<p>I live in Berkeley and the area around campus can be pretty bad. I know a high schooler who had a gun pulled on him for an ipod last month. The worst scene is the homeless people on campus who will not leave you alone. They are in the bushes between buildings and even get in to the dorms to panhandle. They are very aggressive and are as bad as the druggies who cling to the fringes of campus and have free rein in the surrounding shops and sidewalks.</p>
<p>Everyone has a different preference when choosing colleges. I doubt many here will ever be a Nobel Laureate anyway. Plus, some of the Nobel Laureates are downright boring in lecture. I suggest people interested find out
1.how many years it takes to graduate because you can not get the classes you need,
2.if you have to reapply going in to junior year for your major and how many are then dumped and left on their own to find a new major,
3. spend some time on the campus and look and talk with the students (who will even speak to you) and see if you want them as friends and study partners
4. check out the decrebid buildings</p>