Should I go to UC Berkeley or UC San Diego?

[LandSpeed]

I'm planning to transfer to a UC next year, and I'm undecided about which school to go to. I've heard that it's harder to get a 4.0 at berkeley, but don't know how true this is. I think that, overall, I'd base my decision on my potential to succeed. Which one of these would you pick and why? I'm a chemistry major, by the way. Thanks for the advice 🙂

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[TexasTriathlete]

It's usually pretty easy to get a 4.0 at community college.

 

[carnauba]

I've heard good things about UC Go To Hell.

 

[wammabamma]

what you heard is true, it is definitely harder to get a 4.0 at berkeley than it is at ucsd. so if "potential to succeed" means where you'll get the highest gpa than the choice is easy.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

it's really hard to get a 4.0 (or even a 3.5 for that matter) at any of the top UC's. Go where you'll have the most fun...

 

[emttim]

I think you're in the wrong place to ask this question...judging by the "intelligence" of some of the responses, clearly the people who are answering your question would not be eligible to get into a UC themselves to begin with.

 

[carnauba]

I think you're in the wrong place to ask this question...judging by the "intelligence" of some of the responses, clearly the people who are answering your question would not be eligible to get into a UC themselves to begin with.

Coming from an open water diver. Don't seals do that?

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Going to UCSD also has the advantage of being with an associated medical school which is good for volunteering and such. Getting to UCSF from UC Berkeley is a pain in the ass and the two schools don't collaborate that much.

 

[ChristianJames1]

i think whether you are at berkeley or san diego it is going to be tough to get a 4.0. i went to san diego and every science class i took had 300+ kids, and i would guess 200 of those were premed. premeds are competitive anywhere you go. i really would not bet san diego being "easier" than berkeley. and by the way, if you are in high school still, there is a good chance you will change your mind about med school anyways. i had tons of friends who were "premed" when we started and 2 years later were poli sci majors.

it is hard anywhere you go.

 

[hypersting]

Go to SD ... I hear its on the beach. Make sure you have fun in college ....

 

[carnauba]

Go to SD ... I hear its on the beach. Make sure you have fun in college ....

In that case go to UCSB. Went there. Greatest time of my life.

 

[taponthecloud]

It's nice you're aiming high... but the UC's aren't the first place someone would go for an easy 4.0 (this coming from an UCLA alum). Weigh the pros and cons of each school (decide on what's best for you); once you're there, however, plan on working your ass off.

 

[FootballFan14]

Go to the school you like better and feel happier at. Honestly, it doesn't make the least bit of difference for your med school app and you can't predict which school you'll be more successful at. Actually, you probably be more successful at the place you are happier at. You like Bay Area or San Diego better? Go based on location... honestly.

 

[LandSpeed]

Great to hear from everybody about this 👍 I'm still thinking about what to do... think think think...

 

[emttim]

Coming from an open water diver. Don't seals do that?

Figure it out yourself; you could use some knowledge.

Great to hear from everybody about this 👍 I'm still thinking about what to do... think think think...

Another thing you might do is see which UC offers the best program for your major. I'm assuming you're majoring in chemistry because you have a genuine interest in it, and obviously if so, going to a place that has a strong chemistry program will probably make you a lot happier than going to a place because of it's name.

 

[onslaught61]

for pre-med i'd go to ucsd, which I am currently going to lol. don't know about berkeley, but imo ucsd has more med related opportunities and the number of hospitals right next to us. berkeley is a different atmosphere definitely as most of my friends go there. sd is just more chill and relaxed which i like.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

I go to UCSD feel free to PM me with any specific Qs about how the school is...but please PLEASE do not go in with flawed logic thinking it is at all easy to get a 4.0 here haha...it's extremely difficult here as I am sure Berkeley is as well...the difference is that the majority of people here have very laidback personalities...so we stress alot less than people from places like that yet reap the same success as a school overall (if not more medical-wise) IMO btw...haha 🙂

I love the easy access to any and everything medically-related here. I wanted to do research...i emailed like 3-4 names out of a list of a couple hundred - got 2 interviews - nailed them - chose the research that interested me more. Want a lab job for pay? tons of those. Want to volunteer at a hospital? we have the veteran's, Thornton's (huge amazing hospital), Hillcrest (lots of URM treated there since its not too far from border), + manyyyy more.

