<p>I got accepted to both UC-Berkeley (College of Letters & Science) and U of Rochester, both undeclared major. I am pretty interested in bio and BME (partially because i was good at it in high school), but still not sure what exactly i wanna do for career, so i am planning to explore a bit in freshman & sophomore year. Also, beyond academics, I desire to have a well-rounded and life-changing college experience, hoping college is not another high school.</p>
<p>I've heard that the bio department in Berkeley is extremely intense and it's really hard for a non-genius to excel there, plus registering in classes can be a nightmare... so kinda impossible for one to do much exploring... Are those rumors ture? </p>
<p>If you are in my position, which school would you choose? Berkeley or Rochester?</p>
<p>I hope students currently studying a bio major can kindly offer your experiences and suggestions. Your help really means a lot to me. Thank you!</p>
<p>Cost and financial aid comparison between the schools?</p>
<p>Note that biology majors typically do not get paid that well in jobs after graduating with bachelor’s degrees, so high debt for a biology major is not a good thing.</p>
<p>Switching from L&S to engineering at Berkeley may be difficult; not sure about Rochester.</p>
<p>College won’t generally be another high school.</p>
<p>Every freshman enters L&S as undeclared regardless of the major they put down when they applied. Thus you’ll have time during your first year to take a variety of courses in different subjects to see if you actually want to major in something bio-related. Some bio-related majors include Integrative Biology, Molecular & Cellular Biology, and Public Health. If you want to transfer to Bioengineering you can apply at the beginning of your sophomore year. The process is pretty competitive so you’ll need to maintain a high GPA. Check out this link for more info [Change</a> of College (into COE) — UC Berkeley College of Engineering](<a href=“http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/current-undergraduates/change-of-college]Change”>Change of college - Berkeley Engineering). </p>
<p>I’ve never had problems registering for classes as a science major. You may have to waitlist for some of the larger courses if you get a bad Telebears time but as long as you attend the first couple of lectures the instructors usually accomodate everyone. If you have done well in AP-level science courses in high school you should be able to handle the intro science courses. In my experience the students I have met are competitive, but not to the point of being cutthroat and unhelpful. The competition stems more from having to get used to everyone being just as smart and just as prepared as you. The key is to be self-motivating and to set aside enough time during the week to keep up with class material. If you can do that you’ll be way ahead of most of the people in your classes.</p>
<p>Berkeley will give you the complete “big school” experience, with Division 1 sports and more school spirit. There are also hundreds of student clubs and organizations regarding academics, politics, sports, dance, ethnic stuff, etc. You will have more opportunities to get a well-rounded college experience than you would at a smaller school. Also, the nicer weather can’t hurt.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, yellowbusRYDAH 
</p>
<p>As I am heading for grad school, GPA and rec letter are very important to me. Plus I am definitely a non-genius, so you know, though I absolutely love Berkeley’s vigor and weather, I am still hesitating about the competition. To your knowledge, how many percentage of students in bio or in science department in general, can end up in, say, top 10 grad schools each year? </p>
<p>I know i am putting a ridiculous focus on the academic side, but i am really running out of time, and pretty sure i have a fairly rounded picture of Berkeley’s social life.</p>
<p>Again, many thanks for your time and patience!</p>
<p>Berkeley is fantastic if you want to go to grad school. One of the things that matters most in your grad school application is your research experience. Berkeley has amazing faculty, on campus and at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab. Getting a research position is easy (anyone who says otherwise is not actually a student). And registering for classes is not actually a nightmare. I’ve been wait listed for classes, but I have gotten in EVERY time.</p>
<p>And grad schools really do care about what school you’re from. If you’re from Berkeley you are not expected to have anywhere near a 4.0. I barely had a 3.8 at Berkeley (more like a 3.65 if you only looked at science classes) and just got accepted to Harvard/Yale/Columbia for biomedical PhD programs. </p>
<p>And you’ll have fun if you go to Berkeley.</p>
<p>Congratulations for all your great offers! You must be super motivated and have devoted soooooooo much into academics and researches. If you will, I would be more than happy to hear your college stories, no matter it’s about academics, social life, or just trivial daily experiences you would like to share. </p>
<p>The info you offered previously really means a lot to me, especially the part about having fun while being academically and socially successful. As neither a genius nor an AP fan, I was literally suffering nightmares about getting lost in this huge school with no one to reach for help, being left behind by all the genuises and never managing to fight a way out. Your words shed lights to me. Thank you!</p>