Why Berkeley?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Is Berkeley good? I mean, I know they have good programs in engineering and etc., but after reading what people said about berkeley in this forum, I’m afraid to even apply.</p>

<p>This is what I’ve heard of so far.</p>

<li><p>Too many Asians. Almost to the point that whites and blacks are rare?</p></li>
<li><p>Not a friendly atmosphere?</p></li>
<li><p>Very competitive?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I don’t know. I just don’t think the people are good. I mean, no matter how good the college is, if the people aren’t nice, I don’t think I want to attend. Or am I wrong about the college? If I am, please clear up this false image. </p>

<p>How is Berkeley? And why did you choose to attend it? Or why did you choose to apply?</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>There are a lot of Asians. Blacks are rare (students anyway--Berkeley itself is very, very diverse). Whites are not. State law prevents affirmative action, hence the situation.</p></li>
<li><p>The atmosphere is quite friendly, actually, in my opinion at least. There are a lot of nice people at Berkeley and a lot of social groups for you to get to meet them in.</p></li>
<li><p>I've never felt competitiveness personally. However, my disclaimer is that I've been doing pretty well relative to others, so that may be why. I think the general mood is actually quite relaxed.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>In general, there are some unpleasant people, but there are a lot of great people here, too. I mean, in any group of 20,000 18-22 year olds, you'll find a spectrum of people. Anyone saying all are unequivocally awesome or mean is lying.</p>

<p>Asking how Berkeley is is a pretty vague question. Berkeley, as a city, is dirty and run-down, but extremely diverse and cultural. There are a huge number of students, which means you will almost certainly find a group of them that you enjoy hanging out with. In general, I feel that Berkeley really ends up being what you make of it (and I feel this way about most colleges).</p>

<p>If you like a big campus with lots of people, Berkeley is great. If you want a 1,500 student school in suburbia, maybe Harvey-Mudd would be better. If you like clean, pristine streets, Berkeley probably won't be your cup of tea--try UCLA, if you don't mind a more Hollywood attitude and feel. As you can tell by reading what people post here, some people (inevitably) love Berkeley and some hate it. Don't take either camp too seriously without experiencing it first--visit if you can.</p>

<p>Actually, if you know a Berkeley student and can spend a few days in his dorm/apartment, that'll really get you a feel for Berkeley. If you can't and have to rely on what is said on forums, well, I can't guarantee you'll like what you receive. I would say, though, that if you're open-minded, you really can't go wrong anywhere.</p>

3

<p>1) You make it sound like having this ratio is a bad thing. Unless you have a problem (or fear) of other races, why would this even come into your thinking on whether to apply or not?</p>

<p>2) Atmosphere is what you make of it. But if you have a problems with Asians, then you'll give it a bad atmosphyer</p>

<p>3) All great schools are competitive.</p>

4

<ol>
<li><p>It feels to me like the student body is about 40% Asian, 40% white, 18% hispanic, and 2% black. The actual numbers are a little different, but this is how the population seems like to me. Mostly Asians and Caucasians, some Hispanics, very few blacks.</p></li>
<li><p>It's pretty friendly. I really don't think one college can have a "not friendly" atmosphere while another has a "really friendly atmosphere." Really at any college campuses you will find all kinds of people, but anyway at Berkeley I've met many nice people and very few rude ones.</p></li>
<li><p>I guess it depends. If we're talking about engineering it certainly can get competitive, but all engineering schools are competitive. I think it depends on what you are studying and what courses you are taking.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I don't think Berkeley as a city is run-down. It's very busy (especially on Telegraph), filled with stores, restaurants, and pedestrans. Quite a lively city I think. I really like the city myself.</p>

<p>Anyway, what did you read on here that makes you not want to apply? I'm just curious.</p>

5

<p>Because you like chilling with homeless people on the green outside the library.</p>

6

<p>I'm not afraid of Asians. In fact, my best friend is an asian and my other best friend acts as if she is asian because she loves their culture so much. I don't mind being around Asians. They're really nice, but I don't want to be completely surrounded by Asians.</p>

