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<p>They are all in the same ballpark for non-Californians, but given your intended major and the fact that you’re an international, I would think Berkeley is even tougher than Cornell or Chicago. </p>
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<p>Chicago’s academic programs have a theoretical orientation. You need to understand the Common Core and the American concept of liberal education, which Chicago takes very seriously. In computing, expect the emphasis to be on computer science.</p>
<p>Chicago has a very good CS department and outstanding undergraduate mathematics. If you want a solid grounding in the mathematical and logical fundamentals of computing, you like the Common Core approach, and the school is otherwise a good fit, then it’s a great choice. Berkeley and Cornell have top 10 computer science departments, so they might be even better choices if you have a hands-on, engineering bent. Berkeley has the added advantage of proximity to Silicon Valley firms.</p>
<p>Computing aside, Chicago or Cornell will give you smaller classes, a better shot at aid if you need it, and student bodies drawn from all over the USA. Compared to Berkeley, I think you’d be less likely to have classes led by teaching assistants, and more likely to get significant feedback from professors (in classroom discussions and written assignments), starting in year 1.</p>
<p>Apply to all 3 (and some less selective schools) then weigh your options after results are in. All 3 are excellent schools.</p>