<p>I'm torn between uci and ucb at the moment. at first, i was set on berkeley even though i have not visited it and dont know too much about it except for its prestige. but when i received my financial package from irvine, my first year at uci is basically free because of the scholarships and grants. and so I visited uci campus today, and i really like it. i'm from southern cali, so going to irvine won't be too big of a change for me. and from doing some background research on uci, i don't think it's a bad choice going to irvine. but still, the prestige of ucb really intrigues me. (i am hoping that visiting ucb in two weeks will help me make up my mind) </p>
<p>and looking through the different threads in this forum, i guess that going to uci is not really that bad of a choice because of less competition and a higher chance of getting a higher gpa. and i guess that going onto graduate school, it's the gpa that matters more than where you come from. </p>
<p>i plan on going into psychology/cognitive science. so can you guys give me some insight as to how i should make up my mind? (besides visiting, since i already decided that i will visit ucb) This is such a tough decision and any advice will be extremely helpful.</p>
<p>I'm a transfer student from a CCC who has already been accepted to UCI but have been pretty set on UCB for a long time like you. I'll find out if I got in at UCB at the end of the month, but even if I do I am still leaning toward UCI now.</p>
<p>First, keep in mind that most of Berkeley's "prestige" is linked to its graduate program, and that in some ways teaching undergrad students is considered a necessary evil by a lot of the instructors. So if you were only going to Berkeley once for either undergrad or grad school...grad school is where the true prestige is. </p>
<p>I'm sure I'm in a slightly different situation in my life right now than you are that also helps make UCI an easy choice for me. I'm 27, a returning student (veteran), and I'm getting married this summer. My fiance (who will be my wife when school starts in the Fall) is an elementary school teacher. The school's in the Irvine district and surrounding area are outstanding in both academics and the overall behavior of the students and environment of parental support/success whereas in Berkeley and Oakland...not so much.</p>
<p>Irvine is an extremely safe area...one of the safest in America in fact. Berkeley is nowhere near as safe. Obviously this is an important factor to me considering my wife will be living there with me. If it were just me I wouldn't care. Also, Newport Beach, boats to Catalina, Disneyland, Huntington, Fashion Island and other great shopping for the wife, only an hour from our families, etc, make UCI an easy choice for me. But like you, I am also going to visit Cal if I am accepted at the end of this month and I/we will truly make up my/our mind(s) from there.</p>
<p>The saying is true: It's not where you go, but what you do when you get there.</p>
<p>Good luck in whatever you decide!</p>
<p>Read some of the other threads where I expand on going to UCI vs higher tier schools. It matters how well you do, not where you go (especially if you are planning graduate school).</p>
<p>I went to UCI (over UCB and UCLA) as a CHP student, I am very glad I made that decision.</p>
<p>thanks for the input. it does help to know that if i chose uci over cal in the end, there has been others who have done the same. and knowing that the prestige for cal comes from their grad school also heps ease my mind on how i should decide.</p>
<p>In terms of environment, it really depends on what you like. The urban busy life or the more relaxed life. My brother went to berkeley and it seemed like there was always something to do. And don't get me wrong, UCI isn't dead boring, but it just seems way more mellow than berkeley. So besides prestige, i would take that into account because in the end, they're both great schools.</p>
<p>Go to the campus you like the most !</p>