<p>Hey, I'm kind of at a tie here, I cannot make up my mind as to which school I would rather attend. Cost is not a factor in my decision, can you please give me some advice, I really like both schools and have visited both, but I cannot make up my mind, it's killing me! haha</p>
<p>you should figure out whether you like oranges or broccoli better, this choice is basically that polarized</p>
<p>They are pretty different, so think about what the differences mean to you, personally. First, the housing situation: on-campus (variety of housing types) at Vanderbilt, vs little on-campus housing now at UCB (from what I’ve been told). Second, Vanderbilt is a mid-size undergraduate program, and I think all agree that the focus on undergraduate education is strong; UCB is a world-class research U with big-time graduate programs. In general, big research programs like that have two effects on undergraduates: a lot of research projects going on, so lots of opportunities, but little chance to work directly with professors–you will be working with graduate students or post-docs. Third, the class sizes at UCB will be much larger. Depending on your major and the quality of advising, students often run into trouble graduating in four years at large institutions, as it can be difficult to get into over-subscribed courses. Given the economic situation in California, and the rumors about what that means for the UC system, that looks like a problem which might get worse.</p>
<p>My personal opinion: large research Us are great places for graduate school, but mid-size universities like Vanderbilt are ideal for undergraduates. There is a lot going on, but undergraduates don’t get lost in the system.</p>