What about the reputation of UC Berkeley?

[hiscoba]

Hi,

I am an international student, will attend UC Berkeley's Computer Science program for my PhD study. I wonder what about the reputation of Berkeley in the United States when comparing to Ivy Leagues or MIT/Stanford? I know that Berkeley has a strong Grad school, but it indeed ranks low in the USNews National University Ranking. Does Berkeley grads find job easily in U.S.?

Thanks a lot!

[beanbagchairs]

but it indeed ranks low in the USNews National University Ranking.

Whattt!! I will not believe any ranking that puts Berkeley "low" for CS. What's low for you? below 1? You are about to enter one of the best grad school for computer science in the whole wide world!!

I dont think you'll have any problem finding a job with a PhD from Berky. Fantastic publications wont hurt though.

congrats on the acceptance

Edited February 20, 2011 by shashakoe

[hiscoba]

Whattt!! I will not believe any ranking that puts Berkeley "low" for CS. What's low for you? below 1? You are about to enter one of the best grad school for computer science in the whole wide world!!

I dont think you'll have any problem finding a job with a PhD from Berky. Fantastic publications wont hurt though.

congrats on the acceptance

Thanks. :-)

I DO know that Berkeley's CS program is among the best, that's why I apply to it!! What I concern about is its overall reputation. Anyway, I do not expect my future employer will look carefully at the graduate school program ranking, or understand what I really did during the PhD program. If they prefer big names, will other more prestigious school, like Princeton, be a better choice?

Edited February 20, 2011 by hiscoba

[wtncffts]

Thanks. :-)

I DO know that Berkeley's CS program is among the best, that's why I apply to it!! What I concern about is its overall reputation. Anyway, I do not expect my future employer will look carefully at the graduate school program ranking, or understand what I really did during the PhD program. If they prefer big names, will other more prestigious school, like Princeton, be a better choice?

If your profile is right, you're from China, so your misconceptions are understandable (though in the process of applying to schools, I'd think one would have done a little more research). Berkeley is at least as 'prestigious' as Princeton, in my view. The Ivy League isn't the end all and be all, and schools like Dartmouth and Brown, which I'm sure are great schools, are ranked much lower than several public universities, including Berkeley, Michigan, UCLA, etc.

If you want to go by rankings (which are always methodologically controversial and of dubious value), the Academic Ranking of World Universities places Berkeley 2nd and Times Higher Education has Berkeley 8th. Some others have Berkeley slightly lower, but the point is that it is an elite school and there's no reason at all to be 'concerned' about its reputation.

[hiscoba]

If your profile is right, you're from China, so your misconceptions are understandable (though in the process of applying to schools, I'd think one would have done a little more research). Berkeley is at least as 'prestigious' as Princeton, in my view. The Ivy League isn't the end all and be all, and schools like Dartmouth and Brown, which I'm sure are great schools, are ranked much lower than several public universities, including Berkeley, Michigan, UCLA, etc.

If you want to go by rankings (which are always methodologically controversial and of dubious value), the Academic Ranking of World Universities places Berkeley 2nd and Times Higher Education has Berkeley 8th. Some others have Berkeley slightly lower, but the point is that it is an elite school and there's no reason at all to be 'concerned' about its reputation.

Thank you! I was choosing among Berkeley, CMU and Princeton and I decided to accept Berkeley. I am happy that I didn't make the wrong choice!

Edited February 20, 2011 by hiscoba

[Nurse Wretched]

Well, you certainly chose the best weather.

[beanbagchairs]

Well, you certainly chose the best weather.

haha exactly. I think you'll like the atmosphere of Berkeley! Charming town.

Dont worry, people that are recruiting CS PhDs KNOW how good Berky is. If they dont, I'm pretty sure you wont be happy working for them

Good luck!

[hiscoba]

Well, you certainly chose the best weather.

Yeah, and I also like the Bay Area.

[The Dudester]

This guys axe has to be gone now, he's been grinding it so much.

University of California Berkeley (Cal) overall ranking drops. In 2004, for example, the London-based Times Higher Education ranked Cal the 2nd leading research university in the world, just behind Harvard; in 2009 that ranking had tumbled to 39th place. By 2011 Cal had not returned to 2^nd place.

When UC Berkeley announced its elimination of student sports including baseball, men’s, women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse teams and its defunding of the national-champion men’s rugby team, the chancellor sighed, “Sorry, but this was necessary!”

