UC Berkeley vs UNC Chapel Hill

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I've been admitted to both UCB and UNC-CH and while I'm grateful to be in a position to be choosing between such great universities, I'm also freaking out over making a decision of such magnitude. Any new insight, information, or opinion is appreciated! Here's my thoughts so far:</p>

<p>Major: Neuroscience (probably not pre-med) Berkeley seems more geared toward me here as Carolina doesn't have a neuroscience major, but does have strong biology/psychology programs.</p>

<p>Distance: I'm an NC resident and live 30 minutes from Carolina..so Berkeley is really really far, but Carolina is almost too close. I kind of want something new.</p>

<p>Cost: The biggest difference is here where OOS for Berkeley is ~54,000 while for Carolina IS is ~20,000. I wont get aid for either and while money is not the biggest deal, would it be better to save for grad school even if Berkeley does appeal to me more since they are both great schools?</p>

<p>Town/Campus: I'll visit Berkeley soon, but from what I've heard it's lovely..but then again so is Chapel Hill. I'm pretty liberal and looking for a lot of diversity so Berkeley seems to fit, but is Carolina really as preppy as say..UVA?</p>

<p>Academics: They're both in the top 5 for public schools but Berkeley definitely is a little more prestigious. I've heard of the woes of the CA public school system though..how much would those cuts change my experience there? Also grade inflation differences? Class difficulty? Also AP/IB credits transfer?</p>

2

<p>Congrats! I’d definitely visit Berkeley…it is a different environment that does not suit everyone. </p>

<p>The cost difference is huge. Can you comfortably afford it? Would you need to take out student loans?</p>

3

<p>One big issue with the budget mess is if California doesn’t provide more funding to UCs, tuition costs will need to increase. Given that UC is already at $54k for OOS, and is really getting pricy compared to other top privates, I don’t think they have much more room to increase OOS pricing…in state they have more wiggle room.</p>

<p>Bottom line though with these budget issues looming: plan for higher tuition costs.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, I think UNC is in a similar position.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for your response. :slight_smile: Yeah, I think all public schools are in that position…but is tuition only going to go up, or will they start cutting programs and increasing class sizes as well?</p>

5

<p>College represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for intellectual growth and, more importantly, for personal growth. You’re not necessarily going to want those four years to define who you are for the rest of your life, but they should play a crucial role in shaping your identity and your conception of the world.</p>

<p>That said, Berkeley offers you the opportunity to break out completely from your comfort zone, and since money is of no concern for your family, there really isn’t anything for you to freak out about. Berkeley is the wise choice.</p>

6

<p>I would probably go to UNC. The difference between the universities does not warrant +$30,000. </p>

<p>I would only choose Berkeley if money was seriously no object and you really wanted to go to Berkeley.</p>