California State University Undergrads

[I'M_Posting]

How many California State University Undergrads have made it to medical school. Lists your stats and school.

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[Jalby]

Cal State San Bernardino
3.98 (damn english class)
42 MCAT
Appled to 49 schools, got into 2 total. It seemed that my interviewers had a little problem with the difficulty of CSUSB.

 

[The Falconer]

In regards to CSU San Bernardino we had at least 7 accepted to medical schools that I know of. Several were grad students. As far as stats go....that's a private thing for most people. All of the individuals that I knew had very good GPAs and MCAT scores that were varied. CSU San Bernardino has excellent professors and guidance for pre-meds in my humble opinion.

Jalby....do I know you? I graduated this year and don't recognize you...did you take time off before applying? are you a non-science major? are you a poser? Given a school of our size I would have thought I would know you. Given your stats I would have thought you'd have been the honor grad.

 

[I'M_Posting]

Originally posted by Jalby
Cal State San Bernardino
3.98 (damn english class)
42 MCAT
Appled to 49 schools, got into 2 total. It seemed that my interviewers had a little problem with the difficulty of CSUSB.

How'd you study for a 42? Where u going?

Originally posted by The Falconer
In regards to CSU San Bernardino we had at least 7 accepted to medical schools that I know of. Several were grad students. As far as stats go....that's a private thing for most people. All of the individuals that I knew had very good GPAs and MCAT scores that were varied. CSU San Bernardino has excellent professors and guidance for pre-meds in my humble opinion.

Jalby....do I know you? I graduated this year and don't recognize you...did you take time off before applying? are you a non-science major? are you a poser? Given a school of our size I would have thought I would know you. Given your stats I would have thought you'd have been the honor grad.

How was your Loma Linda interview? What kind of questions were you asked? Why'd you pick it?

 

[energy_girl]

CSUs don't really have that bad of a reputation. Within California, med schools do seem to be more picky, and ask questions like "why didn't you pick a UC" or "why weren't you good enough for a UC." Outside of California, though, nobody knows the difference.

People from my undergrad (CSULA) do very well when applying. My year (I'm a second year med student), one person ended up at UCSF, one at UCLA, another few people at Temple and Meharry, two of us at Washington U (strange coincidence, but another student from CSU-Chico is also in my class), and a couple to very good osteopathic schools.

If you really want to know my stats, I can tell you, but I feel a little strange posting them. I can tell you here that I got into every school I interviewed at, which was far better than I would have anticipated.

All I can say in terms of advice is not to worry about being from a school some may consider inferior. AS long as you have good grades and really good MCATs, as well as some idea of why you're applying and why you will make a good physician, you should be fine.

 

[I'M_Posting]

Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it! Mind if I ask where you interviewed at?

 

[none]

I'm from UCSD, although I did most of my pre-reqs at CSU Fresno. UCI's med school is chock-full of CSU grads. Don't sweat it.

 

[energy_girl]

Originally posted by I'M_Posting
Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it! Mind if I ask where you interviewed at?

I PMed you. I'd rather not post my stats and schools I got accepted at here.

 

[lady in red]

I went to CSU, but I'll tell you--its a LONELY road. Most of my classmates who claimed to be 'pre-med' did not study, so it was not hard to be 'on top', hence the reputation CSUs get. When it comes to admissions, especially if you are aiming for the top schools, you'd better have a very good reason/explanation to offer why you are going to a CSU and not a UC, especially if you were born and raised in the US and your family situation is ok. I was an international student all my life, so it was a bit different for me. I also had family circumstances that prevented me from taking time in completing my undergrad, so I 'rushed' through it at whatever school i could afford to attend.
So it's different for everyone, but make sure that there is something setting you apart--MCAT, experiences, essay, whatever, and stellar grades. I think a girl named Jessica on this forum went to CSU San Bernardino and got into every top school in the country. Ask her. good luck

 

[energy_girl]

I went to CSU, but I'll tell you--its a LONELY road. Most of my classmates who claimed to be 'pre-med' did not study, so it was not hard to be 'on top', hence the reputation CSUs get.

That's why I mentioned that outside of California, it actually helps you when adcoms don't know much about CSUs and just look at your grades. If these are great and MCATs are very good, they won't mention CSU twice. California schools are a different story, though, and they DEFINITELy want to know why you didn't go to a UC.

When it comes to admissions, especially if you are aiming for the top schools, you'd better have a very good reason/explanation to offer why you are going to a CSU and not a UC, especially if you were born and raised in the US and your family situation is ok. I was an international student all my life, so it was a bit different for me. I also had family circumstances that prevented me from taking time in completing my undergrad, so I 'rushed' through it at whatever school i could afford to attend.
So it's different for everyone, but make sure that there is something setting you apart--MCAT, experiences, essay, whatever, and stellar grades.

I agree. Definitely have something that makes you stand apart.

I think a girl named Jessica on this forum went to CSU San Bernardino and got into every top school in the country. Ask her. good luck

A lot of us from CSULA got into numerous top schools. It is not a rare phenomenon for CSU graduates to get into great schools. It is up to each individual applicant. Perhaps he/she has to work harder to "overcome" coming from a school with a lesser reputation, just as he/she would do the same for less-than-stellar grades or MCATs. But it can be done and has been done, and I would not view coming from CSU as a severe disadvantage to you.