<p>When you say Asians, does that include Indians? How many Indians are there? I am from India. When I hear the word 'Asians', I think of Chinese, Japanese and whatever-nese there is. </p>

<p>I'm somewhat afraid to apply because I think I read the threads where people said all the negative things. Maybe, they blew it out of proportion or maybe, it was mind. As long as everyone isn't completely a b-word. (I can't cuss in posts.), I'd be happy. If the people are bad, no matter how good the school is, I would be afraid to attend because I don't want to surround myself with arrogant, self-centered people. (once again, excuse my language.) </p>

<p>But I think I was wrong. All the things I've read about Berkeley were negative. I would like to know more about the college. How is the campus? What are the best programs offered at Berkeley? How is the city? What source of entertainment is available in the city? Explain all the good and the bad things. No college is perfect, right? :) Thank you.</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
1. It feels to me like the student body is about 40% Asian, 40% white, 18% hispanic, and 2% black.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You're are off by quite a bit anyway.</p>

<p><a href="https://osr2.berkeley.edu/Public/STUDENT.DATA/PUBLICATIONS/UG/ugsp05.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://osr2.berkeley.edu/Public/STUDENT.DATA/PUBLICATIONS/UG/ugsp05.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The school's population when last surveyed (Spring 2005) was 42.8% Asian, 3.7% Black, 10.8% Hispanic, and 31.6% White. Keep in mind this doesn't include the 8.9% who declined to state their ethnicity!</p>

<p>Personally, I (Mexican ethnicity) do find the large number of Asians an annoyance at times, but only because I am an outsider.</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
You're are off by quite a bit anyway.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I said it FEELS, and that the actual numbers are a little different. But thanks for actually providing the actual numbers.</p>

<p>Visali, yes I do include Indians, and there are actually quite a few. Not as numerous as Chinese/Japanese/Korean, or Caucasians, but it's pretty easy to find them on/off campus.</p>

<p>When you say "I'm somewhat afraid to apply because I think I read the threads where people said all the negative things" which threads were those exactly? I'd like to find out what exactly we post on here that turns students away from Berkeley, because that's the last thing I want this forum to do.</p>

<p>Anyway, the negativity on the boards are blown out of proportion. Some problems do exist but not to a large degree, and many exist on other college campuses too.</p>

<p>I personally love the campus. Here's a nice picture of memorial glade:</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Berkeley_glade_afternoon.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Berkeley_glade_afternoon.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The buildings are all pretty different from each other, each with its own touch of uniqueness. I have to admit a few buildings are pretty ugly but in general the architecture is very well-designed. I visited UCSD and the buildings were kind of boring and uninspired (exception of Eleanor Roosevelt College). The buildings at Berkeley really seem to have a sense of the magnificence of classicism blended with modernity. Did that make sense? Probably not. I would encourage you to just visit the campus if you can, it helps a lot.</p>

<p>A picture of Wheeler Hall:</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wheeler_Hall.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wheeler_Hall.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Sproul Plaza:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/%7Ejittichai/Gallery/Berkeley/campus/berkeley25.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/~jittichai/Gallery/Berkeley/campus/berkeley25.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Overview:</p>

<p><a href="http://images.google.com/url?q=http://www.arikah.net/commons/en/4/40/Berkeley_Campus_Sather_Tower.jpg&sig=__QKGSn8j1-cEK2x-1OneCeNqDAqI=%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://images.google.com/url?q=http://www.arikah.net/commons/en/4/40/Berkeley_Campus_Sather_Tower.jpg&sig=__QKGSn8j1-cEK2x-1OneCeNqDAqI=&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

9

<p>
[quote]
I said it FEELS, and that the actual numbers are a little different.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Apologies.</p>

10

<p>No problem at all. :)</p>

<p>A few more pics I took myself:</p>

<p><a href="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1981.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1981.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1980.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1980.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1982.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1982.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>(haas school of business)</p>

<p><a href="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1991.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1991.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1986.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1986.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

