<p>I chose UC Berkeley in order to gain an unique experience sufficiently far away from home, but not too far away from home. The culture cannot be found elsewhere, parents are more than an arm’s reach away, but home is just a half-day carpool away.</p>
<p>I did not choose UCLA because I’m already familiar with the cosmopolitan environment surrounding the campus. The school felt too generic, and being only an hour away from where I lived, parents could do some real helicoptering.</p>
<p>Berkeley, without hesitation. I chose it because…</p>
<ul>
<li>I’m majoring in engineering and Berkeley’s engineering is unparalleled</li>
<li>SF is much a better place to be in than LA</li>
<li>Better reputation recognized throughout the world</li>
<li>More rigorous environment conducive to learning</li>
<li>More intellectually vibrant and stimulating</li>
</ul>
<p>GO BEARS!</p>
<p>bump! here are the questions, reposted: </p>
<p>I feel like there are a lot of threads along the lines of “BERKELEY OR LA??? OMG IM SO STUCK,” which is definitely an issue worth discussing for students like me who love both schools and are really just stuck in deciding which one to go to, but those threads usually evaporate into endless debate.</p>
<p>Let’s try something a little different. Please, if you chose Berkeley over UCLA, why? Please be as detailed as you can without taking too much of your precious time. Was it for academic reasons? Social reasons? financial? emotional reasons? Please be as specific as possible, thx.</p>
<p>I’m talking current students and grads, please.</p>
<p>How do you view your decision now, year(s) after you’ve made it?</p>
<p>I really appreciate any students/grads’ comments/words of wisdom in response. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Because I got rejeceted from UCLA</p>
<p>Berkeley rocks because</p>
<ul>
<li>Haas Business program</li>
<li>general rankings</li>
<li>near San Francisco, which means more opportunity for interships/jobs</li>
<li>great alumni</li>
<li>great professors(although they usually teach grad students)</li>
<li>crazy, active atmosphere</li>
</ul>
<p>The great professors also teach undergrads - most classes have a full professor doing the lecture as well as grad student instructors leading smaller discussion, exploration sections tied to the main lecture. Couple that with the certainty that you can meet with your professor pretty much any week you want, and you will find that the reality is better than the surface logic might suggest.</p>
<p>bump! 10 char</p>
<p>So I ALMOST went to UCLA. I had everything down: housing, meal plans, the four-year alumni scholarship, etc. And then I changed my mind the day before the SIR was due.</p>
<p>(not in this order though)
1.) opportunities in college
2.) opportunities after college
3.) alumni network
4.) location, location, location
5.) alumni scholarship</p>
<p>I grew up in the Bay so I wanted to be kinda close but far enough so I could go home if I ever needed to and my parents couldn’t unexpectedly visit me. I am hoping to stay in the Bay after college and the location of Berkeley cannot be more perfect. The connections it has to internships/job opportunities in the city and the area in general are obviously stronger than those in LA. The alumni network here is pretty bomb (duh). Plus, I had a little scholarship* that covered everything outside of housing/tuition. For me, it pretty much came down to the location, so things would probably be different if I grew up in LA. Sure, there are crazy people, the academic atmosphere is competitively intense, and you’re just a number here, but it’s really what you make of it. If you put in your effort to meet people, take up a new hobby, etc., you’ll love it.</p>
<p>GO BEARS.</p>
<p>bump!!! 10 char</p>
<p>bump! 10 char!</p>
<p>I accidentally submitted my SIR to berkeley instead of UCLA.</p>
<p>Gotta knock off that weed, batman</p>
<p>I believe Cal is a bit better than UCLA, without being as overrated. I made my decision when i applied because I didn’t apply to UCLA.</p>
<p>bump!</p>
<p>I feel like there are a lot of threads along the lines of “BERKELEY OR LA??? OMG IM SO STUCK,” which is definitely an issue worth discussing for students like me who love both schools and are really just stuck in deciding which one to go to, but those threads usually evaporate into endless debate.</p>
<p>Let’s try something a little different. Please, if you chose Berkeley over UCLA, why? Please be as detailed as you can without taking too much of your precious time. Was it for academic reasons? Social reasons? financial? emotional reasons? Please be as specific as possible, thx.</p>
<p>I’m talking current students and grads, please.</p>
<p>How do you view your decision now, year(s) after you’ve made it?</p>
<p>I really appreciate any students/grads’ comments/words of wisdom in response. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>In the question of Cal over UCLA, is it true that Cal is unsocial and UCLA is social?</p>
<p>I’m torn between the two and would like to submit my SIR by tonight or tomorrow, lol. I loved Berkeley’s campus and the fact that vegan food was readily available is a plus - UCLA was small and inviting, but its feel wasn’t like Berkeley’s…</p>
<p>Sorry to intrude!</p>
<p>Cal has its share of unsocial people, and I’m sure it’s the same at UCLA.</p>
<p>Regents at both, and UCLA gave me another scholarship. Chose Cal. haha. This will sound elitist but Cal’s just better (than most schools, not just UCLA) across the board in almost all departments. That in itself did it for me. Oh and I really liked the urban setting.</p>
<p>But I’m sure UCLA has its perks too… ;)</p>
<p>bump! see the original questions above (post #34)</p>