UC Berkeley vs. UCLA

[xxabi]

Hello all,

So, to my surprise, I was accepted into both UC Berkeley's MPH in Infectious Disease and Vaccinology and UCLA's MPH in Epidemiology. Now, I'm a little stuck and confused, because I'm not sure which one to attend. My ultimate goal, upon completion of the MPH, is to apply to medical school. I'm very passionate about Infectious Disease, which is why I initially applied to Berkeley's IDV program, rather than the Epi program. However, UCLA's Infectious Disease concentration was under their Epi department, which is why I decided to apply to that program.

I'm originally from the Bay Area, so Berkeley would be very close to home. However, UCLA would be a nice change since I've never lived in that area. Both schools I'd be getting in-state tuition, and I've received UCLA's financial aid package, which is all loans, but not yet Berkeley's. Any thoughts from current/prospective admitted students would be appreciated.

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[Pdesai8]

If your goal is to go to med school (aka don't care about career opportunities) and tuition are the same, you could reach out to professors in the fields you are interested in and see if there is a possibility to work with them on their research. Research projects will look great on your med school apps so you definitely want to go to a program where you have those opportunities. Also, what age group do you want to surround yourself with? I've heard most Berkeley MPH students are late-twenties to early thirties while UCLA MPH students tend to be early to mid twenties. Lastly, go where you feel the happiest! I was admitted to both and chose Berkeley due to location.

 

[youmed]

OP, do you mind sharing your stats? I'm in the same track as you and want to gauge my chances when I apply this year. Thanks!