UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCSD for undergrad

[blargh]

I'm a 3rd year at UCSD. It's literally swarming with pre-meds. It takes a lot of hard work and focus to do well, but if you commit to it, you can get good grades. Like everyone else said, the research opportunities are amazing. It is incredibly easy to work in a lab. I haven't had any problems with asking professors for letters of recommendation, too.

My only complaint about UCSD is that it's boring. Yeah we have the beach, but that gets old. It has been hard for me to really make friends here because people here are very self-centered and always study. If you're willing to sacrifice a great social life for good grades, you'll fit in well at UCSD.

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[Babylonian]

A few tips: Go visit the campuses they are all really different--very different.. Plus, don't assume you will get into cal or la or the other uc's. The responses you get from anybody here usually tend to be from resourceful gunnersesque type of individuals.

The scoop: Go where you feel most comfortable. You are going to get whacked at any of these schools. In terms of academics, they are all equally hard. In terms of students, you are competing with some real nerds at any UC. However, in the long run Cal will open more doors for you politically, UCLA as well. They might not help you much getting into medical school because medical school acceptances are handed out as if the committees are drawing straws from hats. However, going to cal or la will probably help your educational pedigree in terms of residency and job placement. There are alot of cal and la folks in leadership positions. The truth of the matter is that Cal and la just have more social capital in the long run.

 

[eugoogley]

I have to disagree with some people who claim that undergrad reputation doesn't make a difference in med school admissions. There must be some bias, whether conscious or not, on the part of med school admissions committees. Personally, I graduated from Cal recently and I will agree with many of the previous posts about its pros and cons. But here's a different take on the prestige factor:

I just came back from Second Look Weekend at Case (US News ranked #22). Out of 130 attendees, there were 4 UCB students, 3 UCLA students, 1 UCSD student, 1 UCI student, 0 UCD, 0 UCSB, 0 UCR, 0 UCSC. Also consider the fact that the weekend event was full of grads from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, etc. Obviously, if you can succeed at a higher ranked UC like Berkeley, LA or SD then you've got something going for you. I am not necessarily advocating choosing Berkeley, but I think that the name and resources of the school should factor highly into your decision because whether people like to admit it or not, prestige is a factor. And there is a similar relationship between med school reputation and residency placements as well. So I say if you think you can handle the competition at a higher ranked school and if you believe you're tenacious enough to stand out/get to know professors/utilize the fantastic (but perhaps hard to find) available resources at some of these schools, then go for it.

 

[Richard Kimble]

Being on premed forums strategizing before even starting college seems really hardcore to me. UCB prides itself in hardcore competitive students. haha. I wish I had the same level of focus at that time. ***oops...missed the transfer part...I guess since ur transferring, it is time to worry.

My grades were a letter grade higher at UCI with the same lack of studying. The professors are more straightforward, you know what to expect, tests are fair, tests are easier...still...somehow curves are just as low. I took about 9 upper division bio classes at UCI and most MCB classes at Berkeley.

You should also consider semesters vs. quarters. The two systems make all the difference. If you like to pace ur studying, semester system would work better since you get more time inbetween tests. If you're a crammer like me, the quarter system is better cuz each test only covers about 5wks and the final only about 10wks.

I really don't think that the prestige of one school makes up for the GPA difference. Some of my friends say 3.8 at Berkeley is better than 4.0 at UCI. I think if you have either of those GPAs at either school, I don't think you have anything to worry about anyways. I think the issue is more 3.0 at berkeley vs. 3.8 at uci.

I also agree with kelvin. UCI does allow more opportunities (actually less and less as it grows) in terms of research. Berkeley is known for researchless undergrads...few positions with many applicants.

It really comes down to you. Berkeley does have opportunities...some of the best at that. And people do get 4.0s at Berkeley.

You could be a big fish in a small sea or a small fish in a big sea. Of course, nothing beats being the big fish in a big sea...and someone has gotta be that. (Metaphors do it best)

Good luck wherever you go.

I graduated with a ~4.0 (3.99) at UCI. I don't think I would have at UCB, but I would have most likely been above a 3.75. But ADCOMS do take this into account, so it all works out. The thing that is bad from going to say UCB is that some med schools want school diversity within their class. So being from UCB, you have to compete with other highly qualified UCB students to fill the UCB niche in the med school class. That can be tough.

