UC Berkeley MCB vs. Harvard MCO

[Decimal]

I've been a long-time lurker of GradCafe and am finally asking you all for some help. 

I am considering several admissions offers for PhD programs in the biological sciences, and currently my top two choices are Harvard MCO and UC Berkeley MCB. I've visited both programs and asked many questions. I'll be fully funded at both (Harvard pays about $1k more per year than UCB), I am interested in many research topics at both, and I realize that both programs are wonderful in terms of industry and academic connections. 

It's hard for me to say no to Harvard for obvious reasons. The program has no shortage of funding, the core facilities and equipment are all cutting-edge, I would be in close proximity to MIT, BU, and other New England research institutions, and I would undoubtedly work with a leader in the field. I guess all of the same can be said for Berkeley (close proximity to Stanford, UCSF, and industry research connections; many leaders in the field). Additionally, Harvard is known for its extensive alumni network, so I would have no problem finding a job anywhere in the country after I graduate (provided I am a successful PhD student). 

Another enticing aspect of Harvard is its medical campus. I'm not particularly set on pursuing purely basic vs. more translational research, but it's nice to know that I'd have the opportunity to bridge over to some more biomedical research if that's where my interests take me. Berkeley, on the other hand, doesn't have a medical campus and many of the research topics are purely basic (although you can find many projects with health implications). I'm not saying that's a detriment to UCB, just something I'm thinking about. 

In terms of graduate student happiness, everyone at Berkeley seemed a bit more content and optimistic than students at Harvard overall, although Harvard MCO students did seem genuinely happy with their graduate experience when I talked to them. I'm also a bit concerned about Harvard's reputation of being competitive/cutthroat in terms of getting a PI's attention and producing impactful research. 

One last thing: I feel like I didn't 'fit' with my faculty interviewers at Harvard, whereas I got along very well with my interviewers at Berkeley. This is largely because I didn't get many faculty whose research I was particularly interested in during my Harvard interview, while everyone I interviewed with at Berkeley was doing research that I was really intrigued with. I think this was just a matter of interview selections, but it still has an effect on the way I view each program. 

I realize this is my own decision to make, but I'd love to read some other opinions about each program and/or whether I am thinking about the right things. 

[knp]

It sounds like you need to ask some of the Harvard faculty you're interested in working with if you can Skype with them, no?