<p>To the OP: Cornell is ranked #15 and Berkeley at #39 according to this international ranking: [World’s</a> Best Universities: Top 400 - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-top-400.html]World’s”>http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-top-400.html)</p>
<p>Both Cornell and Berkeley are upper tier schools, and any perceived difference in ranking, IMO, is too small to be significant. More important factors are cost and fit. Which program interests you more? What about quality of undergraduate education? Quality of student life? Which campus “vibe” suits you better? What about weather? Location? Opportunities for internships/research? Is there a significant difference in cost? The more satisfied you are with your college experience, the higher your level of achievement should be, which in turn will make you more attractive to potential employers. </p>
<p>Signed, UCLA alum married to a former Singaporean, with a son attending Cornell engineering who was also accepted at Berkeley.</p>
<p>No Cornell and Berkeley are both schools that are well recognized here, perhaps even disproportionately so (you’d be hard pressed to find people who know say Dartmouth or Amherst here). I was merely responding to the assumptions that an international’s future prospects are not shaped by the fact that one school is perceived as better than another:</p>
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<p>Case in point.</p>
<p>Cornell above Stanford in those rankings?</p>
<p>Yes, Cornell #15, Stanford #16.</p>
<p>Although USNWR is a dubious source in the first place.</p>
<p>Also, I want people to understand that I’m not picking a school SOLELY based on its international popularity.
I’m simply seeking bits of information so I piece together all the info and make my decision. No need to blow up at me.</p>
<p>And thanks to Srrinath for standing up to me! You’re absolutely correct :)</p>
<p>See and that’s fine, gathering information to make an informed decision is intelligent.</p>
<p>It’s when you say things such as “I’m interested in picking which is MOST internationally renown…like is Cornell as famous as Harvard? Or is Cornell only known in America?”</p>
<p>That people think you are only a prestige whore.
Maybe choose your words more carefully next time?
And I apologize.</p>
<p>Another important difference between Cornell and Berkeley is that at Cornell, engineering students do not declare their major until their sophomore year; but at Berkeley, the major stated on a student’s application for admission will be the major for that student upon entry, the only exception being the student who applies as undeclared. A Berkeley student who wants to change their major must file a petition, which may or may not be granted (and 4 years ago when S was accepted, they were very clear that a petition may be denied if the desired major is “impacted” or if the requested change would make it difficult to graduate within the allotted 4 year period). See website here: [Freshman</a> Admission FAQ — UC Berkeley College of Engineering](<a href=“http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/prospective-students/admissions/freshman-faq.html]Freshman”>Prospective freshman FAQs - Berkeley Engineering) . This lack of flexibility was a real negative for our S. Add to that well-known problems such as the budget woes affecting the UC system, oversubscribed classes, overcrowded on-campus housing, and a highly bureaucratic environment at Berkeley, none of which exist at Cornell. On the other hand, if the cost of attending Cornell would be significantly more than Berkeley and finances are an issue, then Berkeley may be the better alternative, because as great as Cornell is, it probably isn’t worth graduating with huge debt or overburdening your parents.</p>
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<p>Yeah I understand. But if you get to know me, I’m very complex person. I say things in a way so I can pull out information and build an analysis and do whatever I gotta do. I twist things in a way so I can receive answers straight and to the point</p>
<p>I prefer doing that rather than explaining myself.</p>
<p>Altogether its a reason why you shouldn’t judge people, as the saying goes.</p>
<p>I was being nice by apologizing in light of your lighter defensive tone earlier. I thought maybe you phrased it that way unknowingly.</p>
<p>Also consider where you want to eventually be employed. Cal engineering will have significantly more west coast based employers for on-campus recruiting. Likewise with Cornell and Northeast employers.</p>
<p>You can also look at the ARWU rankings…for international prestige.</p>
<p>This thread might be kind of biased. Is money an issue? If not, come to Cornell.</p>
<p>It’s quite possible to have a better financial aid package from a place like Cornell vs. Berkeley.</p>
<p>So I’m not sure you can simply generalize it as “Is money an issue?”</p>