Cornell vs. UC Berkeley?

Question

Suppose I am accepted into both Cornell University and Univeristy of California at Berkeley. How can I really distinguish the two from each other (besides location/weather)? I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I have been to UC Berkeley, but I haven't been to Cornell before. Please do not tell me to do more research because I have done so, and the information is all very vague; they both basically say "we are big and therefore we are good at almost everything and our student body is very dynamic". If you were me, which would you choose, and why?

Thanks very much for any help you have on this stressful choice.

Answer 1

I would choose Cornell because I like snow and it snows in New York. I also would like to experience a different setting for a change. (i was born and raised in SF bay area)

I'm not worried about tutition because I can always borrow money and pay it back later. Among all loans, the student loan has the lowest interest rate (i think its less than 5%, but i'm not sure) and the payments are pretty flexible (how much you pay depends on how much you earn. the less you earn, the less you pay per month)

I think Cornell = UC Berkeley in terms of academics, so i based my decision on location and weather.

Answer 2

Go there. Until you visit, brochures and online info really don't tell you anything that useful.

If you can't afford to check out the campus in person, go with what makes you more comfortable. It's hard to go really wrong with either situation.

If you plan on going to grad school, does the price difference affect things? Does being away from family and friends affect things? Have you always wanted to go to an Ivy school, cost be damned? Have you always wanted to live on the East Coast? Do you like being in a city with tons of activities but also crime, or out in the boonies?

I'd choose Berkeley personally. That's because I intend on going to grad school. Their reputations are similar so I'm not giving up anything there. However, being a CA resident, Berkeley would likely be a TON cheaper. I've also wanted to go to a school with a big time sports program and experience that part of college life. Also, lots of my friends went so I would have had some connection to home while making new college friends. I'd like to experience snow and seasons, but not enough to make me pack up and leave for 4 years and pay more for it.

But that's just me. Ultimately, it's your priorities that matter the most.

Answer 3

Education wise Cornell is still considered better their US News Ranking is 12 UC Berkeley is a 21. Do not let this fool you a degree from Berkeley is not considered a joke by any strech of the imagination. People are just as impressed by a degree from Berkeley as they are from cornell. I would lean towards Berkeley mainly for finacial reasons, because the academic standards and eduacation quality is not much different and you will be saving yourself several thousands of dollars over your next 4 years, which will come handy when it comes to grad school time. If you wanted to remove all doubt you would have applied to Stanford a far more superior university than both of those schoold combined. Or as stated by my roommate who is a Cardinal Alum. Do not take what I say as gospel if you really want to know go out to Ithaca and spend some time there and see if you will like it. Ithaca is a 180 from the Bay Area.

Answer 4

Hi,
You haven't told anything about yourself or the program you're applying for.
Is it bachelors, ms, mba? Why did you choose to apply to Cornell and Berkeley, what did you like about the programs?

Answer 5

the only factor i know approximately Berk is that lots of the scholars and extraordinarily the staff take their freedoms with none attention, and attempt to maintain the army recruiters off campus. on an identical time as i don't have confidence in government forcing issues upon the citizenry, and extraordinarily bush's variety of forcing, i think of each and every college the two public and private ought to have an eternal place of work for all the branches which is composed of state take care of(s). I hate seeing people who journey the milk and honey wagon and then denounce our way of existence by using our student physique. I served in Korea because of the fact of my ideals, and it value me my first mairrage! yet I nevertheless might serve if noted as!

Answer 6

Cornell is Ivy League if that matters to you. I would go there myself just to try something new. A new environment.