Which do you think is better between Rice and CAL-Berkeley?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have visited CAL-Berkeley just a few weeks ago and I like the ambience. well, needless to point out that it's globally reputable too (!!!). But my relatives who mostly live in Texas are all telling me to go to Rice. I would be honest that I have not heard of Rice before but I now know that it's such a big name school in the US. If I get accepted to study economics or business in the two schools, which do you think is the better school, in ALL aspects -- reputation, career after college, etc, etc...</p>

<p>btw, I want to work in Asia perhaps in Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, etc, after college.. despite that, i am not closing my door to work in the US if there's a good opportunity.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>Hello!I'm not very familiar with economics/business but i've visited both universities.These are very very good universities .
Prestige:Berkeley wins hands down
Academics: Both are top , but rice is more focus on undergrad.
Location:I prefer california
Size: depends if you like small student body Rice is perfect
Student body:both are really friendly , berkeley little more wierd/diverse
I think you HAVE TO visit Rice, since you have visited Berkeley..</p>

3

<p>I think UCB is better than Rice. :rolleyes:</p>

4

<p>I would say Berkeley if you are majoring in business</p>

5

<p>Honestly, it depends on FIT. Berkeley is BIG. RICE is a lot smaller. Berkeley is in northern California vs. Rice being in Houston. Frankly, I like RICE overall for undergraduate studies since they focus mostly on that. Berkeley has a fabulous reputation for its graduate work.</p>

6

<p>i like rice better, except it's in texas.</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
Berkeley has a fabulous reputation for its graduate work.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>And the undergraduate reputation isn't so bad either, people.</p>

<p>Both are great. Go to either and you'll be fine. I'd pick on fit- where do you want to be for 3-5 years or so? Where would you be happier? Definitely visit Rice.</p>

8

<p>I made a reply of the same thread over at the International Student forum but I will post what I posted there anyway:</p>

<p>Go to Berkeley if you want to have the best education and the best in college life experience. Rice is fine, but Berkeley is obvioulsy a notch above Rice in prestige, opportunities after college, etc, etc. And if you plan to work in Asia someday, the more your marketability will increase with a Berkeley degree.</p>

9

<p>What DRab said.</p>

<p>Also note that if you want to major in business administration, after you get accepted into Berkeley you have to apply to get into the Haas School of BUsiness to get to major in business, and only about 50% get in every year (note that they are all Berkeley students). So, while I would say Berkeley's business program is a notch above Rice's, also consider that it is hard to get in.</p>

<p>Of course, if that falls through, you could also major in economics.</p>

10

<p>Haas is #3 for business, go figure.</p>

<p>
[quote]
btw, I want to work in Asia perhaps in Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, etc, after college..

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Berkeley has enormous rep there (compared to Rice anyway). Go figure.</p>

11

<p>Rice will get you into any grad school that Berkley will get you into. Berkley may be better known among everyday people, but it does not have a better reputation in the academic circles. Both are top 20 schools.</p>

12

<p>I would go with Rice for overall college experience unless you are really into football. Business school- Berkeley has the edge, but it is correct that you can go anywhere with a Rice degree. It may not be as well known on the west coast, but it is everywhere else.</p>

13

<p>correction: RICE IS NOT KNOWN ON THE EAST COAST</p>

<p>i got in 2 years in a row (freshman and as a transfer)....no one I knew had heard of the school, except for a few mediocre students, who knew of it for baseball.</p>

<p>The valedictorian, going to harvard, who got into yale, mit, and stanford, asked me where it was located.</p>

<p>it's definetely a tragedy</p>

14

<p>Rice ? Berkeley? What’s matter with you, folks.
There’s no comparison:</p>

<p>If Berkeley is a sun, rice is a 60Watt light bulb, lol</p>

<p>Berkeley can eat Rice any day as a “Bento” (Lunch Box)</p>

<p>:rolleyes:</p>

15

<p>"If Berkeley is a sun, rice is a 60Watt light bulb, lol
"</p>

<p>And, many Cal die hard fans are modern versions of Icarus.</p>

<p>If the undergraduate education matters, one schools does indeed shine, and it is not the school where it has become almost imposssible to graduate in four years, where the named professors are omnipresent but do not consider teaching undergraduate a great part of the job, where getting in the right classes is a constant ordeal, where housing is pathetically dismal, where the student body is hopelessly different from the rest of the country, where the imminent budget crush will be both unavoidable and hard felt. </p>

<p>Yep, prestige--if there is even an advantage for Berkeley--comes at a price. As blinding as the sun!</p>

16

<p>Ahahaha</p>

<p>But it was...
Blinded by the light, revved on like a two, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light, revved on like a two, another runner in the night</p>

<p>Xiggi,</p>

<p>Your comparing us to icarus is too funny. But I come to you to give you a warning, after all it is said and done, you badmouthed “Berkeley” with your snakelike tongue</p>

17

<p>I think Rice is better, for obvious reasons.</p>

<p>To be fair, though, I never really considered Berkeley as a potential undergraduate school. As others have mentioned before, fit is a very important factor when choosing a school, and I had always hoped to attend a smaller school like Rice.</p>

