UCLA vs UC Davis vs UC Merced for PREMED

[CaliJatt84]

Currently senior in hs, deciding between LA, Davis, and Merced for undergrad

I have full rides at UCLA and UC Merced. At Davis I'll be paying around 6k per year, most likely through working. I also got into the Honors Program at Davis, which offers several perks (priority registration).

I listed my main concerns for each school based on what I know and read on sdn. Please tell me if these are valid issues at each school, how easy it would be to work around them, and ultimately what the best choice would be. I want to maintain a high GPA and get plenty of research experience.

UCLA
~cutthroat competition/ grade deflation
~hard to land research positions (so many smart premeds)

Davis
~Since I don't have a full ride here, I'll have to work. This may cut into study/ extracurric/ research time
~No medical center close by (UCD Med School is in downtown Sac)

Merced
~Not as many research opportunities
~No medical school
~Lacks prestige


Also if it helps, I'm entering as a computer science major at Davis and Merced, and chemistry at UCLA (planning to switch that to compsci as well)

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[ZedsDed]

Currently senior in hs, deciding between LA, Davis, and Merced for undergrad

I have full rides at UCLA and UC Merced. At Davis I'll be paying around 6k per year, most likely through working. I also got into the Honors Program at Davis, which offers several perks (priority registration).

I listed my main concerns for each school based on what I know and read on sdn. Please tell me if these are valid issues at each school, how easy it would be to work around them, and ultimately what the best choice would be. I want to maintain a high GPA and get plenty of research experience.

UCLA
~cutthroat competition/ grade deflation
~hard to land research positions (so many smart premeds)

Davis
~Since I don't have a full ride here, I'll have to work. This may cut into study/ extracurric/ research time
~No medical center close by (UCD Med School is in downtown Sac)

Merced
~Not as many research opportunities
~No medical school
~Lacks prestige


Also if it helps, I'm entering as a computer science major at Davis and Merced, and chemistry at UCLA (planning to switch that to compsci as well)

I'd go with Merced. Frankly, if you're good enough to get into UCLA then you'll probably be towards the top of the curve at Merced. I've seen no evidence that the "prestige" of UCLA is beneficial in any sort of tangible way to medical school applicants.

Also, all of the UCs have plenty of research to go around. There's going to be less variety sure, and you may not get something medically-related. But all of that is secondary (tertiary really) to your academic success.

 

[Jalby]

Don't listen to pre-medical students for advice. They have no idea what they are talking about.

Go to UCLA. The name matters. Nobody on the East Coast has ever heard of UC Merced.

And you will also get to know people in the UCLA medical school who can write you letters of recommendation that have a TON more weight than anything you would get at Davis or Merced.

Also, take the absolute easiest classes throughout your entire career, no matter what.

 

[Jalby]

Don't listen to pre-medical students for advice. They have no idea what they are talking about.

Go to UCLA. The name matters. Nobody on the East Coast has ever heard of UC Merced.

And you will also get to know people in the UCLA medical school who can write you letters of recommendation that have a TON more weight than anything you would get at Davis or Merced.

Also, take the absolute easiest classes throughout your entire career, no matter what.

You are welcome

 

[ZedsDed]

Go to UCLA. The name matters.

Why? Because it matters to you? UCLA's internal data says otherwise. If anything, UCLA applicants are at a disadvantage compared to applicants nationally ( though this is likely more of a California effect than a UCLA effect.)
Anecdotally, it certainly didn't help me, or any of my friends, or anyone I know. If you have data showing that applicants get a boost from being UCLA alumni, by all means share it.

 

[neekzg]

where do you feel you fit in the most / which campus did you enjoy the most? You may not even decide medicine is for you--don't pick your school based off "pre-med" favorability alone. If you do, however, many of the pros that magagna listed are very worth considering.

You seem like you would do well at any of these schools. Getting top grades will be comparable in difficulty at UCLA and Davis (maybe Merced too?)

Though I've never heard of a compsci pre-med to be honest. Are comp-sci engineers required to take all the pre-med classes for their lower division reqs?

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

@Jalby

What happened to @Long Dong??

 

[ZedsDed]

You are welcome

I will happily thank you when you back up your claims with more than confidence.

 

[ZedsDed]

You seem like you would do well at any of these schools. Getting top grades will be comparable in difficulty at UCLA and Davis (maybe Merced too?)

They have very different student bodies.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Don't listen to pre-medical students for advice. They have no idea what they are talking about.

Go to UCLA. The name matters. Nobody on the East Coast has ever heard of UC Merced.

And you will also get to know people in the UCLA medical school who can write you letters of recommendation that have a TON more weight than anything you would get at Davis or Merced.

Also, take the absolute easiest classes throughout your entire career, no matter what.

