<p>Hi everyone! I just narrowed down my college decisions to USC, Northwestern, and Berkeley. I'm planning on studying something in the college of arts and sciences of these schools (maybe economics? sociology?) but I don't really know what yet. I really want to have fun at college, but also get a good education that will help me get a great job. I'm having a lot of trouble deciding between the 3, so any input you guys can give would be very appreciated :)! </p>
<p>Let me start off with some of my thoughts about all 3:</p>
<p>USC: This would be a comfortable school for me to go to. My sister currently attends and she loves it. It is in SoCal so I know I'll love the weather. It's an hour away from my house, so I know I can come home if I'm sick or something. I know I'll have a lot of fun and the trojan network is a big plus! Also, I love sports so it would be sweet to be able to go to some of the best football games in the country. However, I'm worried the academics aren't at the level of the other 2.</p>
<p>Northwestern: It's cold. Hopefully I don't mind the cold that much but who knows? I am tempted to go here because it has better academics than USC, but I'm unsure about how fun it will be socially. I probably will join a frat though so that might help. Decent sports as well.</p>
<p>Berkeley: Another school with great academics. It also has good sports, which is a big plus. However, the campus is very liberal and I'm pretty moderate. I'm not a fan of its huge size either because I kind of would like to bump into people I knew every once in a while, but I think its size is somethign I could live with. I'm concerned about social life at Cal.</p>
<p>Bottom line is: I want a great education, but I also want to look back at my college days as some of the best days of my life. I'd appreciate it if anyone can comment on where you think is the best fit for me or add anything else I should consider about these colleges. Thanks! :)</p>
<p>P.S. I am planning on getting a MBA eventually too. I want to do something in business, but I dont know what.</p>
<p>It seems like you want to go to USC, but I would be choosing between Northwestern and Cal. USC is simply not in the same class as the other two.</p>
<p>Between NU and Cal, I would opt for the cheapest route, because both are stellar. Likely since you are in state, Cal would cost lest, but NU does give good aid. As for politics, Berkeley and the Bay Area are liberal, CAL is not as much. Sure there is that element, but the faculty is pretty conservative and the students have become increasingly apathetic.</p>
<p>I love Berkeley and all even if I did not graduate from there, but I’m worried about its issue on overpopulation. I mean, it really is a serious issue at Cal right now yet the admin does not have any move to address it now or in the near future. In fact, it has accepted many more students this year when it should not have been. Cal admin is so apathetic, unmindful of the complaints of their own students. If you have that kind of admin, I’d say that’s a pretty serious issue to mind. Because of that, I’d say, go for NU if you don’t mind the weather. It is also as prestigious as Berkeley, though maybe not as much internationally. But who cares about international prestige if you have no plans of moving out of the US?</p>
<p>“I really want to have fun at college, but also get a good education that will help me get a great job.”
“I want a great education, but I also want to look back at my college days as some of the best days of my life”
Those two statements read USC to me.</p>
<p>I don’t know what your plans are upon finishing college, but if it’s going back home, take into consideration your location. If you plan on living in So Cal immediately following undergrad, USC will take you a lot further in So Cal than either one of the two schools.</p>
<p>I’m a freshman at Northwestern and I just applied USC as a transfer student…I posted a comment on another thread about my unhappiness with Northwestern and if you’re looking for a “fun” school, as I am, then this is not the place for you. As hard as it is to accept, the weather influences your attitude, motivation and entire experience (I’m from Arizona). There is no doubt NU has a stellar reputation, but USC is a lot more attractive to someone looking for a more traditional (i.e. fun) and memorable college experience. Greek life is huge at NU, and I love my sorority, but as I mentioned in another post, its a very different culture from normal colleges… I suggest visiting the campus because you really get an intuitive vibe from just spending a few hours here. I wish someone had told me to be more wary of my decision last year, but I chose the school based primarly on its clout and name. It is also surprisingly difficult being so far from home (and the West Coast mentality) especially considering the rigor of and untimely schedule of the quarter system. Don’t make the same mistake I did: be informed and go where you’ll be happiest, not what looks great on paper. I feel as though I worked so hard in high school to get into a prestigious college, yet here, I am still waiting to begin my life and get to the next level…</p>
<p>Why do you want to go to the same school as your sister?</p>
<p>Get out of dodge and go explore.</p>
<p>I’m a moderate conservative and Berkeley was awesome.
I’d choose NU or Cal…NU if costs are similar and you can handle the colder weather…Berkeley if you want to be closer to home. IMO, both schools are academically a step above USC.</p>
<p>amaze4 brings up a good point…NU is on the quarter system while Cal and USC are on semesters. I prefer semesters to quarters.</p>
<p>From what you said it sounds like you think you’d be happiest at USC. Have you visited all the campuses? If so, which did you feel most at home at? Did you get a sense that you would just “fit” with a certain school? If so, go with that one. If not, visit all the schools. </p>
<p>But do consider Berkeley, it’s such a good school (so is Northwestern but from what you said about the cold you may not enjoy the environment very much).</p>
<p>Go to NU. As a fellow Socal native, trust me, getting out of CA for undergrad is mind expanding. And I’m surprised to hear anyone say NU is not a fun school, everyone I know has loved it there.</p>
<p>It sounds like you would really prefer USC, so I would absolutely recommend going there. All three schools are in really on the same level for undergraduate academics, and the trojan network would provide you with the best opportunities (by far) if you plan to return to SoCal.</p>