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

[alwaysaangel]

it kinda worries me tho..that upper division will be just as hard as LA and SD...

Hon' if the upper divs are "as hard" as LA and SD and you can't handle it then you really shouldn't be going to medical school anyway and at least you'll find out long before you spend thousands on applying and hundreds of thousands flunking out.

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[Sophie]

Hon' if the upper divs are "as hard" as LA and SD and you can't handle it then you really shouldn't be going to medical school anyway and at least you'll find out long before you spend thousands on applying and hundreds of thousands flunking out.

I agree, although I bet you'll find that the upper divisions aren't as hard as you think they will be, tehRight. I thought the upper divs at SD were relatively easy, and I'm having a hell of a time in med school.

 

[obgyny]

Cool. So are you from the OC and is your dad a republican? Perhaps the weird face when he hears Berkeley.

I personally like when classes are cancelled for the immigrants rights protest.

Not from the OC, more like the central coast. And yes, my dad happens to be a republican . I think it has to do something with the fact that I'm a girl going to the big city. I dunno.

 

[obgyny]

what grade will you be at UCI?

junior. i'm a CA jr college transfer.

going to UCI this year as well..

turned down UCLA and UCSD for almost same reasons

personally i don't think i can survive the fierce competition there...UCI is just the right "fit" for me where i can grow as a person and not worry about getting 1 pt more on the test..

it kinda worries me tho..that upper division will be just as hard as LA and SD...

only the time will tell i guess..

cool, maybe i'll see ya there! are u a community college transfer or freshmen? i'm pretty nervous about how i'll do with the university upper-level classes too. i know they certainly won't be like my small jr college classes! i heard a lot of the classes at UCI are graded on curves--only a handful of people will get A's. but i am looking forward to my major classes at the same time (bio classes are my favorite). no more general ed! (hopefully)

what's ur major?

 

[Arc]

actually, my dad really doesn't want me to go to Berkeley.

That's how may parents feel about me applying to UCSD and UCI.

 

[tehRight]

junior. i'm a CA jr college transfer.



cool, maybe i'll see ya there! are u a community college transfer or freshmen? i'm pretty nervous about how i'll do with the university upper-level classes too. i know they certainly won't be like my small jr college classes! i heard a lot of the classes at UCI are graded on curves--only a handful of people will get A's. but i am looking forward to my major classes at the same time (bio classes are my favorite). no more general ed! (hopefully)

what's ur major?

i'll be a freshie over there. biology major.

what do you mean by they are graded on a curve?
so my grade depends on how well other ppl do on the test? does this curve ever work to hurt my grades?

 

[nick_carraway]

i'll be a freshie over there. biology major.

what do you mean by they are graded on a curve?
so my grade depends on how well other ppl do on the test? does this curve ever work to hurt my grades?

There are many ways to curve a class from the standard bell curve (mean = C+/B-) to simply adjusted straight scales (e.g. 85-100 are As).

At UCD, at least, professors are usually generous enough to make it so that the curve can only help you. If your individual grade is higher without the effect of the curve, then usually you'll get that higher grade. In other words, if everyone in your class earns an A, everyone will be given an A. However, if the class does poorly and a curve makes your 65% into a 75%, then you'll luck out and get a C and not a D.

If professors don't mention it on day 1 though, ask them. If it's not on their syllabus, they're under no obligation to make a grading system that helps you. If you ask them flat out, though, you'll know whether you're safe or if you should start planning "accidents" for your classmates.

In all seriousness, though, don't freak out! I've never had a professor that wasn't fair with his grading.

 

[byong_soo]

i can't believe this thread is still going on
how about a coin flip?

bpost, do a coin flip between berkeley and ucsd and go to one of them.
if you think you have what it takes go to berkeley, it is significantly a better school than rest of the UCs. I went to UCSD and really enjoyed my education here, but at times, I regretted not going to UCB. Good luck on your coin flip

 

[nick_carraway]

Actually she decided on UCI already. They're just chatting about being first years.

 

[byong_soo]

oops i apologize
uci is also a good school
it feels very homey and comfortable around that area.
best

 

[juicy]

junior. i'm a CA jr college transfer.



cool, maybe i'll see ya there! are u a community college transfer or freshmen? i'm pretty nervous about how i'll do with the university upper-level classes too. i know they certainly won't be like my small jr college classes! i heard a lot of the classes at UCI are graded on curves--only a handful of people will get A's. but i am looking forward to my major classes at the same time (bio classes are my favorite). no more general ed! (hopefully)

what's ur major?

hey that's cool you're goin to uci! I'm actually a 2nd year bio sci major at UCI and from what I hear, the upper division classes are actually a bit easier. (because the curve is a bit more generous than the lower division, which only gave 13-15% As) Now i'm not saying you're not going to have to work hard because each major i.e Neurobio (what i'm gonna do if i decide to stay @ UCI..i actually got accepted to UCLA and Cal and might go to LA instead), genetics, cell and dev. bio, microbio, etc. are limited to around 30 students each year.

you can check it out here:

http://changeofmajor.uci.edu/CoM_BioSci.html

anyway let me know what you decide!

