University of California - Berkeley Reviews

"I love Cal and have met some of the most talented and intelligent people while there. I've always felt like Cal really gave me a good foundation for my job."

"It was a wonderful place to go to law school. Not only were you surrounded by some of the most brilliant minds in the country, but the school set out to create a cooperative environment in which to learn."

"Good campus, centrally-located, options for pretty much any kind of interest. Expect to pay a lot for housing because the city government does everything they can to limit development."

"Highly competitive, and incredibly rough to start out at. But pushed me to new heights of excellence, and the faculty (at least in the EPS department, but in most other departments as well) are very supportive. Both learning material, but also learning how to see deep into the crux of the question is emphasized through most classes."

"UC Berkeley is a top class college in academics. Great name and well recognized at an international level. The big brand name recognition is worth the public school tuition if you are from california. My degree in Economics pushed me to a whole new level of performance due to the extreme competition. Very bright classmates, many foreign students, big challenge. The reward at the end of it is definitely worthwhile."

"I think UC Berkeley is such a great school to go. Not only they offer the best quality education from its faculties, but also the whole experiences to be one of fellow Golden Bears. Yes, the school is somehow competitive, but it is a healthy one I would say. It drove me to be a better person and a more capable one. Love the environment and everything about Cal! Go BEARS!"

"Excellent!! Made great friends, gained a lot of experience and was able to think, learn and put structures around what I do. The school will take you beyond learning. The school will provide you with a life experience you'll be thankful for the rest of your life!"

"Learn as much as you can while you are in school. Take subject /classes that really interest you the most/interesting or challenging that you know will be useful for the outside world. Makes as much connection, networking as possible with friends, professors, anyone. Also attend all career fairs at UC Berkeley frequently to gain connections and networking. It might be useful one day."

"I absolutely loved my time at Berkeley for 4 1/2 years. Being one of the top Universities in the world, the caliber of professors and speakers offered at the school really set itself apart from others. With an Undergraduate degree in Legal Studies, I found the Major to be very interesting and thought provoking in many areas and allowed me to explore areas of the law I had not thought about or seem to have an interest in. The Major is flexible that way in that it caters to many different interests under the spectrum of law. Even though I ultimately decided not to go to law school after graduating and am on a different career path, my undergrad studies in that field helped me gain a perspective of legal issues that I find useful in everyday life to this day. The student population is quite large and because of that, some may find it overwhelming at first as certain class sizes can be high in numbers. It's not unusual to feel like a small fish in a very large pond as some may not necessarily flourish under those conditions. There are small class groups within each course taught by Graduate students which offer a more intimate class setting and direct help. The academic resources on campus for students is definitely something all incoming students should research and take advantage of throughout their time at Berkeley. Berkeley, without a doubt, is a special place. The diversity on campus alone makes it one of the more fascinating places and offers a vast range of activities and events brought to life by its cultured student body. From Nobel Prize winners to Olympic athletes, it never ceases to amaze me that I shared the same space with such individuals and had the opportunity to witness brilliance right around the corner. To be a graduate of Berkeley is a very grateful and rewarding feeling. Meeting other Alumni is always exciting as you feel like part of a family no matter where you're from or your age. I couldn't have made a better choice going to Berkeley and I urge any perspective students to experience what the school has to offer."

"University of California, Berkeley is a world class insitution that prepares you to solve the problems in the world that do not exist today - - - you will have the prepartion and the conficence to tackle challenges and work well in unstructured, ambigous and uncertain situations."

"Structural Engineering in Berkeley is a very course-load intensive program. Top students from US and other countries come to attend this program. So competitiveness is an obvious trait here. But the good thing is you learn from top professors and they are always happy to help. Also this program provides access to advanced research facilities, training, and workshops so you are always on top of current events in your field. One downside of studying here is the cost. Tuition as well as living expense is quite high. So without full funding (which are difficult to get) it is quite a struggle."

"The U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is a great investment because it provides students from all backgrounds an opportunity to grow and learn modern day journalism skills. From new media to documentary classes, students are able to learn and apply these skills to their jobs after graduate school. The campus is beautiful and located in a busy area. Some cons include noisy streets and expensive housing. You will be in debt if you don't apply for scholarships, but it's worth it in the end."

"The UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is privileged to have an all-star team of faculty members and lecturers. We have fantastic resources like the Investigative Reporting Project and the Center for Investigative Reporting that work with our school and students like myself who have a concentration in investigative reporting. The biggest con of the J School is that each class is only 50 fifty students, 100 total, so we have lots of shared resources like other small professional schools. And recently the university and our dean have added an additional $2000 graduate fee on us that I have no way to pay excel to take out more loans with more interest. $1000 would make a tremendous difference in my life and so that I can continue on into my second year and graduate with my masters degree."

"High ranked school with excellent elective coursework in real estate development."

"The program is small, so all students get attention and support from staff and faculty. There are also a variety of focus areas, and we can tailor the program to our interests. Also, since we are part of such a large and diverse campus, we can take classes and research in a variety of fields. The large size of the school makes it difficult to find and contact offices such as financial aid for support. We also feel quite isolated from such offices that are primarily aimed at undergraduates. We are also not housed in a single building, as are law and business students, so we struggle to carry all of our belongings and run to class on time each day."

"Pros: Expert and well-connected faculty, intensive coursework and high expectations. Cons: Intense competition among students."

"It's really challenging, but extremely rewarding. I'm really pleased with my decision to come here. I love my lab, love my advisor, and love Berkeley."

"Dysfunctional PhD program. Would not recommend."

"The graduate program is very dependent on the laboratory that you join, but the other graduate students that you meet is completely random - which makes networking and sharing ideas from different field completely exhilarating. You will have to be extremely self motivated and move yourself through the program though."

"During Grad school you receive a lot of support from the professors. The students also help and is a good environment for learning and to develop your research. However, because you receive such a good support, the expactations that you are going to develop a good project and do well in the courses is high. But this expactation comes mostly from yourself."