You're advising someone to attend a grade deflating school, but you're simultaneously insisting that they take the easiest classes?!

 

[Jalby]

UCLA's internal data says otherwise. If anything, UCLA applicants are at a disadvantage compared to applicants nationally ( though this is likely more of a California effect than a UCLA effect.)
Anecdotally, it certainly didn't help me, or any of my friends, or anyone I know. If you have data showing that applicants get a boost from being UCLA alumni, by all means share it.

Wait wait wait. You just demanded data from me without showing any of your own data??? Hilarious.

I interviewed the most people of any student at USC for two years. I was on the Scholarship committee there. I helped selected residents at my residency my last two years. I helped pick the fellows at my Neuroradiology fellowship for two years after I was out (since I was a part time attending). I currently select people to consider joining our company. What's your credentials??

Most important things on every step of the med school and beyond applications process:
1. Do we know you?? Did you rotate with us or a friend with someone.
2. Do you have someone we trust vouching for you?? IN the case of you choosing UCLA, you might get a letter from a professor who has written letters for 20 previous USC med school students, and they all did good. We know this guy, and trust his judgement.
3. Have we had people from your program in our program before. And how have they done??

then a bunch of other stuff.

Every single one of these top 3 things in selecting someone at each step points to you going to the school with the best name, the best people, and the best contacts. He would be an idiot to not go to UCLA on a full ride.

 

[Jalby]

You're advising someone to attend a grade deflating school, but you're simultaneously insisting that they take the easiest classes?!
View attachment 201694

Yes. He should go to the best school, but take all the science and history classes that contains the athletes. At UCLA it was the physiology and anatomy major.

 

[Jalby]

@Jalby

What happened to @Long Dong??

Moved on with life?? After he took over my ask a radiology resident anything I really havn't seen him. I don't know anybody from here in real life.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Yes. He should go to the best school, but take all the science and history classes that contains the athletes. At UCLA it was the physiology and anatomy major.

Easy pre-reqs at UCLA?! Do such courses even exist?!

 

[GrapesofRath]

Why are we using examples of selecting residents and picking fellows as a reason for choosing UCLA for undergrad.

 

[JoeUSA]

Don't listen to pre-medical students for advice. They have no idea what they are talking about.

Go to UCLA. The name matters. Nobody on the East Coast has ever heard of UC Merced.

And you will also get to know people in the UCLA medical school who can write you letters of recommendation that have a TON more weight than anything you would get at Davis or Merced.

Also, take the absolute easiest classes throughout your entire career, no matter what.

I agree. The name of the school absolutely matters despite anything that pre-med advisors in college might state. A transcript with A s from UCLA is highly impressive.

 

[piii]

UCLA for sure. Name, resources, location, and free ride! There's more of a chance than not that you will drop premed anyway, and if that happens you want to be at the best school with the best opportunities and everything listed above.

 

[sss1219]

UCLA premed here, recent graduate. The competition is insane and the pre-req courses are difficult, but nothing you can't overcome with some hard studying. Most first and second year comp sci majors I knew were really stressed out because of the difficulty of the intro weeder courses, but were able to settle in afterward. But, most premeds I know were incredibly successful with getting into medical school.

And like everyone else says, I've gotten LORs from some absolute rockstars of the medical sciences world. But, I would HIGHLY recommend you pick out 3-5 professors that you really really connect with and go to their office hours often/stay after class frequently enough that they can recognize and remember you. Eventually around sophomore/junior year meet with them as much as you can to discuss your life goals/interests (most professors you will have are friendly enough to do that but you have to be persistent since they are very busy) so you can get some great letters in the long run. These professors can have like 200+ students in their intro classes so it can be hard to get good letters from classroom professors.

If I had to do it again and you were not so set on comp sci, I may advise you to consider the less sciencey majors like medical anthro, human biology/society, and especially psychobio which are much less competitive than your mainstream life science majors but graduates of which still do very well in the application cycle (assuming you do well in your pre-req courses, because it will be difficult to have a strong sGPA otherwise).

Social life is what you make of it, can be insanely fun or can be pretty lowkey. Just try not to get too lost in it

EDIT: Research positions are limited, but you're bound to get one if you keep reaching out. I ended up finding a field I was very interested in (childhood cognitive development) and just emailed professors to see if they had any open spots.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

I'd go with Merced. Frankly, if you're good enough to get into UCLA then you'll probably be towards the top of the curve at Merced. I've seen no evidence that the "prestige" of UCLA is beneficial in any sort of tangible way to medical school applicants.

Also, all of the UCs have plenty of research to go around. There's going to be less variety sure, and you may not get something medically-related. But all of that is secondary (tertiary really) to your academic success.

Wait wait wait. You just demanded data from me without showing any of your own data??? Hilarious.