 

[obgyny]

hey that's cool you're goin to uci! I'm actually a 2nd year bio sci major at UCI and from what I hear, the upper division classes are actually a bit easier. (because the curve is a bit more generous than the lower division, which only gave 13-15% As) Now i'm not saying you're not going to have to work hard because each major i.e Neurobio (what i'm gonna do if i decide to stay @ UCI..i actually got accepted to UCLA and Cal and might go to LA instead), genetics, cell and dev. bio, microbio, etc. are limited to around 30 students each year.

you can check it out here:

http://changeofmajor.uci.edu/CoM_BioSci.html

anyway let me know what you decide!

so how come you want to transfer? what do u think of UCI so far? i can't believe only 30 people are allowed to major in neurobio, microbio, etc. i wonder why that is. i applied as a Bio Sci major because on the brochure, it listed all the specializations you can choose (which would be physiology for me), but i have been considering changing my major to another bio major. i've been doing a lot of research and i think i've narrowed it down to either Neurobio or just leaving it as Bio Sci w/ a focus on physio.

 

[badasshairday]

i can't believe this thread is still going on
how about a coin flip?

bpost, do a coin flip between berkeley and ucsd and go to one of them.
if you think you have what it takes go to berkeley, it is significantly a better school than rest of the UCs. I went to UCSD and really enjoyed my education here, but at times, I regretted not going to UCB. Good luck on your coin flip

Funny that you say that. I got into UCLA, UCSD, and UCB... I chose Berkeley. I like it here and all, but when I went to go visit my friends in SD a few months ago I thought I should have gave UCSD another look and seriously considered going there. Beautiful place. You guys live awesome there, the apartments are freakin incredible. We pay the same at UCB for ghetto accomodations (small). Everyone at UCSD had a huge apartment and .... Yea, I am going down to visit SD again as soon as this semester is over!

 

[eonxblue]

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.

UCI is most certainly NOT bottom ranking, and students with 3.3's in highschool DO NOT get into UCI. Thank you very much.

 

[neuropenguin]

Hi Y'all - just received an invitation from UC Irvine to complete the secondary application. Verified 7/19, in-state.

 

[UCDavisdude]

i just want to go to a college with a great friendly atmosphere, plenty of research/volunteer opportunities, a chance to get to know my profs... i want to enjoy my education.

sounds like ucd is a perfect fit for ya!

 

[obgyny]

sounds like ucd is a perfect fit for ya!

well it's too late now. i'm already all set for UCI!!!

 

[doc112233]

Since you are already in med school. I would appreciate if you can give me some guidance. But here's my confusion as a freshman....I am good in science related subjects, got accepted in all UCs in my desired majors...bioe (UCR,UCSC), biomed (UCD),premed (UCI), chem eng (Berkeley, UCSB,UCSD). I am also bit pressured to pick the top UC which is probably not bad for my ego too. Among UCB and UCLA can you guide which one will make me more competitive keeping good gpa, mcat, other things equal. Will it be marked diff in efforts to keep my grades high in UCB vs UCLA? I am not much for chem eng, but didn't think much while applying...will it be safe to change to L&S in Junior year? or earlier? Then do I really have any back up plan just in case I don't get a good med school? I have been dreaming med school since 13, but can't seem to find a better choice to cover both, just in case it doesn't work. Any advise?

 

[obgyny]

Since you are already in med school. I would appreciate if you can give me some guidance. But here's my confusion as a freshman....I am good in science related subjects, got accepted in all UCs in my desired majors...bioe (UCR,UCSC), biomed (UCD),premed (UCI), chem eng (Berkeley, UCSB,UCSD). I am also bit pressured to pick the top UC which is probably not bad for my ego too. Among UCB and UCLA can you guide which one will make me more competitive keeping good gpa, mcat, other things equal. Will it be marked diff in efforts to keep my grades high in UCB vs UCLA? I am not much for chem eng, but didn't think much while applying...will it be safe to change to L&S in Junior year? or earlier? Then do I really have any back up plan just in case I don't get a good med school? I have been dreaming med school since 13, but can't seem to find a better choice to cover both, just in case it doesn't work. Any advise?

Actually I'm not in med school... yet . I just transferred to UCI from a community college for undergrad. I graduated UCI in 2009 with a Bachelors in Neurobiology and I'm applying to med schools in a few months.

And since I went to UCI, I can't tell you from personal experience which is better, UCB vs UCLA. Congrats on getting into all your schools, but it really is you that should decide where to go. That's what I got from this thread. Honestly, all the UCs are pretty good schools so I don't think it makes much of a difference. It seems to be the general consensus on SDN (from what I've read) that your undergrad institution really doesn't matter for med school, just no matter where you pick, you need a strong GPA and become involved with ECs!!! (btw, there's no "premed major" at UCI).

