Undergraduate Schooling

[efle]

Yeah if the UC option is essentially free then by far that's the best way to go

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[Azteca_Medicina]

I ran my numbers in USC Financial Aid calculator and I would be able to get $50k hopefully from Financial Aid so would have to pay $11k a year. How does that sound?

 

[ProudMD]

I ran my numbers in USC Financial Aid calculator and I would be able to get $50k hopefully from Financial Aid so would have to pay $11k a year. How does that sound?

It depends on your family's financial situation. $11k a year for USC or $0 for UCSC. Honestly, it's a tough call, but if I were you, I'll go to a UC if I don't have to spend ANYTHING.

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

It depends on your family's financial situation. $11k a year for USC or $0 for UCSC. Honestly, it's a tough call, but if I were you, I'll go to a UC if I don't have to spend ANYTHING.

I have a friend at UCD who parents makes less than my single mom and she said she has to pay $8k a year out of her own pocket. If I would have to pay around $8k a year as well, wouldnt an addition $3k a year be a better choice for USC?

 

[efle]

I ran my numbers in USC Financial Aid calculator and I would be able to get $50k hopefully from Financial Aid so would have to pay $11k a year. How does that sound?

Call UCSC and confirm that you would be getting a full ride that includes housing, sometimes when they say "free" they mean they wave all tuition and fees, but there is still the $10k or so in living expenses to come up with. In that case, you'd actually be looking at similar prices.

 

[efle]

I have a friend at UCD who parents makes less than my single mom and she said she has to pay $8k a year out of her own pocket. If I would have to pay around $8k a year as well, wouldnt an addition $3k a year be a better choice for USC?

Yes a price difference as small as 3k per year x2 should not matter that much, youd instead go with the favorite uni.

 

[ProudMD]

Agreed with efle. 3k a year isn't that much in the grand scheme of things, and USC is quite a bit better than UCSC.

 

[ProudMD]

However, one thing you should keep in mind. Your community college GPA of 3.8 is very good, and medical schools will expect that you maintain a similar level of performance during your time at a 4-year university.

USC can be very competitive (especially among premeds), so be sure to bring your A-game should you choose to become a Trojan.

 

[efle]

However, one thing you should keep in mind. Your community college GPA of 3.8 is very good, and medical schools will expect that you maintain a similar level of performance during your time at a 4-year university.

USC can be very competitive (especially among premeds), so be sure to bring your A-game should you choose to become a Trojan.

I'd say USC would be easier for a bio major than would UCSD though

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

However, one thing you should keep in mind. Your community college GPA of 3.8 is very good, and medical schools will expect that you maintain a similar level of performance during your time at a 4-year university.

USC can be very competitive (especially among premeds), so be sure to bring your A-game should you choose to become a Trojan.

I would definitely take a light load the first semester to get fully adjusted and what to expect before taking the harder classes first semester!

 

[ProudMD]

I'd say USC would be easier for a bio major than would UCSD though

I definitely think so as well. The OP should decide between USC and UCSC.

 

[altblue]

I'd imagine you'd have to work much harder for an A at USC & UCSD than UCSC, and med schools primarily care about your grades (over name), I think.

 

[efle]

I'd imagine you'd have to work much harder for an A at USC & UCSD than UCSC, and med schools primarily care about your grades (over name), I think.

Except that the UC's hold their average GPAs at 3.0 while USC has some nice private school inflation, and that UCSD in particular has a ton of very academic students esp. in bio and other premed heavy majors.

 

[ProudMD]

I'd imagine you'd have to work much harder for an A at USC & UCSD than UCSC, and med schools primarily care about your grades (over name), I think.

You are right about GPA >>> college name.

None of us are recommending that the OP should transfer to UCSD. And while UCSC is probably easier than USC, USC is a much better school than UCSC (not implying in any way that USCS is not a good school). So deciding between UCSC and USC is somewhat tricky, especially considering that for the OP, the cost of the two schools is going to be very similar.

 

[altblue]

Except that the UC's hold their average GPAs at 3.0 while USC has some nice private school inflation, and that UCSD in particular has a ton of very academic students esp. in bio and other premed heavy majors.

