<p>Whistle Pig: Of course you’re 100% correct; better is highly dependent on what course of study one choses at either of these universities. The general perception (and we all know how frequently that’s wrong) is that Stanford’s student body is relatively homogeneous, obscenely wealthy, and isolated (this from a Stanford grad and colleague). Berkeley, from experience, is not those things.</p>
<p>But again it comes down to course of study. Cal’s civil engineering department is probably better than Stanford’s; Stanford’s law department is probably better than Berkeley’s. Comparisons a can be made between dozens of departments, some of which will be “better” at one school than the other.</p>
<p>As for fun, San Francisco is a short BART ride across the Bay and there are lots of micro-breweries in Berkeley, Oakland, and the surrounding cities. I don’t know where Stanford students go for entertainment; presumably to a polo game or something.</p>