 

[nka1985]

I just finished my last quarter at UCD and I absolutely loved the school. I was accepted at UCI, UCLA, and UCD but when I went to visit UCD I just knew it was right. Really, that's the best advice I can give you. Go visit the schools that you are most interested in, and see where you feel like you can spend the next few years. Only go to one of the super competitive schools if you really thrive in that environment, because I personally didn't think it was worth it, not when med schools really don't care.

 

[batman1983]

I have to disagree with some people who claim that undergrad reputation doesn't make a difference in med school admissions. There must be some bias, whether conscious or not, on the part of med school admissions committees. Personally, I graduated from Cal recently and I will agree with many of the previous posts about its pros and cons. But here's a different take on the prestige factor:

I just came back from Second Look Weekend at Case (US News ranked #22). Out of 130 attendees, there were 4 UCB students, 3 UCLA students, 1 UCSD student, 1 UCI student, 0 UCD, 0 UCSB, 0 UCR, 0 UCSC. Also consider the fact that the weekend event was full of grads from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, etc. Obviously, if you can succeed at a higher ranked UC like Berkeley, LA or SD then you've got something going for you. I am not necessarily advocating choosing Berkeley, but I think that the name and resources of the school should factor highly into your decision because whether people like to admit it or not, prestige is a factor. And there is a similar relationship between med school reputation and residency placements as well. So I say if you think you can handle the competition at a higher ranked school and if you believe you're tenacious enough to stand out/get to know professors/utilize the fantastic (but perhaps hard to find) available resources at some of these schools, then go for it.

I agree with most of what you said, especially about if ppl can make it at UCB, they can easily make at most other places. But, as to your example with Case, I think you are mistaking a correlation with causation. More likely than not, ppl that go to hard schools (ie, more selective, such as the Ivys, UCB, UCLA), will have higher average MCAT scores than other schools. That does not mean that there are ppl that dont score high on MCATs at other schools, Im just saying that on avg, the more selective schools will have higher MCATs and probably offer better candidates, since they are more selective about what ppl they let into their school. Im not implying that MCATs = intelligence, but rather, that the selective schools often require high SATs, and I am willing to bet that there is a correlation between SATs and MCATs, especially in regards to the verbal sections in both.

As to your other point, what resources does UCB actually have for at the undergrad level that sets it apart from other schools? While it does receive the largest amount of research funding for a public school, its competitive as hell to get research as an undergrad, often requiring one to make at least a 2-3 yr commitment, not be paid (or paid a low amount), and work long hours, which, with my busy schedule and having to support myself and my family, I was unable to do. It seems like prestigious, public schools, like UCB and UCLA, confer most of their resources to the graduate programs.

 

[d77]

I'm only a freshman but so far my experience has been quite good at cal.

I've heard roomers of sabotage and such in premed classes but I have found some very good and trustworthy premed friends who I have participated in study groups with. As always I think you can never go wrong with putting your trust in people you know, and while sabotage might not happen at UCI/UCD it doesn’t mean that everyone at cal back stabs each other. (That is only the undergrad business program....)

Also about extracurricular activities for premed cal is great. There are some small time opportunities, which let you build your resume like volunteering at the university health center (called the Tang Center). As a freshman with no experience I have jumped from a paper filling position to spending time in the Urgent Care Clinic where I get to interact with the patients nurses and doctors. I would highly recommend this because while you do mostly clerical thinks like clean rooms/paper work you get to interact with real medical staff and build your resume at the same time.

(http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/home/joinourteam/index.shtml)

Also there are more substantial (and competative) programs like one called HMAP where cal students are matched up with SF doctors and shadow them 6-8 hours a week. You get to see everything from paperwork to exams to surgery. It is a very competitive program but it does not look at GPA the application is all essay question based; so you don't have to be steroidally top of the class to get great opportunities here. Also there is a premed sorority on campus, I’m not sure but I believe they organize their own study groups for members and has their own test bank record to help members for exams. That sort of thing is standard for non-social sororities/frats (I don't know much about the sorority though seeing as I'm not female. Here is the link www.ucbkgd.org)

(http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~hmap/)

And research wise there is a program called URAP where the university matches students up with professors or research projects based on the student’s interests.
(http://research.berkeley.edu/urap/
http://research.berkeley.edu/urap/projects/)

Basically what I'm trying to say is while there are literally thousands of students at cal there are also many opportunities.

