<p>Berkeley has long been my dream school, but it's nearing decision time and I still haven't been able to rule out UCSD (muir). I'm not too fond of the UCSD campus, social scene or greek life, but UCSD's 6 college system, suite style living and flexible GE and graduation requirements are extremely appealing.</p>
<p>Would I be crazy to pass up an opportunity at Berkeley?
Are living arrangements and graduation requirements worth switching my decision over?</p>
<p>whats ur major</p>
<p>Undeclared at both. No idea what I will go into.</p>
<p>Have you visited both campuses? Berkeley did not appeal to me.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would still choose UCB to be honest.
like both universities have different pros and cons but I’d go for the one with greater prestige.</p>
<p>Don’t look into “branding” the best school for you should be independent of societal norms. I went to UC Davis freshman year, I could have gone to several other UC’s, but I choose Davis, because it appealed to me. Do some research, find out the professors for classes you want to take, and email them. Try to get a sense of what your life will transpire to be at both schools, and then make your decision from there…</p>
<p>If you are undeclared then I would think UCB is best since it has Engineering, business, etc…BTW, prestige means nothing if you don’t succeed there.</p>
<p>I’m choosing UCSD over Cal! (:
I really like both schools but I chose UCSD partly for some of the reasons you listed (flexible GEs, etc). Although I will miss the greenness and lovely trees of the Bay Area, I’m not too much of a party-er so the lack of a frat row at UCSD doesn’t really matter to me. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if its a good idea to choose UCSD solely for living arrangements and grad reqs though. Are you planning on living on campus for all four years?
Cal does have some suites. Housing at cal isn’t too bad though even if you’re not in a suite. For example Clark Kerr is huuuge, even the triples - bigger than the triples at UCSD Warren in fact.</p>
<p>Even if you don’t have a specific major in mind, do you have a really general idea? Sciences, humanities, etc? Did you enjoy or do better in certain classes in school?</p>
<p>I feel like Cal is overrated… I was accepted too, but it was actually at the bottom of my list when deciding where to go.</p>
<p>If it were up to Cal and UCSD, I’d pick UCSD in a heartbeat. Cal’s campus is ugly to me and I could never imagine living there, but that’s just me.</p>
<p>I chose ucsd over cal. I just like ucsd more. Cal is extremely overrated. Do some research and I think you’ll see that Ucsd gets less credit than it deserves.</p>
<p>It depends. From an academic standpoint, I honestly would not recommend you choose UCSD unless your interests lie in the sciences and engineering. If you’re looking to major in Political Science or something of the sort UCSD’s program is lacking. </p>
<p>That being said, don’t just Berkeley simply based on the prestige factor. I have several incredibly intelligent friends from high school (4.0, 2200+ SAT) whose plans of graduate education have been murdered by the curve. Also, if you are considering pre-med know that the weeder classes are brutal. That being said, I have SEVERAL friends from Berkeley who landed internships with well-known companies and who are attending fantastic graduate school. Berkeley inarguably offers more opportunities for your professional development.</p>
<p>SD definitely has a much more relaxed vibe. However, it’s definitely not easy (especially pre-med). If you fall behind the quarter system is not forgiving. Also, there is no swarm of recruiters at SD. You really have to be proactive if you want to seek any type of opportunity. Furthermore, SD is a very mellow campus. The students are perfectly nice, but they’re either apathetic or too focused on getting good grades to demonstrate passion for anything (my opinion). The on-campus orgs, whether they be pre-professional or interest-based, are quite frankly mediocre. That being said, UCSD offers very good quality classes, tons of research opportunities both on- and off-campus and internship opportunities with surrounding biotech companies. </p>
<p>If you’re a good student and passionate about learning it honestly won’t matter where you go. That being said, we do live in the real world, and a degree from Berkeley will help you get your foot in the door to a greater extent than will a degree from SD.</p>
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<p>[Best</a> Political Science Programs | Top Political Science Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/political-science-rankings]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/political-science-rankings)</p>
<h1>8 in the nation is REALLY lacking.</h1>