Would you still go to a private if it confuses a lot of people with the name?
The University of Pennsylvania and University of Chicago are the ones that throw people off (people often think they are regular publics unless they are "in the know"). Questions about Penn's football team crack me up ![]() |
The exception would be that it is wise to go to Cal versus the others for any STEM major, except maybe bio sciences at Wash U. |
The experience of a student at a wealthy private is typically very different from the experience at a large public with a limited budget.
Generally speaking, course availability and getting the classes you actually want each semester can be a big difference between the two. |
Nobody that matters would be confused |
I know a kid a couple of years ago who picked Berkeley over WashU. He is very much into research and likes the school. WashU is not less competitive by any means but for STEM subjects (except PreMed) it is not the same level as Berkeley. |
Berkeley would easily be #1 in the group for CS or computer engineering. I know WashU has the best med school. |
If you wrote this comment, please take a few minute off and go look in the mirror ![]() |
People on DCUM think that everyone puts Penn and Chicago (and other very good schools) up with that Harvard, Yale, and Stanford group but this comment is a reminder that there are not that many schools that are really going to impress everyone with a name drop. A high-end employer and grad school will clearly know but I wouldn't assume "anyone who matters" would. |
The bar is pretty low to not know the names of schools typically ranked among the top 10. Extremely low. |
They are very different schools in different locations so more an apples to orange comparison. One is a very large public school in the west and the other is a medium sized private in Midwest. It all depends on what you are looking for. |
I'm sure many of the ranking-obsessed folks here use that list as a mantra when they meditate |
I would assume anyone with a high school equivalent level of education is familiar with Penn and U of Chicago. |
You live in DC area, so likely yes but outside urban/surburban pockets, you'd be surprised |
I am so angry with Chicago’s drop out of the top 10 |
I always laugh when posters just make shit up that is easily proven false by a quick Google search. The average GPA at Berkeley even for hard science majors is over a 3.5. That is hardly grade deflation. https://pages.github.berkeley.edu/OPA/our-berkeley/gpa-by-major.html |