Hello everybody and anybody that is reading,
As May 1st rolls along and with decisions from colleges out, it’s time for me to make a decision. I have been accepted to both Michigan and Berkeley, two amazing universities. I am a Michigan resident and thus qualify for in-state tuition for Michigan. I’ve read and heard from countless sources and people that the best choice between either college is to go to the one that is in the state you live in simply because any difference in education/experience is not worth the tuition difference. However, I plan on majoring in either Chemistry or Chemical Engineering and I was accepted to the College of Chemistry, which is a great and widely regarded program, one of the best (based on what I’ve researched). So my question is, should I still choose Michigan? What do both of these schools offer that is unique over the other? And should the prestige of the Berkeley College of Chemistry trump the tuition costs of UMich Engineering?
Chemistry at Berkeley is among the top (along with MIT 
and Caltech :)). It should not be worth the tuition difference unless your parents are really well off and can comfortably afford it.
UM no question no contest if in state. Good luck!
Michigan. The differences in the quality of education at Berkeley and Michigan are marginal at best, and definitely not worth paying OOS tuition… unless you family is very wealthy and don’t mind paying the difference out of pocket… definitely do NOT take out significant loans just to go to Berkeley when you have Michigan in-state.