UCLA vs UCI premed!

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sirsharif329

sirsharif329

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Okay, so I got accepted to UCLA and UCI into their biology programs. I don' t wanna jump so fast to choosing LA because I know a lot of people who have gone to good undergrads but the curriculum was so demanding that they flopped into worse grad schools. I've also seen a lot of people go to undergrads that were decent and end up going to very good graduate universities. I was wondering if you guys could decide which university I should go to that would give me a better chance of getting into a really good medical school. Personally I want to go to UCI and my parents want me to go to UCLA so I'm really looking for some facts about as to why UCI is a better premed school than UCLA. I was hoping some of you more experienced members could share your wisdom, I really don't wanna go to UCLA...

UCI:

pros:
- Much more research and medical internships opportunities.
- Quieter environment than UCLA from what I heard, that means a lot to me because I wanna keep my head on straight and I'm a quiet kinda guy.
- If i went there I think I'd stand out more academically because the crowd is competitive, but not so much as UCLA.
- Less demanding courses will allow me to have more time to study for Mcats or better study for exams while also getting a job to help pay for university.
- Less demanding courses will allow me to enjoy university, not in a bad way but just kinda relax and whatnot.

Cons:
- Less prestigious than UCLA


UCLA:

pros:
- More prestigious
- great school in terms of academics

cons:
- my class rank is probably going to be lower with so many competitive people there
- Due to competition, it'll be harder to take part in smaller research teams conducted by professors.
- The harder curriculum will lower my GPA

So again, I want to go to UCI and my parents want me to go to UCLA. I believe going to UCI would be the safer bet into getting into a good medical school. Thank you!
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sirsharif329 said:
Okay, so I got accepted to UCLA and UCI into their biology programs. I don' t wanna jump so fast to choosing LA because I know a lot of people who have gone to good undergrads but the curriculum was so demanding that they flopped into worse grad schools. I've also seen a lot of people go to undergrads that were decent and end up going to very good graduate universities. I was wondering if you guys could decide which university I should go to that would give me a better chance of getting into a really good medical school. Personally I want to go to UCI and my parents want me to go to UCLA so I'm really looking for some facts about as to why UCI is a better premed school than UCLA. I was hoping some of you more experienced members could share your wisdom, I really don't wanna go to UCLA...

UCI:

pros:
- Much more research and medical internships opportunities.
- Quieter environment than UCLA from what I heard, that means a lot to me because I wanna keep my head on straight and I'm a quiet kinda guy.
- If i went there I think I'd stand out more academically because the crowd is competitive, but not so much as UCLA.
- Less demanding courses will allow me to have more time to study for Mcats or better study for exams while also getting a job to help pay for university.
- Less demanding courses will allow me to enjoy university, not in a bad way but just kinda relax and whatnot.

Cons:
- Less prestigious than UCLA


UCLA:

pros:
- More prestigious
- great school in terms of academics

cons:
- my class rank is probably going to be lower with so many competitive people there
- Due to competition, it'll be harder to take part in smaller research teams conducted by professors.
- The harder curriculum will lower my GPA

So again, I want to go to UCI and my parents want me to go to UCLA. I believe going to UCI would be the safer bet into getting into a good medical school. Thank you!
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You will be happier going where you want to go. Plus, for the reasons you mentioned, I think UCI is a better option anyways.
 
You should go wherever you think you will be happiest. You can get to medical school just as easily from UCI as you can from UCLA. It will completely depend on you, and how hard you are willing to work.

However, you should not decide to go to UCI b/c you think you will be more successful academically. The difference in intensity is minimal, and should not even factor in your decision making process.
 
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There is no difference between the course rigors of the UCs, with some rare, exceptions - like in some engineering fields. If you look at exams/grade distributions from biology and chemistry classes, they are pretty much uniform across all the UCs. The classes are too standardized (to the point where I think the questions are recycled from school to school) for that to play a role and both schools house a ridiculous amount of premeds (at UCI I think it's close to 20-25% of the incoming class).

As for the class rank of the students. Meh. The average GPA for UCI freshmen is 4.0 and for UCLA it's 4.3. The SAT stats are similar. The acceptance rate for UCLA is lower because it gets more applications (it's the more "well known" UC, along with Cal).

So don't go off of either of those two things, the difference is likely to be extremely minimal.

However, I will agree that UCI (and Irvine in general) is an EXTREMELY quiet city. At the same time, it's also extremely safe so whatever floats your boat.
 
Ok buddy. First off, it's really sad seeing the smartest people of their high school class head off to competitive UCs like UCLA, Cal, and SD. I think it's really unfair how these kids who aspired to become doctors worked so hard to get accepted to a prestigious undergrad, only to realize that it was the single WORST move they could make.

I went to UCI, transferred from SB. SB was great except for the fact that it was too much party for me. One of the reasons why Irvine appealed to me was because it was the safest UC, very quiet, great place to study, and it doesn't have that horrid party scene going on that you see in virtually all other schools. Honestly it's a very peaceful and wonderful school and I'm really glad you wish to go there.

Second, you're absolutely right. UCLA has a grade curve in which only 17% of the people get As. Now think about this logically, these are some of the smartest people in their high school. Those who got accepted to UCLA with 4.3s will find that they struggle to maintain good grades. I'm not saying it's impossible to get great grades at LA or CAL or something like that. What I'm saying is your safest, and smartest bet is to go to UCI like you suggested. Here's why. They have loads more research opportunities than what you'd find over at UCLA. It's easier to get good grades there, which means your chances at getting accepted to a good medical school will increase like hell.

You know Irvine sends their students to the top 15 med schools in the country every year? 13 last year went to UCSF, the 4th best medical school in the country. I myself went from Irvine to Princeton. It wasn't just the GPA that made me stand out though, no it was the many research opportunities that I was able to take place in here at UCI. See, UCLA has a good med school, but their premed is w/e. Kids will fight over internship spots all of the time. The people at that school are very stingy and will fight you for the better grade. I had friends that went to UCLA and most of them wanna be dentists instead of neurosurgeons now. With a 47% transfer rate to med school I wouldn't be too surprised with that fact.

