Is it worth it to pay out-of-state tuition for Berkeley?

[Anonymous]

"How can it be a meritocracy if kids who got in (like OP's child) may not get to attend if they can't afford it? It isn't. It screens for solvency."

Ridiculous. Have you ever heard of financial aid? Although it is true that Cal does not award merit scholarships to OOS students, that does not change eligibility for need based aid. Further, any OOS student who can get into Cal can qualify for private merit scholarships which, when added up, can be significant.

It will cost more than in-state at UVA. No question. But anyone who gets in and really wants to go can figure out the financial piece, and there are plenty of OOS students getting significant need based aid.

[Anonymous]

Lots of love for Berkeley here. But I agree with PP who said financial worries -- for the Cal state schools. Change and cutbacks everywhere. UVA on the other hand is swimming in money. And the Berkeley name may be a bit tarnished. An interesting experience but worth the extra price ? Maybe not.

[Anonymous]

Definitely UVA. Berkeley has gone dangerous liberal. Save the money for grad school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is in his third year at Cal, came from a DCPS high school. The education is superb and the reputation, especially internationally, is excellent. Also, it can be hard to get classes, but not that hard to graduate in 4 years if one is strategic.

Cal is much more diverse than UVA. White kids are the third largest group after Asians (about 50%) and Latinos (about 25%), and it is a real meritocracy. Many smart kids from disadvantaged backgrounds who are the first generation to go to college. None of the "legacy" admits that you find at the top privates.

One caveat - at Cal, there is no hand-holding. So, if your DC needs more support, Cal may not be a great fit. But, if your DC is very independent and driven, it is a fantastic experience.

How can it be a meritocracy if kids who got in (like OP's child) may not get to attend if they can't afford it? It isn't. It screens for solvency.

I found Berkley to be overwhelmingly Asian. That's a good thing as far as academic standards go, but I wouldn't call it diverse. It's different from NOVA, for sure. But that doesn't make it diverse, just different.

um, Berkeley is funded by the state of California, so it makes no sense for out of state students to get state financial aid. For California students it is a meritocracy in that respect.

also, you must be one of those people who believes that unless the % of white people reflects demographics, it's not "diverse."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is in his third year at Cal, came from a DCPS high school. The education is superb and the reputation, especially internationally, is excellent. Also, it can be hard to get classes, but not that hard to graduate in 4 years if one is strategic.

Cal is much more diverse than UVA. White kids are the third largest group after Asians (about 50%) and Latinos (about 25%), and it is a real meritocracy. Many smart kids from disadvantaged backgrounds who are the first generation to go to college. None of the "legacy" admits that you find at the top privates.

One caveat - at Cal, there is no hand-holding. So, if your DC needs more support, Cal may not be a great fit. But, if your DC is very independent and driven, it is a fantastic experience.

OP again - thank you for the feedback, this is what I was looking for. We're going to visit this weekend. My kid just doesn't feel it with UVA and I think he's more a Berkeley kid, we'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is in his third year at Cal, came from a DCPS high school. The education is superb and the reputation, especially internationally, is excellent. Also, it can be hard to get classes, but not that hard to graduate in 4 years if one is strategic.

Cal is much more diverse than UVA. White kids are the third largest group after Asians (about 50%) and Latinos (about 25%), and it is a real meritocracy. Many smart kids from disadvantaged backgrounds who are the first generation to go to college. None of the "legacy" admits that you find at the top privates.

One caveat - at Cal, there is no hand-holding. So, if your DC needs more support, Cal may not be a great fit. But, if your DC is very independent and driven, it is a fantastic experience.

OP again - thank you for the feedback, this is what I was looking for. We're going to visit this weekend. My kid just doesn't feel it with UVA and I think he's more a Berkeley kid, we'll see.

Our DS is a current student at Berkeley from NOVA area. It is worth the cost for various reasons, top academic programs, excellent faculty, beautiful campus (DS's dorm has a view of the golden gate bridge), very diverse student body including many international students, nice weather, more casual/friendly people in general, extensive research opportunities not just in STEM but in social science/humanities, transfer of AP credits allowing for early graduation, internship opportunities in SF/SV area, nice college town atmosphere, many places to eat just outside the campus etc.

Only drawbacks are the size and the bureaucracy due to the large size and the hassle of trying to get into really popular classes at times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virginia resident whose kid has gotten into UVA (honors), but also Berkeley. So is it worth it to pay twice as much to go to Berkeley instead of UVA?

If your kid is CS and wants to work in the field, then Berkeley makes the best sense. I love UVA and think it's a great school but it's on the east coast. There's a reason for the dominance of CA and Silicon Valley in tech, CS, biomedical and so on. If you can afford and you think your kid will take full advantage of ecosystem out here, do it!