hi guys!
I’m a potential physics major and choosing between oberlin and berkeley. I’ve been offered a stern scholarship from oberlin but I know that Berkeley has the prestige and resources. However, I am planning on going to grad school in the future so in terms of competition, academic record and recs, it’d be easier for me at Oberlin.
I’d love to hear any input or advice. thank you!
bump
Net price and debt (if any) at each?
Hey chelseaachen! This might be a bit late but I hope i can still help. Im a current physics major at UC Berkeley and was in a similar situation 2 years ago. When i was deciding between berk and BU with full tuition scholarship, it ultimately came down to my financial situation.
I highly recommend you check your financial situation because even though physics at berk is undoubtedly amazing, student loan is quite hard to pay off. For many of my friends whose parents cant pay for the full tuition, they have a larger burden. For example, financial aid, student loan, or working while studying etc.
Either way I hope this helped and wish you luck in whichever school you choose.
I had the same situation choosing between Berkeley and Oberlin with scholarship. I ended choosing Berkeley for the reasons that you listed above, and I would NOT recommend doing so. Although the prestige may help initially, but the overall competitive nature of the school and general deflation on a curve is terrible to say the least. Especially in the situation where you want to apply for graduate school, GPA becomes extremely important, and a school like Oberlin, which will provide you with more individual attention, would be far more suitable in the long run.
Also, the cost, if out of state, can be one of the determining factors as it actually makes a significant difference. If your main concern is the prestige factors and the resources at each school, then I think Oberlin, with scholarship especially, would nullified those factors as research opportunities will be more readily available with far less people fighting over the ones that are highly valuable.
In the end, the struggle you face at Berkeley in terms of competitive academic environment and lack of research opportunities would not be worth the prestige, especially if you are planning on attending grad school. The scholarship not only means you will be treated in high regard with priority at Oberlin, but also takes a heavy financial burden off of your family. I hope you make the right decision.
And Oberlin will probably even help you due to grade inflation at a private school.