Honestly, go to UCI. It's that perfect mid tier UC that'll boost your GPA, give you more research opportunities, and create a hell of a nice med school application for you. See if you wanted to go to UCLA for med school, you need to understand that they only take 2% of their premed students into their med school. What is that... like 5 people??!? if you wanted to go to LA for med, your best bet would be to go to another UC. But by going to UCI, you'd keep your options open.

Anyways, if that's not enough to convince your parents then just browse around on the internet and see what other students have to say. You'll notice the only people who suggest UCLA are the ones who don't know anything about their premed program and just know they have division 1 sports. Plus other comments from intelligence people will tend to suggest mid tier UCs, especially UCI because it has a strong biology department and ample medical opportunities. Again, this ought to have convinced your parents on where you want to should go. If they're those UCLA hype then I'd probably assume they're uneducated and think irrationally.

Go Anteaters!
 
PrincetonDoc said:
Ok buddy. First off, it's really sad seeing the smartest people of their high school class head off to competitive UCs like UCLA, Cal, and SD. I think it's really unfair how these kids who aspired to become doctors worked so hard to get accepted to a prestigious undergrad, only to realize that it was the single WORST move they could make.

I went to UCI, transferred from SB. SB was great except for the fact that it was too much party for me. One of the reasons why Irvine appealed to me was because it was the safest UC, very quiet, great place to study, and it doesn't have that horrid party scene going on that you see in virtually all other schools. Honestly it's a very peaceful and wonderful school and I'm really glad you wish to go there.

Second, you're absolutely right. UCLA has a grade curve in which only 17% of the people get As. Now think about this logically, these are some of the smartest people in their high school. Those who got accepted to UCLA with 4.3s will find that they struggle to maintain good grades. I'm not saying it's impossible to get great grades at LA or CAL or something like that. What I'm saying is your safest, and smartest bet is to go to UCI like you suggested. Here's why. They have loads more research opportunities than what you'd find over at UCLA. It's easier to get good grades there, which means your chances at getting accepted to a good medical school will increase like hell.

You know Irvine sends their students to the top 15 med schools in the country every year? 13 last year went to UCSF, the 4th best medical school in the country. I myself went from Irvine to Princeton. It wasn't just the GPA that made me stand out though, no it was the many research opportunities that I was able to take place in here at UCI. See, UCLA has a good med school, but their premed is w/e. Kids will fight over internship spots all of the time. The people at that school are very stingy and will fight you for the better grade. I had friends that went to UCLA and most of them wanna be dentists instead of neurosurgeons now. With a 47% transfer rate to med school I wouldn't be too surprised with that fact.

Honestly, go to UCI. It's that perfect mid tier UC that'll boost your GPA, give you more research opportunities, and create a hell of a nice med school application for you. See if you wanted to go to UCLA for med school, you need to understand that they only take 2% of their premed students into their med school. What is that... like 5 people??!? if you wanted to go to LA for med, your best bet would be to go to another UC. But by going to UCI, you'd keep your options open.

Anyways, if that's not enough to convince your parents then just browse around on the internet and see what other students have to say. You'll notice the only people who suggest UCLA are the ones who don't know anything about their premed program and just know they have division 1 sports. Plus other comments from intelligence people will tend to suggest mid tier UCs, especially UCI because it has a strong biology department and ample medical opportunities. Again, this ought to have convinced your parents on where you want to should go. If they're those UCLA hype then I'd probably assume they're uneducated and think irrationally.

Go Anteaters!
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:eyebrow: I was with you, until I got there.
 
...but..... What is most important above all else is the curve. The powers-that-be at Cal and UCLA realize that they have the some of the best and brightest, so they award more A's. The mean gpa of a LA Frosh is a 3.23. Cal is similar. The mean gpa of an Irvine Frosh is 2.9. (And before you head to Merced, recognize that their Frosh have a 2.6.)

Perhaps you might like to make an argument that LA has more grade-inflated hume/lit majors than Irvine as a %, but we'd need some numbers to go along with that theory.

UCI is a fine college with great science programs for those that want a quieter environment without the rah-rah of D1 sports. Great grades there will get you anywhere you want to go. But don't assume it will be much easier than the Big Two.
 
Big Dog said:
UCI is a fine college with great science programs for those that want a quieter environment without the rah-rah of D1 sports. .
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UCI has D1 sports......And just for the record UCI isn't that quiet. If you want to party, you can party. The city of Irvine is pretty dull though.
 
Every math class I took gave 15% As, every chem class I took gave 17-20% As and every bio class gave 17% As. This pretty much never changed (with the exception of 1 or 2 really bad teachers who have 2-8% As). I've heard this is pretty standard across all science schools across all UCs. Like I said before, your grades will be the same at either school.

Also, Princeton med? Wtf?
 
if you wanna study hard go to UCI, if you wanna study harder go to UCLA
 
Run with the big Dogs and don't be afraid of the competition - the only real competition is in your head - so let it go.
 
I love UC Irvine and all that, but I would be lying if I said I wouldn't jump at the chance to get into UCLA for undergrad. In the end though, it is what you make of it, I didn't get into UCLA for undergrad, but I did make the most of my time at Irvine. At least there was Newport Beach for the parties because Irvine is all kinds of dull as a city.
 
I went to UCI and my wife went to UCLA. We came to the conclusion that the less competitive atmosphere at UCI is more conducive to a less stressful and more successful experience during undergrad. Also the support for pre-meds at the student affairs office at UCI is more welcoming and helpfull. They have many programs in place to help you find EC opportunites very easily. My wife said if she could do it again she'd go to UCI (although she still kicked butt in LA).
 
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csiplon said:
I went to UCI and my wife went to UCLA. We came to the conclusion that the less competitive atmosphere at UCI is more conducive to a less stressful and more successful experience during undergrad. Also the support for pre-meds at the student affairs office at UCI is more welcoming and helpfull. They have many programs in place to help you find EC opportunites very easily. My wife said if she could do it again she'd go to UCI (although she still kicked butt in LA).
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Go to UCI and get a fantastic GPA.
 
