<p>My son has narrowed it down to Tulane or Berkeley. He is a serious musician (mostly jazz but all of music engages him), will study more languages, and interested in taking some science, (but not as a major). The richness of New Orleans and of course the music scene are pretty alluring and there are some excellent departments at Tulane. But of course the diversity of Berkeley and the incredible offerings might be hard to turn down. I would like some opinion on the difficulty of getting into classes at Berkeley. With so many students after the same classes (and with “Rate my Professor”, the competition for certain teachers), how much of a problem is it?? And, i have heard that next year there are more budget cuts planned. Thanks!</p>
<p>The budget cuts haven’t affected the flagship UC’s like Berkeley as much so getting into classes shouldn’t be a huge problem. If your son is in a popular major he may not get his first choice discussion section time for some of the larger pre-requisite courses, but with some patience he should still be able to sign up for the classes he needs.</p>
<p>The College of L&S includes the science majors as well as music, linguistics, and foreign languages. Since he won’t have to declare a major until the end of his sophomore year your son will have time to explore his interests should he decide on Berkeley.</p>