UC or CSU?

[puckyrulz3]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm kind of stuck in between the two, and I can't decide on which would be the better alternate for me. I'd like to eventually attend a medical school on the east coast, rather than one of the UC's. (I live in South Cali)... So basically, I'm wondering if any of you think there'd be a difference in the east coast med schools choosing me if i were to attend a UC over a CSU. (fullerton, if you were wondering).

Also, what do you think are some advantages of living on campus during the last few years of undergraduate?

Currently, I attend Orange Coast College, and am double majoring - Anthropology and Cellular Biology..

Any thoughts are welcome! thanks guys...

 

[Dr.MD]

I'm kind of stuck in between the two, and I can't decide on which would be the better alternate for me. I'd like to eventually attend a medical school on the east coast, rather than one of the UC's. (I live in South Cali)... So basically, I'm wondering if any of you think there'd be a difference in the east coast med schools choosing me if i were to attend a UC over a CSU. (fullerton, if you were wondering).

Also, what do you think are some advantages of living on campus during the last few years of undergraduate?

Currently, I attend Orange Coast College, and am double majoring - Anthropology and Cellular Biology..

Any thoughts are welcome! thanks guys...

I would go with UC. I really feel that there are a lot more opportunities there, like research. Having these things under your belt plus the added prestige would definately help your application.

 

[Bluntman]

I'm kind of stuck in between the two, and I can't decide on which would be the better alternate for me. I'd like to eventually attend a medical school on the east coast, rather than one of the UC's. (I live in South Cali)... So basically, I'm wondering if any of you think there'd be a difference in the east coast med schools choosing me if i were to attend a UC over a CSU. (fullerton, if you were wondering).

Also, what do you think are some advantages of living on campus during the last few years of undergraduate?

Currently, I attend Orange Coast College, and am double majoring - Anthropology and Cellular Biology..

Any thoughts are welcome! thanks guys...

UC is a more prestigious system, which carries some weight with med schools. Probably more important, though, is the fact that UCs will give you more opportunities for top-notch research, networking with well-known profs, etc.

Since you're going to be transferring in, I'd say there is no point to living on campus. Just make sure you get involved with some campus orgs (commuter student org, etc.) so you can have a chance to meet some people instead of being isolated.

 

[Babylonian]

I'm kind of stuck in between the two, and I can't decide on which would be the better alternate for me. I'd like to eventually attend a medical school on the east coast, rather than one of the UC's. (I live in South Cali)... So basically, I'm wondering if any of you think there'd be a difference in the east coast med schools choosing me if i were to attend a UC over a CSU. (fullerton, if you were wondering).

Also, what do you think are some advantages of living on campus during the last few years of undergraduate?

Currently, I attend Orange Coast College, and am double majoring - Anthropology and Cellular Biology..

Any thoughts are welcome! thanks guys...

If you have plenty of clinical exposure (1-2 yrs), obtain more than 3.5 gpa, score above a 25 on the mcat, you will get in somewhere.


Is there a difference between CSU and UC? In an ideal world, no. In the premed, medical admissions committee world, absolutely.

In your non-ideal world:
a 3.0-3.5 gpa UC Berkeley will trump any 3.5-4.0 CSU gpa. One thing is that you have to understand the fundamental difference between UC and CSU that many people don't talk about. CSU caters to working people (i.e. working full time) while UC does not. By default, classes at CSU will be easier to deal with compared to classes at a UC (which is under the assumption that you are not working).

UC is a lot more expensive than CSU. However, in this capitalist driven society, most of the time, you get what you pay for.



Good luck.

 

[BozoSparky]

I went to CSU, Fresno. Not too many people were accepted to medical school. Even students with very good grades had trouble, unfortunately.

 

[Bluntman]

wait i'm a little confused... why in the world would you choose a cal state over a UC?

$$$ or a location close to family are the only two reasons (bad ones in my opinion) I can think of. Well those or you simply couldn't get into a UC. 🙄

 

[thedelicatessen]

I agree about attending a UC over a CSU if you are premed. The coursework is more intense at the UCs, and because more students are premed, there will be more information from both the staff and the students about the premed track. Good luck!

