I definitely don’t think this is the case with any of the UCs and definitely not for UCB. But the football games can be fun! I didn’t go to Cal myself, but it’s really fun when the campus comes alive in team colors and spirit for a big game that will attract not only students but also alumni and members of the community. I love that part!
yes, UCSD is top notch when it comes to bioengineering, and has a pretty good medical school as well. it provides very good education in pretty much all majors it offers. also La Jolla beaches are wonderful.
that said, UCB has deep connections to Silicon valley which has been main driver of high end job market in the last 20 years or so. they have a very solid engineering school, very well connected faculties in humanities, and parts of campus is beautiful. my main issue with UCB is that administration here has scant regards for students’ well being.
I think you’d find people (parents mostly) associated with most of the UCs who make the same complaint – I don’t think UCB stands out in any way on that front. I hear the exact same from parents in the Facebook forums for UCLA and UCSD (I have one at each). I don’t agree with their perceptions, but I think that there is sometimes a mismatch between parents’ expectations and the realities of a large public university addressing competing interests with limited resources. There are definitely challenges to navigating big public schools, but if you manage expectations going in, I perceive there’s less frustration. That’s been my experience in any case. I’m very happy with the education both of mine are getting.
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well, UCLA at least did guarantee 4 year housing. UCSD guarantees 2 years and it seems they want to guarantee 4 years. UCB has had a lot of time to address this housing issue and not leave their students subject to exploitation by the local rental property owners. in some cases, it also puts students in unsafe neighborhoods.
it is perhaps true that all UCs have little regard for students’ well being, but i don’t think i should be finding excuses for them. i know they can do a better job if they prioritize students.
To be clear, I don’t think that the UCs are not prioritizing students. I give them credit and grace for doing a pretty good job given the constraints within which they operate. I just perceive that you are going to hear the same kind of criticism from parents of students at most if not all of the UC schools.
As for housing, if that’s a chief concern, there are definitely challenges at UCB! And on-campus housing is expensive compared to other UCs. But it’s certainly in good company in terms of other UCs that lack housing and need to build more (fortunately UCB is indeed building more and wants to build even more!)
Contrary to popular opinion, I think Berkeley’s market for off-campus housing is actually a little better than some of the other UCs, mainly because it’s a huge metro area and you can always find something farther from campus + excellent transit. Also you’re not competing with locals for the same inner perimeter housing stock like you are at, say, Santa Cruz.
Agree that, though generous, most undergrads won’t stay more than one or maybe two years in dorms.
Also don’t like to see Cal held hostage wrt Peoples Park complex and other long-owned properties which profoundly negatively impacts the university’s ability to fulfill its mandate of serving first gen students and acting as an agent of social mobility. Much NIMBYism and we-got-ours driving that train!
I’m also local-ish (San Francisco), parent of a current Cal student and a Berkeley & Davis alum myself, plus my siblings went to UCSB and my parents had me young just out of UCLA so I spent a lot of time on those campuses.
The safety climate and street feel in Berkeley at the moment reflects forces at play in the Bay Area and California’s urban centers generally. I’m not sure the administration’s inability to address the consequences of mass homelessness, income inequality and drug addiction should we used as proof of its uncaring; those are powerful forces and big numbers. I would like to see Bear Walk, dorm security, campus lighting, beat cops and shuttles from north to south side beefed up and better supported. Those seem like no brainers. My daughter lives Southside near Elmwood. She and her friends/roommates are mostly local, mostly urban, and practice all the usual safety habits (walking in pairs at night, not using earbuds or phones, planning trips). We gave her a bike and helmet with good lights for solo night outings. We think that is safer than a woman walking alone wrt physical assault risk.
Urban environments clearly offer downsides and benefits (services, transit, better food, clubs, sense of action, density). YMMV. For suburban students there will be a learning curve for handling yourself sensibly in the city.
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Agree on ALL of that. Very, very good summary. It was so dispiriting to me that the university had to work that hard just to get started on the People’s Park project, but it was good to see the city of Berkeley and Cal aligned and pulling in the same direction and know that it’s finally happening!
I also agree with you in terms of the supply of off-campus housing. There actually is housing to be had! Less of a concern than for a school like UC Santa Cruz where it’s hard to come by at all. So while the on-campus housing at Cal is expensive vs. some other campuses, in reality you are going to be off campus soon anyway and it makes sense to compare options on that front. The 4 year guarantee from UCLA is nice but certainly not taken advantage of by the majority of students who start there as freshmen.
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I think a lot higher percentage of undergrads at UCB will use 4 year guarantee than UCLA. A lot more students choose UCLA for “lifestyle”, “football” and other things, while UCB attracts students with deeper desire for intellectual achievement.
