Berkeley people

[notdeadyet]

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Ex. A CS company has to choose between a Cal and Stanford graduate(both of which have the same ranking in CS). 75% of the time, it wll go to Stanford just cuz it's stanford.

I don't know how it works with med schools, but that's definitely not the way it works for CS grads. I've interviewed lots for positions at companies and the issue of where your degree came from is just not a big deal. We're interested in what you can do and what you've done. A better school gives you better opportunities, but the name brand doesn't carry much weight.

It's always interesting when you get recent grads applying for jobs, because if they went to a top college, they tend to name drop and then are suprised when no one cares too much.

 

[Wannabemed]

"Ok, maybe John Hopkins was a bad example but you get my point. John hopkins might be extremely similar to Cal besides the location and tuition, but it's the name that people will eventually look at"

Yes, Johns Hopkins was a really bad example: in terms of name alone, I think Berkeley would carry greater weight.


Ex. A CS company has to choose between a Cal and Stanford graduate(both of which have the same ranking in CS). 75% of the time, it wll go to Stanford just cuz it's stanford.

That point is not grounded in fact- it is speculation.


"but you gotta admit that people who go to an equivalent caliber IVY League school will have the edge."

People who go to Ivy League schools will have the edge.....applying to other Ivy League schools I'd imagine. The Ivy League functions like a social club- it carries a name that people associate with success and intelligence because of name marketing and media references. In other words, prestige as seen by "common people". If you want to know how employers and academics really see each school, look at the US News academic reputation scores....looks like UMich and Berkeley are right in the middle of the Ivy League schools in terms of academic reputation. Hmmm. Looks like the Berkeley name carries more weight than UPenn at the moment.

Here is an interesting assignment for you: go to Stanford's graduate housing complexes (eg, Rains, Escondido, Cowell, etc) and count how many resident cars have CAL stickers/license plate frames on them. Then crash a graduate student event and ask everyone you meet where they went for undergrad. One particular school will be represented more than ALL the Ivy League schools plus MIT combined. If you don't find many Cal people at Ivy League schools, it's because (duh) we're mostly Californians and would rather go to a top school in California than go to the East Coast.


"Remember that if you go to the east cost for interviews, the thing people really know about the Westcoast is that USC has a great football team and that Cal is pretty good, but they will never think of it it as GREAT. Maybe if Cal rakes in more Nobel prizes than just one every 20 years, it will get more recognition."

Firstly, I am applying to very few East Coast schools: I'd rather go to UC Irvine than Harvard (<-----I'm not even applying to this pompous school). Unless you have lived in the East Coast for a long period of time in recent years, I don't think you are qualified to say what East Coasters "really know" about the West Coast....and what ever they "think" they know is most likely arbitrary or subjective (just like my negative perception of Ivy League schools, with the exception of Cornell, which I actually like and thought of attending once upon a time).

Personally, I don't care that people don't think Cal is "great"....they are right: Cal is not. But neither is any other school I can think of. Personally, I think people who even try to compare public schools to private schools are misguided as public schools and private schools have different goals, they attract/enroll different kinds of students, in the case of UCs vs. private schools they look at SAT scores differently, both have their legal advantages and disadvantages due to their status of being private/public, etc etc. Also, who cares about Nobel prizes: they have very very little to do with undergraduate education.

In the end, even the admissions people don't know how to "sort out" schools, and hence they place a lot of weight on the MCATs and they look at many other aspects of the individual than what school he/she went to.

 

[winthug]

I think that example by itself completely discredited EVERYTHING you have said so far. It's fine to state your opinion on a subject but do not do it in a manner that makes it seem like it is a fact.

Unless you have developed mind reading technology, I'm really curious how you know how others view Cal grads (in CS of all things)? My brother (CS) and Uncles are all Cal alumni and all have mentioned how Cal grads get more respect in engineering/cs fields than others. I think since Cal produce so many successful med students, most med schools are aware of the caliber of Cal grads and do look highly upon us (eg. All UCs).

Btw I think it would be wise if you added 'I think' to the beginning of most of your sentences. ex. I think i'm doing bioE and I think it's tougher than MCB. Your views are NOT facts and do not help the discourse on this board if presented as such.

You're right. I don't know how everybody thinks about Cal, but I think it's implied that everything I say isn't going to be fact. If I say, BioE is tougher than MCB, it's an opinion. Of course it's what I think. If i say, "Angelina Jolie is HOT!" as opposed to "I think Angelina Jolie is HOT!", i think both convey the same message.