But was it? Yes, the university is in dire financial straits. Yet $3 million was somehow found by Chancellor Robert J Birgeneau ($500,000 salary) to pay the consulting firm to uncover waste, inefficiencies in UC Berkeley (Cal), despite the fact that a prominent East Coast university was accomplishing the same thing without expensive consultants.

Essentially, the process requires collecting, analyzing information from faculty, staff. Apparently, Cal senior management believe that the faculty, staff of their world-class university lacks the cognitive ability, integrity, energy to identify millions in savings. If consultants are necessary, the reason is clear: the chancellor has lost credibility with the people who provided the information to the consultants. Chancellor Robert J Birgeneau has reigned for eight years, during which time the inefficiencies proliferated to $150 million. Even as Bain’s recommendations are implemented (‘They told me to do it’, Birgeneau), credibility, trust, problems remain.

Bain is interviewing faculty, staff, senior management and academic senate leaders to identify $150 million in inefficiencies, most of which could have been found internally. One easy-to-identify problem, for example, was wasteful procurement practices such as failing to secure bulk discounts on printers. But Birgeneau apparently has no concept of savings: even in procuring a consulting firm he failed to receive proposals from other firms.

Students, staff, faculty, California Legislators are the victims of his incompetent decisions. Now that sports teams are feeling the pinch, perhaps the California Alumni, benefactors, donors, will demand to know why Birgeneau is raking in $500,000 a year while abdicating his work responsibilities.

Let there be light for transparency

The author, who has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at University of California Berkeley, where he was able to observe the culture and the way the senior management operates.

[Gunner24]

I wouldn't put too much stock in the US News Rankings...they are "of dubious value" as another poster said. In fact, Malcolm Gladwell wrote a scathing article about just how dubious they are in the New Yorker...definitely worth the read!

Good luck.

[joenobody0]

UC Berkeley is many things. Prestigious is one of them. Under funded is another. Generally speaking you have an ultra prestigious group of schools like Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, and a few others. Right below that you have slightly less prestigious schools like UC Berkeley, U of Michigan, UCLA etc. These are still very prestigious schools, and in may areas academically superior to places like Harvard. It mostly boils down to snob appeal, history, and endowment.

Make sure to ask your program the true attrition rate for PhD student. It could be at or above 60% in many hard science programs at UCB.

Edited February 28, 2011 by joenobody0

[was1984]

The US News national undergraduate rankings are notoriously biased toward private schools. There are several public schools that are in the top 10 of just about every single departmental ranking, but don't do nearly so well in the overall rankings. I wouldn't pay any attention to them. At #22, Berkeley is the best public school on the list, anyway.

That said, there are indeed some serious financial issues at Berkeley these days, so you should at least be aware of it before attending. I wouldn't let it stop me, though.

[fifa0001]

CS program at Berkeley...It has to be one of the top ones no questions asked

since you are from China, you will find many who speaks your language. Go Bears!

[hiscoba]

The US News national undergraduate rankings are notoriously biased toward private schools. There are several public schools that are in the top 10 of just about every single departmental ranking, but don't do nearly so well in the overall rankings. I wouldn't pay any attention to them. At #22, Berkeley is the best public school on the list, anyway.

That said, there are indeed some serious financial issues at Berkeley these days, so you should at least be aware of it before attending. I wouldn't let it stop me, though.

I am also a little worried about the financial issues.

I am wondering in what aspect will the budget crises influence my research&life in Berkeley? in stipend or tuition waiver?

[joenobody0]

I am also a little worried about the financial issues.

I am wondering in what aspect will the budget crises influence my research&life in Berkeley? in stipend or tuition waiver?

When I got into my PhD program at Berkeley (prior to the funding issues) they told me "sure funding for 6, 7, or 8 years is no problem." After the financial crash they told me "forget about funding past 5 years."

[The Dudester]

Berkeley living can be mighty expensive, I know that. But I wouldn't worry about budget cuts with the current governor.

[hiscoba]

When I got into my PhD program at Berkeley (prior to the funding issues) they told me "sure funding for 6, 7, or 8 years is no problem." After the financial crash they told me "forget about funding past 5 years."

What can I do if they do not have funding to support my research after several years?

[joenobody0]

What can I do if they do not have funding to support my research after several years?

It's hard to say. I'm sure they can and will fund you for 5 years. After 5, it's anyone's guess. You'd most likely have to TA (GSI in Berkeley-speak) a huge amount of coursework to fund yourself. I was not in CS, so it might be better over there, but Math was not doing well last time I stopped in to talk to people. I'd strongly advise you to ask hard funding questions of everyone you talk to. Don't let them say "well in the past we did..." Make sure to get a firm commitment. Talk to the department workers. They're all upset about having their salary frozen, losing job security, and other things. They will most likely give you a straight answer.

