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A friend is deciding between PENN and UCB. Any thoughts, opinions, comments contrasting the two schools, or reasons to choose one over the other?

She is into crew, so is also interested in any comments about crew at PENN

She lives near UCB, but has not visited PENN and won't be able to do so before making her decision.

TIA

By Regulus (Regulus) on Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 12:08 am: Edit

Crew is pretty big at Penn. They have their own amazing boathouse on boathouse row and plenty of waterways to navigate. I lived about 30 minutes away from Berkeley so I had to make the same choice. I went with Penn for many, many reasons. I wanted to experience the East Coast, I liked their academic programs better, the smaller class sizes, the atmosphere and most importantly, diversity. I was absolutely disgusted with Berkeley. I sat in on a class with 500 something students and a professor who didn't seem to know what he was talking about (the students kept correcting him). Of course, this is slightly anectodal, but first impressions are very influential. There is also very little diversity at Berkeley and I felt like I wouldn't be able to succeed there due to a lack of motivation. I also don't hold much regard for the university itself. So many idiots (I'm talking people who cheat in all their classes and can't break 1300 on the SAT) got it from my high school it's ridiculous. I haven't looked back on choosing Penn over Cal and never with. The only reason I can think of actually going with UCB is if cost is a major issue, which it is for me, but I think it's worth it.

By Rayray222 (Rayray222) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 07:48 pm: Edit

Well, I think Wharton is pretty prestigious. But the rest of UPENN undergrad pretty much sucks.

If its not Wharton, UC Berkeley wins hands down in every other department. If its Wharton, then its very close, depending on regional preference.

By Pennster (Pennster) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 08:19 pm: Edit

You *think* it's prestigious? I guess being the number one undergraduate business program in the entire country would qualify it as such. The rest of the university is excellent as well, and you know it. Please take your inferiority complex elsewhere, your pathetic comments aren't going to prevent Berkeley from sliding further and further down the prestige ladder. No move along troll.

By Ares15 (Ares15) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 08:41 pm: Edit

Don't mind Rayray. He's just some Berkeley grad who goes around cheerleading for his alma mater (yes, Berkeley). He claims Berkeley is more prestigious than Stanford, Penn, Columbia and MIT. Clearly he is misguided. Berkeley used to be a great school, but now it's just a safety for Asians who couldn't make the Ivy League cut (that hits a little close to home, huh?). No amount of board trolling will change the perceptions of the country. Good day.