I don't understand the logic of people who say they want to go to a less rigorous undergraduate institution as if that was going to make some kind of difference in the long run.

You folks do realize that the MCAT is a standardized test, right? You're going to be competing against the whole country anyway. And even if you are somehow able to slip by, all of your classmates in medical school were the top students at their respective undergraduate institutions. You're going to have to compete with them for class rank during medical school, and you're going to compete with every single medical student in the country when you take the USMLE. You're going to have to compete with them when you apply for residency (and where you went go for residency is MUCH more important than where you went to medical school).

At some point and time, whether you like it or not, you're going to have to learn to compete with extremely smart and motivated people. If you are already looking for an easy way out before you even start the process, then don't even bother. If you can't hang at a competitive undergrad, then what makes you think you can get through medical school?

And for the record, both UCLA and UCI are great schools and both have extremely competitive students. You won't find one significantly easier than the other.
 
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DarknightX said:
I don't understand the logic of people who say they want to go to a less rigorous undergraduate institution as if that was going to make some kind of difference in the long run.

You folks do realize that the MCAT is a standardized test, right? You're going to be competing against the whole country anyway. And even if you are somehow able to slip by, all of your classmates in medical school were the top students at their respective undergraduate institutions. You're going to have to compete with them for class rank during medical school, and you're going to compete with every single medical student in the country when you take the USMLE. You're going to have to compete with them when you apply for residency (and where you went go for residency is MUCH more important than where you went to medical school).

At some point and time, whether you like it or not, you're going to have to learn to compete with extremely smart and motivated people. If you are already looking for an easy way out before you even start the process, then don't even bother. If you can't hang at a competitive undergrad, then what makes you think you can get through medical school?

And for the record, both UCLA and UCI are great schools and both have extremely competitive students. You won't find one significantly easier than the other.
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throw a UCI kid into UCLA u'll see why that's not true.
 
nicolemeooow said:
throw a UCI kid into UCLA u'll see why that's not true.
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By that logic, that would mean UCLA pre-meds always outscore UCI premeds on the MCAT.

I'm at a UC for medical school, and the majority of my class went to Cal, UCLA, and UCI. I went to UCLA for undergrad, and I'm very confident that my UCI counterparts would have done just as well at UCLA. Many of them got much higher scores on the MCAT than I did, and some of them were near the top of our class, beating out people who went to Cal, UCLA, etc.

You missed the whole point of my post, and that's probably my fault. If UCI is attractive to someone because it's "easier", then that's the wrong mentality to have, as once you get to medical school, you'll have to compete against the students you were trying to avoid. If someone's main reason for attending a school is because it's "easier" than they probably aren't going to make it to medical school anyway.
 
OP, I had a similar dilemma almost four years ago. UCLA had always been my dream school but once I got in and visited, besides the buildings, and I can't really pinpoint what it was, i just didn't feel at home. Because of that feeling and being accepted to a research I had emailed months before, I decided that UCI would be the place for me.

I applied to med schools this year and interviewed at all the UCs and even Harvard. My only reason for telling you is to assure you that going to UCI will not hinder you. Once you start school you will quickly realize that it doesn't matter what undergrad you go to, but rather what you make of all of your opportunities.

For me going to UCI let me balance my academic, what I needed to do to reach my goals while also staying close to family and maintaining my own personal happiness. If you think UCI will do that for you then choose UCI, if you feel UCLA then go to UCLA.

In terms of classes and rigor, you will soon learn that at every university there are more rigorous courses that attract the sharpest students who want to work really hard and there are other courses that everyone is taking to take a break because they are infamous for being easy.

Writing all of this, I really just wanted to share that you should follow the advice of others that you should go were you think you will be happy. Be confident with your decision because you will think about for the next four years. Making the decision for yourself will keep you happier because in the tough moments of your college years you want to take responsibility for your decision. Letting your parents make the decision may create a rift in your relationship with your parents if it doesn't turn out the way you wanted. I know this is a hard decision, but congratulations, you will not go wrong either way!

PM me if you have any other questions about UCI.
 
DarknightX said:
By that logic, that would mean UCLA pre-meds always outscore UCI premeds on the MCAT.

I'm at a UC for medical school, and the majority of my class went to Cal, UCLA, and UCI. I went to UCLA for undergrad, and I'm very confident that my UCI counterparts would have done just as well at UCLA. Many of them got much higher scores on the MCAT than I did, and some of them were near the top of our class, beating out people who went to Cal, UCLA, etc.

You missed the whole point of my post, and that's probably my fault. If UCI is attractive to someone because it's "easier", then that's the wrong mentality to have, as once you get to medical school, you'll have to compete against the students you were trying to avoid. If someone's main reason for attending a school is because it's "easier" than they probably aren't going to make it to medical school anyway.
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No doubt, there are populations of great students at every university. But, if someone can be competitive for less effort, why not? You will always have more chances to prove yourself, all those things of which you had mentioned.

Another way to look at it is, why take the mountainous path when you can go around it and save your energy for the good stuff? What do you learn in undergrad that is so critical anyway?

I say, go to UCI.
 
sirsharif329 said:
Okay, so I got accepted to UCLA and UCI into their biology programs. I don' t wanna jump so fast to choosing LA because I know a lot of people who have gone to good undergrads but the curriculum was so demanding that they flopped into worse grad schools. I've also seen a lot of people go to undergrads that were decent and end up going to very good graduate universities. I was wondering if you guys could decide which university I should go to that would give me a better chance of getting into a really good medical school. Personally I want to go to UCI and my parents want me to go to UCLA so I'm really looking for some facts about as to why UCI is a better premed school than UCLA. I was hoping some of you more experienced members could share your wisdom, I really don't wanna go to UCLA...