 

[Gardenia]

Pucky, one thing to keep in mind (if you do decide to go the UC route) is that it'll be harder academically at UC to keep up good grades (ahem, Cal) and at that point, you may be thinking why didnt I just go to State and get a decent grade. Remember that schools actually place in a multiplier when they are calculating all your numerical info to take into account the difficulty of the school.

I would advise going the UC route as everyone else on the board. IMO, I think the school that you go to for undergrad does make a difference (Im not saying a humungous difference) such that those who went to State would have to have a higher GPA, MCAT score and do something spectacular to stand out. People may disagree with this, but it is what I have seen.

Best to ya.

 

[beffers8888]

UCs were set up as research institutions and therefore the professors who want tenure tend to focus on research and less on teaching. The CSUs were set up as teaching institutions and so the focus is on teaching. At UCLA I had some pretty amazingly bad lecturers and others that I couldnt even understand. There is also an amazing hospital next door and tons of great research opportunities (although not always easy to find). If you wanted to stay in California, the choice would be harder and either a UC or CSU could work out well for you. Since you want to go to the east coast I'd say that you should go to a UC because no one will have heard of the CSUs. Wherever you go, just make sure to get a 4.0!

 

[puckyrulz3]

you guys are making a lot of sense - i understand about the whole... UC's reputation....(although at times, i think its just a cult...)

the commuter student organization seems like a really good way to save money, although, that means almost a 2 hr plus travel time a day...i'll look into it though...

and thanks for that insight on how csu's are catered towards people who have to work full time...where as uc's arent - i've been looking on uc's websites and they all keep talking about how they try minimizing working - something, at an CC, you'd never hear being discussed...

is UCSD a better university, compared to other UC's? or would somewhere like UCIrvine, or...i dont know, UCRiverside a better choice?

 

[Gardenia]

is UCSD a better university, compared to other UC's? or would somewhere like UCIrvine, or...i dont know, UCRiverside a better choice?

As in any community, theres always exists a rank ladder. IMHO I think UCSD would be the "better" UC compared to both UCI and UCR. In the end it really depends on what kind of experience (diversity, location, major, etc) you want out of college life.

 

[Babylonian]

you guys are making a lot of sense - i understand about the whole... UC's reputation....(although at times, i think its just a cult...)

the commuter student organization seems like a really good way to save money, although, that means almost a 2 hr plus travel time a day...i'll look into it though...

and thanks for that insight on how csu's are catered towards people who have to work full time...where as uc's arent - i've been looking on uc's websites and they all keep talking about how they try minimizing working - something, at an CC, you'd never hear being discussed...

is UCSD a better university, compared to other UC's? or would somewhere like UCIrvine, or...i dont know, UCRiverside a better choice?

I will probably get heat for this, but here is my ranking top being the best:

Berkeley (Here some students are smarter than their professors. Hardcore)
LA (Here it feels like you go to school in paradise, hard, but more chill)
San Diego ( Alright, I suppose, nothing too spectacular, Hardcore research)
Santa Cruz ( Good for the humanities, beautiful, low key)
Irvine ( Somewhat okay, location is terrible)
Davis (if you like cows, then this is it, very country)
Santa Barbara ( beautiful, but a little disconnected from the real world)
Riverside (don't really here too much about this school)

 

[tacrum43]

$$$ or a location close to family are the only two reasons (bad ones in my opinion) I can think of. Well those or you simply couldn't get into a UC. 🙄

Okay, I have to jump in here. I chose a CSU over a UC. It was Cal Poly over UCSB. I don't regret it at all. And no, I didn't apply to UCLA or Berkeley, although my roommate chose Cal Poly over Berkeley.

The main reason was that the professors were actually accessible at Cal Poly. The classes were much smaller, and I never had a single TA teach my lectures. It was also cheaper, but it just felt more right to me because the people weren't so rich and stuck up. So don't all you UC people go around crapping on the CSUs. They're good schools too! 😡

That being said, admissions committees at most east coast schools will have never heard of your school, and if you're looking for name recognition, then go to UCLA or Berkeley.

 

[Bluntman]

Okay, I have to jump in here. I chose a CSU over a UC. It was Cal Poly over UCSB. I don't regret it at all. And no, I didn't apply to UCLA or Berkeley, although my roommate chose Cal Poly over Berkeley.