Let’s all hope we get a chance to put this theory to the test!
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The dorms are so expensive, I can’t see wanting to stay for 4 years. My son lives in a double in foothill and all in with the basic meal plan his housing is $2,500 a month.
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There are 30k+ undergrads at Cal who have chosen to attend for an endless number of reasons. I get concerned when parents and high school students perpetuate stereotypes about such a large student body. Students will find those who are competitive and those who are collaborative. Those who are intellectual and those who are artistic or outdoorsy (not suggesting these are mutually exclusive of course). The variety of students at Cal is similar to that of any large public school even though it might tilt towards a heavier CS/engineering enrollment than some others.
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My S24 is trying to visit Cal this week as he’s off for Spring Break and we will have a conflict for admitted students day. All admitted tours are booked for this week, of course, so we might have to do a self guided tour ourselves. We’ve called the Visitor Center and the message says they are swamped and to call back - which we’ve done.
Any advice besides the self-guided tour on what to see? He’s admitted into the C of Chemistry for engineering so we’d like to focus on that and research in particular. Doing research immediately is a big priority for him and he was invited to apply for the SEEDs program which would give him auto placement but we don’t know if he’ll be accepted and might not find out until the deadline to choose a college. We’ve been told by current science students that getting research opportunities is very competitive, especially for a freshman. So we are weighing between Cal and some privates which will give him more and earlier research opps v fighting for limited spots at a UC. He’s loved Cal for a long time and we’d love to talk to some folks so suggestions or insights would be greatly appreciated.
Are you looking at the calendar here? (I think this is what your portal is supposed to point to?) http://caladmit.com/
The admitted / waitlisted student tour time is 11:30am every day (arrive by 11:15am). Note the boldface text below:
- We offer these tours March 29 - May 14, 7 days a week, from 11:30am-1pm. Click on the tour you wish to reserve.
- If a day is blank, this means the tour for that particular day is full. While a reservation is preferable, we will not turn away an admitted or waitlisted student (and their family) for a tour. Please arrive at the Koret Visitor Center by 11:15am to attend the tour.
I would recommend going on a real tour instead of self guided!
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My Bear would NEVER live on campus for longer then they had to. Neither would their friends. ALL of them are looking forward to moving out of the dorms and living in apartments, Greek houses, etc.
Currently I know of 14 freshmen at UCLA this year and not a single one of them will be living on campus next year. Most upperclassmen at UCLA after first year want the on campus apartments and very few get them because most on campus housing is dorms.
The argument for 4 years on campus living is a parents dream but not a students reality. MOST students want to move off campus to have the experience of living on their own with more space and a kitchen.
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As far as this is concerned, when you talked to current science students were they in L&S sciences, or in CoC? My belief is that every college and department can be different in terms of availability of opportunities. And engineering can also be different from non engineering sciences.
When you get to the visitor center for your tour, although it’s very busy right now, they may have suggestions about how to get some info from current students or others in his major / department / college.
Very much agree with this. Nice that it’s an option at UCLA – but I don’t know a single one of my son’s friends who are taking advantage of it. He’s enjoyed learning how to cook this year!
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The visitor center said they would not turn away any admitted students for tours and you can just show up for the tours even if you are not able to sign up. The 11:30 am tour each day.
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Just because most say they want to move out of the dorm, doesn’t mean that they should HAVE to due to the university doesn’t have enough housing. After all, for many of us, we are the ones paying for the housing - I’m not quite as concerned what their experience is going to be.
Both my husband and I lived on campus our whole college (his was military academy, so definitely not the apartment experience, lol ) and our oldest daughter did the whole apartment thing for two years at UCLA and it was incredibly stressful for all of us. So for our younger kid going to UCLA in the fall we are all pretty happy about the four year guarantee.
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And this is why college is a unique experience to each person. Every student is different.
I am paying for my kids colleges and I am concerned with their experience. Living in the dorms has been stressful for both my kids for different reasons at different times at each of the CA schools.
My spouse lived on campus all 4 years of their college experience and encourages our kids to live off campus. I lived off campus 3 of my 4 years at a UC and it was the best money spent.
But the majority of college campuses across the US do not provide 4 years of housing and it was never my expectation for my kids nor a thought in the college application process.
If all colleges were to provide on campus housing for 4 years, the next thing parents would be complaining about it too many to a room. Because if wanting colleges to supply housing for all 4 years, land is at a premium in this state especially at the college campuses, they would have to pack them in, bunking them 3-4 to a room. That sounds more stressful then finding and living in an apartment off campus.
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I am not too familiar with Stanford, but it seems students there like living in their dorms. they are saying that about 97% of undergrads live in their dorms. are their dorms better or the students there are just less enterprising?