University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

Describe your favorite campus traditions.

Mitchell

We're best known for our open-mindedness. UC Berkeley students are incredibly unbiased, refusing to make generalizations based on homelessness, ethnicity, background, drug use, disability, or sexual orientation.

Martha Reuben

As the liberal college, the hubub of activism that produces quality students.

Elizabeth

UC Berkeley is known around the world as tree-hugging hippie liberals. Today, we've moved so much away from that. There is a large and vibrant conservative community here; the liberal community is alive and thriving as well. While everyone thinks Berkeley students will ostracize you for saying something out of line with the current liberal political view, everyday I see the opposite. I see my peers chiding each other for not listening and respecting others. I see my classmates seeing past each person's opinions and trying to understand the person behind the opinion.

Betsy

Berkeley is known for having very successful faculty and graduate programs. It is also a wonderful city to live in, because it is so alive and close to many different places.

Laura

Music program, urban planning, engineering and research.

Mohammad

Prestige

Coral

My favorite campus tradition is the superstition of Athena. Over the doors of our main library (Doe Library) there is a beautiful statue of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. It is said that when you enter the library for studying, Athena grants you all the knowledge you need to complete your schoolwork and finals. But when you exit through those doors, she takes it all away again. Therefore, you have to exit through a small side door to retain the knowledge that she has granted you. It's just a silly superstition, but it's fun, especially around finals!

Kathleen

Berkeley is more than anything known as the number one public university in the nation. Academics are challenging but rewarding, and the faculty lives up to the school's reputation. There is definitely a strong expectation of academic curiousity and research.

Sachi

In the '60s there was alot of campus activism. There is a still a uniquely hippie vibe on campus, in the co-op housing especially, but there is also a huge emphasis on academics. So I would say there are still alot of people who care about the world and want to change it, and there are many others who want to focus on their futures and their own incomes and well-being. The school is known for having alot of pride, a great football team (brand-new stadium!), Nobel-prize-winning professors, and lots of diversity.

Kayla

UC Berkeley is recognized internationally as the best public school in the entire world. Cal students are dedicated to their academic life and students tend to be very competitive. While all departments at Cal top charts, the business program is the one that I am involved with. The US News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley among the top three undergraduate business programs in the nation. In addition to academic life, UC Berkeley is also recognized for its strong alumni program and its close proximity to Silicon Valley for internships.

Betsy

The University of California at Berkeley is well known for many things. It is an internationally respected academic institution, known for stellar programs in political science, engineering, psychology, history, sociology, and English, among other departments. It is also a politically active campus that brings together thousands of international students, activists, and academics from multiple disciplines.

Carling

UC Berkeley is best known for its research and faculty. The better known departments include zoology, biochemistry, rhetoric, anthropology, and most likely more. The rich culture of arts and theater of the city of Berkeley is also very attractive; there are numerous playhouses, cinemas and performance venues in the city alone.

Michelle

Free concerts in Sproul plaza. Crazy protests all the time. Free concerts put on in Sproul by the different choral groups. Dance competitions, drum shows. Free cupcakes on Cal day.

.

Mass cooperative living-organized streak through the Doe library during dead week. Too funny.

Jayson

Being very liberal.

elanae

Free speech movement of the 60s (legacy of liberal protests/"hippies"); Nobel-prize winning professors and research; the law school

Taylor

Probably for its frequent protests that somehow always manage to involve nudity. Berkeley has a history of rallying against injustice in its many forms, and to this day there is a very politically active unit of the student body that maintains this spirit of revolucion and youthful commradere. Aside from (or in addition) to that, however, UCB is a highly regarded educational/research institution that entertains an impressive academic staff.

Jessica

Competitiveness and hard to get good grades.

eric

Our school is best known for engineering and our architecture program. We have the only NAAB acredited bachelors program in the State. Our school is designed around hands on learning meaning we have machine shops for the mechanical engineers, architecture studios for architecture students, and so on. This creates an environment similar to the workforce that we will be entering.

Ze

This school is best known for its strong academics and success in its students after graduation. Only the brightest and hardest working students end up in this school. In addition to the academics, the social life in this school is very unique, as it is part of a city, whereas most universities are isolated from the neighboring cities. The quality of social life is definitely debatable. One should visit the campus multiple times to make sure it is the right university for him or her.

Julie

UC Berkeley is best known for the world-renowned research that is conducted by the brilliant faculty, many of whom have won Nobel prizes. There are always many opportunities for students to become involved in research at this university. Cal is also famous for its liberal atmosphere and the active student body. With hundreds of student organizations, there is something for everyone at UC Berkeley. For many decades, Cal students have continued to support and improve the surrounding communities, as well as serve people in the developing world.

