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Imperial vs. UC Berkeley

i want to study biotech at imperial. how's the course?

Reply 1

Imperial because its a better university for technical subjects, and you'll have the chance to specialise more at imp without having to take loads of outside options + think of travel costs and times from deutschland

Reply 2

ckwan16

frappucino

i want to study biotech at imperial or biochemistry at the college of chemistry at berkeley.

which one would you chose and why?
i'm kinda stuck here...

UC Berkeley's chemistry program is one of the best in America. I'm not sure if it is still #1, but it has been ranked the nation's best chem program for many years.

If you can deal with really large classes at a research oriented university....you should go to Berkeley.

Reply 3

d750

8

frappucino

i want to study biotech at imperial or biochemistry at the college of chemistry at berkeley.

which one would you chose and why?
i'm kinda stuck here...

Berkeley is almost certainly the US' best public multi-faculty university. It seems to have a very good reputation.

Reply 4

d750

8

frappucino

thanks-

yeah berkeley is still #1 for chem. but that's according to grad school rankings, so i don't know...do you think going to imperial will close doors? especially if i plan on staying in europe..?

Wouldn't have thought so. Imperial is second only to Oxbridge in the UK, and, by extension, in Europe.

Reply 5

W.A.S Hewins

Berkeley..it's multi faculty and so is better known globally..also the US university system is far more dynamic and well-resourced...Imperial's great, but there are so many problems in the UK. Imperial is caught between a rock and a hard place: Oxbridge resents it for obvious reasons, and the great lumpen proletariat of Brit unis resents it because it isn't just another also ran middle rank institution...If only Imperial were based in the US, or Germany, or Singapore...

Reply 6

mitchubus

"and the great lumpen proletariat of Brit unis resents it because it isn't just another also ran middle rank institution..."

I have one question.. I will study in GB and right now i was offered a MSc at Imperial or Edinburgh (I'm an international student and got my BSc already). Is Edinburgh a middle rank institution? I plan to specialise in AI with robotics that's why I'm undecided. Should I be off to Imperial? I want to continue with a PhD in the US, again a programme related to AI or robotics -- which would be the more advanteagous choice for my MSc in Britain?

Thanks a ton!

Reply 7

W.A.S Hewins

Edinburgh is a very distinguished university, with a huge history, and is particularly good for Artificial Intelligence. Yet Imperial has the mystique, the international name...

Reply 8

mitchubus

Do u think that Imperial has a better reputation e.g. in the US than Edinburgh, assuming that I'd want to apply for an AI/robotics PhD in the US? Your opinion would be of great help =) tnx!!

Reply 9

W.A.S Hewins

mitchubus

Do u think that Imperial has a better reputation e.g. in the US than Edinburgh, assuming that I'd want to apply for an AI/robotics PhD in the US? Your opinion would be of great help =) tnx!!

Yes

Reply 10

mitchubus

W.A.S Hewins

Yes

You sure? How did you come to this opinion? Especially, since Edinburgh is known for AI, u sure? Why?

Tnx.

Reply 11

W.A.S Hewins

mitchubus

You sure? How did you come to this opinion? Especially, since Edinburgh is known for AI, u sure? Why?

Tnx.

Edinburgh hasn't really promoted itself. Imperial is very big on promotion,and trades on the fact that it is part of the G5 (Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial).

Reply 12

mitchubus

W.A.S Hewins

Edinburgh hasn't really promoted itself. Imperial is very big on promotion,and trades on the fact that it is part of the G5 (Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial).

Sorry for asking again.. At which universities in the US is Imperial promoting itself? Do you have any examples? Do you have some contacts in the US that told you that? I'm an international student (not from the US tho) and I had not heard of imperial before actively looking into universities in the UK. All names that I knew before that were Cambridge, Oxford, LSE. Which recent kind of promotion were you referring to with Imperial? Tnx again!! I'm currently trying to decide between Ed and Imp for my Masters, so that's why i'm so interested =). Tnx.

Reply 13

W.A.S Hewins

mitchubus

Sorry for asking again.. At which universities in the US is Imperial promoting itself? Do you have any examples? Do you have some contacts in the US that told you that? I'm an international student (not from the US tho) and I had not heard of imperial before actively looking into universities in the UK. All names that I knew before that were Cambridge, Oxford, LSE. Which recent kind of promotion were you referring to with Imperial? Tnx again!! I'm currently trying to decide between Ed and Imp for my Masters, so that's why i'm so interested =). Tnx.

I must admit my knowledge of Imperial is pretty general. American students that I know seem to be aware of it, if they're into the sciences or technology. Again it's so hard to quantify and so random, depending on the accidental nature of whom you happen to speak with and what media you encounter. I think most people would agree that Imperial is and will be better known than Edinburgh, although the proposition is difficult to test. Perhaps if you did some webs searches, to see which name emerges most often, you'd get more of an idea of the respective impact of the two colleges.

Reply 14

Leekey

9

Pencil Queen

So you're basing it on the opinion of London based american students.

Do you not think that sample would show a considerable bias towards other london based institutions? Or do you think you would get the same response from american students based in Edinburgh?

It also ignored the fact that Ed has a rediculous proportion of International students (15% if I remebmer correctly?!? :confused:

). Clearly if they have that many then they must be promoting themselves fairly well world-wide. :wink:

I would also point out that for A.I, the only institution that can possibly claim to out-do Ed is MIT (and even that can be argued). :smile:

Reply 15

Leekey

9

Pencil Queen

40% of Edinburgh's PGT computer science students are international. 10% from the US.

19% of Imperial's PGT Comp Sci students are international. None are from the US and they have 1 from Canada (as does Ed).

2001/02 data from the HESA student return.

:smile:

Ok, I'll keep score....

Statistical Proof 1 : 0 Person's biased experience

:biggrin:

Reply 16

mitchubus

Leekey

Statistical Proof 1 : 0 Person's biased experience

LOL tnx mates!!

Reply 17

H&E

3

Pencil Queen

40% of Edinburgh's PGT computer science students are international. 10% from the US.

19% of Imperial's PGT Comp Sci students are international. None are from the US and they have 1 from Canada (as does Ed).

2001/02 data from the HESA student return.

:smile:

Out of curiosity, does the Edinburgh stat include English (i.e. non-Scottish) students?

Though I'm not surprised it has a good repuation world-wide, it has a fantastic pedigree in the sciences.

Reply 18

Leekey

9

H&E

Out of curiosity, does the Edinburgh stat include English (i.e. non-Scottish) students?

Though I'm not surprised it has a good repuation world-wide, it has a fantastic pedigree in the sciences.

I think that it's divided into "home" (i.e UK based for 3 years or more) and "international" students so English students shouldn't be included as international (assuming thier method is consistent).

Reply 19

H&E

3

Leekey

I think that it's divided into "home" (i.e UK based for 3 years or more) and "international" students so English students shouldn't be included as international (assuming thier method is consistent).

I see. Thanks.

Imperial vs. UC Berkeley

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