<p>Berkeley can take 5 to 6 years to get through. Classes are so crowded that students get shut out of choices they need to complete their major so they need to attend an extra few semesters to fulfill graduation requirements. We have two sets of good friends in CA who love Berkley and their experiences there but both directed their children away from Berkley for that reason. This is not the case at UCLA (if you’re looking for State) or Stanford (if private’s fine).</p>