<p>I'm sorta in a dilemma here... Should I go to Cal or Cambridge(UK)? I've been admitted for Chemical Engineering at both schools. Tuition costs + living expenses makes no difference as I'm classified under OOS. Furthermore, I can't visit these schools because it's too expensive just to visit.</p>
<p>Pros & Cons I've gathered so far:
UC Berkeley:
-Not sure how Cal works, plus I don't know anyone doing ChemEng there.
-A relatively flexible course structure, hence I can take other subjects that may/may not pretain to my major.
-Ranked quite highly for thier ChemEng Dept, but not sure where Cam stands in that list
-Many opportunities to do research (which I'm passionate about)
-Huge undergrad population (College of Chemistry), large classes, possibly impersonal
-Hearsay: Housing is not good
-some policy of keeping BS students from reapplying for PhD at Berkeley ( I'ld like to keep my options open, but if its worth it, then I suppose its alright)
-Ranks #3 in Undergrad ChemEng if I'm not mistaken, but I've no idea where Cam fits into the list</p>
<p>Cambridge:
-rather rigid structure.
-Rare for undergrads to do research
-Small undergrad population, relatively smaller classes, much more personalized
-Relatively much better housing + scenery
-prestige factor (which seems to lean towards Cam) but wouldnt really play an important role in my decision</p>
<p>Do place your input. I really just wanna know people's opinions to aid me in my final decision.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>You do not mention where you are from, either UK or US or elsewhere. Both are great schools, so there is no right or wrong choice - actually you have a good problem. I would think it depends on where you want to live and where you can legally work after graduation. </p>
<p>All things being equal, I think Cambridge is a better choice.</p>
<p>First of all, if research is your passion, then Cal is the place for you (my ChemE friend who doesn't have the greatest GPA or credentials has five offers lined up for him). Sadly, though, it is quite difficult to be both an undergraduate engineer and a graduate afterwards, because they like to have new people. And regarding the housing, it's not THAT bad. And, yes, Cal is pretty extraordinary at ChemE, but the level of difficulty is pretty severe.</p>
<p>my friend went to berkeley chem engineering and he said it's very good. But personally I would choose Cambridge. But you will have a more social life at Cal than Cambridge. 2 different countries, hard to compare. Either one will provide great education for you.</p>
<p>"-A relatively flexible course structure, hence I can take other subjects that may/may not pretain to my major."</p>
<p>Chemical engineering has a rigid core course structure, but you can always take more units than you need to take whatever you want. This is assuming that you can handle extra workload on top of the difficult chemE material.</p>
<p>"-Many opportunities to do research (which I'm passionate about)"</p>
<p>There should be more undergraduate research in the near future with the $500 billion grant from BP. These research topics usually interest bioE and chemE majors, so you're in luck.</p>
<p>"-Huge undergrad population (College of Chemistry), large classes, possibly impersonal"</p>
<p>Yes. Unfortunately, this is what happens at large public schools. However, in comparison to the College of Letters and Sciences, the College of Chemistry is relatively small.</p>
<p>"-Hearsay: Housing is not good"</p>
<p>Housing is decent, but expensive.</p>