<p>“As for me being 18 years old, its actually a mistake. When I first made this account, I worked with a stupid keyboard that screwed up everything. My original user name should have been GoldAngel and somehow I ended up mixing bits of my password and misspelled my username.”</p>
<p>wat. That sounds like a pretty lame excuse.</p>
<p>“Most people outside of academic institutions haven’t even HEARD of berkeley.”</p>
<p>HA. HA.</p>
<p>“The most known UC is easily UCLA even if it’s programs may not be as good as berkeley’s (which in my opinion is pretty arguable; but even if it’s true, berkeley’s usually barely better than UCLA in rankings, although it had like a 50 year head start)”</p>
<p>Pretty arguable? You are pretty bogus. Just look up rankings, sir. And who cares how much of a head start it had? By the same reasoning, UC Merced is pretty much the same as UCLA since UCLA had such a huge head start.</p>
<p>“berkeley’s an easier school anyway since it uses the semester system, at UCLA you have to keep on top of your toes”</p>
<p>Don’t know if you’re joking here… some of my friends go to ucla and they cover in one quarter half of what I do in one semester. Ever heard of the berkeley curves?</p>
<p>The semester/quarter material is actually more or less the same, so I have reservations whether Berkeley’s semester system is “easier”. I have friends who go to UCLA and they take 2 courses for every equivalent course here.</p>
<p>For example, Math 54 here (Linear Algebra + Diff Eqs) is equivalent to taking Math 33A + Math 33B at UCLA. Same deal for stuff like Physics 7B (thermo,electricity & magnetism) here, where they have to take the equivalent of atleast 2 physics courses to cover E&M (they don’t even cover thermo yet!)</p>
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<p>ladies and gentlemen…the community college transfer contribution</p>
<p>I don’t think I’d blame community colleges for his lack of an insight (or even a coherent, well thought out argument)… I blame society as a whole.</p>
<p>Seriously, questionable rankings (like USN&WR) and a ‘hopes and worries’ survey to round out an argument. All that’s missing is a “my friend’s mom from back east/out of the country” statement as further proof.</p>
<p>I apologize. It’s late, I’m working on a deadline, and I want to sleep. It makes me a little testy. Yet, still I’m on cc… must get back to work.</p>
<p>It’s pretty cute that you all try to find faults in my past posts :D.
But more importantly why not try to compile your thoughts of Berkeley being a stellar academic institution for undergraduates?</p>
<p>You say Berkeley is a public school and thus HAS to admit more students…but why should that matter? An education is an education. I don’t want to keep thinking “I have trouble getting classes, the place is overcrowded, the dorms are small, but oh well. Its okay because I go to a public school that’s forced to take a lot of people.”
That can’t be an excuse.
I assume life is “harder” at Cal because they’re so many people that you’ve just become a number?</p>
<p>I’ve already got a few people here openly saying the undergraduates are just enjoying the reputation gained by research and excellent graduate programs at Berkeley.