I interviewed the most people of any student at USC for two years. I was on the Scholarship committee there. I helped selected residents at my residency my last two years. I helped pick the fellows at my Neuroradiology fellowship for two years after I was out (since I was a part time attending). I currently select people to consider joining our company. What's your credentials??

Most important things on every step of the med school and beyond applications process:
1. Do we know you?? Did you rotate with us or a friend with someone.
2. Do you have someone we trust vouching for you?? IN the case of you choosing UCLA, you might get a letter from a professor who has written letters for 20 previous USC med school students, and they all did good. We know this guy, and trust his judgement.
3. Have we had people from your program in our program before. And how have they done??

then a bunch of other stuff.

Every single one of these top 3 things in selecting someone at each step points to you going to the school with the best name, the best people, and the best contacts. He would be an idiot to not go to UCLA on a full ride.

If I was arguing with @Jalby .......

Me:

 

[MaxPlancker]

I'd say it really depends on what tier of medical school you want to get to. If you want to aim for the tip top, like HMS/Hopkins, then UCLA would give you a better shot. If you are fine with any MD or DO, then I say either UCLA or Davis because they're free. Obviously UCLA will give you the best resources and opportunities but the other two schools won't close any doors.

And puhleez, I think it's laughable when people start bragging about credentials when at most they are n=1.

 

[ZedsDed]

Wait wait wait. You just demanded data from me without showing any of your own data??? Hilarious.

I figured you would google it, my apologies.
http://www.career.ucla.edu/Students/Resources-Reports-and-Media/Med-School-Stats
As you can see, there is no visible boost given to UCLA applicants according to the data that is available (to say the least.) That's why I specifically referred to tangible benefits. Heresay and "oh this one admissions committee member at Harvard really likes UCLA grads" is not exactly actionable.

I interviewed the most people of any student at USC for two years.

I assume you mean you interviewed med school applicants. If so, this is relevant. While n=1 at a California school, what GPA leeway did your admissions committee give to UCLA grads that was not given to grads from Merced?

I was on the Scholarship committee there. I helped selected residents at my residency my last two years. I helped pick the fellows at my Neuroradiology fellowship for two years after I was out (since I was a part time attending). I currently select people to consider joining our company.

While certainly impressive, I don't really care what is on your CV outside of the med school admissions process. I was asking you to either provide data or share experiences you have to validate what you are claiming.

Most important things on every step of the med school and beyond applications process:
1. Do we know you?? Did you rotate with us or a friend with someone.
2. Do you have someone we trust vouching for you?? IN the case of you choosing UCLA, you might get a letter from a professor who has written letters for 20 previous USC med school students, and they all did good. We know this guy, and trust his judgement.
3. Have we had people from your program in our program before. And how have they done??

then a bunch of other stuff.

Every single one of these top 3 things in selecting someone at each step points to you going to the school with the best name, the best people, and the best contacts.

Huh? You do realize OP is a senior in high school?

What's your credentials??

I'm nobody and nothing.

To review, you are arguing OP should attend a school where the 25th and 75th %tile SAT scores are ~1910 and ~2270 respectively (last I checked.) The grade distribution for most prereqs at UCLA is roughly the following:

17% A+/A/A-
33% B+/B/B-
33% C+/C/C-,
17% for anything less than a C-

Being at the top of the curve of such a talented student body is no small feat. As in the majority of students do not get there. So strictly statistically speaking, OP will likely not have a GPA competitive for med school if goes to a school where he has average credentials (UCLA), versus a school where he is exceptional (Merced.) In any case, I only told OP what I would do based on my personal experience and the data that is available. Nobody is stopping him from attending UCLA if he so desires.

 

[GCS-15]

PM me if you want more details about Davis. There are TONS of opportunities to get involved here, and the classwork is definitely manageable. I really don't see any competition here - most people are just trying to do the best that they can. The atmosphere and whole vibe is great - people are really focused on school, but not so much that they are cutthroat. As other have said, it's true that UCLA is more prestigious/has a better reputation.

Also - the locations between the three schools is VERY different. Take that into account when you're making your decision.

 

[sss1219]

PM me if you want more details about Davis. There are TONS of opportunities to get involved here, and the classwork is definitely manageable. I really don't see any competition here - most people are just trying to do the best that they can. The atmosphere and whole vibe is great - people are really focused on school, but not so much that they are cutthroat. As other have said, it's true that UCLA is more prestigious/has a better reputation.

Also - the locations between the three schools is VERY different. Take that into account when you're making your decision.