Also, the regular Math stipend was 17.5K which is horribly inadequate to live in Berkeley with any reasonable standard.

Berkeley is a good school no doubt, if it works for you.

[hiscoba]

It's hard to say. I'm sure they can and will fund you for 5 years. After 5, it's anyone's guess. You'd most likely have to TA (GSI in Berkeley-speak) a huge amount of coursework to fund yourself. I was not in CS, so it might be better over there, but Math was not doing well last time I stopped in to talk to people. I'd strongly advise you to ask hard funding questions of everyone you talk to. Don't let them say "well in the past we did..." Make sure to get a firm commitment. Talk to the department workers. They're all upset about having their salary frozen, losing job security, and other things. They will most likely give you a straight answer.

Also, the regular Math stipend was 17.5K which is horribly inadequate to live in Berkeley with any reasonable standard.

Berkeley is a good school no doubt, if it works for you.

17.5k is not adequate to live?

[The Dudester]

17.5k is not adequate to live?

Not in Berkeley.

[hiscoba]

Not in Berkeley.

Monthly: $800 for house rent (share with others), $400 for food, $100 for phone and other fees, no car. Not enough? If I understand right, $17.5k is only for nine months.

Edited March 2, 2011 by hiscoba

[jordanami]

Great reputation. Just be prepared for a very high cost of living in the SF Bay area. You can look at cost of living calculators and also craigslist for under the housing rentals section to see about housing costs. That will be the biggest expense.

Hi,

I am an international student, will attend UC Berkeley's Computer Science program for my PhD study. I wonder what about the reputation of Berkeley in the United States when comparing to Ivy Leagues or MIT/Stanford? I know that Berkeley has a strong Grad school, but it indeed ranks low in the USNews National University Ranking. Does Berkeley grads find job easily in U.S.?

Thanks a lot!

[joenobody0]

Monthly: $800 for house rent (share with others), $400 for food, $100 for phone and other fees, no car. Not enough? If I understand right, $17.5k is only for nine months.

Your stipend is taxed. You won't see the full $17.5. Just because they say the stipend is for nine months doesn't mean they don't expect you to live on it for the whole year. I was on fellowship so I got summer suppport. People with GSI support only got summer funding if they managed to get a TA position over the summer. Even assuming your tax rate is 0 (which it won't be), 800*12 = 9,600. Leaving you with 7900/12/4 = 165 per week to live on. Assuming you spend 400 on food + 100 on phone/internet, that's going to leave you 35 per week. You won't die on the stipend, but if you notice exactly what I said: "horribly inadequate to live in Berkeley with any reasonable standard." Standards will differ, and I wouldn't live that way.

My rent was $1025 per month FWIW.

[jynx]

Yes, the cost of living is very high, IN Berkeley. However, the entire SF Bay Area has an awesome public transportation system (BART) so it's entirely possible to live in, say, Oakland, where the cost of living is significantly lower, and commute to school in Berkeley.

Congrats on your acceptance!! You must be awesome, Berkeley is a great school

[skeedy]

Your stipend is taxed. You won't see the full $17.5. Just because they say the stipend is for nine months doesn't mean they don't expect you to live on it for the whole year. I was on fellowship so I got summer suppport. People with GSI support only got summer funding if they managed to get a TA position over the summer. Even assuming your tax rate is 0 (which it won't be), 800*12 = 9,600. Leaving you with 7900/12/4 = 165 per week to live on. Assuming you spend 400 on food + 100 on phone/internet, that's going to leave you 35 per week. You won't die on the stipend, but if you notice exactly what I said: "horribly inadequate to live in Berkeley with any reasonable standard." Standards will differ, and I wouldn't live that way.

My rent was $1025 per month FWIW.

My own 2 cents: I lived a year and a half in Berkeley and survived on an Americorps stipend (comes out to $12,000/yr post taxes - just filed 'em ) and it wasn't all fun and games but it was doable. I lived in two different places, and the most I paid for rent was $650 (my own room.) Now was that the norm? Not necessarily. Are places close to campus expensive? Hell yes. But I lived in two nice apartments and commuting (especially with BART) made it doable.

However, joenobody DOES have a point - it wasn't a reasonable standard of living. I don't think anyone should live as frugally as I did and call it the "norm." A taxed $17.5 stipend for 9 months = VERY frugal. Loans might be a necessity. Or move to Oakland and BART