Hi everyone, about a week ago, I was admitted to UCSD directly into their computer science major. Today, I found out I was admitted into L&S at Berkeley. I intend to major in computer science wherever I go, but if I don’t like it I will probably try Applied or Pure Math.
I have not visited either school, but am wondering which I should choose. I find the auto-admit into CS at UCSD to be very attractive, but Berkeley would be slightly more prestigious if I am able to meet the GPA requirements for the pre-requisites to declare CS there.
Is Berkeley’s prestige or my auto-admit into CS at UCSD enough to be a deal-breaker? Or, does it depend more on environment/atmosphere? (From what I’ve heard, Berkeley definitely wins in this department).
Cal’s top-tier program, its location, and its strong network of grads in the Bay Area will give you better access to top internships and employers. In addition, I’ve found the environment to be extremely enjoyable - with all the amazing research, student organizations, and events such as hackathons and tech talks going on, you really feel the fact that you’re at one of the best CS programs in the world. Of course, I can’t really speak to UCSD’s program in terms of environment. But I think that studying CS at Cal will be extremely enjoyable and will give you excellent preparation for industry.
As a TA for intro CS at Berkeley, I’d say that achieving the 3.3 cutoff in CS 61A/61B/70 isn’t as hard as people think. We give a B+ or higher to about half the class in each of those courses, and there are plenty of ways to improve your grades in them, such as taking CS 8 or CS 10 before 61A, taking the three courses in separate semesters so you can focus on each one individually, and getting peer advising through groups such as CSM: http://csmberkeley.github.io.
With all that said, @ucbalumnus is correct in saying that UCSD will always be a safer option if your priority is to major in CS. But between the two, I’d still recommend Berkeley.