Best UC School for Undergradutate Student

[BiologyNerd]

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What? Berkeley is known as a WAY better school than UCI. I am so confused by your post. UCB and UCLA are way more highly regarded than UCI. Sorry.

You would have to put in more effort at Berkeley or UCLA, presumably, to have comparable stats. If that's true, why not use that effort and time on more EC's or more things you want to do to stand out?

You just have to know how to play your cards. If you go to a less known school, do more things that make you stand out. Hopefully the less known school will be easier so you can spend more time in a lab to get that pub or be a president of an organization.

Ultimately, go where you will be most happy. Ask yourself, do I want to challenge myself to see if I can 'run with the wolves' and go to a prestiguous/difficult university? Or do you feel like you don't need "prove yourself" and it's more important to have life/work balance? Where life/work balance factors in your desire to live in a specific location, close to family, have enough time for personal ventures, etc. over going to a school in a random location.

 

[sinombre]

You would have to put in more effort at Berkeley or UCLA, presumably, to have comparable stats. If that's true, why not use that effort and time on more EC's or more things you want to do to stand out?

You just have to know how to play your cards. If you go to a less known school, do more things that make you stand out. Hopefully the less known school will be easier so you can spend more time in a lab to get that pub or be a president of an organization.

Ultimately, go where you will be most happy. Ask yourself, do I want to challenge myself to see if I can 'run with the wolves' and go to a prestiguous/difficult university? Or do you feel like you don't need "prove yourself" and it's more important to have life/work balance? Where life/work balance factors in your desire to live in a specific location, close to family, have enough time for personal ventures, etc. over going to a school in a random location.

I agree with this response. But it's worth pointing out that the difference in rigor between schools in the UC system is probably pretty minimal. It might be a different story at public schools in other states, or at CSUs.

 

[burbbs]

What? Berkeley is known as a WAY better school than UCI. I am so confused by your post. UCB and UCLA are way more highly regarded than UCI. Sorry.

I believe so too. But as a past bitter student rejected from UCLA and going to UCI and excelling there and getting into medical school, I'd say that going to UCI was a way better experience than I could ever get at UCLA. Why? Because I know I would hate living there and going there.

The only upside to going to UCLA is being able to say, "oh I go to UCLA" THAT'S IT

 

[mmmmd]

hmmmm... I happened across this possibly still relevant thread. pretty interesting to compare to our current discussion.

 

[CsHead]

I believe so too. But as a past bitter student rejected from UCLA and going to UCI and excelling there and getting into medical school, I'd say that going to UCI was a way better experience than I could ever get at UCLA. Why? Because I know I would hate living there and going there.

The only upside to going to UCLA is being able to say, "oh I go to UCLA" THAT'S IT

You sound bitter. Now is the time to stop, take a step back, and realize you can't make that leap in comparison since you didn't attend UCLA.

 

[burbbs]

You sound bitter. Now is the time to stop, take a step back, and realize you can't make that leap in comparison since you didn't attend UCLA.

Eh...I can make my own comparisons based on my own experiences of LA and to me I would not have liked it there. Too far from family and the living situations were definitely not as nice as Irvine. So to me Irvine wins

 

[bluestreaks]

I would say NOT Berkeley/UCLA. Berkeley lacks a medical school, which makes it harder to find relevant research. Some would argue this isn't a huge factor, but I managed to get a lot of connections at my university's med school as an undergrad. UCLA is just super big and bureaucratic, making it hard to get classes. I went to UCSD and was very happy with it.

And Cal and SD aren't big and bureaucratic? Also, Cal has UCSF...

 

[DrCaliBoy]

lol...but if the goal is a high GPA, getting to know profs (which can lead to research opps and LORs), and getting into med school, then unless you'd be miserable, it's a good idea. I haven't actually been on the campus, so I don't know how the non-academic life would be like, but if the culture is very residential with everyone hanging out around campus and at nearby campus hangouts, it could be fun.

Santa Barbara would also be good. UCR has the new SOM, but it is in Riverside which is less desirable than Merced. At least Merced is an attractive area. Riverside is hot and ugly.

Lol no....just no...Riverside is a way better pleace to live in than Merced...Merced smells like cows jk

 

[Arbor Vitae]

Lol no....just no...Riverside is a way better pleace to live in than Merced...Merced smells like cows jk

dude, Riverside smells like cows waaay more than Merced, I don't know what you're talking about. Merced is pretty awesome for people who are into outdoorsy stuff. You got Yosemite right there and pretty close to Mammoth or Tahoe.

