<p>There's probably another post for something similar to what I'm about to ask, but I can't find it...</p>
<p>I've been accepted to USC with a quarter scholarship and to UCBerkeley (with a possible scholarship for 5000. I need to be interviewed first). </p>
<p>Honestly, which would be the better choice?</p>
<p>I guess I'm a decent student but I feel overwhelmed by what I hear is fierce competition at Berkeley. I've heard it is really difficult there (academically) and that the neighborhood/dorms are really run down. I know it's ranked really high up there on the list of colleges in the nation (20, I think? Tied with Emory). My friend had such a hard time she dropped out so I'm kind of uneasy. She wasn't a dumb kid. </p>
<p>USC on the other hand is really close to home and I'm more familiar with the area. A bunch of my friends have gone there and tell me it has both a comfortable pace (academics) and atmosphere. But it's still almost double the price of a UC (even with the scholarship) and I'm not sure if it's worth it at all. </p>
<p>My major is biology if that makes a big difference.</p>
<p>And I have visited both briefly, I don't see myself loving or hating either campus outright.</p>
<p>Please, your opinions would help so much, you have no idea.</p>
<p>Fierce competition... yes... but if you really enjoy the subject and have a willingness to put in the work? It should be just fine, from what I've heard. It will be a lot of work though.</p>
<p>In any case, UC Berkeley is far more prestigious. It really depends. Personally, if I were you, I'd choose Berkeley because at a fraction of the cost and with a far better department in pretty much everything along with the prestige factor... But it truly depends on whether you are willing to put in the work.</p>
<p>pick uc berkeley.... its a no brainer... better school.. far more prestigious... far less money... seems like an easy choice to me unless you just hate it there.</p>
<p>Take seminars, get to know the professors, and don't disdain your discussion groups. That's what I've heard. I'm expecting to go there in the fall, but I've TA'ed at UC Berkeley and looked in on classes before so it seems pretty accurate to me.</p>
<p>If you really want to personal contact with professors, you can get it. Most people seem to disdain it though (which makes it easier for you).</p>
<p>Finally, in fact, I'd say that Berkeley has more small classes than you'd think once you get out of classes required for everyone.</p>
<p>Yeah, but he spent considerable amount of time at Cal. So therefore, the influence of being there certainly must have made him into the Unabomber.</p>
<p>I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm sure that if wanted to, we could dig up some pretty rotten Cal alumni.</p>
<p>Look, the USNWR ranking is bogus. No way is Cal not in the top 10 at the very least.</p>
<p>I don't know what to say, because if you're actually hesitating between Cal and USC, maybe you don't deserve to be at Cal.</p>
<p>Yes, bio is tough at Cal, but if you got in, you can probably handle it.</p>
<p>No, Cal's environment isn't run down, it's actually a very expensive and fairly upscale city nowadays. Night and day with USC.</p>
<p>Mostly, getting out of LA and going to a place like Berkeley in your formative years will do you good. Four years from now, you will look back and wonder how you actually thought about going to USC instead...</p>