UCI:

pros:
- Much more research and medical internships opportunities.
- Quieter environment than UCLA from what I heard, that means a lot to me because I wanna keep my head on straight and I'm a quiet kinda guy.
- If i went there I think I'd stand out more academically because the crowd is competitive, but not so much as UCLA.
- Less demanding courses will allow me to have more time to study for Mcats or better study for exams while also getting a job to help pay for university.
- Less demanding courses will allow me to enjoy university, not in a bad way but just kinda relax and whatnot.

Cons:
- Less prestigious than UCLA


UCLA:

pros:
- More prestigious
- great school in terms of academics

cons:
- my class rank is probably going to be lower with so many competitive people there
- Due to competition, it'll be harder to take part in smaller research teams conducted by professors.
- The harder curriculum will lower my GPA

So again, I want to go to UCI and my parents want me to go to UCLA. I believe going to UCI would be the safer bet into getting into a good medical school. Thank you!
Click to expand...

It DOES NOT matter which school you go to. You are NOT ranked versus your classmates. I was in your shoes 6 years ago when I was choosing between UCLA, UCI (full ride), Berkeley. Back then I was young and naive and I choose berkeley because it was a better school and medical schools care. WRONG. Worse mistake of my life. The only thing medical schools really care about is

1) Race
2) MCAT and GPA (notice class "rank" isn't on this list)
3) Extracurriculars (top tier schools heavily emphasize research)
4) Money and letters of rec

So here are the reasons why UCI is the better choice

1) Compared to Berkeley, the classes are more mellow. It's not "easy" but the people are not as much gun-ho "I am the best" type. I mean my experience at berkeley came down to this and I am sure its similar at UCLA. People party and I studied. I am not a super genius and I had to study hard to get that A in the weeder classes. I thought grades was the number 1 most important thing and I was wrong. Grades only get you so far and the rest is connections (thats where UCI comes in).

2) At UCI (also UCLA) you get easier access to their medical school and the professors there. You can kiss ass and get on your knees beg for a research position. 1 letter from a MD or professor that is IN the med school pretty much gives you a HUGE advantage. Another advantage at UCI is that is that their med center is in Orange and you could easily just drive there. Whereas in UCLA their med center you gotta drive across LA (omg traffice up the butt 😀) This is assuming you mommy and daddy aren't doctors and you aren't hooked up already.

3) I have a kid in my med school who went to UCI. He was on academic probation cuz he partied too much his first year. And you know what happened? Certain faculty at UCI cared enough to actually seek him out and set him on the right path. At berkeley you sink or swim and thats it...Not one gives a crap. I can't say what its like at UCLA but like any other school im sure the sink or swim mentality is there. Although this is a case study type deal but I have never heard a facilty going out of their way to help you at berkeley (unless you are a athlete or minority- excluding asians), you gotta seek your own help (which by that time is too late for most people).

4) UCI girls cuter. Hands down.😍It's a nice place to find yourself a cute girlfriend. If your a girl then well, I can't comment on the status of boys at UCI.

5) The system isn't fair and the truth of the matter is if you REALLY wanted to get into medical school. I would just go to a private school. Especially one with a medical school. I will give you the example of TUFTS med. They accept boston students into their medical school in their SECOND year (especially from their undergrad campus which make up 20% of their class). 1/4 to 1/5 of their class basically didn't have to study for the MCAT because they only require it out of formality and they don't care what score you get. At private schools there is a lot more room for "conflict of interest" type behavior because frankly they are private schools and they don't give a **** about what the government wants them to do. For example I go to a private med school (I won't say which) and one of my classmates has a dad on the admissions committee. LOL. Another person has a dad that works IN the hospital. Hell half my class have parents that are doctors and got the connections. Their grades in college were subpar (a few are exceptions). An old alumni literally told me that his kid was an epic failure in college but because he donated money to my school, so the school accepted him. Moral of the story at private schools you can kiss ass your way in because connections can take you a long way.

In the end what I am trying to tell you is. Grades arent everything and you should go to a school where you are happy. MCATs, grades all that matter but in the end if you want to get into a top tier school its all about the letters of rec because everyone has top tier scores and grades. It especially helps if you know someone on the inside. The most important thing is going to a university with a medical school because it simply makes your life that much easier.

Also when evualting your chances of getting into medical school you gotta take into account your own race. This isn't a rant about how unfair the system is but rather to give you a realistic view on which schools to choose. When you look at the average GPA/MCAT in most medical school, you can't take it at face value. There is a bimodal split between the non-traditional applicants/minorities and everyone else. Depend on which side were you belong on, you may have to go above the advertised average.

Also as a word of encouragement. Even if you don't get in after undergrad, don't give up. Plenty of people in my class applied again and got in. Or they got a masters then got accepted. If medicine is really something you want to do then just keep trying. Most of all stay happy because your youth is something you should not squander.
 
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Funny that no one has brought up cost of living. I pay twice as much to live near UCLA than my UCI friends pay to live near their campus. That makes a big difference in quality of life. Then again, they probably spend that on gas each month getting out of Irvine to have fun.

As for the schools, which one is harder depends more on major than anything. Their physics and chemistry seem easier than mine, but my biology classes and math classes seem easier than theirs.

The one thing I'd plug for UCLA is that you can get clinical research at the medical school pretty easily and there's a hospital on campus. UCI has a medical school, but the hospital is far from campus, so most research is labwork.

Go to the school you prefer. Both are good, but different. I am a strong believer that UCLA was a better fit for me than UCI. But my friends at UCI would tell you the same thing bout their experience as an Anteater.

Choose what fits your personality.
 
I went to UCLA and it was a joke because I had already taken the majority of my classes as AP classes in high school.

The competition in college is nothing compared to the competition in med school.

I would suggest that you go to the hardest school possible. If you can't make the cut there, you'll most likely not make the cut in med school.