11

<p>
[quote]
How is the campus? What are the best programs offered at Berkeley? How is the city? What source of entertainment is available in the city? Explain all the good and the bad things. No college is perfect, right? Thank you.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Okay, I think I have already covered the campus. The best programs...there are so many, and I'm not very familiar with many of them. I know the engineering department is very strong. The college of chemistry is very good (I think Chemistry is ranked #1 every year right?). English is very good here. Haas is definitely one of the best business schools around, if you're interested. Sciences in general is pretty strong. For the others you really have to ask other posters.</p>

<p>The city, like I have said, is great. The city of Berkeley is beautiful, with many stores lining wide, clean streets. There's a nice Barnes and Nobles which I frequent. Tons of great restaurants. Here are some pictures I took of the city:</p>

<p><a href="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1966.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1966.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1968.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/berkeleykid/DSCN1968.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Then there is the area immediately surrounding the campus. It's very busy with pedestrians, like I have said. Some streets have bike lanes which are very useful (for me at least). Tons of little shops/restaurants, and many stands set up on the streets. You will occasionally see a homeless person or two, but it's not such a big deal. It's a very lively place and I like it. Oh yes, today there was a protest right on Bancroft about how textbooks are overpriced. Haha. You'll probably see stuff like this often.</p>

<p>What source of entertainment? Hmm...this one I'm not too sure about. I'm not exactly a social butterfly (is it such a surprise, given my CC post count?). People seem to just gather in groups and wander all over. Again, there are shops, restaurants, and just places you can visit. There are always parties and frats if you're into that sort of thing. Cafes are aplenty. I'm sure others can field this better than I can.</p>

12

<p>Good things...my new favorite thing to do is bike around the campus. The city is great (I think I mentioned that before). The off-campus food is GREAT. The on-campus food is okay. The people here have been very nice (maybe it's just welcome week). One thing that surprised me is that there seems to be quite a bit of school spirit and the athletics are pretty strong. You always hear about UCLA and whatnot but Cal athletics are pretty darn good. The Cal Band is great (very spirited, cute dances). I love the rivalry with Stanford (it's hilarious).</p>

<p>The weather has been really good so far, although I hear rain season will begin soon (still, the weather is good). The facilities are great. For example, for $10 a semester you get all the RSF services, which is this huge gym that includes a weight room, basketball courts, swimming pool, tennis courts (?), and so many things.</p>

<p>Have I talked about the library system? It's one of the largest in the country. I think nearly 30 libraries populate the campus, housing over 9 million books. The main library is beautiful and it is huge. If you somehow cannot find a book on Berkeley you can always check out books from other UC libraries, and there is a system in which you can even request books from other libraries like Harvard or Yale, I believe.</p>

<p>The grad students I have met so far have been very friendly, and they are very intelligent and helpful, eager to lend advice. The general student body is pretty strong. There are many, many motivated and bright students here, so while it's a thrill to be surrounded by them, it's also a bit intimidating sometimes.</p>

<p>Okay the dorms. I live in a unit and it's great. The Units are basically a bunch of buildings 6-8 stories tall clumped together. There are three units, basically identical in structure. I really like the lounge rooms on the bottom. Every building has one. There are amentities like a pool table, a ping-pong table, a television, sofas and chairs, and a piano (!). The rooms...if you live in a triple there's not a lot of space, but actually I don't mind it at all. I seem to have all the space I need. It's easy to socialize with others because you'll probably be in one of the hallway rooms, which means that your room will be one of many in a hallway of rooms. Some people will have their doors open and you can just walk right in and say "hi" and introduce yourself. They are very friendly and welcoming.</p>

13

<p>You have really helped me a lot! Thank you! It was almost a tour. My parents won't let me go on campus visits because they think that visit will be useless if I get rejected from that college. So, they said that I could go visit colleges that do accept me later around Spring Break. (I live in Illinois.)</p>

<p>Berkeley isn't bad. I love their buildings. The streets are clean and orderly. It's not bad. I'm interested in Engineering and Business. I'm not saying that because it's ranked higher or whatever. I love Chemistry; it's my favorite science course. So far, it seems perfect.</p>