Sarah

UC Berkeley is best known for providing a comprehensive, high-end, liberal education. With protests widely occuring on campus, as well as demonstrations, Cal State is known as the original UC school. Having the highest ranking among the UC schools, Berkeley stands out as a leader in research and learning for a wide variety of students. In addition to academic success, this prestigious university also enriches their students' lives with culture and life-changing opportunities.

Michal

UC Berkeley is best known for being one of the top public schools in the country. Being a California resident, UC Berkeley is the best bang for your buck. A graduate from UC Berkeley receives the highest level of education possible without having to pay private school tuition. Lastly, the diverse student body is one that you will not find anywhere else. At UC Berkeley you have athletes, liberals, conservatives, those interested in the Greek system and people of every size, shape and color imaginable. The education and cultural experience at UC Berkeley is unlike any other university.

Clare

Berkeley has tons of people here- you come from one unique place and meet and interact with thousands of other people who come from all over the world and have different backgrounds, stories, hopes, and dreams to share with you.

Nigel

My school is best known for being the number one academic public institution in the world.

Hieu

Research

Brandon

Cutting edge research, sports, world renowned professors, and smart students.

Maneesh

Being the best public university in the United States, if not the world. Also for being a bastion of left wing liberal thought (although, in actuality the liberal student movement in Berkeley has died down quite a bit).

Ashley

Berkeley is known for its vast diversity in race, gender, interests, personalities, political affiliations, and much more. What makes Berkeley so great is that every person is so unique. You never encounter a person that acts or thinks the same in Berkeley. Everyone has their own opinion and is willing to express it in one way or another. This allows our school to accomodate the most extreme views without making anyone feel that their ideas are not being heard. In Berkeley, there is a place for everyone.

Kalin

UC Berkeley is known for being a very liberal school. It's stereotyped as a "hippie" school, the school that is all about love and peace. But Berkeley is more than a liberal school. We don't all live in trees or riot against "the man" each chance we get. Cal is filled with passionate, driven individuals who use their intelligence to make positive change in the world. Not many other schools can say they do the same.

Daishar

Bussiness

Nhi

Being the number one university.

Yang

Cal is famous for it's Nobel Laureates, the Berkeley Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, and just being a highly regarded academic institution world-wide. Berkeley is best known for just being Berkeley, the number one public school in America, and a top ranking public instutition internationally. However, one very important aspect of a Berkeley education is the large amount of amazing research opportunities that can be completed on or near campus. The presence of the famous and government-backed Lawrence Lab is a great boon to all who wish to do undergraduate or graduate research at Berkeley.

Michael

A great academic atmosphere where almost any academic discipline is represented by one of the most acclaimed experts in the field. No need to ask for second best at Berkeley, great programs in everything from theoretical phyics to art. There is also an impressive social atmosphere harkening back to the free speech protesters.

Sarah

UC Berkeley is known for being very liberal, active in protesting undemocratic actions and fighting for a more sustainable and equitable world. It is also a top knotch public university that is comparable to many private Ivy League universities.

Jennifer

Our school is best known for it's academic rigor and spirit.

Andrea

cal is best know for academics (#1 public university!) as well as protests/revolution

Victoria

Rigorous academics. Very liberal. Strong athletics program. Proximity to San Francisco. Asian nerds.

Chontel

The green movement and the Free Speech Movement... protests

Daniella

My school is best known for its liberal views as well as its good research.

Michell

Difficulty; diversity

Richard

Research in many different fields as well as BSD Unix.

Kelly

I believe UC Berkeley is best known for liberal movements in the 1960's, being liberal in general, academics, prestige, research facilities, beautiful campus, diversity, and of course, the Berkeley Hippies.

Namquyen

It's known for being a super liberal campus with marijuana addicts, hippies, and hobos wandering the streets and campus. It's also more famously known for being the best public school in the US with the best Chemistry department and exceptional Engineering, Physics, Law and Business branches of study.

Chloe

School spirit, being independent, strongly academinc yet social, making life long relationships

Sabina

Cal is best known as a premier research facility

Sarah

... being a bastion of nutty leftist thought. But it isn't, really.

Gracie

#1 public institution in the nation, best professors, research opportunities, football team, hippies, tree-huggers, politically active, diverse...movements

Mia

Berkeley is best known for its nobel laureates, world class research, "hippiness", environmentalism and our great football team. Go Bears!

Mathew

Berkeley is a very diverse university that is well known for its academic rigor. Berkeley is one of the top universities in the country in a variety of different subjects including engineering, business, and science.