People think that getting into med school is the end game, but one has to realize that if you can't make it in the med school environment, they will kick you out.
 
ransom140 said:
It DOES NOT matter which school you go to. You are NOT ranked versus your classmates. I was in your shoes 6 years ago when I was choosing between UCLA, UCI (full ride), Berkeley. Back then I was young and naive and I choose berkeley because it was a better school and medical schools care. WRONG. Worse mistake of my life. The only thing medical schools really care about is

1) Race
2) MCAT and GPA (notice class "rank" isn't on this list)
3) Extracurriculars (top tier schools heavily emphasize research)
4) Money and letters of rec

So here are the reasons why UCI is the better choice

1) Compared to Berkeley, the classes are more mellow. It's not "easy" but the people are not as much gun-ho "I am the best" type. I mean my experience at berkeley came down to this and I am sure its similar at UCLA. People party and I studied. I am not a super genius and I had to study hard to get that A in the weeder classes. I thought grades was the number 1 most important thing and I was wrong. Grades only get you so far and the rest is connections (thats where UCI comes in).

2) At UCI (also UCLA) you get easier access to their medical school and the professors there. You can kiss ass and get on your knees beg for a research position. 1 letter from a MD or professor that is IN the med school pretty much gives you a HUGE advantage. Another advantage at UCI is that is that their med center is in Orange and you could easily just drive there. Whereas in UCLA their med center you gotta drive across LA (omg traffice up the butt 😀) This is assuming you mommy and daddy aren't doctors and you aren't hooked up already.

3) I have a kid in my med school who went to UCI. He was on academic probation cuz he partied too much his first year. And you know what happened? Certain faculty at UCI cared enough to actually seek him out and set him on the right path. At berkeley you sink or swim and thats it...Not one gives a crap. I can't say what its like at UCLA but like any other school im sure the sink or swim mentality is there. Although this is a case study type deal but I have never heard a facilty going out of their way to help you at berkeley (unless you are a athlete or minority- excluding asians), you gotta seek your own help (which by that time is too late for most people).

4) UCI girls cuter. Hands down.😍It's a nice place to find yourself a cute girlfriend. If your a girl then well, I can't comment on the status of boys at UCI.

5) The system isn't fair and the truth of the matter is if you REALLY wanted to get into medical school. I would just go to a private school. Especially one with a medical school. I will give you the example of TUFTS med. They accept boston students into their medical school in their SECOND year (especially from their undergrad campus which make up 20% of their class). 1/4 to 1/5 of their class basically didn't have to study for the MCAT because they only require it out of formality and they don't care what score you get. At private schools there is a lot more room for "conflict of interest" type behavior because frankly they are private schools and they don't give a **** about what the government wants them to do. For example I go to a private med school (I won't say which) and one of my classmates has a dad on the admissions committee. LOL. Another person has a dad that works IN the hospital. Hell half my class have parents that are doctors and got the connections. Their grades in college were subpar (a few are exceptions). An old alumni literally told me that his kid was an epic failure in college but because he donated money to my school, so the school accepted him. Moral of the story at private schools you can kiss ass your way in because connections can take you a long way.

In the end what I am trying to tell you is. Grades arent everything and you should go to a school where you are happy. MCATs, grades all that matter but in the end if you want to get into a top tier school its all about the letters of rec because everyone has top tier scores and grades. It especially helps if you know someone on the inside. The most important thing is going to a university with a medical school because it simply makes your life that much easier.

Also when evualting your chances of getting into medical school you gotta take into account your own race. This isn't a rant about how unfair the system is but rather to give you a realistic view on which schools to choose. When you look at the average GPA/MCAT in most medical school, you can't take it at face value. There is a bimodal split between the non-traditional applicants/minorities and everyone else. Depend on which side were you belong on, you may have to go above the advertised average.

Also as a word of encouragement. Even if you don't get in after undergrad, don't give up. Plenty of people in my class applied again and got in. Or they got a masters then got accepted. If medicine is really something you want to do then just keep trying. Most of all stay happy because your youth is something you should not squander.
Click to expand...

1. hmmm.... last time I checked, UCLA's med school and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was literally right next to the undergrad campus. In fact, if your an undergrad and live in the main apartment complex area next to Gayley Ave, you have to walk past the medical center to get to your science/engineering/math classes in South Campus. Kinda beats driving to Orange

2. UCLA girls are amazing, just take a walk through North Campus during the spring and summer.

3. other stuff i pretty much agree with 👍
 
ransom140 said:
It DOES NOT matter which school you go to. You are NOT ranked versus your classmates. I was in your shoes 6 years ago when I was choosing between UCLA, UCI (full ride), Berkeley. Back then I was young and naive and I choose berkeley because it was a better school and medical schools care. WRONG. Worse mistake of my life. The only thing medical schools really care about is

1) Race
2) MCAT and GPA (notice class "rank" isn't on this list)
3) Extracurriculars (top tier schools heavily emphasize research)
4) Money and letters of rec

So here are the reasons why UCI is the better choice

1) Compared to Berkeley, the classes are more mellow. It's not "easy" but the people are not as much gun-ho "I am the best" type. I mean my experience at berkeley came down to this and I am sure its similar at UCLA. People party and I studied. I am not a super genius and I had to study hard to get that A in the weeder classes. I thought grades was the number 1 most important thing and I was wrong. Grades only get you so far and the rest is connections (thats where UCI comes in).

2) At UCI (also UCLA) you get easier access to their medical school and the professors there. You can kiss ass and get on your knees beg for a research position. 1 letter from a MD or professor that is IN the med school pretty much gives you a HUGE advantage. Another advantage at UCI is that is that their med center is in Orange and you could easily just drive there. Whereas in UCLA their med center you gotta drive across LA (omg traffice up the butt 😀) This is assuming you mommy and daddy aren't doctors and you aren't hooked up already.

3) I have a kid in my med school who went to UCI. He was on academic probation cuz he partied too much his first year. And you know what happened? Certain faculty at UCI cared enough to actually seek him out and set him on the right path. At berkeley you sink or swim and thats it...Not one gives a crap. I can't say what its like at UCLA but like any other school im sure the sink or swim mentality is there. Although this is a case study type deal but I have never heard a facilty going out of their way to help you at berkeley (unless you are a athlete or minority- excluding asians), you gotta seek your own help (which by that time is too late for most people).

