Program Specific Thread: UC Berkeley

[Deltagrey]

I'm still waiting for my other application decisions, but I've been leaning towards UC Berkeley for inorganic chemistry. I feel that I'll be able to make a decision once I visit them in March. That being said--and in the spirit of the other program specific threads--I have a couple questions for those that have applied or been accepted to the program:

1. Are you planning on visiting? 
2. What do you see as pros and cons of the program? 

So far, I view the main pro being the reputation and strength of the program. The main con that comes to mind for me is the cost: Berkeley is very expensive to live in and the alternatives (Oakland and Richmond) can be somewhat dangerous, and more difficult to commute from without a car. Please feel free to chime in with answers and questions of your own. Hopefully we can have current Berkeley grad students weigh in on this topic as well.

[fancyfeast]

I'm visiting - either second or third weekend in March.

To be honest there are only two cons for me thus far - cost and location. SO is for sure going to be in Boston next year, and California is... not so close to Boston. I don't really want that to affect my decision, but it's definitely in the back of my mind. I'm mostly curious about the culture of the department - I will work for whoever doing whatever as long as the department is not totally insane and my advisor treats his students fairly.

[Deltagrey]

I'm visiting - either second or third weekend in March.

To be honest there are only two cons for me thus far - cost and location. SO is for sure going to be in Boston next year, and California is... not so close to Boston. I don't really want that to affect my decision, but it's definitely in the back of my mind. I'm mostly curious about the culture of the department - I will work for whoever doing whatever as long as the department is not totally insane and my advisor treats his students fairly.

That is actually something that I've been thinking about as well. My gf will be staying in the LA area next year, and while LA to SF is not nearly as far away as SF and Boston, they're not exactly quite down the street either. 

 

As for the culture, from what I've heard, most of the advisors at Berkeley (and the department as a whole) are more laid back--possibly due to it being a public school, being in a very liberal area, and being on the west coast. 

[Organometallics]

I am also very interested in Berkeley.  I absolutely love the research they are doing and have like 5 different professors that I would be totally happy working for.  My only concern is size.  The department is enormous, which from a research and resources perspective is probably a good thing.  However, I am worried about working in a large lab (30+ students) and not really getting as much face time with the professor as I'd like.  With groups these large it seems like the only time you would see your PI would be at group meeting and maybe a 1 on 1 meeting once a month (at best).  Also, I think it would be very hard to distinguish yourself from your peers and be unique.  At smaller programs like Caltech, I have heard that the atmosphere is very collegial and students/professors work together and know each other very well, even outside of your research group.  I feel at Berkeley I will be just another chemist and just another number.  I have never been to San Francisco/Berkeley so I don't know much about the environment or city.  I am really hoping that visitation days will help me get a better feel for this program.  

[zifn]

Idk, I don't know much about the program outside what I've heard from co-workers and online. I'm feeling significant pressure to go there but I don't have a feel for the environment of the campus. Unfortunately, there are only really 2 or 3 professors whose work is exciting to me but part of why I'm interested in this program is because it has a lot of faculty who do work in many different sub-fields of chemistry. I like the idea of being in California but at the same time I'm going to be far away from all of my friends and family and SF is expensive. I also don't know how funding works at Cal so I don't know if admitted students will have some sort of guarantee for funding or what. Idk, it would be fun to brag about this school while I'm at my ugrad school but I'm probably counting my chickens before they've hatched. (with my 3.6, gre's < 75%, no pubs, and only a year of research, I probably don't have a shot, but no news is good news?)

Edited February 3, 2015 by zifn

[ochemkor]

Anyone know when the visiting weekends will be for organic division?

[Biochemical]

Anyone know when the visiting weekends will be for organic division?

March 6th

[fancyfeast]

I committed right on April 15 so maybe that's why I haven't heard anything but has anyone gotten like an email from the program with info on how to set up an account/find housing/etc?