<p>Is the difference in the quality of education and professors between these two schools negligible? Or is it rather significant…</p>
<p>The difference is negligible overall.</p>
<p>In my personal opinion, in terms of academic quality, the difference is negligible on few programs and the same, or on par, on most most programs. </p>
<p>It is in academic prestige where the difference is a little bit significant. It’s like Harvard is being compared to Columbia or Chicago or Cornell.</p>
<p>there are a zillion of the UCB vs UCLA threads search them out. </p>
<p>At the end of the day I would just go where you feel most comfortable</p>
<p>I’d say the overall academic quality and prestige is with Berkeley. But to that point, it’s not that great that you shouldn’t go to the school you will enjoy the most.</p>
<p>Berkeley has a slight edge for the average undergrad in terms of quality and prestige and blah blah. But then again, you’ll never know or care if you go to UCLA, because it’s not like you’re giving up Harvard for East Podunk School of Foot Massage.</p>
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I disagree.</p>
<p>I wish there were a bold for this: :rolleyes:</p>
<p>^ Heh…you know me…of course I’m biased. </p>
<p>OP:</p>
<p>Here is the difference between Berkeley and UCLA in a nutshell:</p>
<p>Cal is UCLA’s older, more distinguished, more intellectual brother.
UCLA is Cal’s younger brother who perhaps is slightly better looking and more jockish. UCLA gets all the hot women.</p>
<p>Well it’s warmer at UCLA. The women should be hotter!</p>
<p>Your metaphor is incorrect.</p>
<p>Berkeley is the old professor-- and emeritus if you’d like-- who is oftentimes brilliant but occasionally strange and doesn’t really know how to dress. </p>
<p>UCLA is the younger professor who, while not quite as brilliant or established, can match his socks in the morning and knows that tweed is dead.</p>
<p>^^ Why do you even post? Take that spoon out of your mouth and actually speak english.
OP: UCB has the slight edge in terms of undergrad education. Prestige is where UCB beats UCLA, but if you’re smart enough to get into either university, you should acknowledge that prestige shouldn’t carry substantial weight in determining admission. It shouldn’t at all. That’s where all the kids get caught up in the “Ivy League” and go nuts.
Pick the place you will enjoy the most for 4+ years. Social atmosphere should help determine the answer for this since academia is nearly spot on for each.</p>
<p>It’s quite remarkable to me how little students on this site are concerned with, “Where will I be happiest?” I mean, that was the biggest factor for me, and I don’t see why that was such a poor metric.</p>
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<p>Exactly. When my son chose between offers at UCLA and UCB, it finally boiled down to which campus he thought he would be happiest at. He’s glad he made the decision he did. He’s so far earned a BS and MS, and just started on a PhD…and he’s still happy to be there.</p>
<p>^^^So he is going to Berkeley I take it? ;-)</p>
<p>Ha Ha. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>In terms of academic prestige, Berkeley is more academically prestigious by rank. But in terms of professors and the education you will get, it’s definitely what you make of it. You can go to Berkeley, have the best professors at your disposal, and not make use of your resources! Same goes for UCLA.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry to much about the educational quality between the two. What is your major? If you have a major in mind, you may want to check out which one is a better fit for you based on your major. Other than that, go to the campuses, talk to the people because they will also make or break your four-year experience in college!</p>