OP, I'll break it down right here for you.

1. Elite Academics in no particular order
-Cal
>Original UC
>most prestige, basically a West Coast Ivy
>rigorous academics
>mixture of affluent and very poor/high crime surrounding areas
>urban environment, tons to do for fun
-UCLA
>surrounded by most affluent areas of LA
>large school with rigorous academics
>urban environment, tons to do for fun
-UCSD
>rigorous academics
>located in most affluent area of San Diego
>some of the most pristine beaches and reefs in California are a walk away
-San Diego is a fun city, way more conservative than LA, but cleaner and easier to get around
***-UCI
>I wouldn't consider UCI to be an elite academic UC, just that they are one of the more gunnery/academic/boring UCs
>in the middle of extremely conservative Orange County, nothing but plastic surgery and real housewives as far as the eye can see
>surrounded by suburbia, although very fun Newport Beach and luxurious Laguna Beach very close by
>tons of stuff to do for fun nearby, tons of beaches, but Irvine as a whole is kind of a boring area and UCI has a more boring vibe
***-UCD
>I also wouldn't consider UCD to be an elite academic school, but they are on the rise
>surrounded by agricultural areas
>tons of outdoor recreation
>the town of Davis itself has a very warm college town vibe
2. Lifestyle Schools
-UCSB
>Ultimate combination of academics, location, and recreation
>highly ranked science departments, tons of research and brand new facilities
>campus and housing are on bluffs directly over beach
>Santa Barbara is small, but a very affluent city with beautiful surroundings and beaches, similar to San Diego, but much more isolated
-UCSC
>solid science programs
>close to Big Sur, Monterrey, and probably one of the most beautiful areas of the California coast
>surrounded by forests and beaches, with San Francisco a close drive away
3. Newer upcoming UCs
-UCR
>probably the least ideal location for a UC
>has the benefit of a brand new medical school
>close to LA and Orange county, but you have to commute
-UCM
>geographically isolated area
>close to Yosemite, also Mammoth, and Tahoe are within driving distance
>tons of outdoorsy stuff to do
>no city life

 

[alpharez]

I really like the college town feel of Davis.

 

[The Beyonder]

They're probably that bad at most UCs, unfortunately. Californians have it harder than most other states.

With a 29% success rate I think I would move to another state. I wonder, what is the national average?

 

[SpellcastingMD]

This Bruin is biased. 😉
Come on down to Westwood.
I wanted to go to UCD because that's where all my friends got in, but after 1st year I really started to love it here. I met people, joined clubs, joined a sorority, and have a job I really love, and I don't know if I would've had the same elsewhere. Getting into science classes can be annoying sometimes, but not impossible. Plus the food on campus is awesome.

 

[sportsman1ac]

With a 29% success rate I think I would move to another state. I wonder, what is the national average?

national is 46%, and no not all UCs are 29%. UCSD is ~40%. UCLA is around 40 something % also, and Cal is 50+%.

something else to consider is the number of md applicants from each school. this is from last year's data

LA 823
Berkeley 768
UCSD 547
UCI 381
UCD 374

that is, if you use those numbers x the %....
UCLA would have around ~320+ students getting into md program,
berkeley ~380+
UCSD ~210+
UCI ~100+

 

[Tots]

***-UCI
>I wouldn't consider UCI to be an elite academic UC, just that they are one of the more gunnery/academic/boring UCs
>in the middle of extremely conservative Orange County, nothing but plastic surgery and real housewives as far as the eye can see
>surrounded by suburbia, although very fun Newport Beach and luxurious Laguna Beach very close by
>tons of stuff to do for fun nearby, tons of beaches, but Irvine as a whole is kind of a boring area and UCI has a more boring vibe

-UCSB
>Ultimate combination of academics, location, and recreation
>highly ranked science departments, tons of research and brand new facilities
>campus and housing are on bluffs directly over beach
>Santa Barbara is small, but a very affluent city with beautiful surroundings and beaches, similar to San Diego, but much more isolated

Nope, not biased at all...

 

[SilentSoldier]

I did enjoy my time at UCI, but dammit, I still love UCLA.

okay, so maybe I'm still bitter about being rejected from there -__-

 

[Arbor Vitae]

Nope, not biased at all...

