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Why is this not in hSDN?
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Sorry, I'm a rookie. What's hSDN?
Why is this not in hSDN?
Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
High school SDN. That's where Undergrad X vs. Undergrad Y frequently goes.Sorry, I'm a rookie. What's hSDN?
High school SDN. That's where Undergrad X vs. Undergrad Y frequently goes.
Thank you, appreciate that.Moving to hSDN.
- No attached medical school, which means you have to cross the Bay to go to UCSF for most clinical research opportunities and exposure to medical faculty
Just as an FYI - you don't have to do clinical research to get into medical school. UC Berkeley has plenty of research opportunities on-campus for students, including a few labs I know of that collaborate directly with UCSF labs (so the UCSF researchers travel there). I'd also imagine that there might be volunteering opportunities available through CHO or Highland, if there aren't any local free clinics around in need of volunteers, if that's also a concern. For those reasons, I personally wouldn't consider an affiliated medical school much of an advantage.
(Disclaimer: I didn't attend Berkeley or another UC myself, so I defer to any users with first-hand experience.)
Personally, I'd suggest she go to the school she'd be happiest at. I disliked my undergrad immensely, even though it was a strategic choice for getting into medical school for various reasons, and while I'm grateful to have gotten where I wanted to be, I do often wish I'd chosen the better fit over the logical choice.
It meant a lot at UCLA. I wasn't able to get into the easiest and fun classes until a junior when I had priority. Atheletes and regents scholars were doing them from day one.Not really. It can mean a world of difference at community colleges.
It meant a lot at UCLA. I wasn't able to get into the easiest and fun classes until a junior when I had priority. Atheletes and regents scholars were doing them from day one.
Privates are starting to come out now, and my daughter got accepted to her top choice among LACs: Carleton College in Northfield, MN. Unfortunately, after grants and W/S, the cost is $20K more than UCs. She LOVES every aspect of Carleton and is as close to being a perfect fit for the warm, friendly, down-to-earth, collaborative, and intellectual culture as possible. Aside from the debate we are having about whether it's worth going into that much debt to go to a private vs. a UC, we have other considerations. I know that Carleton has an excellent record spitting out future PhDs, but very few medical students. However, their acceptance rate is 75%, and they don't play the game of discouraging students with lower-than-optimal GPAs and MCAT scores to fudge their stats. The other concern is that both Mayo and the Twin Cities are a bit of a ride (~45 min-1 hour) from the rural campus location, making school year internships and clinical volunteering somewhat challenging to keep up. Friends in medical school admissions are saying UC is a no-brainer, but they seem to be emphasizing reputation. Not everyone understands the value of a small liberal arts college education, and Carleton is supposed to be amazing with respect to undergrad teaching and professor-student interaction.
Then there is tiny Scripps, the all-women's college within the Claremont consortium. The Scripps Scholarship they are offering her brings the cost down to within $10K of Cal. They have the Keck Integrated Sciences program together with Claremont McKenna and Pitzer. And they have some Early Conditional Selection agreement for motivated sophomores with George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (D.C.?). Unlike many consortia, the 5Cs are truly a unit; cross-registration with Pomona and Harvey Mudd, both phenomenal schools, is a practical reality given everything is within walking distance. Dorms are nice, food is good, especially at Pitzer. However, as beautiful as the campus is, my daughter is wondering whether she will find the same intellectual environment there as she would at Carleton or a UC. That's a vibe thing, I suppose.
Finally, she just got Bryn Mawr, in PA, sister school to Haverford and in a consortium with Swarthmore. They can also cross-register with UPenn. Similar to Scripps, their Presidential Scholarship brings the cost down to within $10K of UC, so money isn't a factor. We know very little about this school, although we know a lot about Haverford and Swarthmore. I imagine its close proximity to Philly opens up opportunities for pre-meds.
Looking for advice for my daughter who will begin undergrad as a freshman in fall 2017. She's going in with stellar academic record from one of the nation's top school districts, so it will be a shock to her system when she experiences "failure" for the first time in college - and it will happen sooner or later, guaranteed. Should my daughter go to UC Berkeley, or choose a slightly less competitive UC in order to raise her chances of standing out and getting a higher GPA? I am under the impression that in comparing the UCs, medical schools care more about GPA (and MCAT scores) than which UC you went to, at least if you compare the schools that have accepted her:
Berkeley - Regents' scholarship candidate, waiting to find out if she was awarded it ($10K over four years, if she gets it)
UCLA (has a med school)
UC San Diego (has a med school)
UC Davis - Regents' awarded ($30K over four years) (has a med school)
UC Santa Cruz - Regents' awarded ($20K over four years)
UC Irvine (has a med school)
Still waiting to hear from UC Santa Barbara
(Note that Regents' scholars get priority class enrollment, guaranteed housing all four years, research funding in some cases, and other perks.)
Anyway, her top choice is Berkeley right now, but she has yet to explore the others, so I am telling her to keep an open mind.
Berkeley Pros:
- Institutional status comparable to Ivy League schools globally
- Academically, the most rigorous (at least by reputation), and seems to be equally strong across all departments
- Excellent research opportunities, provided you are a motivated student who aggressively pursues them
- If medical school doesn't work out, best UC to have on your resume as a job seeker, provided you gain some practical, marketable skills in your undergrad as a fallback when your dream path doesn't pan out
- Strong alumni network in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we live and where she wants to stay after her higher education is complete
- Vibrant town, socially and politically active community
Berkeley Cons:
- Huge class size in pre-med required courses (intro bio, chem, etc.)
- Vicious curve = chances of maintaining a high GPA diminishes; discouraging for someone dreaming of becoming a psychiatrist
- No attached medical school, which means you have to cross the Bay to go to UCSF for most clinical research opportunities and exposure to medical faculty
- Every pre-med we have spoken to has told us how miserable life in the required science classes can be
- From what I hear, no or very limited pre-health professions advising to speak of
Pre-med classes are miserable everywhere; they are designed to weed people out, and they are not always taught by professors who give a hoot about their students. On top of that, if you take such classes at a place like Cal, they can be even more challenging.
Come to Cal. There are so many volunteering opportunities here. That's a huge plus. But I'm sure other places might be the same. Clinics/hospitals are easy to find since it's in the bay area. So, you wont' find "there are no MD/DOs near my area plz halp" or "omg there are no hospitals to volunteer, help" situation here.I need help in deciding between UC Berkley (in state) , UNC ( research scholar program offer) and Case Western (25k scholarship and Baker Nord scholar offer). I am very keen for premed.
Any advice from current premed Cal,UNC and Case students would really help. Thanks!!
If you took all your prereqs already and will be going straight into the smaller upper level classes, you'll be dodging the brunt of the weedout. UCLA and Cal are comparable in this regard anyways, so just go to the location you like betterI’m a transfer student from another UC and I’m thinking about going to either Cal or Ucla. (I’d be joining this fall 2019) After hearing so much in grade deflation, gpa arguments, and which is a better college to get into medical school I’m still not 100%. As a transfer student, would grade deflation still affect me? As a transfer student is Cal the better choice or Ucla?