Classes are difficult but if your dedicated then I think you will enjoy the challenge. And IB saves you from some anyoing extra math courses...(that is if you don't like math)

While I’m probably over optimistic and defiantly a bit to lethargic I would say if you are passionate about premed you would greatly enjoy the opportunities and education at cal. Even if it might give a headache now and again.

Best of luck I hope you enjoy wherever you decide upon

 

[narc]

.

 

[neurofreak]

Narc and Neurofreak- Which campus did you guys end up going to? Curious about your thoughts on the city living at the campuses...

i went to Cal and absolutely loved it...berkeley and westwood are very different cities and berkeley is pretty old and rundown, but its definitely unique and something you wouldn't find at most other college towns. walking to class, i can see anything from a homeless man juggling next to a group of hippies, to a old chinese man protesting bush while standing on a bucket, to a bunch of activists advocating for larouche. its this craziness that makes berkeley so awesome! oh, and although everyone does complain about the difficulty of cal, i found that as long as you're willing to put the work into it, you will be fine. have discipline, know when to work, know when to have fun, and you'll be fine. PM me if you have any more questions about Cal. GO BEARS!

 

[Dancer77]

HMAP is also one of those programs they try to make you believe is important as a resume builder. That is absolute bull****. It is nothing more than an overblown shadowing position that you have to fill out an application for, interview, and generally compete with your fellow pre-meds at Cal. In addition you have weekly meetings where you discuss what you did and you also have to write paper. Save your time, get off your ass and go find a shadowing position on your own. You won't have to write paper, it wont be for a class, and you can become more of a friend than a nagging automaton of a pre-med.

.

NARC, do you even know what you are talking about in terms of HMAP!??!?! You didn't go there, so I take it you have absolutely no idea what you are saying about that program... so save your breath.

I was involved with HMAP for 3 years at Cal, and it is the most unique program out there.... the discussions each week are on in depth ethical and moral issues in medicine. THere are no papers, just chances to read medical journals on the topics and discuss them in organized forums. In terms of shadowing... I have watched 3 open heart surguries on babies ranging from 1 month to 3 months old, about 1 foot away from the doctor... as well as a abundant variety of other shadowing interests. I have had EVERY one of my interviewers comment on what an amazing program HMAP is and that they have seen NOTHING compared to it at any other institution.

You shouldn't talk like that unless you can back up your stuff...

 

[dia009]

Im getting out of UCLA with a communication studies major in june.
I transfered as well.
i guess nothing i say will be new,
but do you HAVE to major in cliche pre-med majors?
This is stuff i got from our website.
btw. i'm a social science major and i really do nothing for my major classes.
i have to work hard at the premed classes next year at cal poly pomona, but i guess that's okay.
All med school accepted majors from UCLA. (not counting people like me).
Anthropology
Biochemical Engineering
Biochemistry
Biology
Business Economics
Chemical Engineering
Classics
Communications
Computer Science
Economics
Electrical Engineering
English
History
Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Music
Neuroscience
Other
Philosophy
Physiology
Political Science
Psychobiology
Psychology
Religion
Sociology

Also, the acceptance rate is almost identical to the national average, with in 1 - 5% over the last several years.
so, just some info.

 

[narc]

.

 

[notdeadyet]

i went to Cal and absolutely loved it...

Good stuff. Just curious. I actually taught at Cal for five years. I would have gone to Berkeley for undergrad, but it was too much a city environment for me. Lots of fun, though.

 

[notdeadyet]

I don't think there's any need to tear another UC down. All UCs are good schools. One will be better than another depending on the student more than the school.

Folks: No one campus has any magic key that will get you in to med schools. Any UC will prepare you adequately for the MCAT presuming you take the right classes and devote enough time to study. You will be able to line up research possibilities and clinical volunteering at any campus.

Decide which UC is the best fit for you personally. Every one of them has gotten some folks into med schools, and every one of them has produced students who didn't get in anywhere. It's what you make of it.

 

[Dancer77]

I was in HMAP for three years as well so I know what I am talking about. FSI is no special program. Its some hyper-competitive shadowing position that anyone can get. When I was in the program there were certainly papers so things must have changed.