Well I'm from Orange County, so Irvine just seems boring in my opinion. And the people I know that went there have not told me good things. I like the beach areas nearby, but Irvine itself just has nothing really going on. Never said I wasn't biased.

 

[Tots]

national is 46%, and no not all UCs are 29%. UCSD is ~40%. UCLA is around 40 something % also, and Cal is 50+%.

something else to consider is the number of md applicants from each school. this is from last year's data

LA 823
Berkeley 768
UCSD 547
UCI 381
UCD 374

that is, if you use those numbers x the %....
UCLA would have around ~320+ students getting into md program,
berkeley ~380+
UCSD ~210+
UCI ~100+

In 2011 UCI had 310 people apply for medical school. 92 were accepted(29% and lower than the ~32% in 2010). Pretty horrible to be honest. That being said I believe this statistic reflects more on the individuals applying and not necessarily on the university. Also I know plenty of people this year at UCI that are doing fantastic in the current cycle.

 

[sportsman1ac]

In 2011 UCI had 310 people apply for medical school. 92 were accepted(29% and lower than the ~32% in 2010). Pretty horrible to be honest. That being said I believe this statistic reflects more on the individuals applying and not necessarily on the university. Also I know plenty of people this year at UCI that are doing fantastic in the current cycle.

haha yeah. I am not trying to use this statistic to prove anything. All UCs are great schools. They are all well known academically across the country. I am a numbers person so i just put what i found on here for the OP.

 

[orangeballoon]

Berkeley! Berkeley offers many opportunities in research, community-based advocacy, clinical experience, etc. Students complain how hard it is here, but when they graduate out into the real world, they realize that Berkeley provides many opportunities or experiences that are not available else where. Whether or not they took advantage of them is another question.

Go wherever you think will allow you to succeed as a person! Many things can change down road; you may find that medicine is not for you. College is a time to explore.

 

[JBruin]

In the very likely possibility that you end up in a field other than medicine, a UCLA or Cal Degree will serve you much better than any other UC. The perception amongst the general population is very different, despite how good the education may be at the newer schools.

That said, I picked UCLA and would do it again without a second thought. The most gorgeous campus, everything is easily accessible, traffic is essentially a non-issue since you rarely need to venture outside of WW (and when you do the things worth going to aren't more than 30 minutes). A more friendly environment than the one reported by my friends at Cal, and academics that are every bit as good. Not to mention access to some of the best extracurricular, clinical, shadowing and service opportunities around.

It's true that it's easy to get lost in the shuffle, but you're going to have that problem at any of these schools. It will be what you make of it. If you're driven to seek out opportunities and make yourself known to professors, UCLA can be a very small community with great support.

Edit: But honestly, you can't go wrong with nearly any of the UC's. My brother goes to UCSB, my sister goes to UCI, and I have plenty of friends at Cal, UCSD, UCD and UCSC. No one regrets the school they go to. They're all world class institutions and you'll be able to get into med school from any one.

 

[The Beyonder]

In 2011 UCI had 310 people apply for medical school. 92 were accepted(29% and lower than the ~32% in 2010). Pretty horrible to be honest. That being said I believe this statistic reflects more on the individuals applying and not necessarily on the university. Also I know plenty of people this year at UCI that are doing fantastic in the current cycle.

I wonder why UCI is lagging behind the rest of the schools? I would be concerned about this if I were picking a school to attend as a pre-med.

 

[Arbor Vitae]

I wonder why UCI is lagging behind the rest of the schools? I would be concerned about this if I were picking a school to attend as a pre-med.

They lack diversity in experiences. They are all the same applicant on paper.

 

[obgyny]

Why so much hate for UCI? 🙁 I went there for undergrad and now go there for med school.

I picked UCI over UCB, UCSD, etc., mostly because I got a hefty scholarship from them. But I ended up loving my experiences there (obviously, I'm still here 🙂). I can't say how my life would've been different or if I could've gotten the same GPA at the other UCs. Really no one can make a proper academic comparison unless they attended multiple UCs.

I'd pick based on the best financial aid package and where you feel you'd be happiest. You probably can't go wrong with any of the UCs, and your college experience will be what you make of it.

 

[obgyny]

I wonder why UCI is lagging behind the rest of the schools? I would be concerned about this if I were picking a school to attend as a pre-med.

But what are the acceptance rates for the other UCs? As someone else mentioned, CA applicants have it hard in general.

 

[Arbor Vitae]

.