@Sulla1 wow I’m in the same boat as you! I’m choosing between LA and Berkeley and although our majors are different, my reasonings are the same–I’m doing math and am a little apprehensive about the difficulty of Berkeley compared to LA (even though both are up there); I feel like I’ll earn a higher GPA at LA than at Berkeley. But in addition to that I like LA’s major better than Berkeley’s, I don’t know if that’s the case for you. Like you, I was leaning towards Berkeley for a long time but recently flipflopped and am leaning toward UCLA after careful consideration; will likely SIR there within the next day. Here are my reasons, maybe they’ll resonate with you or help you decide:
(note these are my personal reasons, not intended to be persuasive)
- Higher GPA in LA than Berkeley (even though the rigor isn’t much different, the competition definitely is, and classes are curved based on students. I def. think Berkeley a lot more competitive)
- Semester vs. Quarter - I think I’ll succeed more in quarter system (even though they have more finals, they aren’t as huge as semester finals). Plus I like the fact that I’d get more leeway in taking classes (6 quarters vs 4 semesters)
- I like LA’s major better - part of this has to do with the fact that LA is quarter system. I just get a lot more flexibility and think I’ll enjoy the major courses better
- Undergrad doesn’t matter that much - esp if you’re pursuing further education. Honestly the prestige difference really only kicks in when GPA difference is marginal, like 3.6 at Cal vs 3.9 at SDSU like someone mentioned. But if you’re earning sub-3.0 GPA, it won’t really matter. And Cal and LA are not that far apart! It’s not like I (or you) would be choosing a cal-state over an upper UC.
Although I like north cal weather just like you and think Berkeley “fits” me better, I decided to prioritize academics/my success the most. Things like atmosphere/climate/“feel” are trivial (even though they matter to some degree), and in the end I’ve decided to go where I think I’ll succeed the most.
Again just note that although I sound partial to LA, I’m just giving you my reasons for why I’m choosing it. I’m definitely not trying to persuade you to come to LA, just providing my own perspective for a similar dilemma. Berkeley is no doubt a great school and it’s entirely up to you in the end–you can’t make a wrong choice! Good luck!