<p>Hey everyone!
I'm just trying to gather some opinions.
I got accepted to NYU, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Univ. of Chicago, & Cornell (waitlist)...</p>
<p>and i'm planning to major either </p>
<p>-double major in math & bio
- or major in biomath or mathematical biology</p>
<p>Which college should i go for :) ... and why?
I'm trying to move to the east coast, but Berkeley is just too damn good to pass up.
Any thoughts or comment?</p>
<p>**Honest responses please :P</p>
<p>Two F's:</p>
<p>1) Finances
2) Fit</p>
<p>Regarding F2, have you been to campuses? Do you prefer to be in cities which all but Cornell offer (assuming you get in off the waitlist)?</p>
<p>Do you prefer intellectualism which Berkeley and Chicago offer more of?</p>
<p>Would you really want to be in NYC?</p>
<p>If financial considerations aren't important, I think on balance it is good to get away from where you grew up. But then again, you can do that for grad. school.</p>
<p>Berkeley is a very good option.</p>
<p>Are you in-state? If you are I would honestly take Berkeley just because it's a really good deal. If you're out-of-state I would probably take University of Chicago or Cornell. NYU is really expensive so I wouldn't consider it.</p>
<p>vicissitudes,</p>
<p>You know as well as I do that without knowing aid packages, we don't know which ones are good deals.</p>
<p>NYU is ranked the top dream school according to some poll. Just a random note.</p>
<p>First off, forget Cornell - unless you want Hotel Management. Horrible weather, horrible location, best known as the 'bottom of the Ivy's.'
UChicago - great school, great academics, lacks school spirit. Some friends have told me that it feels like grad school already.
NYU - if you've got lots of money to blow in NYC, go for it. If not, well, nyc is notorious for keeping the plebs in their place.</p>
<p>so it comes down to ucla or berkeley, imo. I think Berkeley's academic reputation exceeds ucla's by far, but ucla is a better option if 'social life' is high on your list of priorities. but if you're doubling in math and biostuff, then chances are you won't have time for social life wherever you choose to go. </p>
<p>my humble advice is to save the east coast for grad school and enjoy lovely california. top choices: berkeley then ucla.</p>
<p>I agree with Bearslair... choose UCLA or Cal, depending on which is your preference.</p>
<p>By the way, NYU cost of attendance is pushing $50K... for what? In addition a minimum of $1000++ per month to enjoy NYC on the weekends!</p>
<p>I don't agree with bearslair. Go where you think you'll be happiest, where you think you'll do best, and where you think your time will be best spent. If it happens to be Berkeley (or UCLA), great. If not, great. I wouldn't rule out those private schools quite as quickly.</p>
<p>Go visit as many of the schools as possible, and talk to as many people from each, especially in your possible majors or tracks (as in aiming at medical school) as possible. Do remember snow happens in Chicago, Cornell and NYU, and not much at Cal or UCLA.</p>
<p>Remember that you can always transfer if things turn out differently than you expect.</p>
<p>It's not about 'who's better.' It's about who's better for you. Good luck.</p>
<p>"but ucla is a better option if 'social life' is high on your list of priorities."</p>
<p>I don't agree with this. Sure, UCLA may be in big city LA, but in Berkeley you'll find similar people to hang out with. SF is also a 25-30 minute BART ride away.</p>
<p>
[quote]
vicissitudes,</p>
<p>You know as well as I do that without knowing aid packages, we don't know which ones are good deals.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah I suppose you are right about that, although I haven't heard of many people getting generous aid packages from U Chicago or NYU. Heck NYU is probably one of the most expensive places to go to college in the nation. But yeah, what I should have said was if UC Berkeley or UCLA is offering you a much better deal financially I would go with those two over NYU or UChicago.</p>
<p>How are the size of math classes @ Berkeley (upper division)?</p>