Also, I apologize for my examples. Cal is a great school and I'm sure a lot of med schools have a lot of respect for the school, but all I'm trying to say is that adcom will take shortcuts if they can and looking at the school's name is one of them. It's all too easy for people to assume that people from UPenn or Yale will be more successful than Cal or UCLA people. Is it fair? No. I'm not sure if this applies to CS and I shouldn't have used that example, but my theory stands for most professions.

 

[winthug]

"Maybe if Cal rakes in more Nobel prizes than just one every 20 years, it will get more recognition."

Also, who cares about Nobel prizes: they have very very little to do with undergraduate education.

But it has a lot to do w/ recognition. If somehow Schwarzenegger gives Cal 1 Billion dollars to hire faculty and upgrade their facilities and Cal wins consecutive awards in Medicine, Physics, Economics, etc., Cal will be more associated with greatness than it currently is. You're right that this has more to do with "common people" since most students with higher levels of education know that Cal does indeed kick a55, but remember that the dean of admissions isn't going to look at 5000 applications him/herself and some of the adcom aren't even doctors. Thus, it's not unreasonable to assume that there are some "common people" in the adcom. School probably doesn't matter as much after the interview.

ANYWAYS, to tie this up to the OP's complaint that Cal is getting the shaft, I THINK that yes they are in a way because of it's name and that's life, so deal with it. But we are perhaps getting the best treatment/respect out of all UCs so it's not all that bad. Think of someone from UCI getting compared to a Stanford graduate. There will probably be more bias in that scenario.

 

[Callogician]

To operation Ivy:

I am an MCB berkeley grad ('05) and current medical student. I think that your opinion of the elite status of UC Berkeley is unwarranted. I came to medical school to find that many individuals who went to "no-name" undergraduate schools are more talented, harder working, and more socially skilled than I am. This isn't to say that Berkeley is not a good school. I feel that I got a very high quality of education at UC Berkeley, particularly within the MCB department. I also feel that I was well prepared for medical school after graduating.

One important principle to note is that the heterogeneity within institutions exceeds the heterogeneity between institutions by such a large margin that it is almost silly to discuss the characteristics of a university as a whole except in very vague terms and with ample caveats. For instance, a student in the 10th percentile at a "top" school is probably less qualified than a student in the 90th percentile at a "no-name" school (assuming that such things can be objectified). Despite what people have claimed in this thread, I feel that most people on adcoms are aware of this phenomenon and genuinely try to evaluate each candidate individually. Surely, biases come into play, but they probably account for a small percentage of the variance in outcome (evidence: people from Harvard with poor numbers fare poorly, and people from less prestigious schools with strong numbers fare well).

The general point I would like to make is that you are not entitled to anything on account of your background. You still have to prove your value to the admission's committee. You do this by submitting your transcript, taking standardized tests, writting essays, getting recommendations, and interviewing. The system is imperfect but fairly good given the limitations. Even AlwaysAAngel, who I believe to be a fairly arrogant and elitist person overall, recognizes this.

so I would like to be in a nice city with lots of restaurants, museums etc...Harvard, Hopkins, Penn, Columbia or UCSF[order of quotes reversed]

I like how you mention restaurants and museums after listing what is probably the top five from US news. Don't BS me. You're a rankings *****.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Even AlwaysAAngel, who I believe to be a fairly arrogant and elitist person overall, recognizes this.

<3 you too Cal.

 

[riceman04]

I think a 3.6 at Berkeley in Molec bio is equivalent to a 3.8-3.9 at other schools

NOT QUITE...but it probably makes you feel good when you think that.

Good luck in the process!

 

[Callogician]

<3 you too Cal.

😀 I'm going for the neg hit followed by grandmaster PUA style [/inside joke]

 

[alwaysaangel]

😀 I'm going for the neg hit followed by grandmaster PUA style [/inside joke]

Ooooh. Smooth. 😉

 

[STIG]

I am a berkeley grad with 3.72 GPA, and I honestly think MCB wasnt too bad compare to EECS or CE majors. (my roomate and my brothers, and they had it pretty bad. trust me). I took my MCAT this aug and I will find out in 8 days.

Screw top 20 schools! All I need is one big envelope, and I dont care if it is from Harvard or Rosalind Franklin. I just need one acceptance from a school that wants me.

GO BEARS!

