Should I transfer to UC Berkeley REAL

[deleted329605]

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Hey guys, in case you have seen the other thread about transferring to berkeley this is the same situation. However, it was a friend of mine who made the original post for me because I didn't have an account. So here are a few more details about the whole thing.

I currently have a 3.91 GPA at Chapman (probably going up this semester as well), many research opportunities and great relationships with many of the professors. However I applied to transfer to Berkeley for a number of reasons. Probably the most important is the money; Chapman is not cheap. I was a slacker in high school and only started working my tail off in college so I didn't get great scholarships either. Secondly, Berkeley has a great name. Even though it is known to be competitive, I honestly feel that I will excel there and I won't see any sort of drop in my GPA. Like I said before, I'm currently at the top of all my classes here and I'm not even putting in the maximal amount of effort. Sometimes I even feel that the tests here are too easy and don't even justify the subject material. Finally I hear if you are top 5% or so in the graduating class at cal, your chances at going to med school right out of senior year are pretty good.

So if you guys were me, and had the chance to graduate as the #1 science student at a school like chapman, or graduate at berkeley close to the summit, which would you choose and why?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Are you friggin kidding me? Go look in the other thread and get the answers from there instead of putting up an identical thread. The advice doesn't change with the "new information." And if you want to add stuff, go add it in the other thread.

 

[drizzt3117]

if you want to go to berkeley, go. If you think you're going to have the same GPA as at Chapman you're kidding yourself.

 

[deleted329605]

Ouch, a chapman hater. I'll get back to you on that one

 

[guyski79]

Ouch, a chapman hater. I'll get back to you on that one

i don't think that was a jab at chapman, more a comment on how notoriously difficult cal is for pre-meds (and it is).

but cal sucks anyway, regardless of any academic consideration.

 

[Swagster]

Ouch, a chapman hater. I'll get back to you on that one

I don't think he's a Chapman hater. He's a realist. I seriously thought about Chapman for undergraduate, because plenty of people told me it's an easy place to get a good GPA. By transferring now, you get the easy Chapman classes padding your GPA and get to apply as a Berkeley student. The problem with going to a small school is that your opportunities to do good research are nil. In your shoes I would transfer so I could get research opportunities and the better name on my diploma, even with the GPA drop.

 

[docelh]

You were an average high school student. Keep in mind that there are people who pull off easy As in high school without even batting a lash. Remember that crazy smart valedictorian nerd at your high school? The one who probably viewed your high school in the same way you view Chapman? He's at Berkeley waiting to see you in class next year.

 

[AlanAlanine]

I change my opinion because you had to make your own new thread about the same topic, and you were defensive about your own school to drizzt when there was no need.

Don't come to Cal. I don't want your clueless self here even when I'm off at med school.

 

[deleted329605]

.

 

[CoolWhipp]

If you do bad at Berkeley, it will discredit your Chapman GPA. Not that it will matter much if your average GPA still looks good, though. A 4.0 is a 4.0 is a 4.0 right? If I take a "genius" and brought him to Chapman, he/she can only get a 4.0 max. Your ~4.0 applies here, I don't know if I'm making this coherent.

Money is always kind of a personal thing. You know how much you have, you know how much you can afford.

If you are relatively happy at Chapman, I would stay. Berkeley, aside from grades, can be to some a very unhappy place to live. Why not just stay there and be fantastic?

 

[pokemoniscool]

chapman admissions:
average gpa: 3.7 (did not specify weighted/unweighted)
average sat: 1830

berkeley admissions:
average gpa: 3.93 unweighted 4.39 weighted
average sat: 1910 - 2260 (25%,75% percentiles)

http://www.chapman.edu/admission/oc_ug/HScounselors/generalInfo.asp
http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/freshmen.asp

even if the material taught in classes is not tougher, i think the competition will be. but if that still is not a problem then i guess all you have to care about is money and relationships. how much money are your current relationships with your professors/friends/research worth? that is the real question.

 

[longhorn09]

Secondly, there never was much of a question about whether I was gonna transfer to Berkeley for academics. It was more of a decision of whether I wanted to leave all my friends and the life I had created at chapman behind.

And med school buddy? I hope you like the weather in the Caribbean.

Hey dude you are so arrogant and mean.

 

[dancingDO14]

Hey dude you are so arrogant and mean.

+1
OP, you're new on the boards so I'll give you the heads up that we at least try to keep discussions civil. You got mad at someone for starting a flame war or something (which wasn't the case at all), so practice what you preach and don't start one. Walk in arrogant and acting like you're going to own medical school is not going to get you good advice, which is what you were seeking.

That's all the advice I got, sorry. (As a Northeaster I can't really help ya here)