Choosing between unis—UC Berkeley, Cornell

[llha]

Hello there!

I recently had the privilege of being accepted to UC Berkeley and Cornell for my undergrad! I'm very grateful to both universities for this opportunity. I'm just generally wondering what factors for grad school admission I should be considering when choosing between unis, like prospective research opportunities and professors. If you have any personal experience with these schools, please let me know!

I know this might be getting too ahead of myself, but this is really important to me! For reference, I'm planning to major in astronomy and physics. Thank you in advance!

(Also, if it's important, I'm an OOS applicant for UC Berkeley. Cost also isn't an issue! I just would like a more experienced perspective on what's important for graduate school. Thanks again!)

 

[Dr Transport]

both are good, take the cheaper option

 

[mathwonk]

In addition to your chances of admission to grad school, I would recommend you consider other factors that will impact your experience as an undergraduate. In this case, some possibly important factors that are rather different between these two choices include weather, physical isolation of the towns, physical beauty, personal safety, number of undergraduates (Berkeley 30,000, Cornell 15,000). I would also hope some recent students at these schools will weigh in with impressions of how well undergrads are treated, how seriously undergrad teaching is taken by faculty, e.g. what percentage of classes are taught by senior faculty.

In terms of academic reputation, both are very well regarded, (maybe in my unscientific view Berkeley stands a bit higher in that one measure, but this measure can be opposite to how well undergrads experience it). A quick google search of Berkeley displays a typical lecture class with a rather large audience. Does anyone know whether Cornell has smaller classes? Of course a large lecture taught by someone like Richard Feynman can be more enjoyable and rewarding than a small one taught by a grad student.

The good news is you have two very fine options. Have you actually visited these two places? In my opinion, not everyone would enjoy life in Berkeley CA, but I have never been to Ithaca, where perhaps something similar, but more or less opposite, is true. Some decades ago, my impression of Berkeley was that the atmosphere was rather combative and stressful, both the city and the school, and I would guess that Ithaca is a bit more laid back. Current testimony would be more useful.

I am an elderly retired math professor who attended an ivy league undergrad school, and visited for several months at the mathematical sciences research institute in Berkeley as a senior researcher. I know a few people on staff at both Cornell and Berkeley, although most of my acquaintances are retired now too.

Congratulations to you!

 

[Dishsoap]

They are both great schools, but perhaps the largest difference is in where they are located. Do you find yourself better suited to living in the Bay area, or somewhere more secluded? I'm a grad student at Cornell and know plenty of people who have attended both Berkeley and Cornell. Those people tend to love one and hate the other, location-wise. People who prefer a rural area tend to feel suffocated in Berkeley, and people who are solar-powered tend to wilt in Ithaca.

Like mathwonk alluded to, I also found the Berkeley atmosphere more stressful/competitive compared to Cornell, but I don't know if that is true at the undergraduate level as well.

 

[hutchphd]

I'm prejudiced: go to Cornell. (me Cornell BA '74 )
But you must like snow! And living in one of the most beautiful places on the planet! And cultural and intellectual diversity.
Actually I did not love my undergraduate time far above Cayuga's waters but I would not now trade it for any other. For instance when I was there the number of females was always woefully inadequate... !
For me it was a demanding place filled with diversely extraordinary human beings. Probably just what I needed.

Good luck. Buy some cross country skis...

 

[mpresic3]

I have never been on an admissions committee or anything like that but I think if I were to assess a graduate from Cornell or Berkeley in physics, I would regard both schools equally. They are both Excellent.
Cornell is smaller, and I lived in New York when I went to college, so I would prefer Cornell. I think if I lived in California, I would probably prefer Berkeley. As far as name recognition and graduate school assessment, you can't lose with either choice.

 

[StatGuy2000]

To the OP:

You mentioned that you are an out-of-state applicant for Berkeley (I presume that "OOS" stands for "out-of-state"). Are you an out-of-state applicant for Cornell as well?

You did mention that cost is not an issue, but if you can get tuition savings from attending one versus another, that's something worth thinking about.

Otherwise, both schools are about equivalent in terms of quality of the education.

 

[hutchphd]

When I attended, the private schools (Arch Hotel Eng and A&S) in the Cornell universe had a single tuition regardless of in or out of state. One of my favorite parts of Cornell is the odd mix of state (Ag, ILR, Hum Ec, more?) and private divisions. I presume this still exists.