Just clarifying that UCSD students are more academically inclined than UCSC students, so maintaining a high GPA at UCSD is more difficult than doing so at UCSC. I don't know if USC grade inflates or deflates, but I don't see how a school with academically talented students like USC could be significantly easier than one far lower ranked like UCSC (though I'm not trying to say you were implying something different...).

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

Although USC is ranked higher than UCSC, wouldn't the semester system and the 9:1 student professor ratio be a better advantage? I am not a genius, but with time and effort, I will be able to push myself to get good grades.

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

Today at work, a graduate of UCSF medical school came in and I was able to talk to him and explain my situation. He told me he went to USF and the smaller classroom helped him greatly. He recommended USC but said if I cant afford it then go to a smaller university.

 

[ProudMD]

Today at work, a graduate of UCSF medical school came in and I was able to talk to him and explain my situation. He told me he went to USF and the smaller classroom helped him greatly. He recommended USC but said if I cant afford it then go to a smaller university.

What school is USF?

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

What school is USF?

University of San Francisco. A private school.

 

[WingedOx]

You are right about GPA >>> college name.

None of us are recommending that the OP should transfer to UCSD. And while UCSC is probably easier than USC, USC is a much better school than UCSC (not implying in any way that USCS is not a good school). So deciding between UCSC and USC is somewhat tricky, especially considering that for the OP, the cost of the two schools is going to be very similar.

re: the bolded point: Meh. Orgo is Orgo. The actual difference in the quality of what an undergraduate is going to learn for pre-reqs is likely negligible.

There's a difference in coming from a UC school and your generic "Directional State U" And either way, if the kid from the kid from "Prestige U" can't outscore the kid from "Directional State" on the the MCAT (the great equalizer), he/she doesn't deserve the spot in the class.

 

[efle]

Although USC is ranked higher than UCSC, wouldn't the semester system and the 9:1 student professor ratio be a better advantage? I am not a genius, but with time and effort, I will be able to push myself to get good grades.

Yes the private school is usually a better bet, less overcrowding and impersonal giant courses

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

Well looks like USC wont take the calculus classes I took for life science towards my major so Im going to take calculus again. But it looks like I'll hopefully be able to transfer in 3 semesters !

 

[Porkloins]

USC is a good choice I think, as long as the cost differential is ~$5k or less per year and you make sure you get the most out of what USC offers that UCSC wouldn't. Plus dem LA girls...

 

[efle]

Plus dem LA girls...

Just be aware that USC is called the University of Spoiled Children in socal, and they're often little spoiled brats

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

Has anyone been to USC? I've heard it's beautiful but it's by a bad neighborhood. I'm going to go visit hopefully in January.

 

[ProudMD]

Has anyone been to USC? I've heard it's beautiful but it's by a bad neighborhood. I'm going to go visit hopefully in January.

I've visited USC several times (lived near the area during high school, had family members working there, etc), and the campus is indeed beautiful. Everything is clean, well laid-out, and the students seem happy and helpful. However, like you said, the area surrounding USC is not a very good place.

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

I've visited USC several times (lived near the area during high school, had family members working there, etc), and the campus is indeed beautiful. Everything is clean, well laid-out, and the students seem happy and helpful. However, like you said, the area surrounding USC is not a very good place.

What is there to do in LA? When I have time to kill? Just like in Santa Cruz you can go to the boardwalk and etc. What's close to USC?

 

[ProudMD]

What is there to do in LA? When I have time to kill? Just like in Santa Cruz you can go to the boardwalk and etc. What's close to USC?

Lots of things to do. The campus is very close to downtown, so there's lots of options when it comes to entertaining/dining/whatever else.

A lot of my friends who attended USC for undergrad frequented strip clubs located in Downtown LA. According to them, USC students are common patrons of such exotic venues.

If nightlife and its associated connotations are not your thing, then you can always visit art museums and other cultural sites located in the downtown area. Keep in mind that you'll most likely need a car if you want to move around the areas surrounding campus easily. Public transportation sucks in the LA metropolitan area.

