Here are some specifics:
I got into UCLA with a regents scholarship and 10,000 in scholarship money. Berkeley isn’t giving me much, but I like that school better.
About me: Lots of people brush off “prestige” but honestly I really like the opportunities and good impressions that comes with it. I like classical things, artsy things (even though I’m going into a STEM field) and I tend to procrastinate.
Berkeley:
Pros
I like the college/atmosphere itself better than UCLA. The classical buildings and hodgepodge of different architecture is amazing
It’s prestigious and for good reason. It’s something like #4 in the U.S., compared to #12 for UCLA (these are approximate rankings)
It has an excellent history in the physics department
I like the weather here more
I may (or may not) receive aid with the Middle Class Action Plan. My family is in the price range, but we haven’t seen any financial aid reports yet, so that’s not certain (anyone know anything about this, either?)
Cons
The surrounding city isn’t very nice/safe, but I don’t care about that too too much
UCLA
Pros
Regents scholarship means priority registration, guaranteed parking
Academic Scholarship +$10,000
Westwood is great
Only a few hours away from home (yes, this is a pro!)
Cons
I didn’t like the campus that much. I didn’t “connect” with it. I’d be fine going there, I might even love it, but I didn’t really get that impression right off the bat
Very “beach-culture so-cal friendly sporty tan” thing going on here that I’m not into so much
UCLA is just as prestigious as Cal. You won’t sacrifice that by going to UCLA.
What are your parents saying? That $10k award is substantial. Did Regents give you anything? $1000? I know that Regents also has those other perks you mention, and those are IMPORTANT at a big school!!!
Honestly you are giving prestige too much credit. Just on the news today a Google executive Dan Fredinburg just died in the earthquake in Nepal. Guess where he went to undergrad. Brace yourself, it’s UCI, OMG not prestige according to CC. But he didn’t stop there. He went on to many more schools, but it seems like he never stopped. Very energetic person.
Small update: Cal (Berkeley) is offering me $9,000 in aid. UCLA is offering me about $15,000 in scholarships and aid total.
For someone who procrastinates, the quarter system at UCLA might be better than Cal’s semester schedule.
Your figures aren’t clear – UCLA is a total $15,000 scholarship with Regents, and Berkeley is a total $9,000 without Regents? Please clarify your total, out-of-pocket costs of attendance for both. If there remains a $6,000 per year differential for Berkeley, then it may be within reach for you.
And yes, let’s drop the prestige moniker, and focus on something more useful: what are your proposed major(s)? Personally, I do like Berkeley better in some respects, as an academic institution. But UCLA is strong in many disciplines, as well as international reputation.
If your major in Physics go to Berkeley. From what I’ve heard Physics is not taught well at UCLA.
Even with Cal giving you $9k, UCLA is giving the more plus the Regents bennies.
What are your parents saying? They’ll have to pay about $23k for Cal and about $17k for UCLA. While it may seem like “only $24k” difference, that is still a chunk of money for middle class families to come up with…and likely your parents have other things that that money could go towards.
What is your major?
To clarify:
In total, Cal will cost 24k. UCLA will cost 16k.
My intended major is somewhere in physics, but that could change. I might need some direction with that.
The reason I brought up prestige is because I don’t think it’s wholly irrelevant. What makes Stanford better than my local state college? I could gain the same amount of knowledge taking classes from either. Maybe Stanford has some laurate teachers and some higher-quality thinkers as students. Maybe Stanford is more selective and has a lower dropout rate and has a higher percentage of successful students. That’s what I mean when I say “prestige,” not the reputation and not the technical differences, but those subtle tendencies that set good and great apart. And maybe that difference is extremely subtle between LA and Berkeley, but I still want to consider everything before I choose