The main reason was that the professors were actually accessible at Cal Poly. The classes were much smaller, and I never had a single TA teach my lectures. It was also cheaper, but it just felt more right to me because the people weren't so rich and stuck up. So don't all you UC people go around crapping on the CSUs. They're good schools too! 😡

That being said, admissions committees at most east coast schools will have never heard of your school, and if you're looking for name recognition, then go to UCLA or Berkeley.

Ahhh yes, Cal Poly (SLO I assume)...totally forgot about that one exception. Glad you brought it up! I don't consider that part of the CSU system really...do you? 😉 And yea, I totally agree that I'd go there (especially if I wanted to do engineering/architecture/etc.) over about half of the UCs.

 

[Med Addict]

I went to CSU, Fresno. Not too many people were accepted to medical school. Even students with very good grades had trouble, unfortunately.

Did they have comparable MCAT scores to back up their GPAs?

puckyrulz3:
Personally it depends on your ability and what best suits you. Regardless, your MCATs need to back up your GPA as it provides a way to compare people from different colleges. If you pick a hardcore college like UC Berekeley and can't make the grade, then its no good even if you work your a** off. If you go to a less unknown univeristy and their curves are more lenient, but your MCATs fall short, then that's no good either. Keep in mind that university prestige plays a MUCH less a role than MCAT scores in admissions decisions, ie. an MCAT of 29 from Berkeley will not trump a 32 from a CSU, all other things laid aside, imo.

You need to make sure that their are ample extracurricular activities availible in your choice of college, like science research.

 

[tacrum43]

Ahhh yes, Cal Poly (SLO I assume)...totally forgot about that one exception. Glad you brought it up! I don't consider that part of the CSU system really...do you? 😉 And yea, I totally agree that I'd go there (especially if I wanted to do engineering/architecture/etc.) over about half of the UCs.

Yes, SLO! Geez, what do you think I am, a ******? Wouldn't be caught dead at one of those "other" CSU's. Especially Pomona. 😉

But seriously, I think people dismiss the CSU's when they really offer a lot, especially for so little money. And yes, if anyone has heard of Cal Poly, they always ask: "So, did you major in engineering?". Freakin' no I did not! They have other majors too, you know. But yes, they are in the top 5 schools in the country for computer science and architecture.

So for something that might be helpful to the OP, you will likely need to get a higher GPA and a higher MCAT than someone at a UC to compensate for the lack of name recognition. I don't really know anything about Fullerton though. Personally, I would say stay away if it's a commuter school, and if you want to develop a network of friends, staying in the dorms/campus housing is a great way to do that.

 

[kirexhana]

Okay, I have to jump in here. I chose a CSU over a UC. It was Cal Poly over UCSB. I don't regret it at all. And no, I didn't apply to UCLA or Berkeley, although my roommate chose Cal Poly over Berkeley.

The main reason was that the professors were actually accessible at Cal Poly. The classes were much smaller, and I never had a single TA teach my lectures. It was also cheaper, but it just felt more right to me because the people weren't so rich and stuck up. So don't all you UC people go around crapping on the CSUs. They're good schools too! 😡

That being said, admissions committees at most east coast schools will have never heard of your school, and if you're looking for name recognition, then go to UCLA or Berkeley.

i agree. it's going to be a little harder coming from a csu than a UC, BUT it's got it's ups as well. one of them being LOTS of facetime with professors, which i can't stress enough if you're looking for good letters of rec.

it's not impossible to get into medical school. it's not impossible to get into a good medical school. it's not impossible to get into a top 5 medical school. it all depends on the individual. there was a girl from my school, csula, who got into UCSF...with a 25 on the mcat (i think her gpa and ec's were amazing). so i stress, DON'T think that going to a UC instead of a cal state will be your stepping stone into med school. a lot of it is based on how much work you're willing to put in.

 

[Bluntman]

I don't really know anything about Fullerton though. Personally, I would say stay away if it's a commuter school, and if you want to develop a network of friends, staying in the dorms/campus housing is a great way to do that.

I don't know that much about Fullerton, but I think as far as CSU goes, it's not that bad of a commuter school. The people I do know that have gone there seemed to meet a lot of friends, live around campus in college neighborhoods, and generally seemed to have a good time. However, my younger bro goes to CSU San Marcos and definitely thinks that its "commuter school" nature is the biggest drawback. After all, you can't get very much of a "college experience" if everyone peaces out immediately after class and isn't even around on the weekends.