 

[STIG]

And all I learnt from my 4 years at CAL was : It's ok to smoke weed and do LSD and Crystal meth is bad. ( Presti )

 

[STIG]

And we won today, so it's all good! 😀

 

[TM2006]

And we won today, so it's all good! 😀

Memorial was off the hook!!! GO BEARSSS!!!!!!

 

[winthug]

I am a berkeley grad with 3.72 GPA, and I honestly think MCB wasnt too bad compare to EECS or CE majors. (my roomate and my brothers, and they had it pretty bad. trust me). I took my MCAT this aug and I will find out in 8 days.

Screw top 20 schools! All I need is one big envelope, and I dont care if it is from Harvard or Rosalind Franklin. I just need one acceptance from a school that wants me.

GO BEARS!

That's the spirit!

Las Vegas spread for Oregon @ Cal game: Cal wins by 4.5
Actual: 45 - 24 (21 pt margin)

Any predictions against USC?
Cal wins 35-10

I think Oregon is way better than USC this year, so Cal will slaughter them.

 

[Callogician]

Ooooh. Smooth. 😉

Is that an indirect inguinal hernia in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? 😀

 

[alwaysaangel]

Is that an indirect inguinal hernia in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? 😀

*swoon* Cal I bet those first years at Drexel are just falling all over themselves for you by now.

 

[):(]

Maybe I will try Canada.....McGill or U of Toronto. Any comments on the Candadian schools?

As a Canadian, I will tell you: Probably not. I don't think your grades are equivalent to a 3.8 or 3.9 from other schools, get over yourself and then apply to medical school because you will probably have a better chance.

 

[SitraAchra]

That's the spirit!

Las Vegas spread for Oregon @ Cal game: Cal wins by 4.5
Actual: 45 - 24 (21 pt margin)

Any predictions against USC?
Cal wins 35-10

I think Oregon is way better than USC this year, so Cal will slaughter them.

I want Cal to beat USC!!! but i have selfish, selfish reasons. My longhorns are taking names and laying the wood

 

[operationivy]

Haha this is fun...I love e-cock fighting. Just wanted to let you know, I am studying abroad in Australia right now chilling on beaches and hanging out in the outback. So no, I am not into doing the moffit library thing. You mention you are an athlete...great I am too...in fact I am holding a leadership position on the team. Ive also started my own interest group on campus. My GPA and MCAT are slightly better than yours...just a tiny bit. OK I am going to stop here. I dont want to give up too much information because you might come stalk me...with your "inquisitiveness". My point is...you are not the greatest person in the world. Get over yourself.

HHMMMM.....So I am supposed to think that because your are the "power forward" on your dorm's broomball team that you are an athlete? And I guess the "leadership" position your are talking about is that you are the assistant head coach of the broomball team?? In response to your comment about "chilling" on Australian beaches...Translation=running around doing scutwork in a clinic so that you can get some "wicked" EC experience for your med school "apps." I bet the only beach you have seen recently is the sloping grass going down to the creek near the faculty club on campus.

 

[operationivy]

By the way....I am just kidding around. My original comments were sincere and I really was trying to get a sense of what other students experienced at Berkeley. I am quite surprised that I have received such a hostile response.

 

[alwaysaangel]

I am quite surprised that I have received such a hostile response.

Well I'm surprised you're not used to it. You're an obnoxious, whiney tool, and if you act like this in real life everyone probably responds to you this way, and will continue to do so. Good luck with that.

 

[alwaysaangel]

You shouldnt be surprised i mean have you met any pretentious premeds in real life?

Its hard to recognize a pretentious premed when you are one.

 

[alwaysaangel]

That sounds like an insult which as i remember reading is a violation of TOS. Good luck with that. BTW i am not a pretensious premed, thank you very much!

Fair enough troll, although I was insulting ivy not you. I withdraw the comment.

 

[Law2Doc]

That sounds like an insult which as i remember reading is a violation of TOS. Good luck with that. BTW i am not a pretensious premed, thank you very much!

Gee, you seem suspiciously well versed in the TOS for someone who only started posting on SDN an hour ago.🙄

 

[):(]

Well I'm surprised you're not used to it. You're an obnoxious, whiney tool, and if you act like this in real life everyone probably responds to you this way, and will continue to do so. Good luck with that.

Look at the OP's screen name; it states everything clearly. Pretentious is written all over it.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Look at the OP's screen name; it states everything clearly.

OMG! That had not even clicked before.