Long story short, be proud of your education. As long as YOU think YOU got everything out of it that you could, and as long as YOU think YOU are qualified to enter medical school, you will be fine.

 

[Biodude]

Thanks a lot for revealing what it's like for a pre-med to try to get into a UC medical school from a CSU. That's just great...

I mean, considering that most of the schools that I plan on applying to are UC's

I'm a pre-med now at CSU Fullerton, but then again, about 20 pre-meds manage to become med students every year, Allopathic and Osteopathic combined. I will be ready of course, for that question "Why didn't you go to a UC?" though!

I will take that advice and see if out-of-state schools will accept me too. UCI may accept a lot of CSU people, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Orange County, where I've lived for 18 years (my entire lifetime so far).

 

[none]

It sure does get cold (or hot) outside of Orange County.

 

[Stinky T]

Originally posted by none
It sure does get cold (or hot) outside of Orange County.

Sigh......it sure does!

 

[energy_girl]

Originally posted by Biodude
Thanks a lot for revealing what it's like for a pre-med to try to get into a UC medical school from a CSU. That's just great...

I mean, considering that most of the schools that I plan on applying to are UC's

I'm a pre-med now at CSU Fullerton, but then again, about 20 pre-meds manage to become med students every year, Allopathic and Osteopathic combined. I will be ready of course, for that question "Why didn't you go to a UC?" though!

I will take that advice and see if out-of-state schools will accept me too. UCI may accept a lot of CSU people, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Orange County, where I've lived for 18 years (my entire lifetime so far).

Biodude,

I did not mean to imply that it is impossible to get into a UC. I only meant that it would be easier to get into an out-of-state school. By no means is it impossible to get into a UC, though! From my year, as I posted before, a couple people got into UCSF, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, UCD, etc. As I said before, though, have a good way to make yourself stand out.

Also, do have an answer for "why didn't you go to UC for undergrad." My answer was that it was a better financial decision for me to go to CSULA. In addition, I had many more opportunities there to begin with (for example, I entered a research program as a freshman). And despite CSUs having a reputedly "less qualified" student body and "easier" classes, I believe that I received a great education. I'm sure that I would have also received a good education from a UC, but I do not regret for one second my choice of CSU over UC. This answer was apparently good enough for UCSD and UCLA, the only two schools on the UC list that I interviewed at.

Please have confidence in yourself. Believe that you can do it, that you can attend the school of your dreams and become a physician.

(As an addendum: now that I've finished my first year of med school, I can tell you that my education at a CSU has definitely prepared me very well. Again, I do not regret for one second my decision to attend a CSU, and I hope that you do not either.)

 

[lady in red]

Energy Girl, I don't regret it either!! iT is not the reputation that matters, but what you make out of it!
The upside of it is--I maxed out my opportunities--since I was the only one (literally) who ever studied or cared about the classwork, professors LOVED me (every bio prof has written me a great letter), I could go to office hours and get their undivided attention; I did not have to compete for letters/attention, since people rarely asked for them. I was actually ENCOURAGED by the fact that I was the only one who studied, and it kept me going. Since my sophomore year, I did not have a single B on my transcript, all my sciences and major grades were As. Amazingly, I STILL remember the info I learned, especially the Biochem and genetics (that was the foundation of my major). I am preparing to start as a first year at UCSF, and I feel just as prepared as students who went to Stanford or Berkeley (like the majority of UCSF class).

 

[Mr.D]

Originally posted by The Falconer

Jalby....do I know you? I graduated this year and don't recognize you...did you take time off before applying? are you a non-science major? are you a poser? Given a school of our size I would have thought I would know you. Given your stats I would have thought you'd have been the honor grad.

Come on Jalby, stop pulling all the CSUers' legs now!!!

 

[Biodude]

I feel alone. Is there anybody out there that went to CSU Fullerton? Anyone? I feel alone...

I'm not stupid of course, and I'm used to studying alone anyhow, so I guess getting good grades from going to a CSU would be a problem.

By the way, I found out from former CSU Fullerton grads that there are some that did make it to good schools, like Yale. There was one that ended up in the Drew medical school at UCLA in the 24 chosen out of about 2,800 applicants, there was one that ended up in UCSD and graduating from that medical school this year, and there have been many going to UCI.

So I'm not all that worried, but I just wanted to say thanks to the people that gave out the info on the way UC's look at CSU pre-meds. Still, I'd rather not go to UCI...I've spent all my life here in Orange County, and I'd rather not be at a medical school so close to home (4 more years?) even though my mom might.

*sits down and waits for somebody to PM him so that he doesn't feel alone at Fullerton*

 

[TrojanMed]

I went to a California State University school. I prefer not to mention which one in particular because I wish to remain anonymous, but it was one in Southern California.

I did not have any problems getting interviews in California, as a matter of fact, I was offerred interviews everywhere in California with the exception of UCI. I interviewed at Stanford and UCSF, UCLA etc. I was offered admission at two UCs and also at USC. As evident by my screenname, I decided on USC. They offered me $20,000/yr for the four years. So again, attending a CSU will not hurt you, however, you do need to stand out and work hard academically and also on your ECs.

 

[I'M_Posting]

move back to allopathic

 

[I'M_Posting]

move back to allopathic