Hi everyone, I’m currently deciding between UC Berkeley (Econ) and NYU (CAS Econ), and I’d really appreciate some honest input.
A bit about my situation: I’m an international student, and budget is not a concern (the costs between UCB (out-of-state) and NYU are pretty similar). Personally, I’m leaning a bit toward NYU. I like that NYU seems more flexible academically, especially in CAS, where it’s easier to explore different classes and even try out different fields. I’m not 100% sure what I want to do yet (possibly marketing / product-related roles), so having that flexibility matters to me. Also, maybe it’s not as stressful compared to UCB?
From what I’ve heard, NYU also has smaller classes and more diverse or “interesting” courses, which might make networking and building relationships a bit easier.
However, my parents strongly prefer UC Berkeley because of its prestige. I know Berkeley Econ is very strong, but I’ve also heard that the environment can be quite competitive and stressful. I’m especially curious about course enrollment, is it really hard to get the classes you want? Do people struggle a lot with getting off waitlists? Is it really hard to get a high GPA?
One thing I’m also wondering is how big the difference really is between Berkeley and NYU in terms of reputation and opportunities. Is Berkeley seen as significantly “higher tier,” or is the difference not that big in practice?
I might consider applying to graduate school in the future.
Any honest thoughts would really help — thank you!