For ya Cali peeps, UCSD vs UCI, UCD, and Private Schools

[TwoSteveSquared]

---

Members do not see this ad.

UCSD has gotten so much bad publicity, I'm curious to know if it would cause someone who gets in to choose to go to the lower ranked state schools (UCI or UCD)or a lower ranked private school.

I know that there are a few lower ranked private schools I'd choose over UCSD (like Tulane). But, it be hard to choose UCI or UCD over UCSD based on location and reputation. Then again, 4 years of depression sounds kinda scary!

 

[none]

I would be so immensely ecstatic if I got into any UC...that would be, quite simply, amazing.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Irvine isn't a bad location. You are pretty close to the beaches and the mountains. Very nice area but kinda bland right in Irvine. The areas surrounding Irvine can be much more fun though!

Davis...hmmm...I just remember the quote I read when looking at Undergrad Institutions, "The area around Davis is really boring...You have to do a lot of drugs to stay sane here."
That said, Davis is about an hour from SF and other more fun areas. Then again, if you are the type of person who doesn't like to be in the middle of things and would much rather be isolated and be able to study, then davis is great for you 🙂

 

[Rumit]

The other thing to note about UCI is that according to what I've heard they have a lot of money. It's a pretty rich area and I think they've collected a lot. So, it might be one of those schools that's on the upswing. Of course, all the UC's are good, so it wouldn't be a bad place to end up, regardless.

Adam

 

[postbacchus]

I might be in the same boat. I've been accepted to Tulane and am still waiting to hear from UCSD. One thing to remember: it's really 2 years of hell, not 4, since the clinical rotations seem similar to other schools. The location and cost are also great, so I'd chose UCSD over Tulane, in spite of the 2 years of hell.

 

[rajneel1]

WELL, i just graduated from Davis and it is NOT in the middle of nowhere. the town of davis is very very nice and is being built up. there are plenty of grocery shopping areas, a cute and quaint downtown, and gorgeous housing. the houseing market is davis is kind of tight. homes go for around $300,000 and more (and those are ones that have been around for a while). i had a great time at davis and was able to do alot of things. and everyone was very nice. i didn't even feel the pre med competitiveness at UCD that much.
about UCSD, i DO NOT want to go to a school that is unfriendly. i have had personal experiences with how unfriendly the students there are and spoke to someone who had gotten accepted there and felt the same way. i would much rather go to UCD because i have heard from many sources that the student body is very nice and non competitive. the UCD medical center is sac is HUGE!!!!! every clinic and speciality that you can think of. lastly, i would not go to UCI over UCD. one of my letter writers used to be on the medical school staff at UCI before he came to UCD. when i told him that i was applying to all of the UCs including UCI....he told me that UCI shouldn't even have a medical school. that was enough convincing for me. but i guess getting into any UC is a blessing.
private schools are super expensive sometimes. and the rankings are misleading and change dramatically every year. so i don't necessarily feel that UCSD is higher up than UCD or UCI. (san diego is a nice place, if you can afford it.) but obviously UCSF is the best for many reasons.

 

[lilycat]

I was sort of in this position last year.

For the record, I do know of a few people who ended up choosing UCD over UCSD for med school. However, those people had also gone to UCD for undergrad, and I think they just felt immensely comfortable in Davis, they already had places set up to live, friends, in the area, etc., so I'm sure that helped.

As for me, in the early winter I was deciding between UCSD, UCD and Tulane. I picked Tulane over UCD because I just couldn't see myself being happy in Davis for 4 years -- it's a cute college town, and close to skiing, but beyond that, I think I would have felt sort of stifled in the Davis/Sacramento area. I just needed a break from small-town life, and I also think you get more out of going to med school in a big city -- you just see a lot more.

Tulane vs. UCSD was tough. Ultimately I went with UCSD, largely in part of cost and location, but it was an agonizing choice. Mainly it came down to cost -- I just tried to imagine how I would feel with $200+K of debt in 4 years, and that sort of made the decision for me.

I didn't even apply to UCI just because I had heard lots of negative things about it. So, I can't really comment on it personally.

I think you also have to consider what you might be interested in doing with your career. If you think you want to go for a very competitive residency, subspecialize, go into academic medicine, etc., you would probably be better off at UCSD because of their amazing research resources. If you are definitely interested in primary care (family practice, peds, ob/gyn, etc.), UCD is EXCELLENT and you can't go wrong. Tulane is sort of in between -- it's known as being extremely clinically sound, but it definitely is lacking in research resources, especially compared to a school like UCSD.

 

[nerfornothin]

Man, UCSD has been getting a working over the past couple of days! I just gotta stick up for them...

All the UC's are good schools. If you get your choice you go to the one you feel comfortable at and that feeling of comfort can be influenced by a wide variety of things (location, curriculum, patient base, etc). Choosing one UC over another (wouldn't that be sweet?) isn't just a matter of reputation. It's a matter of which one YOU clicked with and this is determined by a bunch of tangibles and intangibles. Give them all a shot and see for yourself what you think of each.

Like I've said on some of the other UCSD threads I really enjoyed my interview at UCSD. I would go there over UCD and UCI not because it's a "better school" (if it is and whatever "better school" means) but because I felt comfortable there. I definitely think all the negative comments about UCSD are important to take note of but know that not everyone feels that way about the place. 🙂

 

[bruinboy2000]

Welp, I guess I have to throw in my comments about Davis. I'm currently an MSI here at Davis and absolutely love it. I chose Davis over some other "higher ranked" schools originally for the money, but after being here for the first quarter, I couldn't picture myself happier anywhere else. Rajneel1 is correct, the student body is not competitve at all, not only that but there is a huge spirit of support from all of my classmates and the second year class as well. Med school is tough, plain and simple. Being in an environment where you'll be breaking your neck for the top grades is just awful. Personally I woulnd never want to spend 4 more years that way. I honestly couldn't picture a better med school than UCD. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!