And yes as mentioned alot of our buildings have ocean views it's pretty sweet how close we are to the beach. Weather is perfect...professors are amazing (except for 2 ive had in over a year and a Q)

 

[jr doctor in sd]

by the way i forgot to mention accessibility...I do research literally across the street from the main library (very easy to access since i have no car) and the hospital i volunteer at is 3 miles away and a 5 min. bus ride.

That's extremely important to those of us who can't afford a nice car to get around everywhere...👍

 

[gotmeds?]

Going to UCSD also has the advantage of being with an associated medical school which is good for volunteering and such. Getting to UCSF from UC Berkeley is a pain in the ass and the two schools don't collaborate that much.

Yeah, it's not like they have a Joint Medical Program or anything like that.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

Go to UCLA, the better of the three. But if you MUST compromise with those choices--pick UCSD. Less social life, but if you plan to get a 4.0 you wont have one anyways. However as a chemistry major, Berkeley has one of the best chem department I have ever seen!

Berkeley is definitely harder because they have those paranoid premeds that literally memorize everything for the exam, but who doesn't. They eat, sleep, and **** all day in the libraries until there is 5 minutes to the test--UCLA got those too but we occasionally go home and visit Westwood, whereas Berkeley are mostly homeless (literally and metaphorically--no pun intended).

I have many friends from all three of these schools. Most premeds had no regrets with UCSD (can't say the same for UCB), however the non-premeds seemed to enjoy Berkeley FAR more. UCB has more school spirit and events but UCSD is more chill, is far cleaner, and the students are not afraid of stepping outside of their school (again can't stay the same with UCB or USC).

Although, Berkeley is borderline northern California and have one of the best sites for snowboarding, white water rafting and all other outdoor activities. Yet, San Diego is closer to LA and can have both the quiet home town and the metropolitan day trip.

Hope this helps.

*I realize that my writing prob sounds like a third grader, but I am too tired to change it and I just spent the entire day doing MCAT passages and I'm just drained. Thank god we have SDN to feed my mindlessness.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

Go to UCLA, the better of the three. But if you MUST compromise with those choices--pick UCSD. Less social life, but if you plan to get a 4.0 you wont have one anyways. However as a chemistry major, Berkeley has one of the best chem department I have ever seen!

Berkeley is definitely harder because they have those paranoid premeds that literally memorize everything for the exam, but who doesn't. They eat, sleep, and **** all day in the libraries until there is 5 minutes to the test--UCLA got those too but we occasionally go home and visit Westwood, whereas Berkeley are mostly homeless (literally and metaphorically--no pun intended).

I have many friends from all three of these schools. Most premeds had no regrets with UCSD (can't say the same for UCB), however the non-premeds seemed to enjoy Berkeley FAR more. UCB has more school spirit and events but UCSD is more chill, is far cleaner, and the students are not afraid of stepping outside of their school (again can't stay the same with UCB or USC).

Although, Berkeley is borderline northern California and have one of the best sites for snowboarding, white water rafting and all other outdoor activities. Yet, San Diego is closer to LA and can have both the quiet home town and the metropolitan day trip.

Hope this helps.

*I realize that my writing prob sounds like a third grader, but I am too tired to change it and I just spent the entire day doing MCAT passages and I'm just drained. Thank god we have SDN to feed my mindlessness.

woah could you explain why LA would be better of the 3? I would rank it 3rd...

 

[BloodySurgeon]

woah could you explain why LA would be better of the 3? I would rank it 3rd...