I definitely agree with the sentiment that living on campus in the dorms to start out college is an integral part of the experience. But since the OP is transferring in, staying in dorms with a bunch of freshmen ( ) is probably not an option...which is why I suggested becoming involved with orgs for commuter students (or transfer students) so he could make some buds. Also, check out to see if they have grad/transfer student housing.

 

[Flopotomist]

Okay, I have to jump in here. I chose a CSU over a UC. It was Cal Poly over UCSB. .

Uhm - Cal Poly isn't a CSU is it? I always thought it was its own thing - like a pvt school or something. I of course could use google to find the answer, but am lazy today.

Oh, and to the OP. Just move and pay the money and go to a UC. The only reason to go to a CSU over a UC would be if a freakish earthquake demolished all the UC campuses and spared the CSU campuses. That is the only reason.

 

[Bluntman]

Uhm - Cal Poly isn't a CSU is it? I always thought it was its own thing - like a pvt school or something. I of course could use google to find the answer, but am lazy today.

Oh, and to the OP. Just move and pay the money and go to a UC. The only reason to go to a CSU over a UC would be if a freakish earthquake demolished all the UC campuses and spared the CSU campuses. That is the only reason.

It's technically part of CSU still, even though it really is in a whole different league.

 

[redorkulated]

I don't know that much about Fullerton, but I think as far as CSU goes, it's not that bad of a commuter school. The people I do know that have gone there seemed to meet a lot of friends, live around campus in college neighborhoods, and generally seemed to have a good time. However, my younger bro goes to CSU San Marcos and definitely thinks that its "commuter school" nature is the biggest drawback. After all, you can't get very much of a "college experience" if everyone peaces out immediately after class and isn't even around on the weekends.

I definitely agree with the sentiment that living on campus in the dorms to start out college is an integral part of the experience. But since the OP is transferring in, staying in dorms with a bunch of freshmen ( ) is probably not an option...which is why I suggested becoming involved with orgs for commuter students (or transfer students) so he could make some buds. Also, check out to see if they have grad/transfer student housing.

I went to fullerton, I think it was a good fit for me. Find the school that best fits you, visit the schools you're considering and talk to people who actually go there. For fullerton I suggest making an appointment with the Health professions office to see what the school can offer you. I got to know each of my professors on a personal level and our Health professions office was extremely good. I do agree with the others, if you want name recognition go with the UC's when I interviewed at out of state med schools they didn't know anything about CSUF. pm me if you have any other questions about CSUF.

 

[DoctorC]

Let me give a better ranking of the UC schools (In my opinion):

1) CAL - Prestige, Students, Faculty

2) UCLA - Location, Prestige, Sports

3) UCSB - Location, People, Gaining in prestige

4) UCSD - Prestige, that is about it (haven't heard many pros)

5) UC Davis - ???, cows

6) UCSC - Hippie town, ???

7) UC Riverside - Also called UC Rejects ( I didn't make it up)

JUST MY OPINION, I didn't even apply to SD, Davis, Riverside for the reasons above

 

[tacrum43]

Uhm - Cal Poly isn't a CSU is it? I always thought it was its own thing - like a pvt school or something. I of course could use google to find the answer, but am lazy today.

Oh, and to the OP. Just move and pay the money and go to a UC. The only reason to go to a CSU over a UC would be if a freakish earthquake demolished all the UC campuses and spared the CSU campuses. That is the only reason.

Your ignorance on this subject is amazing, and very unlike you in general. Perhaps you were thinking of Cal Tech.

Cal Poly is a part of the 23 campus CSU system, and is definitely a public school. And like I said, I chose it over UCSB with no regrets. I didn't apply to any other UC's because I thought Davis was butt-ugly (and still do), Berkeley was too hippie-ish and the rest were too far away from home. And UCSC was DEFINITELY too hippie-ish. 😛

 

[notdeadyet]

The main reason was that the professors were actually accessible at Cal Poly. The classes were much smaller, and I never had a single TA teach my lectures.

I turned down acceptances to UCLA and Cal for exactly this reason. Many of the classes were absolutely HUGE with very little faculty involvement.

