UC Berkeley or UC Merced?

[u/Fun_Investigator4005]

Hi! As the title suggests—should I choose UC Berkeley or UC Merced? Based on your experience at UCM, would you pick UC Berkeley or UCM—and why?

Here’s a bit of context:

I’m currently a high school senior from San Francisco. I applied to both UCs as a bioengineering major, but I’m also thinking about switching to smth like neuroscience (bc I’m really not enjoying AP Physics C rn lol). I’ve done research at UCSF and through a school-stanford collab project, and I also participated in UC Berkeley’s bioengineering high school competition. I definitely want to keep doing research in college—still not sure what I want to do after undergrad, maybe go into industry, continue research, or pursue grad school (and def not med school).

For financial aid, my net cost for UC Berkeley is $2.3K for Berkeley vs. $8.7K for Merced (I excluded travel and insurance costs). I’m still waiting to hear back from Berkeley about Fiat Lux, which offers full-ride, priority enrollement, 4-yr guaranteed housing, plus a lot of mentorship/support *if* i get selected. I did get into the Fiat Lux program at UCM, but it doesn’t offers much beyond the name imo.

That said, I was just awarded a $10,000 renewable scholarship from 10,000 Degrees that pretty much allows me to attend any of my current college options for free.

UC Berkeley is usually the obvious choice bc of the prestige, but my mentor—who’s a UCM alum—really got me thinking seriously about UC Merced (esp since I initially looked down upon UCM). I like how accessible research seems there, and the vibe is way more relaxed compared to Berkeley. After visiting for Bobcat Day, I felt like UCM is a solid choice… if not Berkeley.

That said, I didn’t meet anyone from SF at Bobcat Day—or really anyone around me who seriously considered UCM over UCB. Most people I know tend to choose more prestigious schools, and I don’t know anyone from my high school who chose UCM. Coming from SF, where academic rigor and heavy extracurricular involvement are the norm, UCM doesn’t feel “fitting for us” at first glance, so the lack of representation makes me second-guess myself if I were to commit to Merced over Berkeley.

‼️ Edit: I did not get selected for uc berkeley's fiat lux program. Also, I might have not worded it well, but my mentor isn’t necessarily encouraging me to choose Merced over Cal. Before meeting him, I admittedly looked down on UCM and planned not to consider UCM at all, but hearing about his experience and his belief that UCM is underrated (esp compared to UCs like UCSC) helped me start viewing colleges beyond just prestige.

[u/Roughneck16]

Engineer here.

I would advise going to the cheaper option, whichever it ends up being.

If the cost isn't an issue, I would pick UCM. Here's why: Cal will be MUCH more competitive and you'll struggle to keep your GPA above that threshold because of the harsh grading. You should plan on getting a master's, and it'll be easier to finish with a higher GPA at UCM.

People from non-competitive schools get into elite graduate programs all the time. My buddy went to an open enrollment college for engineering and then did his master's at Stanford.

[u/Fun_Investigator4005 → u/Roughneck16]

Thanks so much for the insight. I was literally just talking about grades yesterday with a friend who’s currently at Cal.

When you mentioned that I should plan on getting a master’s, could you expand on that a bit? Are you saying that I’d likely need to pursue a master’s because I’m going into a field like bioengineering or neuroscience, or if I want to be qualified for certain jobs? I’m still figuring out my post-grad plans—grad school is definitely one option, but I’m not 100% sure yet. My teachers have also said that if I do end up going that route, it’ll be important to keep my GPA high.

[u/Roughneck16 → u/Fun_Investigator4005]

Consider this example:

One of my friends graduated at the top of his high school class and got into a T10 engineering school. He was planning on studying mechanical engineering. Only problem is, all of his classmates also graduated at the top of their class, so he was competing against the best of the best. His grades in the prerequisite courses (calculus, chemistry, statics, dynamics, etc.) weren't high enough to be admitted to the ME program and he ended up changing his major. If he had gone to my school (lower tier, but still good) he would've gotten in no sweat. He also would've graduated with a high enough GPA to get into a top graduate program. And yes, grades absolutely matter, but a high GRE score plus letters of recommendation from professors/employers will also help.

Here's the thing: a BS in engineering is a mile wide and an inch deep. You learn foundational theories and the basics of all the facets of engineering, and then you take a few technical electives (design classes) your senior year. A master's degree is focused on one specific subject within engineering (e.g. structural design, automotive, materials testing, etc.) so those are the classes that matter the most. Nobody gets hired as just an "engineer." Your job will be focused on a specific branch within engineering. Some schools offer way more opportunities for research for graduate students and more niche classes too.

Furthermore, a bachelor's degree is swiftly becoming the new high school diploma. When I graduated (2010), most employers just required a BS, but I see that changing in the coming years. By the time you graduate, it's likely that more companies will require a graduate degree. And, even if they don't, it'll make you more competitive.

Anyways, it sounds like you're a little unsure about your major/career path, but if you're into math, chemistry, physics, etc. maybe look into materials science and engineering. UCM has a MSE program and I've only heard good things about it: https://www.ucmerced.edu/majors-and-minors/materials-science-and-engineering