UCB/TAMU, interested in CS?

[caffynated]

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Hey guys,

First off, thanks so much for taking the time to help me with my little dilemma.

For basically all my life I've told myself I wanted to be a doctor no matter what, but after going through high school I'm not so sure anymore. I suffered terribly through my AP Chem class because I lacked any passion for the subject and it was the hardest class I'd ever taken, and that scares me because so much of the prereqs involve chemistry. I'm absolutely dreading ochem. Additionally, I had relatively low interest in my AP Bio class, although the subject itself is pretty easy. But medicine and anatomy itself have always been something I'm passionate about, and I would love to be able to help others and make a strong impact on other lives like doctors do. If I were absolutely sure I wanted to do medicine, I'd go to Texas A&M (in-state tuition). But with my struggle and lack of interest in those sciences, I'm worried I've been romanticizing the medical profession to fit my idea of the perfect career.

On the other hand, I also have a strong interest in computer science. I've been coding as a hobby since I was a kid and I love computers, and AP comp sci is a breeze. Coding just comes naturally to me. I'd never considered it as a career until recently though, because I'd been so convinced I wanted to be a doctor. The high salary straight out of undergrad is also hard to give up when compared to the difficulty and length of med school and residency. But I'm worried I won't find that career path as personally fulfilling as being a doctor would.

I hope to figure all of that out during college when I can get real exposure to both fields. However, this brings my to my next dilemma: Cal or TAMU? The prestige of Cal's CS department is just so tempting, and if I do realize medicine is not my thing then I'll be in the perfect position to get a great CS education and possibly a job in Silicon Valley. If I were to take a few years off between undergrad and med school, I could keep a job in CS to save up. However, I'm also worried that Cal's grade deflation will basically force me to ditch medicine whether I want to keep it as an option or not. I'm hoping to major in CS (L&S) and do med school prereqs one at a time. I'm willing to work hard and study if I go there, but I don't know how much that will help my GPA or how it will affect my social life and college experience. And then there's the cost, ~$50k per year since I'm OOS. My parents say they are totally fine with paying for it and to not let finances prevent me from going where I want to, but how can I not worry about spending SO much money?? Especially if I have to worry about med school later? It might be worth it for CS, but for everything else, I just don't know. We visited Cal recently and while parts of the campus and city are a little shabby, I love the culture and students there, and I love the city of SF. I feel like I'd grow more going to Cal, since I'll be away from Texas, I'll be surrounded by intelligent people, and I heard Cal is like real life where they won't baby you. But... is it worth the cost and risk of a bad GPA?

And then there's TAMU, which is the obvious choice if I were totally sure I wanted to do medicine. I won't have nearly the same difficulty of getting a high GPA there, plus there's the med school nearby. The biggest thing is the cheaper cost, which would be ~$20k for in state. But the CS department there is nowhere near the same caliber as Cal's, and if I realized medicine isn't for me then I'd basically thrown away the chance to get a Cal CS degree. I don't even know if I can do CS at TAMU since it's in the College of Engineering and I was accepted as a Biomedical Sciences major. The conservativeness there (I'm very liberal) and College Station just don't float my boat, at all. I don't think I'd hate it there, but I don't see myself thriving there like I think I would at Cal. I just know that I'll have this thought in the back of my head: "What if I'd gone to Cal?" But it's so much cheaper!!

So basically:
UC Berkeley
Pros
Great CS department
Berkeley/SF
Love campus and culture
Cons
Expensive!!!
Grade deflation/competition
No med school

TAMU
Pros
Cheaper!!
Medical school
Not as much competition/Higher GPA
Cons
College Station
Not as great CS
Don't like the campus nearly as much

 

[DokterMom]

The conservativeness there (I'm very liberal) and College Station just don't float my boat, at all. I don't think I'd hate it there, but I don't see myself thriving there like I think I would at Cal. I just know that I'll have this thought in the back of my head: "What if I'd gone to Cal?" But it's so much cheaper!!

Please don't underestimate the impact of POLAR OPPOSITE cultures on your undergraduate experience. Seriously. Polar Opposite. (Did you apply to UT Austin? In-state tuition and a liberal city...) You're a Texan -- So you already know what a highly conservative culture is like. Do you want more of that?

Anyway -- UCB does get some allowances for grade deflation in med school admissions, though not as much as you'd like. And if you end up not going pre-med (for whatever reason) would you regret Aggieland? If you live in Texas for the rest of your life, the A&M alumni network can be a big thing. But if you live elsewhere, the UCB prestige will help you in your career prospects. Also, you can major in CS at either school -- so if that truly comes easily to you, your GPA might be great at either school.

My personal bias is that college is a time to try something different -- to meet a large variety of people from different cultures and with different viewpoints, and basically, to 'try on' a whole lot of new viewpoints to see which ones really fit you. In childhood, "who we are" is hugely influenced by our "settings" -- family, church, friends. In college, you have the opportunity to "change your setting", and in the process, really discover how much of "who you are" was really just your surroundings, and how much is really you. That is, in my opinion, one of the best arguments for going away to school -- the opportunity to evolve into a new and more authentic you.

So (surprise) my vote goes to UCB.

 

[caffynated]

I did apply to UT, but was not accepted, which was devastating. I would've gone had I gotten in. But oh well, that's all in the past.

I would love to get out of my state. I'm very independent and want to experience living far away in a whole different part of the country. My parents tell me to follow my heart, and I think my heart is in Cal. I am always up for a challenge, I just don't know if the challenge of Cal is worth the risk and money. I think going to Cal will open many doors for me... but also potentially close a few as well, if I don't end up doing well there. The main thing keeping me from going is the money. I don't really believe my parents when they tell me not to worry about it.

Your view on college was very insightful. Thank you.