If you do want to actually TALK to your professors and have good interaction with them, but still want a UC degree, you can address this by attending UC Riverside or UC Santa Cruz. Both have very small graduate departments, leading to much more faculty involvement. At UCSC, only 10% of student body is graduate (compared with 50% for UCLA and Cal). I ended up going to UC Santa Cruz and it had a huge impact.

I transfered to UC Santa Cruz from OCC. If you have a halfway decent GPA, you'll get in to any UC, so look carefully. Also, DEFINITELY live on campus. OCC is very much commuter and you don't get a real collegiate experience. I lived off campus my first semester at UCSC and didn't get much of one either. Live in the dorms for the first year. You'll get a MUCH better feel for the place and have a much better social scene. At UC Santa Cruz, they put me on a floor made up of transfer students, so you'll be hanging out with people your own age, instead of 18 year olds.

Good luck. PM me if you have any questions.

 

[Brainsucker]

Let me give a better ranking of the UC schools (In my opinion):

1) CAL - Prestige, Students, Faculty

2) UCLA - Location, Prestige, Sports

3) UCSB - Location, People, Gaining in prestige

4) UCSD - Prestige, that is about it (haven't heard many pros)

5) UC Davis - ???, cows

6) UCSC - Hippie town, ???

7) UC Riverside - Also called UC Rejects ( I didn't make it up)

JUST MY OPINION, I didn't even apply to SD, Davis, Riverside for the reasons above

Gotta disagree with you here about UCSD: It's got great comp. sci and great biology. The affiliations with places like Scripps just add to one's options. My own rankings:

1. Cal (bright students, leading professors, prox. to SF)
2. UCLA (so-so-bright students, leading professors (at least in sciences), LA +/- depending on how you feel about it...I went and didn't like LA.)
3. UCSD (so-so-bright students, some leading professors in various areas, SD is nice)
4. UCSC (Yeah, there's plenty of potheads, but there are also some very smart Norcal folks that didn't get into Cal or wanted a different culture and good profs in selected areas and SC is nice)
I really don't have much of a pref. between Davis, Irvine, SB, and Riverside, though I'd really say that the first two are probably better. Though if you want to party with dumb blondes, SB is the place for you. (People used to leave UCLA to go party at SB.)

 

[Flopotomist]

Your ignorance on this subject is amazing, and very unlike you in general. Perhaps you were thinking of Cal Tech.

Cal Poly is a part of the 23 campus CSU system, and is definitely a public school. And like I said, I chose it over UCSB with no regrets. I didn't apply to any other UC's because I thought Davis was butt-ugly (and still do), Berkeley was too hippie-ish and the rest were too far away from home. And UCSC was DEFINITELY too hippie-ish. 😛

I am tucking my tail between my legs and vowing to google such things in the future. (oops).

ALTHOUGH. I went to UCSC, and it is not nearly as "hippie-ish" as people think. It is certainly the most beautiful of any of the UC campuses, and the student/faculty ratios are very nice. It may not be as prestigious as Cal or UCLA, but it is WAY less competitive than either of these schools, and it is not as "bastard-stepchild-ish" as UCR or even UCI.

... and to the posters who put UCSB above UCSC -uhm, have you ever BEEN to UCSB?? ugh - cement EVERYWHERE.

 

[tacrum43]

... and to the posters who put UCSB above UCSC -uhm, have you ever BEEN to UCSB?? ugh - cement EVERYWHERE.

Yeah, but they do have spectacular weather and the top floor of the library has an ocean view. Too many bicycles though. I almost got mowed down when I visited.

 

[Flopotomist]

Yeah, but they do have spectacular weather and the top floor of the library has an ocean view. Too many bicycles though. I almost got mowed down when I visited.

UCSC has Ocean views from MANY of the buildings... and those that don't have an ocean view are generally located WITHIN a redwood forest. The weather at UCSC is also pretty darn nice...

 

[DrBorisCA]

I will probably get heat for this, but here is my ranking top being the best:

Berkeley (Here some students are smarter than their professors. Hardcore)
LA (Here it feels like you go to school in paradise, hard, but more chill)
San Diego ( Alright, I suppose, nothing too spectacular, Hardcore research)
Santa Cruz ( Good for the humanities, beautiful, low key)
Irvine ( Somewhat okay, location is terrible)
Davis (if you like cows, then this is it, very country)
Santa Barbara ( beautiful, but a little disconnected from the real world)
Riverside (don't really here too much about this school)

I second.