I wrote about my experience at UCLA above, but you can also PM me for any questions about being a premed there OP! But like GCS-15 said, location and school culture difference is huge. I'm sure that if you're motivated enough you can do well at either school, so personally this may be the biggest thing to think about. Just imo though

 

[tantacles]

Currently senior in hs, deciding between LA, Davis, and Merced for undergrad

I have full rides at UCLA and UC Merced. At Davis I'll be paying around 6k per year, most likely through working. I also got into the Honors Program at Davis, which offers several perks (priority registration).

I listed my main concerns for each school based on what I know and read on sdn. Please tell me if these are valid issues at each school, how easy it would be to work around them, and ultimately what the best choice would be. I want to maintain a high GPA and get plenty of research experience.

UCLA
~cutthroat competition/ grade deflation
~hard to land research positions (so many smart premeds)

Davis
~Since I don't have a full ride here, I'll have to work. This may cut into study/ extracurric/ research time
~No medical center close by (UCD Med School is in downtown Sac)

Merced
~Not as many research opportunities
~No medical school
~Lacks prestige


Also if it helps, I'm entering as a computer science major at Davis and Merced, and chemistry at UCLA (planning to switch that to compsci as well)

Going to an undergraduate school with a medical school attached provides serious advantages. Among others, you have access to faculty who work at the medical school, you have access to a hospital you can rotate at, and you will likely have better advising. In addition, prestigious schools do, in fact, get a second look from medical schools. Not all, but many. UCLA is one of those schools that most people know to be an academic powerhouse.

With regard to grade deflation, you've received a full scholarship, so you won't be saddled with tremendous debt, and if you aren't able to do well enough in your courses to go to medical school, UCLA will give you plenty of other opportunities to pursue other careers.

The advice of some other posters in this thread is valuable. If you wish to go to medical school, don't just choose a major that you like, but choose one you can do well in, whatever that means for you. If you'll be able to get straight A's in comp-sci courses, great. If not, realize that any GPA below a 3.5-3.6 will hamper your ability to get into medical school significantly, and it might be in your best interest to switch.

 

[MedHopeful09]

.

 

[Jalby]

I figured you would google it, my apologies.
http://www.career.ucla.edu/Students/Resources-Reports-and-Media/Med-School-Stats
As you can see, there is no visible boost given to UCLA applicants according to the data that is available (to say the least.) That's why I specifically referred to tangible benefits. Heresay and "oh this one admissions committee member at Harvard really likes UCLA grads" is not exactly actionable.

Totally didn't read most of what you wrote, because it doesn't really matter. A total of 165 people applied for medical school from UCLA in 2013. 95 of them matriculated in medical school. Thats a 57% acceptance rate. What is the acceptance rate nowadays?? And if you look at the list of the schools, it is a good list of schools they were accepted. This actually proves the benefit of UCLA.

http://www.career.ucla.edu/Portals/...2013 Medical School Admissions Statistics.pdf


This is why I have said many many many times. I hate pre-meds. They think they are already doctors and they already know everything. I'm a doctor in real life. I was president at USC medical school. Go to UCLA. It is not even a close decision. It's like Hillary vs Bernie right now.

 

[Jalby]

And puhleez, I think it's laughable when people start bragging about credentials when at most they are n=1.

Puhleez...... what part of my reasons for going to UCLA was wrong?? You can attack the messenger who actually would have more information about which would be best, but it's kind of funny how your statement agrees with what I said.

 

[CaliJatt84]

Thanks for the input so far everyone, its really helpful and definitely appreciate it. I haven't visited any of these school, but plan to soon.

Several people mentioned that computer science will be a difficult major, which seems a little concerning. My main reason for choosing it was because I read that it's far more marketable at the bachelor level than a hard sciences degree, so I guess it'll have a good backup in case I don't get into med school. Open to any alternate suggestions though.

I did some research on the numbers for Davis and LA (couldn't find them for Merced, if someone does pls post), and I found the Latin Honors cutoffs.
http://catalog.ucdavis.edu/academicinfo/honors.html
http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/archive/catalog/2011-12/catalog/catalog11-12-41g.htm

It seems that to get a 3.81 or higher, you need to be in the top 10% at UCLA, and to get a 3.68 or higher you need to be in the top 20%.
For Davis, 3.8 seems to be between top 4% and 6%, and 3.68 is between top 8% and 12%.

So I guess the question is whether it's easier to be in the top 10% at UCLA or the top 5% at Davis. UCLA seems to be more difficult of the the three, but Davis seems to require being somewhat higher up in your class rank.

As for research, where would you be most likely to find a long term position? Do some independent work and get it published? How easy would it be to find paid research/ med related internships (this part only applies to Davis)?

