Picking an undergraduate school-help, please.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around choosing between two undergraduate engineering programs: Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley. Participants explore various factors influencing the decision, including academic reputation, personal comfort, financial considerations, and the importance of campus visits.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the financial costs of attending both schools are nearly identical, suggesting that economic factors may not be the primary concern.
  • Some participants emphasize the importance of personal comfort and proximity to home, questioning whether the student would thrive better closer to family or in a new environment.
  • There is a discussion about the reputational differences between the two institutions, with Berkeley being highly ranked in engineering and Columbia being an Ivy League school, though lower ranked in that specific field.
  • A suggestion is made for the student to visit both campuses again and possibly audit classes to gain a better sense of which environment might be more stimulating or suitable.
  • One participant raises a financial aid opportunity for California residents, indicating that financial considerations could still play a role depending on the family's situation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the significance of the schools' rankings versus personal fit and comfort. There is no consensus on which school is definitively better, as opinions vary based on individual priorities and values.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the importance of personal connections and experiences at each school, which may influence the decision but remain unresolved in terms of their impact on the final choice.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering undergraduate engineering programs, especially those weighing options between prestigious institutions and personal circumstances.

fidoprincess
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My son has been accepted to Columbia Fu School of Engineering and also University of California Berkeley. At Berkeley, he is a regents scholar and would get priority registration and some additional benefits and we live in California about 90 minutes away from the school. At both schools, his major is mechanical engineering. Berkeley will cost ~$8K per year and Columbia will cost ~$3K plus travel expenses.

Can anyone advise us as to which school he should pick? There are so many pros and cons to each school but none of us can overlook the fact that Berkeley is considered one of the top engineering schools but Columbia is Ivy League. You are the experts so I hope someone can guide us! Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
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Congratulations! You have achieved a lot and your son has two wonderful choices.
The economics are essentially a wash, maybe $3-4000/yr, irrelevant relative to his earnings power.
I think the decision depends on personal issues as much as on the schools. Do you think your son would be more comfortable relatively close to home or do you feel that he would develop more breadth if at some distance. Does he have any connections with faculty or other staff at either place? Ivy League is a nice brand name, but so is Berkeley, so I do not think there is much to worry about there.
Has he spent any time at either place? If possible, he should try to be allowed to audit a few classes, he might find one or the other more stimulating.
 
etudiant, Thanks for your reply. I didn't realize that there was an academic advising forum so I will go repost the question there.

He has no connections at either school. He has never been to NY, ever. He spent one night at Berkeley and loved it as part of the regents program. I scheduled a visit to NY for him and I'm sure he will love the city but we are from a tiny town so one never knows. After recalculating, the costs are identical.

Berkeley is so much higher ranked but Columbia is well, Ivy, although lower ranked in Engineering than Berkeley.
 
I don't know what your financial situation is like, but if you are on the somewhat lower end of the financial income spectrum I would suggest looking at the UC blue & gold opportunity.
 
Thanks again, now I see that the costs are almost the same at around $7500 so that isn't an issue. For the UC, Regents $ pays most of his costs.

It's just so hard to choose between these schools! He should go to both again and do what etudiant says and sit in classes and really try to investigate things more in person.

Thanks again!
 

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