Sure. It's quite simple actually. It is the best of the three because I go there! 😛

 

[jr doctor in sd]

Sure. It's quite simple actually. It is the best of the three because I go there! 😛

haha same reason I feel UCSD is best 🙂 👍

Both are medical gods anyways

 

[taponthecloud]

Sure. It's quite simple actually. It is the best of the three because I go there! 😛

Coincidentally, it's also true the other way around,... YOU'RE the best because you go there. 👍

 

[BloodySurgeon]

And you know it in your heart that you wanted to go there.

*all schools suck equally. It is the people who you go with that make it special. That being said, statistically, LA is better because we have the most blonde's. Its always more fun to be a blonde.

 

[cheezer]

op, all i can advise is that the professors are of the same caliber on either campus so when/if you visit berkeley and ucsd, pay attention to the type of students each has, the quality of student life, which location you like best, etc...don't go in anywhere thinking a 4.0 is easily attainable, every campus has its share of smart students.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

cheezer did you happen to see the new south park episode when terrorist attacked peoples imagination? There was a hilarious scene when Man-Bear-Pig came through that stargate-looking portal. OMG that scene made me laugh so hard!

 

[cheezer]

cheezer did you happen to see the new south park episode when terrorist attacked peoples imagination? There was a hilarious scene when Man-Bear-Pig came through that stargate-looking portal. OMG that scene made me laugh so hard!

yeah, it was a quality episode

 

[CSnowFoxD]

You should probably consider the area too. SD and Berkeley are like two worlds--have you visited both places? I personally would pick SD because of the aformentioned approximity to a med school and of course the surrounding area, but if you want prestige (not that it really matters between SD and Cal for med school...), Cal is #1 public school in the US, so...yeah. Oh, and SD doesn't have a football team.

As for grading, I haven't heard of any ridiculous grading policies from friends at SD, but it seems pretty crazy at Cal. I keep hearing horror stories about profs who don't curve even with <67% class averages and then those profs who curve down, or whatever its called, so that if the avg is like a 85% (which happens with crazy Cal students in classes like Calc), you get a C with an 82% or something. Then again, everything I've said about grading is hearsay so take from it what you will.

(Beach>hobos. lol)

 

[neurofreak]

go to Cal...nothing beats a saturday at memorial stadium watching the football game

or, go to UCLA if basketball is your thing.

or, you can go to UCSD if you have no interest in sports.

 

[cheezer]

go to UCSD if Roberto's and Cotixan's is right for you. one of them's next to a strip club.

 

[TM2006]

you want a 4.0 majoring in Chemistry at Cal?

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA

wait wait wait...let me catch my breath here

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

oh sweet sweet naive JC transfers

p.s. congrats on your acceptances

 

[jr doctor in sd]

go to UCSD if Roberto's and Cotixan's is right for you. one of them's next to a strip club.

He's right you know...😉

 

[spanamit]

you want a 4.0 majoring in Chemistry at Cal?

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA

wait wait wait...let me catch my breath here

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

oh sweet sweet naive JC transfers

p.s. congrats on your acceptances

Precisely my reaction.

 

[LGamble]

I'm a UC Berkeley grad and although I dont regret my choice, it will be much easier to get into med school from UCSD. I mean, UCB is probably going to be a better college experience: more culture, better professors, San Francisco right across the bay. But its effing impossible to get a 4.0. Its really annoying when the average GPA for your major is like, a 2.7 and you're competing against people from say, Stanford, where 1 in 5 people have 4.0s. Go the the easiest UC you can -- med schools dont seem to know the difference.

 

[bruinator]

go to Cal...nothing beats a saturday at memorial stadium watching the football game

or, go to UCLA if basketball is your thing.

or, you can go to UCSD if you have no interest in sports.

I've been to memorial stadium for a football game. Believe me, it's nowhere near as cool as tailgating at the rosebowl for a game against cal (which ucla won).

