UVA vs Berkeley vs UCLA

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
1

<p>*First post so pardon any mistakes</p>

<p>I've been offered admission to UVa, Berkeley, and UCLA. It looks like these are the schools that I will be having to decide on for Fall 2013. I know all three schools are really good institutions, and I'm just trying to find anyone who can provide reasons/knowledge as to which college I should attend and WHY. I'll be looking at other threads for each college (as well as each college's website) to help make my decision easier.</p>

<p>Some background info about me:</p>

<p>I am a first generation, Mexican-American student. I live in California, so obviously the cheapest would be to attend either Berkeley or LA. However, I am the type of kid who loves to see new things and venture out. The farthest place I've gone is Las Vegas, Nevada. I have a passion for seeing and learning new things. Being an open-minded kid, I'd love to go out of state to UVa. I want to meet different people from a different lifestyle. I believe the East Coast would expose me to a many different cultures, lifestyles, people, and ideas. I want to gain new perspectives of life! Also, I'm still waiting on a financial aid offer from Virginia. Because of my family's income, I SHOULD be offered a package with a small loan amount.</p>

<p>ALSO: I'm hoping to study Business at whichever college I end up attending. I'm very interested in Investment Banking, so a good idea would be go to UVa (if money allows). And if I don't end up going into IB, I know UVa has connections with many Fortune 500 Companies.</p>

<p>*I put in an enormous amount of studying and time in applying for out of state schools. My mind was set on going out of state for college, hoping to take in the whole college experience. Due to only being accepted to one out of state college, I slightly feel that if I ended up in-state, I would have done so much work for nothing. But my optimistic personality reminds me that all those essays, all that time studying for the SAT, has taught me to set goals and do whatever it takes to reach them. I've become a better and brighter writer. I yearn to see bigger and better things. I've lived in the Central Valley my whole life, have not traveled much. I go to a school where half of the students don't even know what the SAT is. Most students here end up at our local CC, and drop out eventually. And about half end up not even going to CC, and just go straight to work. Those that go to college are all set on a UC. As for me, I prefer not to go to a UC. I want to be different. Also with California budget cuts, it seems that UVa would offer more for me. My tuition deposit is waived for UVa and currently waiting for verification from Berkeley and LA for waivers. Also I get to partake in the special Spring Fest/Blast for UVa because I'm Hispanic. I feel that UVa is calling my name. But I will be visiting each school as well.</p>

<p>So what I'm hoping to find out are answers to these questions:</p>

<p>What are the pro's and con's of each school?
Why should/shouldn't I attend UVa? UCLA? Berkeley?
Having only lived on the West Coast, how do East Coasters perceive UCLA? Berkeley?
What if I don't get accepted to McIntire? What else does UVa have to offer? (I Know the two UC's have other strong academic areas)
Is there a business program that provides more opportunities than the other two schools?
How's the weather at each school?</p>

2

<p>I also didn’t realize how prestigious UVa is. It was one of my “safety” schools, and after reading threads about the admissions decisions, and how it compares to Cornell’s AEM program, I’m truly grateful for being admitted. I feel like I’ve been given a great opportunity.</p>

3

<p>For most students who receive substantial financial aid, UVa expects them to take out about $25,000 of federal loans over their 4 years. That is called a loan cap, and it does not guarantee that more loans may be needed, depending upon your own circumstances (such as high travel costs). If you choose to take out private loans, they do not count towards the loan cap. A work study job during the school year will probably also be part of the financial aid offer. </p>

<p>If you can attend Berkeley or UCLA with little debt and without needing to work during the school year, I’d choose that. You can then save your debt capacity for graduate school (which may be on the East Coast) or to do interesting unpaid internships (which may allow one or more summers on the East Coast). For example, there are many programs available for summer internships in DC (some of which may be run by the U. of California). </p>

<p>Don’t forget to carefully consider travel costs. For instance, test out how much it would cost to fly from California to Charlottesville before Thanksgiving or Christmas. The next closest airports are Richmond and Dulles. Last time I checked, there was not any bus service connecting Dulles to Charlottesville, although some students catch a ride with students who live nearby.</p>

<p>I believe that California state grants for college can only be used in California. That may make a big difference in finances. Many students overlook that factor - that they may miss out on large amounts of money per year from their own state if they go out of state. The rules of these grant programs vary from state to state.</p>

<p>Also, I’m under the impression that UVa does not have a large Latino student population. (Instead, it has a large Asian and Asian-American student enrollment.) That may matter to you, or it may not.</p>

4

<p>California is a really big state. If you live in the south, attending Berkeley will give you that “going away to college” feel. If you live in the northern section of CA, the same could be said for UCLA. Haas has a great UG business program, and for IS students, it’s a great value. (I would probably choose it for business over UCLA.) My advice would be to stay in CA and save your money for grad school. Then, you can go to the east coast if you were still so inclined. I’m a huge UVA supporter; however, in your case, I would recommend staying in CA.</p>

5

<p>Berkeley no doubt. If you ever want to change majors, they’re much much better overall.</p>

<p>And trust me. The bay area may be one of the best locations in the entire nation. I’ve moved around my entire life. And there’s no place like the bay.</p>

6

<p>@charlieschm If it plays out how I read on Uva’s financial page, the loan amount would be the same to attend Uva as it would be to attend Berkeley. But I’m probably overlooking something so yeah most likely Berkeley would be a better fit financial-wise. 5k/year in loans at Berkeley, if I did work-study. Also, because my step-father flies all over the place, he gets flight mile points so flying back would usually be “free”.</p>

<p>@jc40 I live smack dead in the middle of California. It’s the same amount of time to go to LA as it is the bay. Also, do you by chance know what companies recruit out of UG Haas?</p>

