<p>I did say that "students are most interested in football and basketball" and I added that in places like the west schools don't really care as much about lacrosse than they do here. Read my statement before calling me ignorant. A true sports fan won't care about major sports. Instead a true sports fan will follow what sports interest them most. There's no way in generalizing that to be a true sports fan, you have to follow major sports like basketball and football.</p>
<p>Point taken. But still, you must admit that the <em>most popular</em> sports will, in general, be basketball and football, followed by baseball, lacrosse and soccer. Oh, I guess you could add hockey into the mix, too, if the school is in a state like Minnesota, Michigan or New Hampshire.</p>
<p>BTW, my comment about your being ignorant of US human geography wasn't mean to be condescending or specific to this thread. It's just that you've consistently showed incorrect knowledge of what different parts of the US are like to the point of being offensive. I know that you're an international student, so I'll give you a pass.</p>
<p>So now you're saying an international student will never understand US human geography better than an American citizen? You're truly ignorant if that's the case. How have I "consistently shown incorrect knowledge of what different parts of the US are like'? Just like the way you generalize what popular sports are and the way I generalize the south? And you proved my point and in fact contradicted yourself when you said 'you could add hockey into the mix too if the school is in a state like...' The point is that you cannot say basketball and football are the most popular sports. In Stanford for example, no one really cares about football. They are just the most televised and covered in the media. Maybe you could learn some more about what different schools in different parts of the US are like before claiming that an international student needs a pass.</p>
<p>No, I'm not saying that an international student can never know about US human geography - just that he shouldn't be expected to. Why do I think you're ignorant? Perhaps your past posts on "the south" and what "the south" is like. Other regions, too. As much as you claim to liberal and tolerant, you've demonstrated consistent biases.</p>
<p>And please, I realize that at certain schools football might not be as popular, but at nearly EVERY university, football and basketball are most popular, with a few exceptions. I'm <em>am</em> making generalizations about sports, because they <em>can</em> be made. For what it's worth, Stanford has only had a mediocre football scene for the past 10-15 years...are you familiar with their rivalry w/ Berkeley? It's huge, and has resulted in several classic games.</p>
<p>Of course I am familiar with Stanford and Berkeley's rivalry in EVERY aspect - and not just in sports. Sports certainly cannot be generalized because people's reactions and advocacy for certain sports change from time to time. For example when the ranking of a football team drops drastically and thus its program declining, the support for football in that school will drop. It's always relative to how well the team is doing. It certainly is true for every sport.</p>
<p>Bedhead's post #14 is right on.</p>
<p>Berkeley seems to fit a more liberal, individualistic person, much more urban feel, maybe a bit more intellectual and diverse atmosphere</p>
<p>U Va more preppy and pretty</p>
<p>My point was and still is that basketball and football are the most popular sports at the overwhelming majority of US schools, with baseball, lax and hockey lagging behind. Please, don't continue to argue with me about this.</p>
<p>I'm sorry but your point is very biased; yes they are popular sports but only in the eyes of the media. You've just excluded so many schools that may not have the opportunity to be ranked higher. These schools don't give a damn about basketball or football because their teams aren't good enough. Please think and stop being so stubborn.</p>
<p>Hahaha, alright.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry but your point is very biased; yes they are popular sports but only in the eyes of the media. You've just excluded so many schools that may not have the opportunity to be ranked higher. These schools don't give a damn about basketball or football because their teams aren't good enough"</p>
<p>football and basketball is popular at every college in the US, and at every level of American society. Did you know that more ppl watch the Superbowl than vote in a presidential election?
just because a college doesn't have a good basketball or football team does not mean that the students dont give a damn about it. the vast majority of Americans pay a lot of attention to football or basketball.<br>
since is it's march, look at march madness. at my school, 90+% of students made a bracket, and i go to a large public HS.</p>
<p>oh yeah, and i can prove that basketball and football is popular with American society, and not just propogated by the media.<br>
look at the advertisements. companies pay millions of dollars for like half a minute of time. if nobody watched it, companies wouldn't pay so much $ for so little time.</p>
<p>I think you lost the OP....
it is an interesting question, U VA vs Cal
does anyone have anything to add besides the sports thing? we don't even know if that is a factor for the OP and we have this big debate about it</p>
<p>I would assume academics are probably more important as the OP mentioned academics, weather and diversity...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Bedhead's post #14 is right on.</p>
<p>Berkeley seems to fit a more liberal, individualistic person, much more urban feel, maybe a bit more intellectual and diverse atmosphere</p>
<p>U Va more preppy and pretty
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Thanks, wecandothis. I would argue against the more pretty statement. There are parts of the Berkeley campus that I think are among the most beautiful of campus spots in the nation, IMO. But overall, UVA not being a in a semi-urban environment may be more verdant. Most people approach Berkeley's campus from the South side and see only the more urban side of it. </p>
<p>And I think you really hit the nail on the head with your last post:
[quote]
does anyone have anything to add besides the sports thing? we don't even know if that is a factor for the OP and we have this big debate about it
[/quote]
</p>
<p>C'mon, guys: That wasn't even something that was raised by the OP.</p>
<p>Academics may be of some interest to the OP.</p>
<p>I suggest you check out the following two links for UC Berkeley:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.berkeley.edu/about/honors/%5B/url%5D">http://www.berkeley.edu/about/honors/</a>
<a href="http://www.berkeley.edu/about/honors/grad/%5B/url%5D">http://www.berkeley.edu/about/honors/grad/</a></p>
<p>As you can see by these links, Berkeley has, on average, the top graduate programs in the country (35 out of 36 rank in the top 10, 23 of these programs rank in the top 4 nationally), except for Law (where it ranks 14th)</p>
<p>Virginia is excellent in business, like Berkeley, and is ranked highly also in medical/nursing programs, law (top 10), and in programs for people planning to go into the educational field. </p>
<p>Both good schools, but Berkeley for academic choice, except for Law School, and possibly business school. </p>
<p>However, this is not the whole story:
The comments on getting classes as freshmen at UC Berkeley is true. Many of the classes are large, and still overbooked. For example one of the basic Economics course had a class of 600--and a waiting list of 150 students who couldn't get in the first semester.</p>
<p>Also, it is expensive to live in the Bay Area--2nd only to New York City nationally. But the SF area is a pleasure to live in and weather-wise, is nirvana.</p>
<p>Best of luck with your choice.</p>
<p>Berkeley and Virginia are both great schools, and your daughter is very lucky to have the choice! My opinion is that she should choose the college that she's most comfortable in, OUTSIDE of classes. Perhaps she should also consider an in-state school, as tuition would be significantly cheaper...</p>
<p>Because the truth is, it doesn't really matter where your daughter does her undergrad for graduate school or medical school admissions purposes. The so-called "elite" schools tend to send many students to selective grad and med programs because many of the students were exceptionally smart to begin with--but they probably would have ended up in the same place no matter where they did their undergrad.</p>