<p>I'm not much of a social butterfly either, but I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere. That's why I asked what the city offers. Is the college pretty safe? Or is the city pretty safe for a girl at night?</p>

<p>I'll try to find those threads. I think they are from CC. Or maybe from Student Reviews. I don't know. I'll try to find it. Thank you so much. Because of you, I think I'll apply. Berkeley doesn't seem as evil as I thought it was. :D</p>

14

<p>Sure no problem. I think the negatives have been pointed out more than enough in other threads. Generally there are problems of capped majors, the occasional large lecture, and the somewhat unresponsive administration. Nothing too big really, and I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. Anyway, Berkeley is a great place to go for undergrad and I hope you apply/get in. :)</p>

15

<p>I found the sites. There are only two, but I've listed the two below. :)</p>

<ol>
<li><p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=212861%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=212861&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li>
<li><p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=145438%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=145438&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li>
</ol>

<p>You really did inspire me to apply to Berkeley. I will apply, but what score would you recommend on the SATs and ACT. For SAT I, can you make it out of 1600. I'm planning to take the ACT instead which will be equivalent to SAT, right? I'm also planning to take Math I and Chemistry SAT II. Hopefully, I'll do good and get accepted.</p>

16

<p>THe Math IC SAT II is not accepted by the UC System, so you must take Math IIC or a different SAT II Subject Test. The ACT is equivalent to the SAT, however, you must take the ACT with Writing in order for the ACT to be considered.</p>

17

<p>Haha, I thought "Top 8 Reasons Not To Go To Berkeley" would be one of them. That was a really old thread last year that stirred up a lot of controversy. I think the original poster (who is still around posting under another name) is very negatively biased against Berkeley for some reason. Most of what he said about Berkeley isn't true or is too exaggerated.</p>

<p>Anyway, are you in-state? That's very important. Assuming you are, I would recommend at least a 2000, and the higher the better of course. Going by the old scale, I guess that would be around a 1300. High school GPA also matters a lot, as well as your ECs and essays. I'm not too familiar with the ACT. Good luck.</p>

18

<p>I jusst returned home from helping my son move into his dorm at Cal. I took two East Coast trips with him, one during Spring of his junior year and one in the late summer of his senior year. We visited over 20 schools and he ended up not applying at 16 of them. We did the California tour in 2 parts in the Spring of his junior yr and Fall of his senior year. He ended up applying at 8 in CA (where we live.) Those tours were really important to him in making decisions on where to apply. He ended up getting accepted into all of his top 3 choices, and is at Cal because of wanting to stay in CA.
The tours also helped him stay focused during senior year when most seniors don't want to be in high school anymore, something called "senioritis."
From a parents perspective on your questions:</p>

<ol>
<li>There is a huge number of Asians, as there are in any competitive university in the US. The Afro-American population has dropped in the last several years.</li>
<li>The city of Berkeley is quite nice. Once you get away from the campus it is completely different from the Berkeley campus and the immediate surrounding neghborhood. The campus and immediate surrounding area is "safe" and safer than a lot of other campus' across the country.</li>
<li> It is a friendly campus overall, I think that is true of most college's. It is huge, 34000+ students so easy to get lost.</li>
<li> It is a competitive atmosphere. All of the students come from the top of their class/school. This kind of kid is normally competitive by nature.</li>
</ol>

<p>"There is no place like Berkeley." Come visit after seeing other schools and you'll see what that statement means.</p>

<p>Good luck in your college search.</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
We visited over 20 schools and he ended up not applying at 16 of them.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That's insane. But I guess it proved the visits to be quite useful.</p>

<p>Good summary.</p>

20

<p>
[quote]
When you say Asians, does that include Indians? How many Indians are there? I am from India. When I hear the word 'Asians', I think of Chinese, Japanese and whatever-nese there is.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes, there are TONS of Indians at Berkeley. When you drive down University, you'll see an Indian video store, Indian clothes store, a bunch of Indian restaurants--quite frankly I was amazed at how many Indian businesses there were in the area. Quite a few Indian students and professors as well.</p>