UCLA or UC Berkeley for Chemistry...

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I’m really at a lost. I don’t know whether to go to UCLA or Berkeley. I saw that Berkeley is #1 in Chemistry. I’m not too sure about UCLA though. So, I kind of want to go to Berkeley to challenge myself. I’m a little bit scared to turn in my SIR though. I’ve read a lot of things and they say the Berkeley is better for grad students. My friends say I should just go to UCLA because they don’t really like the area around Cal. I’m really confused. Right now, here’s what I know.</p>

<li>I’ll save a little bit of money by going to UCLA because Cal has higher cost of living.</li>
<li>In UCLA, I’ll be closer to my family and friends.</li>
<li>Cal has one of the top chemistry program in the US.</li>
</ol>

<p>Would I be better off going to Cal for Chemistry research? Or UCLA would be able to offer the same thing? I’d really appreciate any feedback I can get especially from people who went to those schools. Thanks guys…</p>

2

<p>If you have an opportunity, definitely visit Berkeley and the Bay Area. The atmospheres and environments of the two schools seem to contrast deeply even though both schools are filled with very smart students. </p>

<p>Does Cal really have a higher cost of living? Apartments near Berkeley seem to be much cheaper than those near UCLA.</p>

3

<p>Yeah… I checked and I always end up with Cal housing more expensive than UCLA. I used to live in Bay Area but not around Cal. I’m planning to visit Cal before SIR’s are due. Hopefully, my classes right now won’t hold me back.</p>

4

<p>Both are great universities.</p>

5

<p>Unless UCLA is giving you a scholarship or unless you intend on living at home with your parents, I don’t see how UCLA is going to be cheaper. The UCLA are is not cheaper to live in than Berkeley. You may be able to save $1,000/year or so by attending UCLA, but not more.</p>

<p>UCLA is excellent, but Cal is a little bit better. If you feel you would be much happier at UCLA, go there. If you think you can be just as happy at Cal, then for for Cal.</p>

6

<p>Top schools for undergraduate chemistry</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/184683-top-schools-undergraduate-chemistry.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/184683-top-schools-undergraduate-chemistry.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>California Institute of Technology
Columbia University
Cornell University
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Northwestern University
Princeton University
Stanford University
University of Caifornia-Berkeley
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of Texas-Austin
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Yale University</p>

7

<p>Nope… Don’t have any scholarship or grants from either school. I wish I did though. Anyway, I don’t really know where I’m going to be happy. I haven’t seen both schools so I can’t really say anything about liking the campus. I’m going to check them out as soon as I can though. :D</p>

<p>Thanks to those who replied… :D</p>

8

<p>rei, are you chinese or korean?
if you are, then go for UCLA.
just my personal opinion.</p>

9

<p>nope! not chinese or korean. asian though… :D</p>

10

<p>^ Then I think you would rather enjoy and thrive more at UCLA.
There are just tooooooo many Asians. If you’ll go there, you’d just be another smart Asian at Cal.</p>

11

<p>Slam dunk Berkeley on the strength of the Chemistry program alone…</p>

12

<p>That’s really one of the things I can’t ignore. Berkeley’s Chemistry program is superb (from what I read) and I have no idea how UCLA compares to that… I guess not a lot of people are Chemistry majors.</p>

13

<p>RML – the Berkeley and LA demographics are almost identical…</p>

14

<p>

Uh…they’re both major public research universities. What makes you think UCLA would be any different in this regard?</p>