<p>So i was looking at another thread similiar to this, but found out the other guy is comparing the two schools on a masters level. I want to compare them on a bachelor’s level. </p>
<p>So i live in the Bay Area and i got into both UCLA and Berkeley with CE major as the title says. I’m wondering, does all the prestige Cal comes with really help in the job field and towards a masters program. I don’t want to graduate with a B- (2.8) average from cal and no longer have the option of getting into a master’s program. If I want to work in the bay area after graduating will Cal give me any real advantage over UCLA especially considering the fact that i will probably struggle to get good grades at Berkeley?</p>
<p>Will employers even want me if i have a 2.8 average due to the fact that i went to berkeley?
I also got into UCD’s CE program… grades would probably be better there but thats comparing a school ranked in the 30’s to ucb which is top 5.</p>
<p>5 years ago, my son was also accepted into UCB, UCLA and UCD as a civil engineering major. He chose UCLA because he said that the “students all looked a lot happier”. He was very happy with his choice, he completed the program in 4 years, graduated summa cum laude, worked at two different engineering internships, passed his EIT certificate exam in his junior year, and was offered a full fellowship for a MS in Civ. Eng in March of his senior year. He has gotten a lot of personal attention from the professors, including research and consulting jobs. That may be due to the fact that UCLA Civil Eng is smaller than Berkeley’s, although many of their professors came from Berkeley. There is a lot of cameraderie in the Civil Engineering department, the students are all enthusiastic participants in the ASCE, as well as other engineering fraternities like Chi Epsilon. He doesn’t know of a single person from his class who has had a bit of trouble passing the EIT or finding a job. This summer he is beginning work on his PhD at UCLA, and is working in conjunction with UCD. He is impressed with Davis’s Civil Engineering department as well, they have a lot of advanced equipment used for structural earthquake testing and the like. </p>
<p>Good luck to you in your decision, you can’t go wrong with whatever school you choose.</p>
<p>thank you that was an really enlightening perspective and i must say that i agree with what you have to say. are there any other opinions out there? are berkeley students just all around more unhappy?</p>
<p>up up up? any one?</p>
<p>as ucla band mom said, you can’t go wrong with either. being unhappy is relative to whether you enjoy what you learn and your performance in those classes; there will be unhappy students at every university.</p>
<p>with that said, no matter where you choose to go you’ll be successful if you work hard towards those goals.</p>
<p>obviously as a berkeley engineering student, I’d tell you to choose berkeley 
go bears!</p>