Any help with this dilemma would be much appreciated! I was pretty much set to PTE for UC Davis next week and hope for an accept from either UCLA programs after the deadline(I was initially waitlisted at both) but, unexpectedly yesterday I got a call from UCLA Prime with an acceptance. Yay! The only thing is I didn't get any type of scholarship and the person I spoke to said after the 30th money can be reallocated but there is no guarantee.
UCLA Prime pros:
- Prestiege
-MPH for free
-Location
- Family in the area(my brother and a few cousins live in LA)
-Some of the best hospitals to train at
- Diverse student body
UCLA Prime Cons:
-The cost of living is VERY high in comparison to Davis, like almost double per year ~20k'-23k if I live in student housing
-Traffic
- I grew up with pets and I would really like to have some furry friends along this med school journey and I dont think they are allowed in the student housing(which I'm assuming might be my cheapest option?)
- Larger class size
-I didn't really get as good of a vibe from the students as Davis (hopefully I will get a chance to talk to students before the weekend to get a better idea of this)
- I got accepted into the west wood track but I would rather do Drew
UC Davis Pros:
- 10k scholarship per year(could go up closer to deadline)
- ~11k-13k cost per year for housing
housing
- I can have pets
- The students were so nice and willing to answer alot of questions. They even gave a presentation on why they love Davis
-Small class size
-Alot of family in the area(my sister and cousins live in Sacramento) and I grew up only 2 hrs south of Sacramento so I can visit my parents faster than LA which is about a 4 hr drive
UC Davis cons:
cons:
- some part of me feels like I will be missing out if I'm not in LA and living in a place I'm more used to and is slower
-possibly less chances at matching vs having UCLA on my degree
- I would have to pay for and apply for my MPH
-Might have to drive far for some clinical rotations
UCLA Charles Drew pros:
pros:
- I went to an HBCU for undergrad and would love to have this experience for med school while still getting an education at a top 10 med school
-family in the area(my brother and a few cousins live in LA)
-students were very nice
UCLA Charles Drew cons:
- pretty much the same as above for prime but I would have to apply for the masters program I believe since its not included at Drew
SO my main questions from all of this is should I ( 1.) choose UCLA prime and hope for some money after the deadline? (2) withdraw my acceptance from UCLA prime and hope for some more money from Davis while still staying on the waitlist at Drew and making a decision at that point if I get in?
Any input would be great! Starting this cycle I never thought I would have been able to choose between my top two schools and here I am. I'm so grateful! Thanks in advance!!!
UCLA Prime pros:
- Prestiege
-MPH for free
-Location
- Family in the area(my brother and a few cousins live in LA)
-Some of the best hospitals to train at
- Diverse student body
UCLA Prime Cons:
-The cost of living is VERY high in comparison to Davis, like almost double per year ~20k'-23k if I live in student housing
-Traffic
- I grew up with pets and I would really like to have some furry friends along this med school journey and I dont think they are allowed in the student housing(which I'm assuming might be my cheapest option?)
- Larger class size
-I didn't really get as good of a vibe from the students as Davis (hopefully I will get a chance to talk to students before the weekend to get a better idea of this)
- I got accepted into the west wood track but I would rather do Drew
UC Davis Pros:
- 10k scholarship per year(could go up closer to deadline)
- ~11k-13k cost per year for housing
housing
- I can have pets
- The students were so nice and willing to answer alot of questions. They even gave a presentation on why they love Davis
-Small class size
-Alot of family in the area(my sister and cousins live in Sacramento) and I grew up only 2 hrs south of Sacramento so I can visit my parents faster than LA which is about a 4 hr drive
UC Davis cons:
cons:
- some part of me feels like I will be missing out if I'm not in LA and living in a place I'm more used to and is slower
-possibly less chances at matching vs having UCLA on my degree
- I would have to pay for and apply for my MPH
-Might have to drive far for some clinical rotations
UCLA Charles Drew pros:
pros:
- I went to an HBCU for undergrad and would love to have this experience for med school while still getting an education at a top 10 med school
-family in the area(my brother and a few cousins live in LA)
-students were very nice
UCLA Charles Drew cons:
- pretty much the same as above for prime but I would have to apply for the masters program I believe since its not included at Drew
SO my main questions from all of this is should I ( 1.) choose UCLA prime and hope for some money after the deadline? (2) withdraw my acceptance from UCLA prime and hope for some more money from Davis while still staying on the waitlist at Drew and making a decision at that point if I get in?
Any input would be great! Starting this cycle I never thought I would have been able to choose between my top two schools and here I am. I'm so grateful! Thanks in advance!!!