The shadowing experience you describe is exactly that, a shadowing experience, nothing more and nothing less. HMAP offers you nothing a person cannot find on their own. IDS 130 on the other hand was a fairly decent class with fairly decent speakers and is well worth talking if not for anything more than to fill a breadth requirement.

So I know what I am talking about, so I can talk all I want. Oh and I did go to Cal, never said I didnt

In terms of the shadowing position, you may be able to find an alternative... but the things you learn in the discussion portion of the class are extremely valuable if you spend the time doing the reading and actually caring about the class. And how were you in HMAP for 3 years? IDS TA I take it... which is VERY different from FSI....

What I do find to be incredibly sad is that someone who was IN HMAP for that long would talk down about the program. Truly sad.

 

[narc]

.

 

[Dr_Berk]

Its a matter of opinion. And I left the program because I thought it was headed in the wrong direction.
Its sad that you get so bent out of shape when you dont agree with someone else's opinion.

Since there seems to be a lot of attention on the HMAP program, I should put in my 2 cents.

I was involved in HMAP for some yrs at Cal and found the experience to be invaluable. Yes, you can find shadowing experiences by yourself... and yes, you can research and become informed about current events or medical issues. But the program gives structure to these activities and also creates a peer network. You not only learn from one shadowing experience, but hear from everyone in your class and discuss the issues that arise in different specialties. The discussion of medical issues in weekly sections look at issues from all sides and result in very educated discussions of topics.

I was involved with the program quite extensively and can easily say it was the one most valuable experiences that I have had in making a decision to pursue medicine as a career. My involvement was fueled by real interest rather than simple resume-building and I agree with narc that HMAP is not a good resume-building program, nor does it want to be. There are much more efficient ways to fill blanks in your application. However, if you really want an in-depth look into the world of medicine, HMAP provides one of those rare opportunities that is really not available to many undergrads. HMAP was one of the main conversation topics in my interviews also. The interviewers were very interested and impressed by the experience I was able to acquire through this program as an undergrad (given that you get what you put in).

If you choose to attend Berkeley (which I have dissed earlier in this forum), I would highly recommend becoming involved in HMAP (the one worthwhile thing I did in Berkeley).

 

[Sekiray]

Coming from Cal myself and getting into a great med school, I can kind of agree with Narc on this one.

HMAP, FSI, URAP = all unnecessary resume boosters

You can certain take advantage of them, but if you think that will get you into medical school, think again. I didnt do any of that, nor did I even shadow a doctor, ever. And plenty of people in those things...well... never got their acceptance letters.

Those programs make it seem like its great for your resume, and it might be, but you can find other ways to do those things if you choose to. (just email/call a doctor/hospital or professors for research). Again, these are unnecessary in your quest to get into a medical school. You should not stress over not being part of these programs. But i understand that some people really had great experiences in these things, so I am not in anyway saying they suck.

 

[sanrevelle]

i went to Cal (uc berkeley). i am not premed but i was just browsing.

advice: if you want a good GPA, dont go to cal. i am warning you.

unless you are willing to split your back or unless you are a super genius, getting good grades in the science prereqs is a superbitch. so go to UCI or whatever, get a good gpa, and dont cry on your graduation day. hope that helps.

 

[pennybridge]

I think the important thing that everyone is glossing over is how much more awesome UCLA is than Cal. I mean seriously, it's like Beverly Hills day spa vs. fillings at a Tijuana dentist.


just kidding <3

bruins are bears, too.

oh also keck loves bruins and they love keck and we're all having an awesome socal orgy next year. start oiling up.

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

My identical twin goes to UCSD and hates it. It is NOT the same "great college experience" as UCLA or Berkeley. There are many reasons why, but the best one is the lack of a cohesive student body. UCSD does not have a main area where the students all live.

Having attended a UC, I would recommend that your choice be between UCLA and Berkeley, unless you have a geographic proximity to one of the other schools that you would like to maintain.

 

[guoj]

.