And bashing UCLA? Shows Calinsecurities…and bashing me? Shows YOUR insecurities of your institution by choosing not to respond to the actual OP.</p>
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<p>yes let’s look up the rankings:</p>
<p>in this years USN&WR, berkeley was 22 and UCLA was 25? oh wow, huge difference</p>
<p>[National</a> Universities Rankings - Best College - Education - US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings]National”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings)</p>
<p>in best public university rankings, berkeley was #1 and UCLA was tied with UVA for #2 (huge difference omg)</p>
<p>[Best</a> Colleges - Education - US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-top-public]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-top-public)</p>
<p>And it being higher in rankings could also just boil down to endowment (with USN&WR, i wouldn’t be surprised)</p>
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<p>i’ve never taken classes at cal, so i wouldn’t know. my ‘berkeley’s easier because it’s on semester’ statement was more or less meant as a joke anyway.</p>
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<p>oh hi, Ad Hominem, what big error in reasoning you have…</p>
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<p>some of the argument was coherent and well thought out, other parts were not. I have the liberty and luxury of doing so as i deem necessary. also, you ‘blame society as a whole’? that sounds a bit dramatic.</p>
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i like how you’ve spent your time attacking my argument saying that it’s not sound, yet you’re the one making the point on ‘questionable rankings’ whereas i’ve actually provided evidence to support my argument.</p>
<p>first, USN&WR, whether you like it or not, is a reputable ranking. </p>
<p>second, my CH&WS was also meant to show that parents and students alike, when thinking of the best schools for themselves and their children respectively, didn’t even list berkeley as one of the options, most probably because berkeley’s PR sucks, and they’ve never heard of it.</p>
<p>want more evidence? in Newsweek’s 25 new ivies, again berkeley’s no where on that list. UCLA however is:</p>
<p>[America’s</a> 25 New Elite ‘Ivies’ - Newsweek](<a href=“http://www.newsweek.com/2006/08/20/25-new-ivies.html]America’s”>http://www.newsweek.com/2006/08/20/25-new-ivies.html)</p>
<p>i obviously now berkeley is a great school and that if you go there you have fine opportunities at many other highly prestigious academic institutions. My point was that i think the argument that it’s the best UC now is pretty negligible, and it isn’t as widely known as UCLA (outside of academic institutions)</p>
<p>one may make the argument that academic institutions are all that matter since we’re all obviously in an academic field, but i would disagree with that. If people haven’t heard of you, they’re not going to apply to you, and that only limits the tallent pool at berkeley.</p>
<p>beyphy:</p>
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<p>Ahem, your “support” is a random, popularity survey. </p>
<p>NYU is on your popularity list…does that make it as prestigious as UCLA? Notre Dame is also on list; it in particular, is the #1 college for Catholics (who desire a Catholic education). Does it make it as prestigious as Brown?</p>
<p>I already admitted that UCLA is popular: 1) it offers fun-in-the-sun, particularly to OOS’ers; 2) it is in the middle of the second largest population center in the US, and since most mommies don’t want their kids to venture far from home, it receives a lot of local applications. But don’t confuse selectivity with applications.</p>
<p>But don’t confuse popularity, with prestige. (Although the prestige of the Southern Branch is quite high.) But get out around the world, particularly in Asia, and you’ll find that Cal is extremely well known; having your name on the Periodic Table of Elements in perpetuity does something for a school campus! </p>
<p>btw: go back in time, and you’ll find Cal on someone’s New Ivy list. It’s just that Cal is now the old-new-Ivy. hahaha</p>
<p>And just for full disclosure, I’ve opined on these boards that UVa will soon pass Cal since the State support continues to decline.</p>
<p>I have no problems with berkeley (my brother went there) and i never said it UCLA more prestigious (whether it should be is another story,) just more well known.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, i just view UCLA and UCB as having a rivalry with one another for the best UC. As far as whether UVA will prove better than UCB, only time will tell.</p>
<p>Doesn’t it depend on the major??? Just food for thought…</p>
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<p>Having spent a lot of time at both campuses, I would suggest that it is a one-way rivalry. (Rightfully or wrongfully, Cal considers Stanford and H&Y as peers, whereas UCLA keeps looking across town and up at NorCal.) LA is and always will be 'Southern Branch." hehe</p>