<p>@tseliottt I’ve never had the opportunity to actually get a good feel for the bay. Only San Franciso, and that was a two-day trip. What’s there to do? Does it ever get boring?</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses. They are greatly appreciated. You’re all persuading me to stay. However, if I want to go into IB, wouldn’t UVa be a better choice? Or should I wait, then go to the East Coast for a big name PG Biz school (hopefully Wharton fingers crossed), and work in IB later in life at that time? Also, do big name MBA schools still like Berkeley over UVa even though it’s on the West Coast?</p>

7

<p>Get boring? Never. What’s there to do? Everything. You like the water, go to the coast. You like hiking, go to the hills. You like cities, there’s SF, Oakland, and San Jose, each with their own different flavor. Speaking of which, you can get practically any type of food there, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the most ethnically diverse region. Museums, zoos, cultural landmarks, there’s plenty. Want to take a break? LA, Tahoe, Vegas. Weather’s usually perfect. Plus being at the epicenter of technology isn’t too bad either. I’m sure you’ll love it.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I lived in Virginia for a bit, and though it’s quite beautiful, I got bored of it rather quick.</p>

8

<p>@tseliottt Is it sunny in the bay? I think I may be persuaded to attend Berkeley now. Haha I just need to look into what the concentrations/majors that Haas offers, and if I were not to get in, what else I could major in.</p>

9

<p>People who are more knowledgeable are welcome to correct me - but my impression is that California universities are more connected to business job opportunities involving Asia, while East Coast universities are more connected to business opportunities involving Europe.</p>

10

<p>Just as much as where you used to live I’m sure. Just not as dry. It has a cool coastal breeze for most of the year.</p>

<p>As far as major, I’d suggest computer science. I find it very fun, and you can still get hired within the financial sector. Employers love CS majors.</p>

11

<p>@charlieschm You’re correct there. </p>

<p>@tseliottt Do you know if I don’t get admitted to the Biz program, if I can go into computer science? Because there’s no guarantee admission, what can I fall back on at Berkeley?</p>

12

<p>“On the other hand, I lived in Virginia for a bit, and though it’s quite beautiful, I got bored of it rather quick.”</p>

<p>Tselliot, you don’t say whether you’ve ever actually been to Charlottesville, so I’m not sure how much standing you have to critique UVA. Everyone’s different and I love to visit SF and LA (and have plenty of times) but the idea of living in a city that big for college is not appealing to me. I lived in DC for years and never regretted or missed it after moving back to Cville and UVA which is where I did college and professional studies.</p>

<p>However, its not about what you and I think.</p>

<p>UVA is a drop dead beautiful school located in a charming city- it will be quite different from what you’ve experienced in the central valley culturally, climatically (is that a word?) and more. The people are generally friendly and there are plenty of things to do, various social scenes, decent college sports and a whole community of students to join, plus DC is only two hours away. UVAs undergrad business school if first rate and of course there is the Darden connection. If you can swing the money issues- and you are your own best judge of that- UVA offers you the new experiences it sounds like you are looking for. If you crave constant new experiences, or, like tselliot, you are easily bored, then LA or SF will probably be a better fit.</p>

13

<p>Personally after visiting UVA a few times, I’d say it’s a very nice campus. Very pleasant. A lot of my friends either love or hate it. The thing that really makes or breaks the school for you is the attitude. Some people take it as snobby and others take it as an air of prestige. At the same time, the area around it does kind of have a little of that “Southern Hospitality” kind of feel (Though it’s not that extreme, Charlottesville isn’t that southern). If you’re a city person it might not be for you, as Charlottesville is “suburban” but leans a little more towards rural. However, it’s only a few hours away from DC, which is a cool perk :)</p>

<p>And yes the East Coast does know of UCLA and Berkeley, and they are regarded quite highly here as well. </p>

<p>If you’re worried at all about the Latino population, I mean yeah it is kind of low at UVA but I believe that a significant part of the student population comes from Northern Virginia, which is super diverse, and has a really high Latino population. So you won’t seem strange or anything. </p>

<p>Weather? Ummm I guess it’s kind of moderate. It snows :smiley: though how much varies a lot from year to year. Some winters we can get huge snowstorms with like a foot, others there might be nothing at all.</p>

<p>Whatever you decide, super props to you for getting into UVA out of state! That’s a huge accomplishment!</p>

14

<p>@doonerak I get bored easily, however with being in a completely different atmosphere, I feel like UVa would get that boring. I live in a city that isn’t as big as LA or SF, but isn’t too small either. So being able to live in a college town would actually be what I may just be looking for, as you stated. And I feel that UVa’s history and campus would benefit me in a way I’ll TRY to explain: When i attend a presentation about Uva, I just felt right. I saw myself at this historic college. IT’s weird to say, but because it felt like an old school to me, it encouraged me to study more. I pictured myself in the library reading old books, learning new things everyday. I feel that Berkeley and LA would present more distractions, with its upbeat lifestyle. </p>

<p>@ZebraRider Thank you so much!</p>

15

<p>Since your heart is set on UVa, go there. </p>

<p>The prestige gap is minor and rather irrelevant for the area you want to focus on, investment banking. I went to Cal and am in the financial district now, and still encourage you to go where the emotions tell you. </p>

<p>If you pursue the goal of becoming a well-rounded individual, you will get more out of the college experience than simply setting on becoming an i-banker who wants $$$.</p>

<p>The placement rate into top b-schools is fairly even between Cal and UVa but I suspect Cal is better once you include Haas and Sloan. See their results into six select b-schools in this thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/business-school-mba/1224650-top-feeder-colleges-americas-elite-b-schools-5.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/business-school-mba/1224650-top-feeder-colleges-americas-elite-b-schools-5.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;