4) UCI girls cuter. Hands down.😍It's a nice place to find yourself a cute girlfriend. If your a girl then well, I can't comment on the status of boys at UCI.

5) The system isn't fair and the truth of the matter is if you REALLY wanted to get into medical school. I would just go to a private school. Especially one with a medical school. I will give you the example of TUFTS med. They accept boston students into their medical school in their SECOND year (especially from their undergrad campus which make up 20% of their class). 1/4 to 1/5 of their class basically didn't have to study for the MCAT because they only require it out of formality and they don't care what score you get. At private schools there is a lot more room for "conflict of interest" type behavior because frankly they are private schools and they don't give a **** about what the government wants them to do. For example I go to a private med school (I won't say which) and one of my classmates has a dad on the admissions committee. LOL. Another person has a dad that works IN the hospital. Hell half my class have parents that are doctors and got the connections. Their grades in college were subpar (a few are exceptions). An old alumni literally told me that his kid was an epic failure in college but because he donated money to my school, so the school accepted him. Moral of the story at private schools you can kiss ass your way in because connections can take you a long way.

In the end what I am trying to tell you is. Grades arent everything and you should go to a school where you are happy. MCATs, grades all that matter but in the end if you want to get into a top tier school its all about the letters of rec because everyone has top tier scores and grades. It especially helps if you know someone on the inside. The most important thing is going to a university with a medical school because it simply makes your life that much easier.

Also when evualting your chances of getting into medical school you gotta take into account your own race. This isn't a rant about how unfair the system is but rather to give you a realistic view on which schools to choose. When you look at the average GPA/MCAT in most medical school, you can't take it at face value. There is a bimodal split between the non-traditional applicants/minorities and everyone else. Depend on which side were you belong on, you may have to go above the advertised average.

Also as a word of encouragement. Even if you don't get in after undergrad, don't give up. Plenty of people in my class applied again and got in. Or they got a masters then got accepted. If medicine is really something you want to do then just keep trying. Most of all stay happy because your youth is something you should not squander.
Click to expand...


These are the most honest words you'll hear. Much PROPS to ransom. After going through the process this year and having experienced these feelings before, I really believe that if you want to have the greatest chances of getting into medical school go to UCI.

I think the biggest fault is the sense of entitlement a lot of us feel after working hard in high school and wanting to go to a big name school. Either way, your experience will be most of what you make of it. With that said, I know plenty of people that do just fine and have great experiences at all of these schools.
 
ransom140 said:
It DOES NOT matter which school you go to. You are NOT ranked versus your classmates. I was in your shoes 6 years ago when I was choosing between UCLA, UCI (full ride), Berkeley. Back then I was young and naive and I choose berkeley because it was a better school and medical schools care. WRONG. Worse mistake of my life. The only thing medical schools really care about is

1) Race
2) MCAT and GPA (notice class "rank" isn't on this list)
3) Extracurriculars (top tier schools heavily emphasize research)
4) Money and letters of rec

So here are the reasons why UCI is the better choice

1) Compared to Berkeley, the classes are more mellow. It's not "easy" but the people are not as much gun-ho "I am the best" type. I mean my experience at berkeley came down to this and I am sure its similar at UCLA. People party and I studied. I am not a super genius and I had to study hard to get that A in the weeder classes. I thought grades was the number 1 most important thing and I was wrong. Grades only get you so far and the rest is connections (thats where UCI comes in).

2) At UCI (also UCLA) you get easier access to their medical school and the professors there. You can kiss ass and get on your knees beg for a research position. 1 letter from a MD or professor that is IN the med school pretty much gives you a HUGE advantage. Another advantage at UCI is that is that their med center is in Orange and you could easily just drive there. Whereas in UCLA their med center you gotta drive across LA (omg traffice up the butt 😀) This is assuming you mommy and daddy aren't doctors and you aren't hooked up already.

3) I have a kid in my med school who went to UCI. He was on academic probation cuz he partied too much his first year. And you know what happened? Certain faculty at UCI cared enough to actually seek him out and set him on the right path. At berkeley you sink or swim and thats it...Not one gives a crap. I can't say what its like at UCLA but like any other school im sure the sink or swim mentality is there. Although this is a case study type deal but I have never heard a facilty going out of their way to help you at berkeley (unless you are a athlete or minority- excluding asians), you gotta seek your own help (which by that time is too late for most people).

4) UCI girls cuter. Hands down.😍It's a nice place to find yourself a cute girlfriend. If your a girl then well, I can't comment on the status of boys at UCI.

5) The system isn't fair and the truth of the matter is if you REALLY wanted to get into medical school. I would just go to a private school. Especially one with a medical school. I will give you the example of TUFTS med. They accept boston students into their medical school in their SECOND year (especially from their undergrad campus which make up 20% of their class). 1/4 to 1/5 of their class basically didn't have to study for the MCAT because they only require it out of formality and they don't care what score you get. At private schools there is a lot more room for "conflict of interest" type behavior because frankly they are private schools and they don't give a **** about what the government wants them to do. For example I go to a private med school (I won't say which) and one of my classmates has a dad on the admissions committee. LOL. Another person has a dad that works IN the hospital. Hell half my class have parents that are doctors and got the connections. Their grades in college were subpar (a few are exceptions). An old alumni literally told me that his kid was an epic failure in college but because he donated money to my school, so the school accepted him. Moral of the story at private schools you can kiss ass your way in because connections can take you a long way.

In the end what I am trying to tell you is. Grades arent everything and you should go to a school where you are happy. MCATs, grades all that matter but in the end if you want to get into a top tier school its all about the letters of rec because everyone has top tier scores and grades. It especially helps if you know someone on the inside. The most important thing is going to a university with a medical school because it simply makes your life that much easier.

Also when evualting your chances of getting into medical school you gotta take into account your own race. This isn't a rant about how unfair the system is but rather to give you a realistic view on which schools to choose. When you look at the average GPA/MCAT in most medical school, you can't take it at face value. There is a bimodal split between the non-traditional applicants/minorities and everyone else. Depend on which side were you belong on, you may have to go above the advertised average.