 

[tacrum43]

UCSC has Ocean views from MANY of the buildings... and those that don't have an ocean view are generally located WITHIN a redwood forest. The weather at UCSC is also pretty darn nice...

Well now you'll have to excuse my ignorance. 😳

 

[puckyrulz3]

i think i've been sold to the UC system by all the comments - just gotta figure out a way to pay for that stuff!

have to wait until june to apply though - gonna try for winter quarter as the fall quarter's apps are not being accepted anymore....too bad for late thinking! 🙄

 

[UCSBMed1]

I don't want to start some intra-UC war here, but I'm going to go strictly by rankings here (US News & World Report):

1. Cal
2. UCLA
3. UCSD
4. UCI
5. UCSB
6. UC Davis
7. UC Riverside
8. UC Santa Cruz

As someone who went to UC Santa Barbara and am in medical school, let me say that although we party at UCSB, it is still a fabulous institution of higher learning.

I don't know how a visit to Isla Vista on a Friday night allows some of you to compare how good the SCHOOL is and how the quality of EDUCATION is. UC Santa Cruz better than UCSB? Come on guys, that school didn't even have grades until a few years ago, whereas UCSB had three Nobel Prize winning professors in the span of 5 years. To say UCSC is better than Santa Barbara is a true crock, and 9.9/10 OBJECTIVE rankings would agree with me.

Sure it might not be Cal, UCLA, or UCSD, but my alma mater has a strong ACADEMIC reputation amongst the academic community. Our rankings and admissions process (ridiculously more competitive that UC Santa Cruz's) speak for themselves.

The parties aren't the reason why people apply there--at least not the only one. 😉

 

[notdeadyet]

To say UCSC is better than Santa Barbara is a true crock, and 9.9/10 OBJECTIVE rankings would agree with me.

Repeat after me: No. Such. Thing. Rankings of the colleges, especially using something as "reputable" as USN&WR is useless.

When people talk about colleges, they really need to talk about THEIR idea of what good schools are. Is UCSB better than UC Davis? Is Cal better than UCSC? It _really_ depends. Each UC has advantages that the other doesn't.

UC Berkeley has more nobel prize winners than any of the others UCs.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean you interact with any of them. UC Santa Cruz has had the highest ratings of grad school acceptances of the UCs and the smallest grad department so the most faculty interaction.

Yeah, but that means the least amount of groundbreaking research. UCSB has a nice compromise of smaller class sizes than the Big UCs and a great location.

Yeah, but their research hasn't created a strong national reputation. UCSD has an onsite medical school, strong research possibilities and a great beach location.

Yeah, but what's the point if you're stressed out all the time by attending one of the most academic cut-throat environments of the UCs? UCLA has a more laid back academic environment and national reputation.

Yeah, but you're living in LA and your classes are massive IF you get in to them. At UC Davis... etc.

SDN LOOOOOOOVES ratings, but they really don't mean anything. A 7.4 rating for UC Gullible means that this score garnishes 7.4 out of 10 according to someone's yardstick. Odds are very good this yardstick does not match your own.

 

[alpenglow]

I'm kind of stuck in between the two, and I can't decide on which would be the better alternate for me. I'd like to eventually attend a medical school on the east coast, rather than one of the UC's. (I live in South Cali)... So basically, I'm wondering if any of you think there'd be a difference in the east coast med schools choosing me if i were to attend a UC over a CSU. (fullerton, if you were wondering).

Also, what do you think are some advantages of living on campus during the last few years of undergraduate?

Currently, I attend Orange Coast College, and am double majoring - Anthropology and Cellular Biology..

Any thoughts are welcome! thanks guys...

The numbers are definitely in your favor if you decide to attend a UC. HOWEVER, I attended HSU (the CSU in Humboldt) and was accepted to UCSD SOM, UCSF SOM and HMS (among others). You are who you make yourself to be - chose your own destiny. I got into West Coast, East Coast and Midwest schools. Good luck

 

[alpenglow]

oh, and I majored in Cellular/Molecular Biology and minored in Chemistry.