 

[Toutie]

Totally didn't read most of what you wrote, because it doesn't really matter. A total of 165 people applied for medical school from UCLA in 2013. 95 of them matriculated in medical school. Thats a 57% acceptance rate. What is the acceptance rate nowadays?? And if you look at the list of the schools, it is a good list of schools they were accepted. This actually proves the benefit of UCLA.

http://www.career.ucla.edu/Portals/14/Documents/PDF/MedStats/2013 Medical School Admissions Statistics.pdf


This is why I have said many many many times. I hate pre-meds. They think they are already doctors and they already know everything. I'm a doctor in real life. I was president at USC medical school. Go to UCLA. It is not even a close decision. It's like Hillary vs Bernie right now.

You did not read the small print...."Note: The reported information is drawn from the American Association of Medical Colleges, 2013 and based solely on students who give permission to share data. Therefore, not all 2013 graduates who applied are represented."

Actually over 900 UCLA students apply to med school each year, not just the 165 who responded to that poll. I do not have numbers on how many of those are accepted. I do agree though, choose UCLA. You will need to work your butt off to have a GPA up where you need to be to be a successful applicant.

 

[futuremdforme]

How is this a hard decision? UCLA full ride. Great opportunities and if you decide to do a different career (comp eng) the name will help tremendously.

 

[ZedsDed]

Totally didn't read most of what you wrote, because it doesn't really matter. A total of 165 people applied for medical school from UCLA in 2013. 95 of them matriculated in medical school. Thats a 57% acceptance rate. What is the acceptance rate nowadays?? And if you look at the list of the schools, it is a good list of schools they were accepted. This actually proves the benefit of UCLA.

http://www.career.ucla.edu/Portals/14/Documents/PDF/MedStats/2013 Medical School Admissions Statistics.pdf


This is why I have said many many many times. I hate pre-meds. They think they are already doctors and they already know everything. I'm a doctor in real life. I was president at USC medical school. Go to UCLA. It is not even a close decision. It's like Hillary vs Bernie right now.

I don't think you really expect me to engage with you when you basically say

1) I don't care what you say

2) I'm right cause reasons

I was president at USC medical school.

???

 

[ZedsDed]

How is this a hard decision? UCLA full ride. Great opportunities and if you decide to do a different career (comp eng) the name will help tremendously.

Part of the problem is many people are overestimating the name of UCLA and it's value in the marketplace. I have an engineering degree from UCLA. It helps, a little. Nonetheless, I worked side-by-side with plenty of Cal-State grads and I did pretty well for myself.

 

[ZedsDed]

Thanks for the input so far everyone, its really helpful and definitely appreciate it. I haven't visited any of these school, but plan to soon.

Several people mentioned that computer science will be a difficult major, which seems a little concerning. My main reason for choosing it was because I read that it's far more marketable at the bachelor level than a hard sciences degree, so I guess it'll have a good backup in case I don't get into med school. Open to any alternate suggestions though.

I did some research on the numbers for Davis and LA (couldn't find them for Merced, if someone does pls post), and I found the Latin Honors cutoffs.
http://catalog.ucdavis.edu/academicinfo/honors.html
http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/archive/catalog/2011-12/catalog/catalog11-12-41g.htm

It seems that to get a 3.81 or higher, you need to be in the top 10% at UCLA, and to get a 3.68 or higher you need to be in the top 20%.
For Davis, 3.8 seems to be between top 4% and 6%, and 3.68 is between top 8% and 12%.

So I guess the question is whether it's easier to be in the top 10% at UCLA or the top 5% at Davis. UCLA seems to be more difficult of the the three, but Davis seems to require being somewhat higher up in your class rank.

Up to you.

As for research, where would you be most likely to find a long term position? Do some independent work and get it published? How easy would it be to find paid research/ med related internships (this part only applies to Davis)?

They both have medical schools that you can do research in if clinical research is your thing. LA's positions are more competitive and more prestigious (especially in the big-name labs), but this is counter-balanced by the shear abundance of labs that offer positions.

As for the paid research, I have no idea for Davis.

 

[Jalby]

Well, looks like everybody else is agreeing with UCLA being a no-brainer decision. I'm betting ZedsDed just had a bad experience at UCLA and is trying to push the school down because of it. Anyways, I'm moving on.

 

[sss1219]

Thanks for the input so far everyone, its really helpful and definitely appreciate it. I haven't visited any of these school, but plan to soon.

Several people mentioned that computer science will be a difficult major, which seems a little concerning. My main reason for choosing it was because I read that it's far more marketable at the bachelor level than a hard sciences degree, so I guess it'll have a good backup in case I don't get into med school. Open to any alternate suggestions though.

I did some research on the numbers for Davis and LA (couldn't find them for Merced, if someone does pls post), and I found the Latin Honors cutoffs.
http://catalog.ucdavis.edu/academicinfo/honors.html
http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/archive/catalog/2011-12/catalog/catalog11-12-41g.htm

It seems that to get a 3.81 or higher, you need to be in the top 10% at UCLA, and to get a 3.68 or higher you need to be in the top 20%.
For Davis, 3.8 seems to be between top 4% and 6%, and 3.68 is between top 8% and 12%.