Also as a word of encouragement. Even if you don't get in after undergrad, don't give up. Plenty of people in my class applied again and got in. Or they got a masters then got accepted. If medicine is really something you want to do then just keep trying. Most of all stay happy because your youth is something you should not squander.
Click to expand...

This, by far, is the most honest response I've seen for awhile. I am living proof of what this guy just said. I went to UCI, met my gf there, got my 4.0, did the hospital and research thing...and I'm in med school right now.
UCI is just more chillax.

If I have anything to add, it is to work smarter, not harder. =)
 
Both are terrific institutions, but UCI is a bit boring for my taste. Irvine is kind of an old retired/rich housewives city. There's much more happening at UCLA. At UCLA your competition will be very intense, and with ridiculous curves that means only 17% or so percent get A's. this is 17% amongst people who had 4.3s+ in high school. UC irvine will probably be a bit easier since the competition wont be as intense. If i were to do undergrad again i would go to a Cal State, so i could have a 4.0, with my competition being students who averaged 3.5 in high school. Med schools seem to not pay too much attention as to where you went for undergrad. So i say take the easiest route possible, which will require less stress. Because you will need to save those nerves for med school. Do well in college, study hard for the MCAT, get involved in research, and do something meaningful for the community, and you will get in regardless of where you went for undergrad.
 
I'm at UCLA now. I wasn't the best student in HS but I learned how to study in community college and am now out-competing all the students here. Is it tough? yes. but it isn't that hard to stand out academically.

I can't comment on UCI's academics but I would imagine it can't be too different (though the gunners at UCLA can be pretty intense).

What makes ucla suck nuts is there are so many pre-med students and so little spots for EC's. I tried for a full year before I could land research, and that is only because I went off campus to a hospital down in santa monica. All the clubs, groups, volunteering positions are so jam packed with applicants that it is nearly impossible to stand out and often you get passed up simply by chance (but I also suspect this may be because I'm white and reverse racism is huge on campus). Essentially if you want any significant EC's to put on your resume, then you either have to go off campus or be extremely lucky (Or have a lot of money to go on those pay-your-own-way missions trips).

UCI has a lot less competitive environment and I'm sure it is much easier to beef up your application with EC's that you actually care about, and not ones you have to do because they are the only ones who took you.


A Caveat: Since you will be constantly comparing yourself to your fellow students, you might think that you are the bees knees at UCI, but at UCLA you might be just another average pre-med. Therefore you will have to be highly motivated to go above and beyond the typical pre-med at UCI in order to compete. (I liked the fact that I was constantly reminded how much of a sucky applicant I was at UCLA- motivated me to keep on trying and focus on my weak spots.)
 
I can't speak for UCLA, but I am at UCI right now and they seriously don't want to give out any A's. The 17% of the people in Bio classes that get A's study their @sses off. I am sure it could be even worse in LA (?).

Looking back at it, I would have gone to a private college. Honestly, UCI sucks for pre-meds.
 
rls303 said:
I can't speak for UCLA, but I am at UCI right now and they seriously don't want to give out any A's. The 17% of the people in Bio classes that get A's study their @sses off. I am sure it could be even worse in LA (?).

Looking back at it, I would have gone to a private college. Honestly, UCI sucks for pre-meds.
Click to expand...

Ha! They say 17% As, but usually it's 7% As and 10% A-s 😉
 
This is probably one of the most depressing threads I've ever read.
 
CaliGirl14 said:
This is probably one of the most depressing threads I've ever read.
Click to expand...

I don't know. I think some of the posts are pretty inspired and informative, and honest on the pros and the cons
 
i go to UCLA, and most of my good friends go to UCI. i would say 1) for biology-related majors, it's slightly less difficult than ucla, 2) probably more opportunities and easier to outshine competition, and 3) definitely has cuter asian girls. ucla has hot asian girls, but they are always in top sororities, which basically means that they are off-limits.
 
DarknightX said:
By that logic, that would mean UCLA pre-meds always outscore UCI premeds on the MCAT.

I'm at a UC for medical school, and the majority of my class went to Cal, UCLA, and UCI. I went to UCLA for undergrad, and I'm very confident that my UCI counterparts would have done just as well at UCLA. Many of them got much higher scores on the MCAT than I did, and some of them were near the top of our class, beating out people who went to Cal, UCLA, etc.

You missed the whole point of my post, and that's probably my fault. If UCI is attractive to someone because it's "easier", then that's the wrong mentality to have, as once you get to medical school, you'll have to compete against the students you were trying to avoid. If someone's main reason for attending a school is because it's "easier" than they probably aren't going to make it to medical school anyway.
Click to expand...

i don't think that having that mentality is necessarily wrong. getting into med school is a legitimate concern for college students. who cares if the OP does terrible in med school...he's still going to be a doctor.
 
Really thanks for all of your responses. Most of you had very serious and very helpful answers. In the end I chose UCI. Haha, I probably came across one or two depressing comments, but all in all it was extremely helpful. And not because I wanted the easier way out or that I'm even thinking about slacking off for one second. If anything I know I'm going to work much harder, and I'm gonna stick to that. The moment you start second guessing your own abilities is the moment you won't reach your full potential. My plan is to work even harder, stand out more, and hopefully get accepted to a kick ass med school. UCLA med school would be awesome though, that's where my hero went for his med studies. Thanks again for everything guys, I made sure to read each and every comment.

Btw I'm a guy.. 😵
and I also have a girlfriend, so the chicks aren't really a factor lol
 
halethsonofhama said:
I'm at UCLA now. I wasn't the best student in HS but I learned how to study in community college and am now out-competing all the students here. Is it tough? yes. but it isn't that hard to stand out academically.

I can't comment on UCI's academics but I would imagine it can't be too different (though the gunners at UCLA can be pretty intense).

