USC with Half Scholarship vs UC Berkeley

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hi, so I've gotten all my decisions today, and basically, I have three options. I can go to USC with a half scholarship, UC Berkeley as a spring admit (I don't really mind the spring admit thing), or I can try to get into Duke (I am currently waitlisted). </p>

<p>So I'm an Korean American guy living in Southern California. I'm interested in studying Environmental Studies and English in college, but I'm really open to exploring all my other interests. I'm more into the social science/policy aspects of environmental studies. What I want to do with my life is write fiction and maybe get a career in environmentalism.</p>

<p>I'm a pretty liberal, artistic guy. I love music and I definitely want music to be a major part of my life in college, even if I'm not getting a degree for it. I like the outdoors, but at the same time, being near or in a major city is exciting to me. </p>

<p>I'm not very career oriented, and I'm more of a follow-where-the-wind-blows type of guy, if you know what I mean. I don't care too much about making a lot of money or having a degree that'll wow people. I simply want to learn as much as I can in college without getting too many white hairs. That being said, I don't mean to say that I don't want to work hard. I have no problem with working hard or getting a few low scores, but I don't want to be hating life because I'm studying too much and not having any fun.</p>

<p>I'd like to party in college every once in a while, but I'd prefer doing other stuff with the majority of my free time. I want to meet interesting people from all sorts of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, people who have interesting ideas and hobbies and stories and who care about more than just making a lot of money or getting laid. </p>

<p>After reading my post, where do you guys think you can see me more? USC, Berkeley, or possibly Duke, assuming I can get off the waitlist? Do you think California's budget problem will be too big a problem in Berkeley? Do you think the benefits of a private school outweigh all the positives of Berkeley? And do you think I'd be tearing my hair out my scalp at Berkeley?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot, guys. I hope this wasn't too long.</p>

2

<p>[Berkeley</a> in-state](<a href=“http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/cost.htm]Berkeley”>http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/cost.htm) is about $27,000 to $32,000 per year. But, as a spring admit, you can take a semester of [transferable</a> courses](<a href=“http://www.assist.org%5Dtransferable”>http://www.assist.org) at a community college and effectively save $13,000 to $15,000 the first year, and then graduate after seven semesters at Berkeley.</p>

<p>[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/undergraduates2/costs.html]USC[/url”&gt;http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/undergraduates2/costs.html]USC[/url</a>] is about $58,000 per year, or $29,000 per year if you have a half scholarship (not loans).</p>

<p>So costs end up about the same other than the first semester that you can take inexpensively at community college before going to Berkeley in the spring. Although that $13,000 to $15,000 can still be a significant difference if you would have to take additional loans of that amount, especially if you are studying something that does not have great [url=&lt;a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm]job”&gt;https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm]job</a> and career prospects<a href=“although%20Berkeley%20graduates%20in%20%5Burl=https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/EnvEcon.stm]Environmental%20Economics%20and%20Policy[/url]%20do%20seem%20to%20have%20decent%20job%20and%20career%20prospects”>/url</a>. You may not be career oriented and that is fine, as long as you know ahead of time what kind of job and career prospects you are likely to find.</p>

3

<p>Years ago I would have said UC Berkeley hands down</p>

<p>however, lately USC has been getting academically strong</p>

<p>it is close, but I would still give UC Berkeley the advantage, particularly in this field:</p>

<p>NRC Rankings of Earth Sciences Graduate Departments
4… UC Berkeley
26. USC</p>

4

<p>Haha thanks, guys. Anyone else? Is there a particular school you think you can see me more in?</p>