<p>I've procrastinated on this, but I'm down to these two. I'm not sure what field I want to go in right now (debating between law and medicine as strange as that sounds). I haven't received financial aid at any of the schools I applied to so I guess that cancels out as a factor unless I appeal it. I have always liked east coast and I feel like it'd be an amazing experience to go to school in NYC. But then again, I've heard great things about Berkeley, the weather's nice and it's not that long of a flight for me as compared to NYU (I'm in Seattle now). Can someone help me out? Also, is there anyway to appeal financial aid at Berkeley? I know this seems really vague but I can give some more specifics if needed.</p>
<p>I had to make this same decision last year!</p>
<p>Academically, you can’t really go wrong with either; I think you’ll receive a great education in either school, and the competitiveness/toughness will vary depending on professors/your own work input.</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s any way to appeal financial aid at Berkeley, because it’s a public school At least, they didn’t let me (I did receive aid already, however). It actually would’ve been cheaper for me to go to NYU because they gave me more aid, and it would have been closer (I’m from Puerto Rico).</p>
<p>However, I chose Berkeley. Why? I don’t know, everything just seemed to click when I visited the campus. I like the atmosphere here better. Weather is probably better; it can get cold here, but it’ll never snow. People themselves seemed warmer; it’s a big school so you might feel lost at times, but after taking a campus tour and talking with some students, it seemed a lot more approachable. I also like the dorms better, despite NYU having individual bathrooms in their dorms.</p>
<p>Of course, NYU seemed a lot nicer after I went to the accepted student’s day as well. If you like the busier, more “chic” style of NYU and don’t mind not really having a campus then go for it! New York is super convenient as well with their public transportation. Berkeley has the BART, but I find it much more expensive and since the state’s so big, the reach is a lot more limited than New York.</p>
<p>I know this answer is jumping back and forth a lot, but I’m not exactly sure what you’re looking for, haha. Feel free to message me if you have more questions! I’ve visited the NYU “campus” multiple times so I can help answer questions about walking, dorms, etc. compared to Berkeley more in-depth if you need! I can also provide more information on the classes/social life at Berkeley if you want I’m just not sure what you’re worried about in particular!</p>
<p>Berkeley will provide a more traditional college experience with a smaller college-oriented city, Pac-12 sports, and a campus. The wider Bay Area and airports are accessible via BART/public transportation.</p>
<p>I would only choose NYU if you really love NYC and the big urban environment.</p>
<p>The cost-disparity is huge - about 80k vs 240k for your degree.</p>
<p>There’s no doubt that NYC is in a league of its own. San Francisco is a quaint, sleepy town in comparison, and Berkeley is definitely a cultural bubble. Both NYC and Berkeley are dirty - NYC has more cultural offerings, and Berkeley has an alternative vibe to it. </p>
<p>The atmosphere at Berkeley is more intellectual. It’s hard to say either school will make you grounded, because a lot of unconventional lifestyles call Berkeley home and a lot of spoiled rich kids call NYU their playground. But both are geographically close to professional hubs - Silicon Valley and Wall Street and provide plentiful networking opportunities should you seek them out. </p>
<p>The cost of living is relatively high in both locales - meaning you will pay a premium for often substandard living conditions. Food and attractions are way better in NYC. For outdoors activities and weather, Berkeley and Norcal in general wins hands down. </p>
<p>Of course, you can always take coast-to-coast flights for cheap, or simply relocate for grad school/work in the next four years. Ultimately, your parents should be comfortable making the financial investment, and you should feel satisfied with a particular program’s offerings and reputation.</p>
<p>OP appears to be a Washington resident, so Berkeley will about $15,000 less over four years compared to NYU.</p>
<p>Given the consideration of law school and medical school (both expensive), spending that much on undergraduate may not be a wise thing. Going to a less expensive school and putting the difference to law school or medical school costs may mean starting out as a lawyer or physician with that much less debt. For example, if the OP is in-state for Washington, the four year prices would be:</p>
I’m just not sure what you’re worried about in particular!</p>