Hello! I got accepted into both schools for Biology but am planning on changing to a double major of Chemistry and Cognitive Science!
Now I’ve always been set on going to UCLA for a while now but I’m at this inner conflict with myself as UC Berkeley academics appear to be superior in terms of ranking and other terms. There’s just so many points of contention and I’m having extreme difficulty deciding but here are my worries:
- Academics;UC Berkeley has much stronger programs but is known for their debilitating academic rigor - I did meet with a student and they said the claims of rigorous academics are bogus. I really do wish to be immersed into academics (I aim to be a professor) but still feel naturally attracted to UCLA. I know UCLA does have strong academic programs but they still are trumped by Berkeley's - but I'm still stumped due to other factors. And with the academics, are rankings really that significant? Like both schools have good academics but is there a SIGNIFICANT difference?
1.5. Campus Mentality: UCLA is seen as more relaxed while UCB is more rigorous, while there’s accounts on both ends substantiating or contradicting such, that’s usually the jist. Should I invest myself into academics but come out mentally exhausted and sapped, or save my mental state and attend UCLA with still great academics but less competition and pressure. I’m at a constant battle of academics over comfort and vice-versa. Trying to be a professor does mean I should be more centered around academics but I’m afraid it’s gonna mess up my mental state, I wonder if I’m really willing to subject myself to extreme academic rigor for the sake of my desires of impressive aptitude at the cost of my mental health, or if I should attend UCLA, but miss the grand opportunity of reaching my desired academic prestige.
- Standing out; with everyone so steadfast in excelling and competing at UCB, it's very hard to become academically distinguished which impacts future recommendations, relationships with professors, etc. UCLA's more laxed environment along with some info from talking to students seems to have less students who are trying to standout and interact with their professors, this would mean a more distinguished profile and just a generally better academic experience. While the campus at UCLA is huge and it is difficult to stand out, I mainly mean towards professors and other related matters.
- Research; I am without a doubt doing research in college (one of the main appeals in being a professor) and I can't find much information on each school's rankings. From what I hear, UCLA is much easier to get research opportunities while everyone at UCB is taking anything they can get. Still at a dilemma since academics at Berkeley are better but its harder to get research, it's a matter of quality and attainability.
- Location, UCLA is 30 miles away from my house while UCB is ~500, I do plan on working around my home (high school and other projects relating to HS extracurriculars that i'm taking into college) and I wanna see my GF as often as possible who lives near my house (seems very trivial but is important me, we're in a deep 4 year relationship). Am I willing to attend UCB just for better academics but sacrifice my closeness to home? I'm not homesick but living far from home does have its disadvantages.
- Campus: UCLA campus IMO is better than UCB.
- Costs: While costs don't mean anything at all as I have the privilege to my mother wanting to pay my college funds, I have the most financial aid from UCLA. I put it at the top of my list in Fafsa and received the max amount in the Cal Grant (~13,000) and also got a 2,000 per year scholarship there. Again, costs don't matter much but I'm leaning to UCLA since it's far better off financially if I attend there.
- Prestige: Now this section is very superficial and I hate myself for considering this but I'm gonna be transparent. I've always had issues gauging my aptitude so ranking/prestige was a way to base my success off of it and just in general have low self esteem issues. I feel as if UCLA has more prestige in its entirety but UCB has more academic prestige and I'm quite conflicted in what's better.
I really appreciate you taking the time to read this. I really don’t wanna make the wrong decision. Of course the option of having Berkeley or UCLA in graduate school while having the opposite as an undergrad is a possibility but for now, I really don’t wanna make the wrong decision. I’m open to answering any questions, whether it relates to the topic, my HS profile, etc.
Thank you!