UC Irvine or UC Berkeley? helppppp

I am so torn in between these two colleges. Ive always wanted to go to Irvine since its a SoCal and its a really safe environment and the campus overall is very appealing. I was accepted into CogSci, however, I’m not exactly sure if I want to stick with that. I definitely want to explore more subjects to figure out what i really like. Another incentive for me to go to UCI instead is that my boyfriend has been at UCI for 2 years and I think overall I would feel much more comfortable and secure with myself there. My entire family wants to go to UCB though because of its prestige and honor. My sister also graduated from there and she had a great experience. I am worried about the overly competitive environment but thats how you grow. Berkeley has great transportation, is very close to SF, and is overall higher ranking. I don’t just want to go to Berkeley based off its prestige and reputation, unlike what my family sees. SO I’m just asking for your two cents about these two schools and what i should be thinking about when i make my decision final.

I would say that go to where you think you would stand out more. The school which will not only make you stand out among grad school applicants, but also the school which benefits your career the most as well. I would say UCI as the area is very nice, safe, with a great community, and has great opportunities as it is in socal.

go where you feel most comfortable! don’t make decisions based on other people, including your bf and your family. i’m sure you can change your major at UCI. i would also recommend doing campus tours to determine where you can see yourself. also think about which one has the best program for what you want to study. i’ve learned that overall rank doesn’t matter as much as the specific program you want and what features are offered there