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

op, transfer w/4.0, you'll get accepted to every uc, so it comes down to perks they offer. I followed my bio prof's advice: since you're going to med school, do yourself a favor, save more money now. I didn't go to ucb or ucla w/ full scholarship+fin aid. With same amount of money you get, you can save bunch of money, in car insurance by switching... i mean by going to other campus. w/o work study, lots of free time to build you ec, study mcat, more research opportunities and easier to keep your 4.0 and extra cash.
Btw, i can tell you're such hardcore premed, and you must've aimed at top 10 now, , believe me, eastcoast, ivy schools put all ucs in one column, couldn't care less about which campus you're in. uc 4.0 is higher than uc 3.99, period. One thing you can controll now is your gpa, and higher gpa always stands out in paper. So there's a hard way to do it, and a safe (but not necessarily easy) way. it's up to you.

Was that english?

 

[evade]

I agree with much of what has been said about UC Davis. The opportunities (both research and clinical) here are fantastic, the advising is wonderful, the vast majority of profs are very helpful, and the atmosphere is collegial. I went to UCD for undergrad and adored it. Since I graduated in 2003, they've changed a LOT. Sports have gone D1, if that's your thing, they built all-new undergrad science labs, and the new genome center. . .they're really growing fast.

Hell, I loved UCD so much that I came back for med school (and yes, I certainly had a choice in the matter). Haven't once regretted either decision.

 

[SiR99]

I personally would go to the UC thats closest to your home town. If you think about it Biology is Biology, it doesnt matter if you learn it at UCLA or another UC.

 

[west nile]

man I am in the same predicament you are in OP. Already accepted to UCSD as human bio major, and Davis as NPB, pending UCI, UCLA, and CAL.

thanks to all who replied and thanks OP for starting this thread.

 

[guoj]

Was that english?

Whoops, i just wasted another post, but i did save bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to geico.

 

[bones11]

The smartest thing the OP did was to NOT apply to UCSB, which is actually the hardest school of all to get good grades in. How are you supposed to study when you're literally living on the beach and everyone's partying all the time? There's just too many distractions.

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

hi, man, you get the idea, do you? op just need some advice, not grammar police. don't be so anal about it, and waste a post on sdn.

Whoops, i just wasted another post, but i did save bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to geico.

Haha. SDN props for good usage of Geico.

 

[biobossx99]

UC berkeley is one damn good of a campus to be premed.

For your lower division classes, there is the Student Learning Center for tutors and study group classes that are provided free. (I got A's in all my prereqs here because of SLC). Plus u can tutor for them toO! (students are tutors and study group leaders. IT"S FREE!

we also have a great career center that really helps us out with letter service, free copies of the AMCAS etc.

For the upper division, we have more majors, I argue, than anywhere else. We have really great faculty, and tons of classes. Especially in the molecular biology major, it's amazing here the diversity of classes.

Some of my favorite classes are Cancer Biology (taught by the guy who discovered the first oncogene) and Human Endocrinnology!

For research, there is UCSF, LBL, UCB, CHORI to do research in! That's four different places you can do research in! There are SO many research opportunities for berkeley students.
Just go to http://research.berkeley.edu

For Clinical, we have the berkeley free clinic, suitcase clinic and oakland's children hospital, alta bates, UCSF, etc etc etc

For sports, THERE ARE SO MANY CLUBS SPORTS. Triathlon, Crew, Running, Taiko, Boxing, etc.

UCB is ranked highest and adcoms will give you a few brownie points for just being a UCB student.

We also have a very high acceptance among UCB graduates.

And if you're a California Resident... it's cheap compared to paying 40k for an ivy? Come on.

Finally, the food here is awesome. There are so many places to get fat and I'm going to miss all of the varieties of food. Smart Alec's is perhaps my love and joy for vegan and healthy fast food.

If you have any questions about being premed at Cal, LET ME KNOW!

 

[Sekiray]

if you want to be prepared at medical school, I think Berkeley is great...assuming that you survive the competition and you kick the other premeds asses. When I went on a tour at UCSF, I remember like 10 former Berkeley students there versus 1 from UCI, 1 from UCD a few from UCSD and UCLA.
Im not solely using this data to say that berkeley is a good school, but I think it is somewhat of a good indicator. I know berkeley has affiliations with UCSF so there might be some of that, but they are both top notch schools in their own respectable fields.

 

[eight sat up]

.

 

[west nile]

any more opinions about UCSD?

 

[eight sat up]

.

 

[usermike8500]

any more opinions about UCSD?