Wow - now I'm thinking troll. Surely no one is that pretentious.

 

[Rafa]

I think it's an alternate ego of bruinboy. The two of them have been slobbering all over each other in the 'most acceptances single person' thread.

 

[operationivy]

Let me help you out and explain. His name has "ivy" in it implying ivy leagues.

Not really....Operation Ivy is the name of a punk band from the 80's that spawned the group Rancid. You can look the album up on Amazon.

 

[operationivy]

Well I'm surprised you're not used to it. You're an obnoxious, whiney tool, and if you act like this in real life everyone probably responds to you this way, and will continue to do so. Good luck with that.

I think you may have serious anger management problems. When was the last time you saw your therapist? You can try some Amitriptyline (it has some sedating effects...anti cholinergic). I'll start you out on the highest possible dose. You can also try leaving your apartment and soaking in some of that California sunshine...it may help with your mood stability as well.

 

[Law2Doc]

I don't get the whole troll thing, or why this thread is such a hotbed. Nobody is falling for it. Give it a rest. you know who I'm talking about.

 

[SitraAchra]

doc clock = blatant troll

operationivy = crafty, subtle one

I don't get the joy of making new screen names to harass people in the most indirect ways.

 

[winthug]

Just remember CAL FOOTBALL RULES!

Is there some way Cal can get a rematch against Tennessee? It's ridiculous how people keep saying Cal stinks just cuz of that one game. The only way they are goign to let Cal redeem itself is by beating USC, but then they'll just say, "Tennessee was better than USC, so that's no big surprise that Cal beat that team too." It's like having the New York Knicks beating the Miami Heat and everybody saying, "OMG! Miami Heat is overrated!!!!" Tennessee was just playing at their best and Cal was playing at their worst. I think it's almost unanimously thought that Cal will whoop Tennessee now a days.

 

[jnyg008]

the prof was a UCLA grad trying to be ironic, perhaps? Here are the FACTS:

1) Berkeley has a higher-achieving applicant pool than UCLA (ie, the average applicant has a higher SAT average)
2) Despite having a higher-achieving applicant pool than UCLA, Berkeley STILL has a lower acceptance rate
3) Berkeley has a higher academic reputation than UCLA

1) Berkeley has a higher-achieving applicant pool than UCLA (ie, the average applicant has a higher SAT average)...UCLA can accept nothing but 1400 + and 4.5 + if they wanted to, and they can b/c they have the most applicants than any other school in the nation.
2) Berkeley STILL has a lower acceptance rate...not true in (a few) recent years. They come pretty close w/in 1%
3) Berkeley does not have higher academic reputation than UCLA; they did 15+ years ago, but are losing it slowly but surley. I, and hundreds of other peeps I met at UCLA rejected UCBerkeley (as well as other "top 20" schools), as it did not offer ther best over-all academic environment.
4) B/C of UCLA's reputaion, it has just recieved over $3 BILLION for the University, in donations/gifts...the most ANY college has received in the history of higher academic education in the U.S.

5) I've heard nothing but praise at my interviews, coming from UCLA. Just interviwed at UCSF and Columbia.

 

[jnyg008]

California people rock!

 

[lilold3chordme]

hey OP, i can vouch for your screenname being legit (unless you picked it as a double entendre...hmmm...j/k). though i wasn't really into them, i did pick up the ska tribute album that came out in the late 90s.

go bears! top 10 in the bcs. i'm hoping for a rose bowl berth. if so, i'm so there.

 

[Wannabemed]

1) Berkeley has a higher-achieving applicant pool than UCLA (ie, the average applicant has a higher SAT average)...UCLA can accept nothing but 1400 + and 4.5 + if they wanted to, and they can b/c they have the most applicants than any other school in the nation.
2) Berkeley STILL has a lower acceptance rate...not true in (a few) recent years. They come pretty close w/in 1%
3) Berkeley does not have higher academic reputation than UCLA; they did 15+ years ago, but are losing it slowly but surley. I, and hundreds of other peeps I met at UCLA rejected UCBerkeley (as well as other "top 20" schools), as it did not offer ther best over-all academic environment.
4) B/C of UCLA's reputaion, it has just recieved over $3 BILLION for the University, in donations/gifts...the most ANY college has received in the history of higher academic education in the U.S.

5) I've heard nothing but praise at my interviews, coming from UCLA. Just interviwed at UCSF and Columbia.

