University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

It all depends on the class--the smaller classes can be very friendly, but it's very difficult to get to know your classmates in the big lectures.

Down to earth and hard workers.

competitive & aggressive

Very diverse, open-minded, passionate, competitive, and hard-working.

Absolutely brilliant, driven and inspiring.

Keep your eyes open-- see, share, learn, and enjoy!

Most people are very academically focused and interested in the subject matter.

Worried about their grades.

The student body is very tolerant unless you are republican. Left is right and right is wrong.

My impression is that the graduate students are considerably more diverse and liberal in their views than the undergrads. When I attended, Asian students were in the majority for undergrad, and while there is a lot of variability, many of the Asian students I know were rather conservative. Being a state school also meant that you had a lot of students (like me) who didn't come from money. I would say that most of the profs I knew did come from privileged backgrounds, but not all or even most of the students. People dress down--nothing flashy or ostentatious. Birkenstocks and jeans are prevalent and few girls bother with make-up. Which is not to say they are careless about appearances. Some of the most attractive women I've ever met were fellow Berkeley students, both undergrads and grads. Oh, and the guys were fine, too.