So I guess the question is whether it's easier to be in the top 10% at UCLA or the top 5% at Davis. UCLA seems to be more difficult of the the three, but Davis seems to require being somewhat higher up in your class rank.

As for research, where would you be most likely to find a long term position? Do some independent work and get it published? How easy would it be to find paid research/ med related internships (this part only applies to Davis)?

Most engineers I knew graduated with ~3.4-3.5's, which was considered very respectable at UCLA. The people I knew in the majors I listed above graduated with 3.7's and up for the most part. So yes, we aren't expecting you to be sure that becoming a doctor is your definite goal in life at this point, but these other majors will be make it much easier for getting this done if it is. Only do comp sci if you are interested in comp sci, because it is an incredibly stressful major for the most part and you don't want to have to go through it simply to protect yourself in the long run. It kinda sounds like you are selling out, but getting into med school is so difficult nowadays that you really need to put yourself at as much of an advantage as you can. If you have even the slightest interest in pursuing engineering because you are actually interested in it and not because it pays well in life, I would go into the first 1-2 quarters and see what it's like, but keep in mind that you can switch to another major if premed is your higher priority. You have until ~2nd year to switch to a shorter major and complete on time, so keep this in mind.

In terms of latin honors, this is obviously going to be hard with the competition. And to put it bluntly, I don't know a single engineer who graduated with latin honors (but take this with a grain of salt because I didn't know that many tbh) but I am sure it is possible. Though, to get into the engineering workforce straight out of college you basically need to keep a reasonably respectable GPA and do above expectations in your engineering internships over summer - having an absurdly high GPA isn't required. Also, keep in mind that there is also departmental honors as well, which may not be as extraordinary as latin honors but is still very impressive and can go on your AMCAS.

UCLA has TONS of research happening so you really just need to reach out. Join AMSA or any other premedical society there that provides connections, talk to your major's academic advisor, and just keep in touch with your professors. Most advantageous is probably doing the Biomedical Research minor, it's very competitive to get into since most premeds are trying to do it but they have some very impressive research hookups for students that do get in. Otherwies, for finding it on your own, like I said, persistence is key. Most people start out in life sciences research doing it for extracurricular activity, and then once they develop a working relationship with their PI and prove their work ethic they can move on to develop an SRP which gives you credit for research. Alternatively, some people were able to negotiate a small wage. Up to what your PI can offer. Publishing is not promised, but the earlier you get into research the better - complete crapshoot that depends on what timeframe the project you get recruited on is working with. If you can't do this, definitely recommend doing poster days as often as you can.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Puhleez...... what part of my reasons for going to UCLA was wrong?? You can attack the messenger who actually would have more information about which would be best, but it's kind of funny how your statement agrees with what I said.

You are so caught up in your own "lofty" credentials that you only "see" that you are "right." What makes you have more info about what would be best? What if my statement agrees with what you said? That agreement has nothing to do with the act of putting your credentials on a pedestal when they are largely irrelevant. You seem to be one of those people that are completely full of themselves but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

 

[kilez12]

I can give you insight as a current senior at UCLA undergrad. My first few years at UCLA were challenging, but I thought they were doable. Pre-requisites at UCLA are definitely more challenging, but if you put the work into it, you can do it, but make sure you prepare yourself and don't get sidetracked. As far as easy classes at UCLA as @Jalby mentioned? There are plenty of those and there are a bunch of classes that are so easy that around 90% of students get As in them, of course, some of these courses won't count towards your major at all, but if you want a GPA boost then you can take them. There are also really easy upper division courses at UCLA depending on the major. Personally, I am not took sure about computer science major, but it's your choice since you seem to have a liking for this subject. But keep in mind, I believe you should always choose a major you can do well in and that's the most important advice I can give.

UCLA also has a lot of research activities and they require a bit of effort to find, but if you are persistent you will 100% eventually find a research position. Most undergraduate pre-meds I know all find a research position eventually. I think you should go with UCLA. It's such an amazing place to be and I love it so much. It's challenging, but doable. And don't believe what some of these other people are saying about how all the UCLA classes are challenging. That is FALSE - there are a bunch of GPA booster options here - you just have to know and take advice to older students who have been around. Good luck on your decision!