1) So can Berkeley....but more of those accepted would choose to go to Berkeley over an "elite" private school than UCLA over an "elite" private school.

2) Yeah, not true in a couple recent years....but even in those years, Berkeley had a stronger applicant pool so UCLA's slightly lower acceptance rate doesn't mean anything

3) Of course, your and "a hundred other peeps" chosing UCLA over Berkeley doesn't mean anything....Berkeley is flooded with people who chose Berkeley over UCLA, including me.

4) 3 Billion would be impressive if you were a grad student, researcher, or faculty member at UCLA: the overwhelming vast majority of that money is going into non-undergrad related uses. Don't be expecting lecture halls to be equipped with 100 laptops each anytime soon.

5) I've heard nothing but praise at my interviews, coming from Berkeley. Just interviewed at [insert name school here].


Don't get me wrong, I like UCLA. After all, I almost went there. The above was written in response to some ******* UCLA kid who made the assertion that UCLA is a better school than Cal. Personally, I think anyone going to a UC school will get an education of similar quality....but numerically, it is obvious that Berkeley is a better school than UCLA, and to state otherwise would be to deny incontrovertible FACTS. End of discussion.

 

[cal_girl]

What does it matter anyway, ppl?

 

[Pewl]

You guys are all ******ed. Why the hell are you still arguing over undergrad schools. After you finish med school you'll look back and see that you could have gotten a great education just about ANYwhere!

P.S. UCLA destroys CAL in sports. UCLA has the most NCAA DIV-I championships out of any school in the nation! 😀

 

[Wannabemed]

You guys are all ******ed. Why the hell are you still arguing over undergrad schools. After you finish med school you'll look back and see that you could have gotten a great education just about ANYwhere!

P.S. UCLA destroys CAL in sports. Which school is it that has the most NCAA DIV-I out of any school in the nation? 😀

Someone wrote that UCLA is a better school than Berkeley, so I had a moral obligation to correct him so he doesn't embarrass himself in the future when he spews idiotic garbage.

I don't give a rat's ass about Div-1 athletics. Anyone who cares about which school has the most NCAA Div-1 atheletes is a clown. I guess YOU'RE ******ed too, seeing that you're still arguing over undergrad schools as well.

But you're right, we're all acting ******ed: it doesn't matter where you get your undergraduate degree. Especially in the light of going into professional school 🙂

 

[gotmeds?]

UCLA is a great school. I had a very hard time turning them down, but I wanted to go to the number one public school in the country.😀

(Is it just me or is this thread getting a little nasty?)

 

[operationivy]

UCLA is a great school. I had a very hard time turning them down, but I wanted to go to the number one public school in the country.😀

(Is it just me or is this thread getting a little nasty?)

Well stated my friend!! It is indeed, the #1 public school in the country.

 

[jackieMD2007]

The UC's are a great school system! I have met a lot of really awesome, SMART, cool, people who went to Cal, LA, SB, Davis, Irvine...etc.

Go UC system!

 

[Fallot]

I went to Wash U. (grad. 2002), which I feel is sort of a similar situation to what some of you describe at Berkeley (harsh curves). I suppose my feelings on this are (have 3.1 GPA, 38 MCAT), had I studied my first 2 years my grades would have been B/B+/A-s instead of C/C+s/B-s. I was able to work really, really hard and get practically straight As in my upper level science courses. So, I am taking the blame.

However, I also think that had I gone to my state school (where practically everyone from my state goes,I am not from Cal) and not studied, I would have gotten A/A-/B+s. I say this based on the fact that I took 3 (science and math) courses at my state school over the summer (including 1 semester of O Chem, which was a joke compared to the 2nd semester I took at WU) and got all As.

It is NOT that I think that there are not really brilliant people who go to state schools, etc., but I think that there a big differences between classes at somewhere like WU or Berkeley, where it is curved to C/C- AND many, many students in the class are crazy competitive overachievers vs. a class somewhere else that has a few competitive people and is curved to a B-. It is a difference in atmosphere.

I think that this same difference might exist btwn. "top" (or name *****) schools that beat you black and blue if you are pre-med (my liberal arts classes at WU were not hard) and "top" schools where grade inflation runs amok. So, to you guys complaining about Berkeley (and I like to whine about WU), it is basically our fault for going to a school that promotes a competitive, cut-throat atmosphere when it comes to grades. Should have gone somewhere else if we wanted to be pre-meds and not kill ourselves for grades. Also, we just have to face it, either we are lazy, or not competitive enough (this really turned me off, so I pretty much tuned out for 2 years--why, why, why!), or, we really ARE at the "bottom of the curve" for the really "smart" people who chose "top" schools.