18

<p>Curses! My post deleted. Here's essentially what it said.</p>

<p>Xiggi- please stop using so much hyperbole. </p>

<p>Also, what do you know of Berkeley (other than horror stories and articles in the news?)</p>

<p>Most students graduate in 4 or fewer years, and many CHOOSE to stay for more than four years. Granted, some are forced to (ofte after failing something and becoming out of since with sequences they must take for their major), and often because they would rather spend summers or their time doing other things than more school on top of what they're already taking, as in want to study abroad but don't want to take heavy loads as well in order to be able to graduate in 4 years. 86% graduate in under 6, and you can graduate in 3 if you so want.
J
The named professor are present, generally. Ever heard of John Searle? He's one of the most famous professors alive, and he claims that advanced undergraduates are his favorite students. From this semester back to the spring of 2004, he's taught at least one undergraduate course every semester, and in two, two courses. Ever heard of Lakoff? He teaches all the time. Famous profs in many disciplines teach undergraduates all the time. Look at the history department, for instance. Stop the hyperbole. If you were to say some professors are like this, I would say certainly, some are, and it's a travesty, and it's sad that it's also true at some other schools, such as Harvard, but it's nowhere NEAR "all" the big name professors. Not even close.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where getting in the right classes is a constant ordeal

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No, not so sure about that. Granted, is it more of an ordeal than it would be at some other schools? Certainly. But it's far from a constant ordeal for most students- for many it's rarely an issue.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where housing is pathetically dismal

[/quote]
</p>

<p>If you say so. I quite like mine, and I wouldn't mind if you start a letter writing campaign to Berkeley to improve it. Is some poor? Do I dislike some of the options? Sure, but much is good to great.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where the student body is hopelessly different from the rest of the country

[/quote]
</p>

<p>YOu sure? You can't find hardworking premeds and engineers at Caltech, MIT, harvey mudd? You can't find crazy liberals at vassar, sarah lawrence, pitzer, reed? You can't find intellectuals around the country? The very religious elsewhere? The crazy partiers elsewhere?</p>

<p>What do you know of the student body? IN what ways is it so special? Are you looking hard enough elswhere?</p>

<p>
[quote]
where the imminent budget crush will be both unavoidable and hard felt.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>A prophet of doom. Well, i'm not sure about this, but I would put money that you're not too up to date on the current state of Berkeley and funding, like the switch to more private donations in recent years (with plans to continue the trend). </p>

<p>But feel free to use as much hyperbole as you want, xiggi. :)</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
it is not the school where it has become almost imposssible to graduate in four years

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Almost impossible? The majority graduates in 4 years and many choose to stay.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where the named professors are omnipresent but do not consider teaching undergraduate a great part of the job

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Really? I attended this event during welcome week...the chancellor's reception. Many famous professors (the one who teaches Physics for Future Presidents, one of the most famous classes at Berkeley) were there. Deans of colleges were there. The chancellor was there. They were all COMING up to us and talking to FIRST-YEARs. Imagine that! And my professors are all very accessible through office hours, and I even bump into them outside of office hours.</p>

<p>Not to mention many professors at Rice also takes their research seriously and teaching undergrads sometimes take a back seat. This isn't a phenomenon that's unique to Berkeley.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where getting in the right classes is a constant ordeal

[/quote]

The waitlist is used quite a bit, but from what I've heard students generally get into their classes. It doesn't seem like a "constant" ordeal to me.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where housing is pathetically dismal

[/quote]
</p>

<p>How do you define dismal? The University recently gave students two-year guaranteed housing instead of one. Many new buildings were built for housing, including some very nice mini-suites in the units (DRab will confirm this). I've heard of people who don't get dorms but they still get housing close to the campus.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where the student body is hopelessly different from the rest of the country

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What do you mean different? Okay, so you'll have a hard time trying to find someone here with a southern accent. Does it really matter? There is plenty of diversity at Berkeley. You'll really meet all kinds of different people. I've already met quite a few international students as well as out-of-staters.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where the imminent budget crush will be both unavoidable and hard felt

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I don't know...only around 30% of Berkeley's budget actually comes from state funding, I believe. I wouldn't call it "hard felt."</p>

<p>But yeah, good job picking out all the negatives of Berkeley that happen in a few instances, most of them which also exists at Rice, and putting them all together and writing as if it is representative of the whole university. That'll give your post credibility.</p>

20

<p>Here's a list that was posted on another thread citing at least 100 colleges that send over 5% of its students on to get a PhD.</p>

<p>Academic field: ALL </p>

<p>PhDs and Doctoral Degrees: ten years (1994 to 2003) from NSF database</p>

<p>Number of Undergraduates: ten years (1989 to 1998) from IPEDS database </p>

<p>Percentage of graduates receiving a doctorate degree.
Note: Does not include colleges with less than 1000 graduates over the ten year period</p>

<p>Note: Includes all NSF doctoral degrees inc. PhD, Divinity, etc., but not M.D. or Law. </p>

<p>1 California Institute of Technology 35.8%
.
.
.
16 Rice University 13.1%
.
.
.
49 University of California-Berkeley 7.9%
.
.
.
100 Southwestern University 5.3%</p>