I'm a fourth year at UCSD. The stereotypes seem to be true. The school is infested with pre-med students obsessed with getting perfect grades. The library stays open until 2am every day and it's packed the whole time, not only during finals week. If you're into cutthroat competition, where an A- is a bad grade, and a B+ is justification for hara-kiri, then UCSD is the place to go. On the positive side, some of the best surfing beaches in CA are close by if you're into that sort of thing.

 

[west nile]

anyone want to comment on the physics dept at your UC, especially Davis and Berkeley. How are the instructors/TA's/tests, etc...

edit: Thanks usermike8500 and eight sat up for your replies.

 

[obgyny]

Im getting out of UCLA with a communication studies major in june.
I transfered as well.
i guess nothing i say will be new,
but do you HAVE to major in cliche pre-med majors?
This is stuff i got from our website.
btw. i'm a social science major and i really do nothing for my major classes.
i have to work hard at the premed classes next year at cal poly pomona, but i guess that's okay.
All med school accepted majors from UCLA. (not counting people like me).
Anthropology
Biochemical Engineering
Biochemistry
Biology
Business Economics
Chemical Engineering
Classics
Communications
Computer Science
Economics
Electrical Engineering
English
History
Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Music
Neuroscience
Other
Philosophy
Physiology
Political Science
Psychobiology
Psychology
Religion
Sociology

Also, the acceptance rate is almost identical to the national average, with in 1 - 5% over the last several years.
so, just some info.

well, because i am actually interested in the "cliche premed majors." one of the reasons i want to be a doctor is because i'm fascinated with the innerworkings of the human body. i'd much rather be taking a physiology class than a history class, for example. i don't think it's fair that med schools seem to be frowning upon science majors. i've heard there is a higher acceptance rate for non-science majors.

 

[west nile]

^^ yeah me too, I love anatomy and physio, well the survey I got in my bio class anyway, taking it next year, but I appreciate the ability to learn why things in our body work the way they do, it is truely facinating.

 

[Arc]

So OP, come to a decision yet? By the time ill apply I will have around a 3.2 depending on how this, and the summer semester goes. Will I have decent chances of transferring to these schools with that G.P.A?

Appling for Molecular & Cell Biology BTW.

 

[HreComesTheSun]

My identical twin goes to UCSD and hates it. It is NOT the same "great college experience" as UCLA or Berkeley. There are many reasons why, but the best one is the lack of a cohesive student body. UCSD does not have a main area where the students all live.

Having attended a UC, I would recommend that your choice be between UCLA and Berkeley, unless you have a geographic proximity to one of the other schools that you would like to maintain.

i think you're confusing this with the fact that there's no frat row. my complex was filled with ucsd students, and so was the next complex and those in the next street down.

i feel sorry for those who didn't have a great college experience at ucsd. i think no one has mentioned that there are several colleges within ucsd, and certain ones have all the premed gunners while others not so much. i had such an awesome group of friends, but they were all from a different college. practically their whole dorm partied together, carried this to off-campus housing, down to the gaslamp, and stayed friends through graduation. i would never have loved going to ucsd if i had just hung out w/ the premeds in my own college all the time...

that said, OP, i do agree with the current ucsd students who are telling you that it is highly competitive, difficult to really get to know your profs, and probably would suggest against ucsd if you don't feel like dealing with all the premed competition. from what i've heard, you will probably run into the same problem at cal

 

[littlealex]

To be fair, the bottom ranking UCs are significantly easier than the top ranking ones. Think about it, going from High school to college, the kids with a 3.3 high school GPA end up in UCI while those getting 3.9 end up in UCB. It is easier. And since medschools don't really care about college prestige, I'd say go for the bottom ranks.

Its not the school's prestige that matters, but how you utilize the resources you have. Go to a less competitive school, study hard, and volunteer a lot.

 

[flaahless]

i applied to all of these schools for undergrad. i'm a CA community college transfer. so far, i've been accepted to UC Davis and Irvine, still waiting to hear from the other ones. i was just wondering if anyone who attends (or attended) any of these schools as an undergrad could tell me what it is/was like. i think they are all great schools and i have no idea how i'm going to choose between them. most people automatically tell me to go to berkeley. but i've heard about the vicious premed competition, especially at berkeley and UCLA. any opinions, experiences?

