Hi, I was accepted into Berkeley as a L&S major and into Austin’s Business Honors Program. I’m having a tough time deciding between the two colleges. Btw, I hope to pursue a career in finance.
My main questions:
If I attend Berkeley, to enter the business school, I’ll have to apply for the Haas School of Business my soph year and the acceptance rate for Berkeley students is about 43%. Meanwhile, at Austin, I’d already be a student at the business school. Is the risk of not getting accepted into Haas worth it?
Berkeley has a reputation for its cut-throat competition and GPA deflation…Is the competition worth the prestige?
How is recruitment at the two schools? I’m sure the Big 4 recruit students from both schools, but is there any significant difference?
ALSO, I’m a CA resident, so Berkeley would be cheaper and closer. I have yet to visit Austin, but I have heard many great things about the city.
ALL help is appreciated. Thanks!
You should go visit Austin for sure. Two really different schools. Good choices!
Hi. I am in the exact same position as you, except I am from Texas. I’m still on the fence, and I will be visiting CalDay! But I am more leaning toward UT BHP.
When I went to the Discover BHP event, I found that BHP is quite literally devoted as a program to give their students the utmost teaching quality and resources. The professors are UCB may have good reputation, but Haas-style education only truly starts in junior year. Let’s say we take getting into Haas for granted (for the sake of equal comparison), I am sure that BHP will give a better quality education on face value. This is because BHP is a specialized program that limits class sizes and is devoted to the students. At UCB, you will be competing with other students within Haas, and the individual attention may be limited.
Obviously there is more prestige associated with UCB. At the end of the day, prestige-wise, both options are sound. It’s a matter of location if you want to think of pragmatics. UC = West Coast. BHP = South FOR SURE, and some East Coast.
I still haven’t made a decision myself, but these are my thoughts. What have you heard about Berkeley from your local Californians? Also, is Berkeley treated as some AMAZING schools among Californian locals? I’m sure Stanford is, but I’m wondering is UCB has a similar reputation. From Texas, people hold Berkeley in high regard because of its rankings. I’m just wondering if there’s any inside perception I can get from!
The city life at Austin is fantastic. Nobody I talk to says anything less. The same cannot be said for other schools across the nation.
How’s the Berkeley life and campus dynamic?
Net price and amount of loans you would need at each school?
If you like math, alternative ways into finance employment may include majors in applied math, statistics, mathematical economics, industrial engineering, or operations research. See https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm .
I unfortunately coudn’t attend Discover BHP because of a conference I had to attend. Berkeley is certainly seen as one of the premiere universities in CA and the West Coast. In fact, it’s often ranked as a top 10 university in the world. Based on what I’ve read, most of the students at UT BHP get recruited to companies in Texas, especially the Austin, Dallas, and Houston area as they’re home to many Fortune 500s. It’s more difficult for them to get recruited to the West or East Coast.
Most Berkeley students get recruited into the SF Bay Area and sometimes SoCal. Berkeley is notorious for its reputation as an extremely competitive school, and not being “fun”, but I certainly think it’s beautiful and has a great atmosphere and social scene. The city of Berkeley is very unique and very close to some incredible cities.
I think my deciding factor will be cost. Good luck!