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

Just an update since I went on a trip to visit USC, UCLA and UCR. I fell in love with USC! Everything about it I felt like this is where I would love to spend my next 2 years. I also fell in love with UCLA and was considering that my second choice now but being way too competitive, I might pass. So considering USC is my top choice to apply, what are good backups? Still UCSC?

 

[beachside]

I didnt take the ACT and SAT in high school because of how poorly I did. I am good at keeping high grades when I apply myself. How much of a different would UCSD have over UCSC?

You never took the SAT or ACT, did poorly in high school, and only succeeded in community college. I would encourage you to take your dreams of being a neurosurgeon with a massive grain of salt. That's getting waaay ahead of yourself. You don't appear to have a single metric to adequately compare yourself against your peers. Getting into neurosurgery is extremely challenging for even the most talented of us. I don't want to be negative, but I would encourage you to temper your expectations quite a bit.

Not to be a dick. I would help answer your question too, but it appears that people with more knowledge of California already have it covered.

 

[Azteca_Medicina]

You never took the SAT or ACT, did poorly in high school, and only succeeded in community college. I would encourage you to take your dreams of being a neurosurgeon with a massive grain of salt. That's getting waaay ahead of yourself. You don't appear to have a single metric to adequately compare yourself against your peers. Getting into neurosurgery is extremely challenging for even the most talented of us. I don't want to be negative, but I would encourage you to temper your expectations quite a bit.

Not to be a dick. I would help answer your question too, but it appears that people with more knowledge of California already have it covered.

I never tried in high school because I just didn't care. I was trying to follow my older brother footsteps where he joined a gang, sold drugs, and everyone knew him in the streets. It wasn't until I watched a brain surgery in person that I realized that this is exactly what I want to do in life. And I will put 110% into becoming one. I'm not trying to just have an excuse but I'm just showing how my high school was because of stupid decisions, not because of not being able to succeed.

 

[hoihaie]

UCSD has far better opportunities for a premed than UCSC.

You want to go to a school with its own med school. UCSD has A ton of research opportunities, it's own med-Student-run free clinics that you can volunteer in, UCSD also has 3 different hospitals just on its campus (1 private hospital - SCripps Health, VA San Diego, and UCSD Hospital), UCSD Health system has dedicated comprehensive cancer center, eye center, cardiovascular center...etc. We are also finishing a new Hospital (jacobs medical center). UCSD bio and neuroscience is one of the top ones in the nation. It isn't hard to maintain a good GPA at UCSD. The bio and chem professors are all very good and passionate in teaching.

Even though people say UCSD = UC socially Dead, it's not really true. Even though we don't have a Greek row, there are still tons of parties and what not. You just need to be proactive in participating in it and making friends (not even going to mention how we are only 20 min away from Tijuana).

UCSD is also located in a very safe neighborhood (La Jolla) in comparison to USC or even UCSC.

 

[beachside]

I never tried in high school because I just didn't care. I was trying to follow my older brother footsteps where he joined a gang, sold drugs, and everyone knew him in the streets. It wasn't until I watched a brain surgery in person that I realized that this is exactly what I want to do in life. And I will put 110% into becoming one. I'm not trying to just have an excuse but I'm just showing how my high school was because of stupid decisions, not because of not being able to succeed.

I'm just saying, dude: Don't go to medical school unless you're fully prepared to end up in family medicine. Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try. Until you take the MCAT, or even a few practice MCAT's, you'll have no idea if you're even competitive for a US MD program. Until you take Step 1, after your second year of medical school, you'll have no idea if you're competitive for neurosurg.

Reality differing from expectations is the number one cause of unhappiness. Temper your expectations. Shoot for neurosurg, sure, but be prepared to end up as a DO in family med.

 

[Afford]

I don't think either of those schools will give you a stronger edge in the application process and some lower ranked schools are harder to get good grades than higher ranked schools based on how grades are handled at that school. I will say that UCSD might give you better research opportunities. Also, I would just pick the school that you're happier with.