grad school debt. Something to think about.