 

[bruinator]

I'm a UC Berkeley grad and although I dont regret my choice, it will be much easier to get into med school from UCSD. I mean, UCB is probably going to be a better college experience: more culture, better professors, San Francisco right across the bay. But its effing impossible to get a 4.0. Its really annoying when the average GPA for your major is like, a 2.7 and you're competing against people from say, Stanford, where 1 in 5 people have 4.0s. Go the the easiest UC you can -- med schools dont seem to know the difference.

I don't know if UCSD has the same problem, but at UCLA the average GPA in almost all the life sciences is below a 3.0-- MCDB, MIMG, Phy Sci, etc. For engineering it's around a 2.5 or 2.6 (at least this is according to a daily bruin article 2 years ago).

 

[neurofreak]

I've been to memorial stadium for a football game. Believe me, it's nowhere near as cool as tailgating at the rosebowl for a game against cal (which ucla won).

i can't imagine going to the rosebowl for games as a UCLA student...you guys have to take a freaking shuttle every saturday to a different city, theres no frat row as you walk up to the game, and you have to sit in a student section which isn't on the 50 yard line. i've been to the rose bowl too (coming from UCLA with some friends) and it's definitely not as fun of an experience

 

[badasshairday]

Just flip a coin, both are great schools. UCSD has La Jolla. Cal has more of the college culture. You can't go wrong either way.

 

[batman1983]

Screw the UCs, especially Berkeley(I am Cal grad). I remember going to Moffat library(the main Berkeley library) to study for finals, and never being able to find a seat(even early in the morning) because the crazy premeds would sleeping there.

Just go to San Diego State University(Im from San Diego so I have a preference for SDSU), I wish I had. I would have had a 4.0 GPA(without studying) and a good MCAT. Plus, I would have had so much free time to do other ECs for fun as well as med school. Instead, I have decent GPA(which I busted my ass to get) and good MCAT. Just looking at these posts, with so many Cal grads recommending against Cal should tell you alot about the school.

 

[bobdogsam43]

you want a 4.0 majoring in Chemistry at Cal?

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA

wait wait wait...let me catch my breath here

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

oh sweet sweet naive JC transfers

p.s. congrats on your acceptances

this is exactly what i thought too hahahahaha. 4.0's in mcb or ib are about as rare as winning the lottery.


also, to say cal and ucsf don't collaborate is really showing ignorance. There's the JMP, the joint program in BioE, the countless # of post-docs in mcb/ib from ucsf at berkeley, all the profs with joint appointments, the countless # of research opportunities at ucsf sent out on a list-serv to undergrads, etc etc etc etc

 

[badasshairday]

Screw the UCs, especially Berkeley(I am Cal grad). I remember going to Moffat library(the main Berkeley library) to study for finals, and never being able to find a seat(even early in the morning) because the crazy premeds would sleeping there.

Just go to San Diego State University(Im from San Diego so I have a preference for SDSU), I wish I had. I would have had a 4.0 GPA(without studying) and a good MCAT. Plus, I would have had so much free time to do other ECs for fun as well as med school. Instead, I have decent GPA(which I busted my ass to get) and good MCAT. Just looking at these posts, with so many Cal grads recommending against Cal should tell you alot about the school.

I don't actually recommend against going to Cal. I just think it doesn't matter what decision the OP makes since both are good schools. Cal was pretty awesome for me, but I'm sure if I had went to UCSD it would also have been awesome. My only advice to the OP is to not pick Cal for simply prestige, it is irrelevent.

 

[lex]

this is exactly what i thought too hahahahaha. 4.0's in mcb or ib are about as rare as winning the lottery.


also, to say cal and ucsf don't collaborate is really showing ignorance. There's the JMP, the joint program in BioE, the countless # of post-docs in mcb/ib from ucsf at berkeley, all the profs with joint appointments, the countless # of research opportunities at ucsf sent out on a list-serv to undergrads, etc etc etc etc

Well.. it is possible to get a 4.0... if you take one science course per quarter... maybe?