 

[ZedsDed]

I can give you insight as a current senior at UCLA undergrad. My first few years at UCLA were challenging, but I thought they were doable. Pre-requisites at UCLA are definitely more challenging, but if you put the work into it, you can do it, but make sure you prepare yourself and don't get sidetracked. As far as easy classes at UCLA as @Jalby mentioned? There are plenty of those and there are a bunch of classes that are so easy that around 90% of students get As in them, of course, some of these courses won't count towards your major at all, but if you want a GPA boost then you can take them. There are also really easy upper division courses at UCLA depending on the major. Personally, I am not took sure about computer science major, but it's your choice since you seem to have a liking for this subject. But keep in mind, I believe you should always choose a major you can do well in and that's the most important advice I can give.

UCLA also has a lot of research activities and they require a bit of effort to find, but if you are persistent you will 100% eventually find a research position. Most undergraduate pre-meds I know all find a research position eventually. I think you should go with UCLA. It's such an amazing place to be and I love it so much. It's challenging, but doable. And don't believe what some of these other people are saying about how all the UCLA classes are challenging. That is FALSE - there are a bunch of GPA booster options here - you just have to know and take advice to older students who have been around. Good luck on your decision!

C's in your prereq classes + A's in upper division humanities courses a good application do not make. I jest, but there is not a single prereq course that I am aware of (and maybe only one or two upper division bio courses) where 90% of the class gets an A.

 

[sss1219]

C's in your prereq classes + A's in upper division humanities courses a good application do not make. I jest, but there is not a single prereq course that I am aware of (and maybe only one or two upper division bio courses) where 90% of the class gets an A.

I don't think 90% is realistic but there are few lower div elective classes that you can take that count on AMCAS and that are incredibly easy. From the top of my head right now I recall Astro 3/4, which fall under the physics category for AMCAS and count for BCPM. In terms of your Maths, Bios, actual Physics, Chems/chem labs, and Biochems, that is a completely different story - those are much more cutthroat.

 

[kilez12]

C's in your prereq classes + A's in upper division humanities courses a good application do not make. I jest, but there is not a single prereq course that I am aware of (and maybe only one or two upper division bio courses) where 90% of the class gets an A.

Well, I got mostly As/A-/B+s in my pre-reqs. Most people I know don't end up with Cs unless they really don't care about their grades. I'm saying that it's doable at UCLA, not necessarily easy.

And regarding 90% get As I'm talking about certain upper divisions and also there are certain classes too that everyone knows as "GPA or SciGPA boosters." I did not use this claim in regards to pre-reqs
For example, Astro 3/4 and MIMG 6 are good examples of easy classes!!! Literally 90% of the class got As/A+s in MIMG 6, not even joking!!

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Toutie]

While I think UCLA is a great choice for you...I'm not so sure about a computer science major. It will very likely kill any chances you have of going to medical school.

1. Most of the CompSci courses have a tremendous workload. In addition to the typical 4 hours of lecture plus 2 hours of discussion, they have an additional 6-9 hours of outside study.
2. You have to take the more difficult math series, chem series, and physics series...as opposed to the "somewhat" easier life sci series of each of those.
3. Once you begin the more difficult math, chem, physics series you can not switch back down the less difficult series.
3. Those hours you spend on the Comp Sci outside study is going to be in addition to the hours spent on courses and labs for your pre-med pre-reqs, and your general-ed reqs. You still need to find the time for the volunteering, research and other ECs you need to have to build your med-school application. Your plate is going to be VERY full...to the point of overflowing.

The chances of you pulling a GPA in the 3.6/3.7 range as a comp sci major/"pre-med minor" at UCLA are slim. I will not say slim to none because there is always that outlier who can do it...but don't count on being that outlier.

If you want to go to med school, think very carefully about doing a computer science major as a "back-up" career, as it will very likely eliminate all chance of med school and will become your de facto career.

Not trying to scare you...just trying to make sure you have your eyes wide open and have some clue as to what is down that road you are considering.

 

[Jalby]

You are so caught up in your own "lofty" credentials that you only "see" that you are "right." What makes you have more info about what would be best? What if my statement agrees with what you said? That agreement has nothing to do with the act of putting your credentials on a pedestal when they are largely irrelevant. You seem to be one of those people that are completely full of themselves but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

google me...............

 

[MaxPlancker]

google me...............

Nobody cares if you've done residencies in 10 specialties, is a 10 time olympian, or the president of 10 nations. Congrats but that has no bearing on this thread and listing off your "credentials" as support for your claims that you know far much more than anyone here is ridiculous. The most relevant credential possible would be either the Dean/chair of an admissions committee (which would still be n = 1 regarding how one particular school tends to treat certain schools) or someone like Gonnif who's gone through dozens and dozens of admissions processes via his company.

 

[tzuyu&yuqi]

I'm getting a super arrogant feel from this Jalby guy......

 

[ZedsDed]

@CaliJatt84 you might find this post helpful OP. Efle is stupid smart. Err, you know what I mean.