What makes ucla suck nuts is there are so many pre-med students and so little spots for EC's. I tried for a full year before I could land research, and that is only because I went off campus to a hospital down in santa monica. All the clubs, groups, volunteering positions are so jam packed with applicants that it is nearly impossible to stand out and often you get passed up simply by chance (but I also suspect this may be because I'm white and reverse racism is huge on campus). Essentially if you want any significant EC's to put on your resume, then you either have to go off campus or be extremely lucky (Or have a lot of money to go on those pay-your-own-way missions trips).

UCI has a lot less competitive environment and I'm sure it is much easier to beef up your application with EC's that you actually care about, and not ones you have to do because they are the only ones who took you.


A Caveat: Since you will be constantly comparing yourself to your fellow students, you might think that you are the bees knees at UCI, but at UCLA you might be just another average pre-med. Therefore you will have to be highly motivated to go above and beyond the typical pre-med at UCI in order to compete. (I liked the fact that I was constantly reminded how much of a sucky applicant I was at UCLA- motivated me to keep on trying and focus on my weak spots.)
Click to expand...


EVERYTHING SAID IN THIS IS CORRECT

UCLA is much harder than UC Irvine; no one can dispute this. The competition is much harder at UCLA. These kids have worked hard during high school and did very well. Irvine has these kinds of kids too, but nowhere to the extent that UCLA does.

Why might UCI kids score higher than UCLA kids on on the MCAT? Maybe because the kids at UCLA had to spend more time studying for their extremely competitive classes. The core bio classes at UCLA only give 15%As out (thats very little).

UCLA IS NOT THAT GREAT FOR RESEARCH AND ECs..As has been said earlier, research labs are always JAM PACKED. It's very hard to find an opening. ECs are also filled with sooo many people and what's really sad is that the ECs aren't even that great at UCLA (most of them are boring and menial and are just there to use undergrads)

LASTLY, medical schools DON'T CARE WHERE YOU GO. And ppl make the argument that if u can't compete at UCLA for undergrad u can't compete at med school/. This is a stupid comment. Why would anyone want to work harder to reach the same goal. UCI will give u more free time to do the things u like (ECs), such as working out (to get the hotties). Seriously ive lost 15 lbs because of UCLA and I'm in the worst shape of my life.

UCLA is very overrated and so are its 'opportunities '. UCLA is harder than UCI, and gives no real advantage. UCLA sux. Oh and by the way, I'm not saying all of this cause I have a low GPA (mine is actually pretty good)

congrats to the OP for making the right decision. Work hard, do ECs at UCI, and you will get in anywhere. I hope others will follow in your path and realize that UCLA isn't that great at all
 
justwant said:
EVERYTHING SAID IN THIS IS CORRECT

UCLA is much harder than UC Irvine; no one can dispute this. The competition is much harder at UCLA. These kids have worked hard during high school and did very well. Irvine has these kinds of kids too, but nowhere to the extent that UCLA does.

Why might UCI kids score higher than UCLA kids on on the MCAT? Maybe because the kids at UCLA had to spend more time studying for their extremely competitive classes. The core bio classes at UCLA only give 15%As out (thats very little).

UCLA IS NOT THAT GREAT FOR RESEARCH AND ECs..As has been said earlier, research labs are always JAM PACKED. It's very hard to find an opening. ECs are also filled with sooo many people and what's really sad is that the ECs aren't even that great at UCLA (most of them are boring and menial and are just there to use undergrads)

LASTLY, medical schools DON'T CARE WHERE YOU GO. And ppl make the argument that if u can't compete at UCLA for undergrad u can't compete at med school/. This is a stupid comment. Why would anyone want to work harder to reach the same goal. UCI will give u more free time to do the things u like (ECs), such as working out (to get the hotties). Seriously ive lost 15 lbs because of UCLA and I'm in the worst shape of my life.

UCLA is very overrated and so are its 'opportunities '. UCLA is harder than UCI, and gives no real advantage. UCLA sux. Oh and by the way, I'm not saying all of this cause I have a low GPA (mine is actually pretty good)

congrats to the OP for making the right decision. Work hard, do ECs at UCI, and you will get in anywhere. I hope others will follow in your path and realize that UCLA isn't that great at all
Click to expand...

UMAD?

Anyways OP, you can't go wrong with either school. I graduated from UCLA last year and I enjoyed my time there. Sure, I would like a second chance to do some things over, but I can live with it.

UCI is a good school with a lot of research opportunities outside of campus. I can't speak for the clinical experience aspect since I have no clue. But UCLA has plenty of opportunities for clinical experience (i.e. mobile clinic, APHC, care extenders). Hospital volunteering is going to be the same wherever you go.

So the poster above is right when s/he says that research opportunities at the UCLA undergraduate campus are scarce since everyone and their mother is a pre-med here. You have to have a connection to the lab to get any good position. But... Center for the Health Sciences.... that's where there real research opportunities are at. A lot of the professors here are lecturers or PBL instructors at David Geffen SOM. They all do some pretty interesting research and get published in top journals (i.e. Nature, Science), if that's what you're interested in.
 
Go to UC-Irvine. Dumber kids = less competition = easier to get grades + more free time to do cool EC's to beef up your application. Prestige is overrated except at the big name schools and even then the difference between UCLA and UC-Irvine isn't that big. UCI is ranked 41 in the entire country while UCLA is ranked 25. It's not like you're picking between UCLA and Cal State Fullerton or something....lol
 
flatearth22 said:
Go to UC-Irvine. Dumber kids = less competition = easier to get grades + more free time to do cool EC's to beef up your application. Prestige is overrated except at the big name schools and even then the difference between UCLA and UC-Irvine isn't that big. UCI is ranked 41 in the entire country while UCLA is ranked 25. It's not like you're picking between UCLA and Cal State Fullerton or something....lol
Click to expand...

How dare you?!?
 
ahhhhhh, I just typed one of the most thoughtful posts I've written in a while and SDN erased it. I don't have the time to retype it, sorry OP.

Long story short, I think you made the right choice for yourself, and don't let anyone try to make themselves feel superior at your expense.
 
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