Berkeley for a humanities (maybe social sciences) major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were a humanities kid, the last place I would want to go is a place for factory courses. That would include any large state school. Go to a SLAC -- or even a mid-sized university like USC or Notre Dame, where there will be much smaller courses. Then go to a place like Berkeley for grad school.

I don't buy this received wisdom. Senior year, courses will be similar-sized at Berkeley and Middlebury or wherever. Junior year, a humanities kid probably is going to be abroad regardless. So you're really talking about freshman and sophomore year--and then the question is, for those 15 hours each week you're in class, whether you'd rather listen to a world-class expert lecture or a handful of other 19-year-olds pontificate in a "guided discussion." And then there are the other 153 hours each week when you'll be surrounded by a huge number of ridiculously smart and interesting people at Berkeley, and will have access to all kinds extracurricular opportunities.

I’m not OP, but you make very good arguments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did Berkeley become known only for stem? It has the best graduate department in English in the nation and has contributed too much to speak on for the social sciences

I think the excellence of UC Berkeley in engineering, computer science, data science, and business gets more "play" in today's media when so many folks are dialed in on ROI / "Can I get a job with this degree." But the school has the top-rated graduate department in English, and something like 48 separate departments are ranked in the Top-10 in the nation. The place is a powerhouse.

That said, the city of Berkeley is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, the school is a bureaucratic mess at times, and the football team is generally lousy! So it's not all sunshine and roses in "the land of fruits and nuts!"

[Anonymous]

Bay Area resident. Berkeley is an excellent school across the board, but it's still a large state school meaning there are the challenges getting into classes etc. I'm not sure I would pay OOS tuition for my kid to attend.

[Anonymous]

As a California resident, there are few better deals than the UC system, and UC Berkeley and UCLA are the crown jewels. But I agree with the previous poster -- probably no UC school is worth it out of state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a California resident, there are few better deals than the UC system, and UC Berkeley and UCLA are the crown jewels. But I agree with the previous poster -- probably no UC school is worth it out of state.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were a humanities kid, the last place I would want to go is a place for factory courses. That would include any large state school. Go to a SLAC -- or even a mid-sized university like USC or Notre Dame, where there will be much smaller courses. Then go to a place like Berkeley for grad school.

Completely disagree. My humanities student is at a large state school, and I'm astounded at the breadth and depth of her classes - not to mention the opportunities afforded to her that would never have been possible at a limited SLAC.

Glad DC is happy, but this is a case of not knowing what you are missing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were a humanities kid, the last place I would want to go is a place for factory courses. That would include any large state school. Go to a SLAC -- or even a mid-sized university like USC or Notre Dame, where there will be much smaller courses. Then go to a place like Berkeley for grad school.

I don't buy this received wisdom. Senior year, courses will be similar-sized at Berkeley and Middlebury or wherever. Junior year, a humanities kid probably is going to be abroad regardless. So you're really talking about freshman and sophomore year--and then the question is, for those 15 hours each week you're in class, whether you'd rather listen to a world-class expert lecture or a handful of other 19-year-olds pontificate in a "guided discussion." And then there are the other 153 hours each week when you'll be surrounded by a huge number of ridiculously smart and interesting people at Berkeley, and will have access to all kinds extracurricular opportunities.

So you do buy this received wisdom for two years, that is, half the college experience?

A couple of points: you make a case, really, for transferring to Berkeley; it is an easier transfer admit. Second, you are completely wrong about junior and senior years: while courses will be much smaller junior and senior year, there is still a huge difference between 20-30 kids and 5-15. They are not "similarly-sized" -- at any point.

[Anonymous]

How did GDS get so many kids into Berkeley this year? They don’t even offer AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were a humanities kid, the last place I would want to go is a place for factory courses. That would include any large state school. Go to a SLAC -- or even a mid-sized university like USC or Notre Dame, where there will be much smaller courses. Then go to a place like Berkeley for grad school.

Completely disagree. My humanities student is at a large state school, and I'm astounded at the breadth and depth of her classes - not to mention the opportunities afforded to her that would never have been possible at a limited SLAC.

Glad DC is happy, but this is a case of not knowing what you are missing.

DP but it’s really not. The range of courses in a given subject at an SLAC can be extremely limiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were a humanities kid, the last place I would want to go is a place for factory courses. That would include any large state school. Go to a SLAC -- or even a mid-sized university like USC or Notre Dame, where there will be much smaller courses. Then go to a place like Berkeley for grad school.

Agree.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were a humanities kid, the last place I would want to go is a place for factory courses. That would include any large state school. Go to a SLAC -- or even a mid-sized university like USC or Notre Dame, where there will be much smaller courses. Then go to a place like Berkeley for grad school.

I don't buy this received wisdom. Senior year, courses will be similar-sized at Berkeley and Middlebury or wherever. Junior year, a humanities kid probably is going to be abroad regardless. So you're really talking about freshman and sophomore year--and then the question is, for those 15 hours each week you're in class, whether you'd rather listen to a world-class expert lecture or a handful of other 19-year-olds pontificate in a "guided discussion." And then there are the other 153 hours each week when you'll be surrounded by a huge number of ridiculously smart and interesting people at Berkeley, and will have access to all kinds extracurricular opportunities.

So you do buy this received wisdom for two years, that is, half the college experience?

A couple of points: you make a case, really, for transferring to Berkeley; it is an easier transfer admit. Second, you are completely wrong about junior and senior years: while courses will be much smaller junior and senior year, there is still a huge difference between 20-30 kids and 5-15. They are not "similarly-sized" -- at any point.

I’m not sure anyone who thinks there is a “huge” difference between 20-30 kids and 5-15 kids has ever been in both.

The good news is that Berkeley caps its history proseminars at 15 kids, so OP’s kid will get to experience both!

[Anonymous]

I would not choose Berkeley for undergrad (unless it was my in state option and I didn't get into any private LACs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did GDS get so many kids into Berkeley this year? They don’t even offer AP classes.

Kids take the AP tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were a humanities kid, the last place I would want to go is a place for factory courses. That would include any large state school. Go to a SLAC -- or even a mid-sized university like USC or Notre Dame, where there will be much smaller courses. Then go to a place like Berkeley for grad school.

Completely disagree. My humanities student is at a large state school, and I'm astounded at the breadth and depth of her classes - not to mention the opportunities afforded to her that would never have been possible at a limited SLAC.

Glad DC is happy, but this is a case of not knowing what you are missing.

DP but it’s really not. The range of courses in a given subject at an SLAC can be extremely limiting.

How many courses can one kid take?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were a humanities kid, the last place I would want to go is a place for factory courses. That would include any large state school. Go to a SLAC -- or even a mid-sized university like USC or Notre Dame, where there will be much smaller courses. Then go to a place like Berkeley for grad school.

Completely disagree. My humanities student is at a large state school, and I'm astounded at the breadth and depth of her classes - not to mention the opportunities afforded to her that would never have been possible at a limited SLAC.

Glad DC is happy, but this is a case of not knowing what you are missing.

DP but it’s really not. The range of courses in a given subject at an SLAC can be extremely limiting.

How many courses can one kid take?

Well, in their major, quite a few. It’s nice to have a wide range of options depending on interest.