 

[kirexhana]

The numbers are definitely in your favor if you decide to attend a UC. HOWEVER, I attended HSU (the CSU in Humboldt) and was accepted to UCSD SOM, UCSF SOM and HMS (among others). You are who you make yourself to be - chose your own destiny. I got into West Coast, East Coast and Midwest schools. Good luck

wow.... i didn't do AS well, but got into wash U and duke, waitlisted EVERYWHERE else (btw, 14 interview invitations, not too shabby, so my school was obviously not a hinderance) like i said before, it's more about what you've accomplished as an individual, rather than whether adcoms know the name of your school.

btw, alpenglow, way to represent!

 

[Babylonian]

Yeah, but they do have spectacular weather and the top floor of the library has an ocean view. Too many bicycles though. I almost got mowed down when I visited.

LOL! the bicylce thinga ma jig reminded me of USC. Everybody and their grandma rolls on a beach cruiser while talking on a cell phone. It it a funny scene, really though. Welcome to the home of the Beach Cruiser South Central LA, holmes.



OP, just be rest assured that where ever you end up, you will be kept company by a bunch of california whackos. And believe me, california kids will be happy you want to go to the east. (You might want to mention this when you get to the university, people will carry your books, polish your shoes, and pay for your applications as long as it does not have any Cali med schools on your amcas.) 😎

 

[alpenglow]

wow.... i didn't do AS well, but got into wash U and duke, waitlisted EVERYWHERE else (btw, 14 interview invitations, not too shabby, so my school was obviously not a hinderance) like i said before, it's more about what you've accomplished as an individual, rather than whether adcoms know the name of your school.

btw, alpenglow, way to represent!

right on! way to represent back at cha!

rundown: applied 11 schools, interview invites to 8 schools, only went to 4 interviews, got into all schools interviewed at - absolutely blew away my expectations!

 

[puckyrulz3]

LOL! the bicylce thinga ma jig reminded me of USC. Everybody and their grandma rolls on a beach cruiser while talking on a cell phone. It it a funny scene, really though. Welcome to the home of the Beach Cruiser South Central LA, holmes.



OP, just be rest assured that where ever you end up, you will be kept company by a bunch of california whackos. And believe me, california kids will be happy you want to go to the east. (You might want to mention this when you get to the university, people will carry your books, polish your shoes, and pay for your applications as long as it does not have any Cali med schools on your amcas.) 😎

hey, what do you mean by 'doesnt have any cali med schools on your amcas'? like, dont apply to them, or whatt?

 

[tacrum43]

hey, what do you mean by 'doesnt have any cali med schools on your amcas'? like, dont apply to them, or whatt?

Yes, because it is so competitive to get into the UC's, and most Californians prefer them because of the bargain tuition.

 

[Medikit]

The one thing I didn't like about going to a CSU was the way they would let my school's name just sort of run off the nametag during my interviews. "California State Universi- OH CRAP NO MORE ROOM". I felt kind of pathetic standing next to my fellow interviewer whose name tag simply read "Yale". Yes this actually happened.

I think CSU vs. UC just depends on the student. I'm definitely glad I went to a CSU and I wouldn't take back all of the great experiences I had there. But not every CSU has a great program, I would get to know the professors and find out how successful their pre-meds are. Chico just happened to have a pretty good program and I'm really grateful for that.

 

[tacrum43]

The one thing I didn't like about going to a CSU was the way they would let my school's name just sort of run off the nametag during my interviews. "California State Universi- OH CRAP NO MORE ROOM". I felt kind of pathetic standing next to my fellow interviewer whose name tag simply read "Yale". Yes this actually happened.

I think CSU vs. UC just depends on the student. I'm definitely glad I went to a CSU and I wouldn't take back all of the great experiences I had there. But not every CSU has a great program, I would get to know the professors and find out how successful their pre-meds are. Chico just happened to have a pretty good program and I'm really grateful for that.

It's so true.

 

[kirexhana]

The one thing I didn't like about going to a CSU was the way they would let my school's name just sort of run off the nametag during my interviews. "California State Universi- OH CRAP NO MORE ROOM". I felt kind of pathetic standing next to my fellow interviewer whose name tag simply read "Yale". Yes this actually happened.