 

[DokterMom]

I think going to Cal will open many doors for me... but also potentially close a few as well, if I don't end up doing well there. The main thing keeping me from going is the money. I don't really believe my parents when they tell me not to worry about it.

Your view on college was very insightful. Thank you.

Talk to them - openly and honestly, about the money. You can also get a part-time job and take out student loans in whatever amount makes sense for your family, knowing that whether you end up in either CS or medicine, you'll be fine for paying them back. (Now if you switch to philosophy...) Or if your parents have the money, but it means raiding their retirement accounts, you can borrow from them - even if you're the only one who considers it a loan.

 

[deleted535750]

A CS degree from Cal will guarantee you a high paying job after your undergraduate schooling. Though, your gpa could certainly suffer for this. If you decide not to pursue medicine, and it sounds like your still flirting with the idea, then Cal is the safest and best choice.

 

[pacoast]

If you are looking for liberal culture stay away from A&M because what you will find there is anything but. College Station is a small town that is mostly suburban. Students drive everywhere, even to class; it is really not the most pedestrian-friendly town or campus. Frankly, what turned me away from it was the constant "Howdy!" I couldn't imagine 4 years of being greeted like that constantly. It seemed cheesy and very country-Texan. Plus everyone wears cowboy boots.

I don't know a lot about Berkeley and the cost difference is huge but it it definitely does have much better name recognition, which is a minor factor to consider. Not that that alone makes it worth 50k/yr though. Both schools are large so I think you will find that you are able to be independent at either of them, and both have so many students that you should not feel babied at all.

It seems like you are leaning towards Berkeley but are worried about the impact of the cost on your parents. If they are honestly telling you not to worry about it, then you shouldn't worry about it. They have probably worked hard for many years to save up for your education so that you are not limited by their finances. It is something you should consider, but unless it involves taking out a second mortgage on their house or something, I would say go with Berkeley if you want to try something new.

 

[lomm]

I am at A&M currently and if you aren't about the cowboy boot life just don't go to the ag college. BIMS is a very diverse department

 

[caffynated]

Well, I just got my appeal from UT Austin accepted! So now I suppose it's a matter of UT Austin vs. Cal. I'm enrolled as a Neuroscience major, but I should still be able to explore CS since they're in the same college. I'm still stuck between a career in medicine vs a career in CS.

I was starting to look forward to Cal, but now that UT is an option I'm strongly considering it. UT also has a great CS program, a new medical school next year, and a high GPA will be more achievable (not saying it'll be easy, but probably easier than at Cal). Considering the cost difference, I think UT is the better choice here. One fault is that nearly everyone in my high school goes to UT... But it's a big enough school that if I make the effort, I should be able to prevent my college experience from being High School 2.0, right?

If anyone has any opinions on my new situation (UT vs Cal), I would love to hear them! And thanks so much to everyone who replied... I really appreciated your thoughts. ^^

 

[DokterMom]

A horse of a very different color.
And a much tougher decision.

Congratulations by the way! (Appeal? How's that work?)

 

[caffynated]

Thank you!
If you aren't accepted initially, you can apply to appeal your admissions decision if you have new/changed information to provide. The committee reevaluates your application and gives you a new decision later on, but usually after May 1st. Maybe I got mine earlier since I'd been hounding them nonstop. 😛

Is Cal still the better school here? I have lots of family at UT -- my father is a professor and my brother is at the business school.
It's hard to let go of the idea of medicine as a career when I've been living the idea for nearly my entire life. I'd like to explore both majors before I fully commit... UT still has an excellent CS program. But Cal is hard to let go, and I was getting excited about it too. While my parents said they don't mind paying, it's still quite a big hit on their finances.

 

[pacoast]

Well, I just got my appeal from UT Austin accepted! So now I suppose it's a matter of UT Austin vs. Cal. I'm enrolled as a Neuroscience major, but I should still be able to explore CS since they're in the same college. I'm still stuck between a career in medicine vs a career in CS.

I was starting to look forward to Cal, but now that UT is an option I'm strongly considering it. UT also has a great CS program, a new medical school next year, and a high GPA will be more achievable (not saying it'll be easy, but probably easier than at Cal). Considering the cost difference, I think UT is the better choice here. One fault is that nearly everyone in my high school goes to UT... But it's a big enough school that if I make the effort, I should be able to prevent my college experience from being High School 2.0, right?

If anyone has any opinions on my new situation (UT vs Cal), I would love to hear them! And thanks so much to everyone who replied... I really appreciated your thoughts. ^^

Congratulations! Definitely a tough choice. I would say it comes down to your preference in location at this point, whether you want to get out of Texas or not. If you pick UT and are sure you want to switch from Neuroscience to CS, I will tell you that UT does not make it super easy to switch majors. You will have to wait 1 year before being able to transfer, and you will have to submit an application (including an essay). If you have good grades your freshman year it shouldn't be a problem, but if you bomb the first semester, which happens to some people just due to the shock of college, you may be stuck in neuroscience. That being said neuroscience is pretty cool too.

 

[caffynated]

Truth be told... When I saw that I'd been admitted to UT, rather than feel elated, my heart sank a bit. I had decided on Cal over A&M and I guess I'd been getting excited about it, and with the UT decision it just brought me back to square one.

That being said, I've been to UT campus many, many times and I really do like it there. But I would really like to leave Texas in the future, experience something new. I thought if I got into UT it'd be a no brainer to go there but I just don't know anymore. I think UT is the best middle ground between the two other schools, and has pretty much everything I want, it's just location and cost I suppose.

Neuro is a really interesting major. 😛 But the job prospects for it, if I don't go to medical school, include research or getting a PhD, neither if which I'd really like. The two summers I spent interning in a research lab at UT weren't the best experiences, but that may have just been the lab.