 

[batman1983]

also, to say cal and ucsf don't collaborate is really showing ignorance. There's the JMP, the joint program in BioE, the countless # of post-docs in mcb/ib from ucsf at berkeley, all the profs with joint appointments, the countless # of research opportunities at ucsf sent out on a list-serv to undergrads, etc etc etc etc

I think the previous poster meant in regards to a declared preference between the undergrad and medical programs, like at Brown

 

[neurofreak]

Well.. it is possible to get a 4.0... if you take one science course per quarter... maybe?

cmon guys, don't scare the OP....its not IMPOSSIBLE to get a 4.0 in mcb/ib/chem. i actually know a few guys in these majors who did manage to get a 4.0 (while still taking full course loads). although i do agree that it is very rare, and not something you should expect if you do go to Berkeley.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

this is exactly what i thought too hahahahaha. 4.0's in mcb or ib are about as rare as winning the lottery.


also, to say cal and ucsf don't collaborate is really showing ignorance. There's the JMP, the joint program in BioE, the countless # of post-docs in mcb/ib from ucsf at berkeley, all the profs with joint appointments, the countless # of research opportunities at ucsf sent out on a list-serv to undergrads, etc etc etc etc

UCSF and UCB do not collaborate as much as UCSD School of Medicine and UCSD undergraduate.

 

[lee04]

i think whether you are at berkeley or san diego it is going to be tough to get a 4.0. i went to san diego and every science class i took had 300+ kids, and i would guess 200 of those were premed. premeds are competitive anywhere you go. i really would not bet san diego being "easier" than berkeley. and by the way, if you are in high school still, there is a good chance you will change your mind about med school anyways. i had tons of friends who were "premed" when we started and 2 years later were poli sci majors.

it is hard anywhere you go.

I agree with ChristianJames's post. UCSD is NOT the place to get a 4.0, especially if you are a science major. My science classes were about 400 each, practically all pre-meds (who all decided science classes here were way too hard and switched to poli-sci or psych). Pro about UCSD: it's in La Jolla, right on the beach, beautiful place to live. Con: Science majors are hard, and the professors/counselors will not be as supportive as you might wish, especially as yet another pre-med (they basically told me I was too dumb for med school, yet here I am, accepted). Pro about Berkeley: Can't talk about the school because I don't know, but Berkeley is a nice place to live, 20 minutes from SF, very liberal/hippy. Con: I've heard basically the same complaints from UCB students as I mentioned for UCSD.

Overall, I would choose based on location. Do you want to be close to family, a warm beach, nor-cal or so-cal?? Both have good names, and BOTH will be hard in science.

Have you ever thought of the other UC's? I think UCD is more supportive and maybe easier to get a better gpa. I've even heard UCLA is easier than UCSD or UCB. Davis and LA are still great UCs though. Just a thought.

p.s. I never even got a secondary from UCSD (yet I've got one from all other UCs and have interviewed at 2) , so don't count on alma-matar love from the med school....

 

[lee04]

Screw the UCs, especially Berkeley(I am Cal grad). I remember going to Moffat library(the main Berkeley library) to study for finals, and never being able to find a seat(even early in the morning) because the crazy premeds would sleeping there.

Just go to San Diego State University(Im from San Diego so I have a preference for SDSU), I wish I had. I would have had a 4.0 GPA(without studying) and a good MCAT. Plus, I would have had so much free time to do other ECs for fun as well as med school. Instead, I have decent GPA(which I busted my ass to get) and good MCAT. Just looking at these posts, with so many Cal grads recommending against Cal should tell you alot about the school.

Do NOT go to SDSU over UCSD or UCB. No offense, but do not.

 

[etf]

go to ucsd. cal is no place for second-guessers

 

[neurofreak]

go to ucsd. cal is no place for second-guessers

😀