Hey guys,
I was committed to UT for Computer Science for the fall, but I’ve just been informed that I’ve been accepted to the College of Letters and Sciences at UC Berkeley for Computer Science.
Which school do you recommend I go to?
I’m in-state for UT, so the tuition would be far cheaper, but money isn’t an issue even if I do go to Berkeley.
I’ve been accepted to both the Freshman Research Initiative and Jefferson Scholars Program at UT.
Just from what you’re saying, I would go to UT. Why are you tempted by Berkeley?
@choirsandstages One of the best schools for computer science in the world, proximity to Silicon Valley
Outstanding programs, both. And in great places to spend 4 years and receive a lot of attention for internships and jobs. Competition is fierce in both places, and recruitment attention in both are outstanding. With UT, you have lower cost and already accepted in elite programs that will help you stand out / provide opportunities. Go to UT.
My son had the same decision and chose UT. I can tell you both are top schools and Silicon Valley companies heavily recruit from both. When it came down to it, both were great. I think Berkeley was #3 rated and UT #8 at that time. We chose UT because with the instate tuition it was ~$20K vs $60K per year, not including travel. The huge difference in price could not be justified since both schools will get you to the same place.
If money isn’t an issue then where do you feel most comfortable spending the next 4+ years attending? I’m assuming you’ve toured extensively, both campuses.
I don’t know if you’re still deciding, but Berkeley by a LONG shot. You don’t need to be making decisions based on “Oh I wanna be loyal to Texas” right now, you really have to take the blinders off and see the opportunities waiting for you at Berkeley. They have great, LONG standing relationships with employers and personally the students there are some of the brightest (and strangest) people I have EVER met lol.
My only hesitation is tuition because you need to have a realistic 4 year plan for paying to live in California where the cost of living is higher than TX (well, it’s kinda similar to Austin imo) and paying for OOS tuition. If that’s all taken care of, then have a great time in Cali and CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Just to be factual, the cost of living is way more in the San Francisco area. For example houses are 4-5x the Austin price. As a college student that isn’t an issue, however you should factor in a yearly tuition/board price of $60K vs ~$20K (for UT), and travel a few times a year back and forth to CA (which you wouldn’t need at UT). This is probable a few thousand. Also if you ever want an off campus apartment, expect to pay 2-3 times per month what you would pay in Austin. All told, its likely you will pay around $45k-55K per year more at Berkeley. Choose where you want, but go into this with your eyes open. Also the “longstanding” relationships are very good with employers, but so are UT’s. The difference is not much. Many UT CS students have internships with Google, Amazon, and Facebook.
It has nothing to do with loyalty - I’d pick UT. It’s going to be about a third of the cost, and you’re not getting a lower quality of education by any means. I know you say cost doesn’t matter, but I’m sure it does to someone unless you have a trust fund or your family is extremely wealthy, we’re talking about over $100k easy. Also, the opportunity to do research all four years of college will be great if you want to go to grad school eventually. And you’ll be close to family and friends and won’t have to do a lot of traveling during the holidays, which is always horrible during times like spring break and thanksgiving when you’ll have work to do.
The only way I could see someone choosing Berkeley in this scenario is if cost really wasn’t an issue (i.e., the person wants to throw away money), and they were chasing some false sense of “prestige”.