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!
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.