I ultimately picked UCI over Berkeley because I was offered a scholarship that not only paid for my tuition & books, but gave me nice perks like priority registration and guaranteed on-campus housing (which saved me a TON of money!!). But I don't regret my decision. I loved UCI and I got a lot from it. And I sort of stumbled into Neuro (I was originally just a bio major) and it turns out I really love it! UCI has got an awesome neuro program!

And major in whatever you want! There's PLENTY of other careers related to biology majors-- anything in the health field, research field, etc. Currently I work at a research lab while I'm applying to med schools. If you don't enjoy chem engineering, then why major in it?? You're going to have spend 4 years learning about it, might as well learn about something you like. I'll admit I didn't enjoy all my bio classes, but as soon as I switched to Neurobiology, it got really interesting!

So really, you'll have to make this decision for yourself. Think about what things are important to you-- location, research opportunities, class size, etc. Have you visited the campuses yet?? I really wasn't considering UCI until I visited it.

Good luck no matter what you choose!

 

[Power of One]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread! I'm glad you're enjoying UCI, bpost137.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Actually I'm not in med school... yet . I just transferred to UCI from a community college for undergrad. I graduated UCI in 2009 with a Bachelors in Neurobiology and I'm applying to med schools in a few months.

And since I went to UCI, I can't tell you from personal experience which is better, UCB vs UCLA. Congrats on getting into all your schools, but it really is you that should decide where to go. That's what I got from this thread. Honestly, all the UCs are pretty good schools so I don't think it makes much of a difference. It seems to be the general consensus on SDN (from what I've read) that your undergrad institution really doesn't matter for med school, just no matter where you pick, you need a strong GPA and become involved with ECs!!! (btw, there's no "premed major" at UCI).

I think he's talking about BME-premed, about which I have this to say:

I'm in regular BME and going through the classes right now and looking at the courses required for BME-premed the major looks like a complete waste of time. BME-premeds hardly take any of the design courses regular BMEs take and they don't even do a senior design project! The entire thing is a mess which is why the engineering department is working really hard to get rid of the whole BME-premed thing or at least just make it a specialty underneath BME instead of its own major (they want to replace it with BME-quantitative imaging or BME-MEMS). Keep in mind that the BME major at UCI is one of the few in the state that's accredited, but the BME-premed major wasn't, and those who didn't get into med school complain about how they're at a disadvantage for engineering masters programs/jobs. You're much better off just doing regular BME and staying an extra year to finish off the prereqs. There's a reason BME-premed has such a high attrition rate compared to other engineering majors (I think it's around 50%, which rivals even bio).

As for ChemE, I'll speak about what I know from UCI:

It's hard. REALLY hard. Keeping above a 3.5 in ChemE will eat away at you. If you're reallllllly good at chemistry, and I mean you LOVE IT, go for it.

 

[MindCastle15]

Hey, everybody- hate to bump a thread from so long ago, but I'm in a similar situation to some people who commented on this thread. My choices have come down to UC Davis and University of Rochester. I'm an int'l student, but an US citizen who grew up in Norcal, and I'm interested in premed, with BME as my major. I have a parent who is a Cal resident, so I am def eligible for in-state- however, due to a very complicated situation in my family, I won't get in-state, at least for the first year. Not yet sure about the years after that. (my dad refuses to give the documents required) I've got a scholarship at Rochester. Both schools are financially nearly equal with marginal differences. I haven't been able to visit any, but Rochester seems to be my type, while Davis' concentration on agri/ env doesn't seem like my thing. However, I do like the fact that Davis is a large school, and also its nearer to my childhood home, friends and lots of family- something that's pretty important to me. I really would've loved to go back home, but since Rochester seems to be the better school- I can't decide! I would ultimately like to have the option to go to med school in California- any suggestions? If If I study at Davis, any advantages I will get w.r.t. med school admissions? Which school is better for premed?

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

Neither. Go to CC. Then transfer to UC Merced. Smaller class sizes, more Research opportunity, and less competition.

 

[aalamruad]

Neither. Go to CC. Then transfer to UC Merced. Smaller class sizes, more Research opportunity, and less competition.

There's not much competition at Davis either, and there's plenty of research..

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

There's not much competition at Davis either, and there's plenty of research..

Subjective topic but I see where you are coming from. Davis has a majority of the Berkeley rejects as well. These guys are not dummies... I'm tellin' ya.

I want to take a look at cost as well... Merced beats Davis by a long shot.

Many of you guys are forgetting that you cannot do much with a Bachelor's degree.... and many of you are forgetting that you will also have 300K in loans (give or take or whatever) for med school... if you guys even make it that far (sorry to say.. but most of you UC folks won't... Y'all will hop off of the med train and pursue Caribbean.. or do research... or spend a lot of time revamping your application. Not judging.. just painting the picture I myself have witnessed too many times).

My buddy did his total undergrad 4 years worth(cost of living his last 2 years included) for less than $75,000. He moved on to med school without a postbacc or damaging his GPA whereas another buddy did 4 years at UCLA... spent over $150,000 for a bio degree, and then another $50,000 for a postbacc.

UCLA dude is spending his 2nd time reapplying this summer.

I'm telling you guys... go where their is no or less competition.