UC vs Cal Poly

[jamba16]

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I'm currently a high school senior wanting to be in the medical field, possibly as a pediatrician or a physician's assistant. I'm trying to decide between cal poly slo and ucsb and planning on applying to the honors program at cal poly (for the smaller class sizes primarily). I currently have a 4.5 weighted gpa and a 30 on the act. I don't need to go to a super prestigious medical school but want to be as prepared as possible. Thanks so much!

 

[eteshoe]

I'm currently a high school senior wanting to be in the medical field, possibly as a pediatrician or a physician's assistant. I'm trying to decide between cal poly slo and ucsb and planning on applying to the honors program at cal poly (for the smaller class sizes primarily). I currently have a 4.5 weighted gpa and a 30 on the act. I don't need to go to a super prestigious medical school but want to be as prepared as possible. Thanks so much!

Thanks for being one of the few high schoolers that doesn't have gungho dreams of neurosurgery before college lol. Going to an institute where you have the opportunity for smaller class sizes will be quite helpful in getting you to learn the material better (plus you'd get to know classmates which can be advantageous).

 

[EverStriving]

I would go to UCSB:

1) Better name/reputation - this matters for med school admissions
2) Better location
3) Great research opportunities
4) Great social scene

Just apply for honors at UCSB too. You're definitely the caliber of student that could handle it. Class sizes are a bit large, but I think the research opportunities make up for that.

 

[jamba16]

Thanks for being one of the few high schoolers that doesn't have gungho dreams of neurosurgery before college lol. Going to an institute where you have the opportunity for smaller class sizes will be quite helpful in getting you to learn the material better (plus you'd get to know classmates which can be advantageous).

So you don't think the UCSB name really matters?

 

[jamba16]

I would go to UCSB:

1) Better name/reputation - this matters for med school admissions
2) Better location
3) Great research opportunities
4) Great social scene

Just apply for honors at UCSB too. You're definitely the caliber of student that could handle it. Class sizes are a bit large, but I think the research opportunities make up for that.[/QUOTE
UCSB kind of has the reputation of being a party school (this is literally the first reaction of everyone whenever they find out I am thinking about UCSB) so do you think this could be a problem when applying to medical school? I mean, it's not like I'm going to Berkeley or UCLA. I'm just worried I'll get lost at such a big school.

 

[eteshoe]

So you don't think the UCSB name really matters?

Name matters but it's not like it's stanford or berkeley. @EverStriving did point out that UCSB would probably have better research opportunities but if you are determined to do well, you can keep a high GPA at Cal Poly SLO, form great relationships with your profs and learn the material very well. Then with the proper study regiment you can score well on the MCAT. Other than making sure you have the appropriate ECs (volunteering, shadowing, etc), the most important factors for med school admissions are your GPA and MCAT. The GPA is not equal across all schools and disciplines, but a high one does indicate a level of scholastic aptitude and work ethic. The MCAT gives a view of how well you're prepared to jump through the necessary hoops - while "bigger" schools do tend to have applicants with higher scores, it's ultimately up to the individual to put in the work to get the higher score.

So overall I would say go to the place that would allow you to be the most successful student. If you believe that UCSB will provide you with that then by all means attend and make sure you are able to keep a competitive GPA. If Cal Poly seems to fit the bill better - with proper preparation, it won't stop you from getting into a solid med school. Though that med school may not be in CA due to the insane applicant pool lol.

 

[jamba16]

Name matters but it's not like it's stanford or berkeley. @EverStriving did point out that UCSB would probably have better research opportunities but if you are determined to do well, you can keep a high GPA at Cal Poly SLO, form great relationships with your profs and learn the material very well. Then with the proper study regiment you can score well on the MCAT. Other than making sure you have the appropriate ECs (volunteering, shadowing, etc), the most important factors for med school admissions are your GPA and MCAT. The GPA is not equal across all schools and disciplines, but a high one does indicate a level of scholastic aptitude and work ethic. The MCAT gives a view of how well you're prepared to jump through the necessary hoops - while "bigger" schools do tend to have applicants with higher scores, it's ultimately up to the individual to put in the work to get the higher score.

So overall I would say go to the place that would allow you to be the most successful student. If you believe that UCSB will provide you with that then by all means attend and make sure you are able to keep a competitive GPA. If Cal Poly seems to fit the bill better - with proper preparation, it won't stop you from getting into a solid med school. Though that med school may not be in CA due to the insane applicant pool lol.

Update: I got into the Cal Poly Honors Program, but I have heard that it is extremely hard to change majors. I'm not really sure where to find the answer to this question so I'll just ask you... Do you think that it would be hard to get pre req classes for med/grad school at cal poly? Because the school is so strict with majors, I'm worried it will be hard to take classes outside of my major. I don't want to have to go to my local state school to take a bunch of science classes after undergrad (money) I did some more research and apparently the class sizes at UCSB are actually a little smaller. This is, of course, an "average," but still. Although the honors program at cal poly does have smaller classes, I'm afraid that limiting myself to certain honors classes with certain people will take away from my whole "college experience." For me, college isn't just about getting a degree and getting a good job. I want to be able to meet a diverse group of people AND get an education. The same goes for UCSB. I'll look into the honors program, but I didn't get "invited" to apply like I did at Cal Poly, so I didn't really think about it. In your experience, what exactly would an undergrad degree "with honors" mean to both a graduate school and/or potential employer? Do you think it is worth it?

 

[eteshoe]

Update: I got into the Cal Poly Honors Program, but I have heard that it is extremely hard to change majors. I'm not really sure where to find the answer to this question so I'll just ask you... Do you think that it would be hard to get pre req classes for med/grad school at cal poly? Because the school is so strict with majors, I'm worried it will be hard to take classes outside of my major. I don't want to have to go to my local state school to take a bunch of science classes after undergrad (money) I did some more research and apparently the class sizes at UCSB are actually a little smaller. This is, of course, an "average," but still. Although the honors program at cal poly does have smaller classes, I'm afraid that limiting myself to certain honors classes with certain people will take away from my whole "college experience." For me, college isn't just about getting a degree and getting a good job. I want to be able to meet a diverse group of people AND get an education. The same goes for UCSB. I'll look into the honors program, but I didn't get "invited" to apply like I did at Cal Poly, so I didn't really think about it. In your experience, what exactly would an undergrad degree "with honors" mean to both a graduate school and/or potential employer? Do you think it is worth it?

1. Clubs and professional organizations. Some people also join frats/sororities.

2. "with honors" is very school dependent - overall GPA/science GPA means more since that may yield latin honors on top of the "wow" factor of a decently high GPA (3.8+). To Med schools it may mean something but mostly they just care about the overall number - the closer it is to 4.0, the better. Grad schools (e.g. PhDs) just need it to be decent - 3.6+. Employers may care but they tend to operate on thresholds - for example if the minimum GPA to get an interview is 3.5, a 3.9 or 4.0 won't stop you from getting in the door, but it may have them thinking this person is just a social idiot and won't mesh well with the other employees.

3. Worth is really subjective. I found it worthwhile since the tougher classes forced me to grow as a student and prepared me for the rigors of med/grad school. Some people didn't find it as useful. Remember, overall number matters more than rigor (in many cases). Take whatever route will allow you some tough courses while allowing you to still maintain a competitive GPA.