I think CSU vs. UC just depends on the student. I'm definitely glad I went to a CSU and I wouldn't take back all of the great experiences I had there. But not every CSU has a great program, I would get to know the professors and find out how successful their pre-meds are. Chico just happened to have a pretty good program and I'm really grateful for that.

i don't know how many times calstate la got mistaken for ucla. they even put that under my name on the picture at umich during my interview.

 

[Medikit]

i don't know how many times calstate la got mistaken for ucla. they even put that under my name on the picture at umich during my interview.

Ugh, that would have pissed me off a little. Was there anyone from UCLA besides yourself?

 

[alpenglow]

The one thing I didn't like about going to a CSU was the way they would let my school's name just sort of run off the nametag during my interviews. "California State Universi- OH CRAP NO MORE ROOM". I felt kind of pathetic standing next to my fellow interviewer whose name tag simply read "Yale". Yes this actually happened.

I think CSU vs. UC just depends on the student. I'm definitely glad I went to a CSU and I wouldn't take back all of the great experiences I had there. But not every CSU has a great program, I would get to know the professors and find out how successful their pre-meds are. Chico just happened to have a pretty good program and I'm really grateful for that.

I totally agree, though my experience was @ CSU Humboldt (HSU) - wouldn't trade my experiences for the world!!

Regarding interviews - my fav experience was when I interview @ UCSF. The other 11 interviewers were: 2 from Yale, 2 from MIT, 3 from Stanford, 1 from UCLA, 3 from Harvard. When we went around the room to introduce ourselves (after the Dean of Admissions explained that we were now all on the "same playing field") I had to smile when my blonde self said, "I am from CSU Humboldt." The Stanford people were the only ones that knew where Humboldt was, and giggled accordingly because of the "Humboldt History." No one else had a foggy clue what language I was speaking

 

[Medikit]

I totally agree, though my experience was @ CSU Humboldt (HSU) - wouldn't trade my experiences for the world!!

Regarding interviews - my fav experience was when I interview @ UCSF. The other 11 interviewers were: 2 from Yale, 2 from MIT, 3 from Stanford, 1 from UCLA, 3 from Harvard. When we went around the room to introduce ourselves (after the Dean of Admissions explained that we were now all on the "same playing field") I had to smile when my blonde self said, "I am from CSU Humboldt." The Stanford people were the only ones that knew where Humboldt was, and giggled accordingly because of the "Humboldt History." No one else had a foggy clue what language I was speaking

Oh dear, I would have loved to have been there, hope the interview went well. I'm pretty sure my SAT in high school had a test question that said:

Chico State : Beer

Stanford : Scooby-Doo
Humboldt State : Weed
Caltech : Fun
UCSC : Banana Slugs

I was at a cross country race in southern california in 99 and recognized the Humboldt State team by hair alone.

 

[kirexhana]

Oh dear, I would have loved to have been there, hope the interview went well.

yea, that was pretty much at ALL my interviews. i think the one interview that i actually met someone from a cal state school was.... hm..... nope, can't think of ANY

 

[redorkulated]

yea, that was pretty much at ALL my interviews. i think the one interview that i actually met someone from a cal state school was.... hm..... nope, can't think of ANY

There are more of us who make it in then people think, My student interviewer at UCI was from CSUF.

At my interviews, I'm just happy they choose to use "California State Unive" on my nametag instead of "Cal State Fu".

 

[Brainsucker]

Oh dear, I would have loved to have been there, hope the interview went well. I'm pretty sure my SAT in high school had a test question that said:

Chico State : Beer

Stanford : Scooby-Doo
Humboldt State : Weed
Caltech : Fun
UCSC : Banana Slugs

I was at a cross country race in southern california in 99 and recognized the Humboldt State team by hair alone.

I like it.

 

[alpenglow]

Oh dear, I would have loved to have been there, hope the interview went well. I'm pretty sure my SAT in high school had a test question that said:

Chico State : Beer

Stanford : Scooby-Doo
Humboldt State : Weed
Caltech : Fun
UCSC : Banana Slugs

I was at a cross country race in southern california in 99 and recognized the Humboldt State team by hair alone.

On average, what you say is soooo true about Humboldt!