UC Berkeley vs USC and some other questions

[Zedddd]

Hi! I am an international student from China and was just admitted to both Cal and USC, struggling in deciding which one to attend. (I have also been admitted to other schools like Colgate, CMU, and Davidson, but as I have a strong affinity to the state of CA since I have attended a summer session at UCLA in 2019, I would make my decision between the two CA schools)

For cost, I haven’t received any scholarship or FA, so for me USC will be a bit more expensive than Cal.

For Collge&Major, I have been admitted to the Environmental Sciences major at CNR at Cal and the Environmental Study major at Dornsife at USC. However, I am not very sure that ES will be my future major path and economics, CS, and psychology are still my potential choices. So I guess at USC I will have better freedom of major choices? (since CNR only have majors involving environment, biology, and nutrition) Also, I would like to know if I choose Cal, will 1. Transferring from CNR to L&S + declaring a competitive major like Econ or CS or 2. Simultaneously pursing for two majors, one in CNR and one in L&S, a very hard way to go?

For future goal, now I prefer to directly start working after graduation, and maybe pursue a graduate degree years after my graduation. Which school, Cal or USC, could provide better help for my future career? (internships, job hunting, alumni network, etc.)

For vibe, I don’t consider myself as a stereotypical “Asian Nerd”. Surely I am a bit more quiet than people around me but I am definitely not the one who studies all week in my room, but also not a party guy. I’ve heard that the pressure at Cal is very high and USC is more “chill”, is that true?

For other things, I was admitted to Cal for Fall 2021 and to USC for Spring 2022, so choosing USC means that I need to gap for months or choose a CC to spend the window period.

Above are my major considering factors. I will be really appreciated if you could provide some advice or solutions for my concern. Many thanks!

[lkg4answers]

At Berkeley it is easier to move from CNR to L&S than in the opposite direction. CNR is the smaller college and has more accessible resources. It is not difficult to have majors in both CNR and L&S or a major in CNR and minor in L&S.

You are correct that USC will give you more freedom to change majors, especially if you are interested in CS.

Where do you plan on working after graduation? USC has a very active and extensive Trojan Network in California but I don’t know how active the network is in China.

There is a difference in personality between the two schools but I wouldn’t describe USC as “chill.”

[Zedddd]

First of all thanks for your reply!

If the situation would allow, I prefer to stay in the States and work somewhere on the west coast after graduation. Possible choices would be Seattle (as my family might move there for life) and major cities in California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc.).

I think what causes my indecision is that the Pros and Cons of the two schools are distinct, Berkeley for its reputation, academics, etc., and USC for its vibe, Trojan Network, etc. And both schools have nice climate and location. Really hard to decide.

[GLHFeveryone]

I would suggest USC since there’s a much smaller class size and more approachable professors. The grade deflation at Berkeley is also much worse than USC. If you don’t mind the extra tuition, the starting salary is also high at USC than Berkeley.