I was accepted to Berkeley out of high school. I ended up not going but I was definitely impressed with the campus. There is a TON of science prestige and research there. But you should definitely visit and make sure it's the right school for you.

 

[OddyXoX09]

To be fair, the bottom ranking UCs are significantly easier than the top ranking ones. Think about it, going from High school to college, the kids with a 3.3 high school GPA end up in UCI while those getting 3.9 end up in UCB. It is easier. And since medschools don't really care about college prestige, I'd say go for the bottom ranks.

Its not the school's prestige that matters, but how you utilize the resources you have. Go to a less competitive school, study hard, and volunteer a lot.

That's a little exaggerated. The Data released by the UC website agrees more with 3.89 UCI versus 4.13 UCB (two year old data).

Side note, there's not a lot of pre-medical students at UCI relative to UCLA or UCB. However, there is a substantial amount of very competitive pre-pharms. I believe this is the same at UCSD as well.

 

[obgyny]

So OP, come to a decision yet? By the time ill apply I will have around a 3.2 depending on how this, and the summer semester goes. Will I have decent chances of transferring to these schools with that G.P.A?

Appling for Molecular & Cell Biology BTW.

no, i have not yet come to a decision because i still haven't heard from UCLA (notification in late April), UC Berk (notification April 30), and UCSD (anytime now). i'm probably counting my eggs before they hatch (or whatever), but UCLA has already contacted me about some scholarships.......

well so far, i've visited UC Davis, which seemed like a really great school. i loved it there! but i still have to visit the rest of the schools to visit. UC Irvine is next in my list of trips.

again, i wanted to thank everyone for posting and giving me their opinions/experiences. usually, no one replies to my posts!!

i'll post my decision on this thread when i make my final decision. thanks again!



so Arc, ur applying to Berk for undergrad next year then? good luck!! applying to colleges is pretty nerve-racking, but exciting! i can't wait to transfer from my community college!!!

 

[jojocola]

Wow! im excited for you! Im applying from a CC this fall. I dont know if this is going to help but my preference list is like the following: UCLA, UCD, UCI.

 

[Arc]

no, i have not yet come to a decision because i still haven't heard from UCLA (notification in late April), UC Berk (notification April 30), and UCSD (anytime now). i'm probably counting my eggs before they hatch (or whatever), but UCLA has already contacted me about some scholarships.......

well so far, i've visited UC Davis, which seemed like a really great school. i loved it there! but i still have to visit the rest of the schools to visit. UC Irvine is next in my list of trips.

again, i wanted to thank everyone for posting and giving me their opinions/experiences. usually, no one replies to my posts!!

i'll post my decision on this thread when i make my final decision. thanks again!



so Arc, ur applying to Berk for undergrad next year then? good luck!! applying to colleges is pretty nerve-racking, but exciting! i can't wait to transfer from my community college!!!

Half the reason why Im applying is becuase I live ~1 1/2 hours away form Berkeley. Out of all the colleges I've seen so far, Berkley is the most impressive one (Out of University of the Pacific, UC Davis). You didn't sign a TAA for Davis or Irvine? And from what I hear, UCSD's admit rate is around 60%


Oh and good luck.

 

[Arc]

Wow! im excited for you! Im applying from a CC this fall. I dont know if this is going to help but my preference list is like the following: UCLA, UCD, UCI.

Don't blow your core courses (C+ and below), or wrte a dry personal statemet, and you are in. UCD and UCI you can get a guranteed admission if you sign a TAA, and maintain the GPA in the contract. So if you are doing good, then dont sweat bullets about it...


.....Thats what Med. interviews and MCAT prep is for

 

[lispiz86]

...to actually like UCSD?

Well, suffice it to say, I'm one of the swarming premed Human Bio. majors (no kidding, we ARE a force to be reckoned with, along with engineers) at UCSD and I'm having a blast here. I do recognize that the atmosphere tends to be a bit bland and dry with little school spirit and I also think any campus can feel cutthroat, depending on who you surround yourself with. I happen to stay far away from those kind of people and have been fortunate enough to find a broad range of friends who are brilliant and also very helpful if you want to study together. I would like to put a plug in for all the research opportunities here and I feel like there's still plenty of room to grow. Like any large campus, you can feel a bit lost until you find your niche. Lucky for me, I was delighted to find out that we have a stellar graduate theatre and dance program, (third in the nation behind Yale and NYU, no joke).