THIS being said, I feel like I really learned a lot from my science classes at WU, even though I sucked it up in the pre-reqs. I feel really well-prepared for med. school, if they will ever let me in.

 

[beefbroccoli]

It's great to see so many fellow Cal Bears here. I love Berkeley. I'm gonna miss it a lot when I graduate.

It's scary to think that adcoms will compare me to other people from Cal that are also applying to med schools, because almost everyone I know here is very intelligent and bright. LOL, I wish a school would just take me. I hate this waiting game.

Still rooting for all you Berkeley peeps, though. 👍 Good luck all!

 

[GoGoPandaBot]

Im also a UCB grad, and if you just throw my stats in there with the rest of the pack (3.5, 34S) Im probably pretty average at best -- which I take from this thread that Id be lucky to get into a Cal med school.

However, I was an English major, and Im applying as a nontraditional now, 4 years out of college. On the plus side, my grades had an upward trajectory at UC, and I had a 4.0 at my post bacc program. On the minus side, I didnt write a novel, play pro sports, invent anything, etc, while out of school, but I did have an interesting time abroad.

So, my question is, is it a plus or minus to be non traditional? At least it gets me noticed as something slightly different than the horde, but I just wonder if this is a net plus or minus.

thanks......

 

[WhiteHatDoc]

UCLA is a great school. I had a very hard time turning them down, but I wanted to go to the number one public school in the country.😀

(Is it just me or is this thread getting a little nasty?)

Correction: #1 public school in the WORLD 😀


Go Bears.

 

[operationivy]

Im also a UCB grad, and if you just throw my stats in there with the rest of the pack (3.5, 34S) Im probably pretty average at best -- which I take from this thread that Id be lucky to get into a Cal med school.

However, I was an English major, and Im applying as a nontraditional now, 4 years out of college. On the plus side, my grades had an upward trajectory at UC, and I had a 4.0 at my post bacc program. On the minus side, I didnt write a novel, play pro sports, invent anything, etc, while out of school, but I did have an interesting time abroad.

So, my question is, is it a plus or minus to be non traditional? At least it gets me noticed as something slightly different than the horde, but I just wonder if this is a net plus or minus.

thanks......

In my opinion, being non traditional is a strong advantage. Although much of the admissions process is a numbers game, many applicants have similar numbers. If you can distinguish yourself in any way, it can only be a positive thing. I am sure the admissions people grow tired of reading the same thing over and over again (bio major, worked in this lab......blah blah blah). If you have done something different, you will stick out. Besides, if you were an English major, I am sure you will write exquisite hospital admission and progress notes!! With your very impressive numbers, especially MCAT and post bacc, I would apply to top places. Good luck!!

 

[MasterMD]

To Berkeley grads....do you guys feel like we are not getting a fair deal in the med school application process? I was a molecular bio major (MCB) with really tough classes with a nasty curve. I managed to get a 3.6 GPA with pretty good MCATS (12,11,10) and I have a feeling I will end up at "decent" med school at best! Do med school admissions people have something against the "lowly" Berkeley grad? Maybe there are too many good Berkeley grads out there and we dilute ourselves out? Other UC people (UCLA, UCSD etc....) feel free to comment as well! I want to make it clear that I LOVE Berkeley and would never want to go any place else. As far as I am concerned, it is the best school in country!

at the two interviews ive been to, everyone seems to know/believe that getting good grades at berkeley is much harder than a majority of other schools. even the admissions committee people talked to me about this and made sure that i knew that their school is nothing like berkeley where you have to fight for your grades.. so while i think i could do better if i just worked harder, it is commonly accepted that berkeley is just gosh darn hard.

(this probably means that a lower gpa from cal can be considered a little better than it looks)

 

[searun]

Bezerkely. And that is a compliment because we like bezerk people in the Northwest. Go out in the woods and sit in some hot springs bubbling out from the ground beneath the forest canopy and talk to some folks from Berkeley...it is good. UCLA.... well that is LA and we can't relate to LA in the Northwest...LaLa land is more than we can comprehend in Oregon. But we definitely can relate to Berkeley.

Searun

 

[UMP]

I don't know about you guys but I picked my school because their football team had the best helmets in the country 🙂
and I like the way navy blue and maize look on me... 😛