<p>@beyphy: My response was more of a reaction to 123456789bc’s use of your flawed argument as a platform to ridicule transfer students as a whole - again - instead of directing his attentions towards you directly.</p>
<p>As to the soundness of your post, the only arguable evidence you gave was a USN&WR ranking reference.</p>
<p>To that point, I absolutely refuse to get drawn into a debate the merits of USN&WR. Whole sections of this board have been consumed with this topic. I see them as a general guideline, nothing more.</p>
<p>You other evidence was: “Most people outside of academic institutions haven’t even heard of berkeley.”</p>
<p>This was followed up by quoting a popularity survey and an making a declaration that Cal classes must be easier as it follows the semester system.</p>
<p>What part of your argument was sound (outside of the loose USN&WR reference)?</p>
<p>Look up my posting history. I have never made an attack against UCLA, nor do I feel it to be a lesser institution. I have only ever referred to it as a world-class research university.</p>
<p>@GoldAngealArea: Your past posts show you to be a liar and a ■■■■■. This speaks directly to your credibility. You don’t have the maturity to offer anything of value to a conversation.</p>
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<p>Berkeley can consider SHYPMC peers all it wants, that doesn’t make it true though :p</p>
<p>@calbear2009: i never said that you attacked UCLA or implied it. It just seems kind of a weak refutation to me when evidence is provided to say something akin to ‘well your evidence sucks anyway’ instead of actually refuting it with counter evidence. </p>
<p>/2 cents</p>
<p>
The USNWR academic “peer assessment” says it is:</p>
<p>4.9, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, MIT
4.8, Yale
4.7, Berkeley
4.6, Caltech, Columbia, Chicago
…</p>
<p>4.2, JCLA…(tied with Carnegie Mellon)</p>
<p>i suppose it’s a good thing then that i don’t go to ‘JCLA’ xD</p>
<p>seriously though, i can’t find the peer assessment thing anywhere. Not that i don’t believe you, i’d just like to check out the peer assessments for myself.</p>
<p>also, in regards to SHYPCM, the lowest in the rank (MIT and Caltech tied at #7) are seperated by 15 ranks from berkeley (which is 22) so again, berkeley isn’t considered a peer (not even close) at least in regards to national rankings.</p>
<p><a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings[/url]”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/797962-college-comparison-xxii-usnwr-peer-assessment-ratings.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/797962-college-comparison-xxii-usnwr-peer-assessment-ratings.html</a></p>
<p>@GoldAngealArea: It’s pretty funny how incompetent you are as a ■■■■■. Seriously, you made it easy to figure it out and once caught you don’t even bother making a new account. There are some things I don’t like about Berkeley, but at least I think their admissions are difficult enough that you won’t be getting in…</p>
<p>beyphy, </p>
<p>USNWR uses a lot of different weightings that don’t really measure academics (i.e alumni giving and arbitrary ratings like “faculty resources”).</p>
<p>Bottom line though, Berkeley is a peer to UCLA, Michigan, Wisconsin and other top publics in terms of undergrad students, financial arrangement, etc…because it is, after all, a large public research university.</p>
<p>Berkeley is a peer to HYPSM in other terms…research, faculty distinction/award and achievement, graduate programs, etc. This makes Berkeley a special case.</p>
<p>Pshhh there really is no rivalry or ill will between Cal and UCLA. Obvious ■■■■■ is obvious. </p>
<p>We consider UCLA to be our little brother school (which it is). I’m sure it’s better than Cal if you want to be an actor, singer, etc. It has nicer weather too. We’re more well known for sciences, business, and a whole plethora of other subjects (judging by Nobel prizes, faculty, research, whatever). Your claim that Berkeley is unknown is ludicrous. We share the same library resources, the same school song, logo and their mascot is a baby bear. UCLA is rivals with USC and we’re rivals with Stanford. That’s it.</p>
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<p>i’m not sure if it’s accurate to call berkeley a peer if what is meant is merely a type of peer. For example, it could be argued that SHYPCM are true peers with themselves (in both of the aspects listed above) whereas berkeley is only a half-peer. Since this is the case, i don’t feel it’s fair to call berks a ‘peer’ with the ivies. But perhaps i’m taking the language too litterally?</p>
<p>/2 cents</p>
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<p>i never said the rivalry was petty. They’re both friendly rivalries</p>
<p>i’ve also never understood cal being a rival with stanford. Can’t imagine a case where someone would go to berkeley over stanford (at least in terms of academics)</p>