Plus, you've gotta love the sunshine.
Good luck with your choice!

 

[roxor88]

Would you recommend me which school to go to for med school?

Occidental College (Liberal Art College)
UC Irvine
UC Davis
New York University
Brandeis

I'm a high school senior right now who still can't decide where to go. I'm a CA resident so UC schools are definitely cheaper and closer. NYU and Brandeis are on the other hand..very far but I don't mind living away from my parents for four years. Basically it doesn't really matter whether it is close or not. However, NYU is VERY expensive...they only gave me $8500 in scholarship and since I'm OOS student it makes the matter only worse. I have to cough up about $80,000 at the end of my college year. Is it worth it? Brandeis on the other hand..offers $30,000 in scholarship so it is the cheapest of the bunch. However, I have a friend who is a sophomore there right now and he doesn't recommend it for med school because it is literally hard as hell to earn grades. That leaves either UCI,UCD, or Occidental but none of these colleges have the "prestige" factor. Occidental is LAC and I think LACs don't have the college factor..it feels too much like a community college. Not to mention no one knowns what Occidental is. Good thing is that they also offer scholarship of $20,000 and it is in CA. I don't know the difficulty of the school but my friend who goes there right now says it isn't TOO competitive.

Of all things concerned, I'm leaning towards UCI right now due to $$, proximity (20min from home), name(not prestigeous or anything but at least it is known), easiness(relatively speaking) to get good GPA compared to Brandeis.

The other side of me is telling me that prestige factor is all BS because I currently go to US top 20 high school with 3.69 unweighted GPA 2040 SAT and look where it got me. Not very far...But the other side of me is telling me to take the most well known school of them all..NYU despite its insane cost. My parents are willing to pay but I don't feel comfortable leaving them with so much debt...

So..what should I do. Please advise me. Thanks you


PS:Is it true that med schools look favorably upon liberal art college students?

 

[physiclas87]

Would you recommend me which school to go to for med school?

Occidental College (Liberal Art College)
UC Irvine
UC Davis
New York University
Brandeis

I'm a high school senior right now who still can't decide where to go. I'm a CA resident so UC schools are definitely cheaper and closer. NYU and Brandeis are on the other hand..very far but I don't mind living away from my parents for four years. Basically it doesn't really matter whether it is close or not. However, NYU is VERY expensive...they only gave me $8500 in scholarship and since I'm OOS student it makes the matter only worse. I have to cough up about $80,000 at the end of my college year. Is it worth it? Brandeis on the other hand..offers $30,000 in scholarship so it is the cheapest of the bunch. However, I have a friend who is a sophomore there right now and he doesn't recommend it for med school because it is literally hard as hell to earn grades. That leaves either UCI,UCD, or Occidental but none of these colleges have the "prestige" factor. Occidental is LAC and I think LACs don't have the college factor..it feels too much like a community college. Not to mention no one knowns what Occidental is. Good thing is that they also offer scholarship of $20,000 and it is in CA. I don't know the difficulty of the school but my friend who goes there right now says it isn't TOO competitive.

Of all things concerned, I'm leaning towards UCI right now due to $$, proximity (20min from home), name(not prestigeous or anything but at least it is known), easiness(relatively speaking) to get good GPA compared to Brandeis.

The other side of me is telling me that prestige factor is all BS because I currently go to US top 20 high school with 3.69 unweighted GPA 2040 SAT and look where it got me. Not very far...But the other side of me is telling me to take the most well known school of them all..NYU despite its insane cost. My parents are willing to pay but I don't feel comfortable leaving them with so much debt...

So..what should I do. Please advise me. Thanks you


PS:Is it true that med schools look favorably upon liberal art college students?

I also got into those schools too, and I chose Brandeis. I know of at least one person at Brandeis who turned down one or more of Amherst, UCLA, Penn, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton for Brandeis, just fyi.

I'm a sophomore right now and I love it-- great research opportunities, great friends, great atmosphere. We're close to Boston so there are endless opportunities 9 miles away. As for grades, you will have to work hard for good ones, I'm not gonna lie.

I really can't believe you would turn down a $30,000 scholarship!