Alright so, you're right to consider the difficulty of maintaining good grades. Every year a lot of bright high schoolers make a huge mistake by attending the "best" schools they get into when they're interested in premed. When you've been a standout in high school, it's tough to understand what it means to be in a class full of other similarly smart and hardworking students and need to be in the top 1/3rd or 1/4th that gets competitive grades. This can be especially pronounced at the top public schools because their grading tends to be more deflated than private peer schools - places like Berkeley, UCLA and Michigan get the double whammy of very good students and fewer A's. I once plotted my school (WashU, which is private but sees about 2/3rds of incoming premeds drop out) against the national dataset for MCAT vs GPA, and saw that students here with dangerously low GPAs like 3.3 perform similarly to the typical 3.9 students nationwide*. That's a serious effect that for many people is going to hurt your chances for MD admissions, or knock you out altogether before getting to the application stage.

Every year a lot of bright high schoolers also make the right choice by attending a tough undergrad. That group of people that remain standouts tend to do well in med admissions. It's awesome being surrounded by fellow nerdy tryhards that will really push you hard if you like to be challenged, and these schools churn out hundreds of premeds per year so there is usually a lot of resources for premeds. The AAMC survey in my signature also lists undergrad prestige as an important factor for private MD admissions, so it can help you out if having a name like Berkeley on your app impresses them. It's all a risk/reward to consider, because it's decidedly not awesome to work your butt off, get B's to show for it, and end up calling it quits.

What I'd advise most people is:

• Money. Don't pay tens of thousands of dollars for a fancier name.
• Fit. Most people have strong feelings about things like living in a major city vs small town in the middle of nowhere, strong sports, strong greek presence, region of the country / weather, school size, etc. Don't go somewhere you won't be happy.
• Premed resources. If you're trying to choose between similar places and one has better ways of getting students research, shadowing, less overcrowding in the premed required classes (a big problem in the UCs) etc take that one.
• Difficulty. Really think about what you're signing up for if you enroll at a tough school when GPA is the single most important academic factor in medical admissions. For a lot of people, the smartest move is to go to a cheap state school they like that has an honors college, where they can hang out with a bunch of other tryhards and have special access to registration, professors for research, etc. If it was my younger siblings I was advising and they were worried about this, I'd tell them to go somewhere like Colorado Boulder >> UCLA for sure.

For you in particular, I'd wait to get back all your acceptances before worrying about picking. Of the ones you've listed, I think Michigan would likely be a little tougher than OSU or UIUC, but they are all excellent and tough schools. I doubt any choice between those three would make or break your odds. It's more like UC Berkeley vs Santa Barbara type comparisons where one is going to be a much rougher ride.


*This compares science GPAs to cumulative GPAs, and sGPA tend to be lower by ~0.10, but still a huge effect. Half a point to your GPA moves you from low odds to get in anywhere (3.3ish) to solid and above-average (3.8ish)!

 

[ZedsDed]

I'm getting a super arrogant feel from this Jalby guy......

I don't care if he's arrogant if he's correct. What's important is that OP gets realistic advice.

 

[efle]

Currently senior in hs, deciding between LA, Davis, and Merced for undergrad

I have full rides at UCLA and UC Merced. At Davis I'll be paying around 6k per year, most likely through working. I also got into the Honors Program at Davis, which offers several perks (priority registration).

I listed my main concerns for each school based on what I know and read on sdn. Please tell me if these are valid issues at each school, how easy it would be to work around them, and ultimately what the best choice would be. I want to maintain a high GPA and get plenty of research experience.

UCLA
~cutthroat competition/ grade deflation
~hard to land research positions (so many smart premeds)

Davis
~Since I don't have a full ride here, I'll have to work. This may cut into study/ extracurric/ research time
~No medical center close by (UCD Med School is in downtown Sac)

Merced
~Not as many research opportunities
~No medical school
~Lacks prestige


Also if it helps, I'm entering as a computer science major at Davis and Merced, and chemistry at UCLA (planning to switch that to compsci as well)

Please send me a PM/start conversation

 

[Jalby]

I'm getting a super arrogant feel from this Jalby guy......

I'm sorry. When I see people giving very wrong advice and then telling other people that they are wrong, it sets me off. As you see from this thread, no one else thought UC Merced was a good idea over UCLA.

But yes, I've done enough here and proven my worth enough that I should never get my advice questioned. I'm not gonna wait 3 seconds beating around the bush.

 

[MaxPlancker]

I'm sorry. When I see people giving very wrong advice and then telling other people that they are wrong, it sets me off. As you see from this thread, no one else thought UC Merced was a good idea over UCLA.

But yes, I've done enough here and proven my worth enough that I should never get my advice questioned. I'm not gonna wait 3 seconds beating around the bush.

 

[ZedsDed]

I'm just happy we have @gyngyn