UC's and Bio majors

[mikejm11]

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I apologize in advance for posting this here and not on hSDN, but I cannot wait months for a response in that lifeless forum. (This is for UNDERGRADUATE admissions). So here i go.

In regards to a Biology major at the mid tier UC's ( UCD,UCI,UCSB, USSC, possibly UCSD?) how important are the following:

5 on the Biology AP Test (Does this look attractive to them?) Or do ALL prospective Bio applicants have 5's lol?
The SAT II Biology and Math Tests (I'm in Pre-calc my senior year and will only have a month of the class before i take Math II, so I am not expecting a great score)
The SECTIONS of the ACT -- For example 30 on Math, 29 on English, but lower (24) on Science and Reading. (On about.com they show the average Math and English sub sections of each college but not the Science and Reading sections). I hope they do!


***Disclaimer***
I know that I can't skip any bio intro courses with my AP credit, so you guys don't need to explain that. I just wanted to know if the Adcoms connect good AP scores with better chances of admission into your desired major.

Thanks guys!

 

[JonnyL]

I think they could care less about AP scores. Don't quote me on that though.

 

[CoolWhipp]

Doubtful.

 

[mikejm11]

Interesting... Do you guys know how much they care about the SAT Math II score for a biology major? I have a 740 Biology score and looking to improve on a 600 Math II.

 

[violetchild]

They really don't care about AP scores. Also, they stopped requiring SAT II scores this year, so it'll probably do little to supplement your application. I would say concentrate on keeping your GPA high and EC's... they're REALLY scouring for well-rounded "do-it-all" (but of course, not too much, just a few things in detail) applicants. Also high ACT or SAT scores are important but not as much as GPA and extra curricular activities.

 

[Morsetlis]

You know that word "well-rounded"?

Keep it in your mind until you get accepted into medical school.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

I apologize in advance for posting this here and not on hSDN, but I cannot wait months for a response in that lifeless forum. (This is for UNDERGRADUATE admissions). So here i go.

In regards to a Biology major at the mid tier UC's ( UCD,UCI,UCSB, USSC, possibly UCSD?) how important are the following:

5 on the Biology AP Test (Does this look attractive to them?) Or do ALL prospective Bio applicants have 5's lol?
The SAT II Biology and Math Tests (I'm in Pre-calc my senior year and will only have a month of the class before i take Math II, so I am not expecting a great score)
The SECTIONS of the ACT -- For example 30 on Math, 29 on English, but lower (24) on Science and Reading. (On about.com they show the average Math and English sub sections of each college but not the Science and Reading sections). I hope they do!


***Disclaimer***
I know that I can't skip any bio intro courses with my AP credit, so you guys don't need to explain that. I just wanted to know if the Adcoms connect good AP scores with better chances of admission into your desired major.

Thanks guys!

Most bio majors I've met at UCI had a 5 or 4 on the AP Bio test. I don't think they care.

Your SAT is probably more important than your SAT II scores. At least it was when I applied to UCI 4 years ago.

Didn't take the ACT so I have no idea.

Biology is one of the most common majors at UCI, so you don't have to worry about the standards for admission into biology being different from the overall standards. In other words, if you get into UCI, you'll probably get into the biology major. I've yet to meet someone who applied for biology, got into UCI, and had to be placed into their secondary major. Outside of really small majors with their own specific requirements, like engineering, this is never really a concern.

For what it's worth, my organic chemistry professor sophmore year was on the admission committee for undergrad and he said this:

After your grades meet the average requirements, they don't really matter anymore unless they're something substantially noteworthy (very high GPA, near perfect SAT, etc). Most of the applicants we get look almost exactly alike on paper. If numbers was all we had, we'd probably drop them into a hat and pick randomly. The only thing that sets them apart is their personal experiences and how they've demonstrated compassion, intellectual curiosity, etc. Think ECs.

 

[mikejm11]

Very cool! Thanks for the info everyone

 

[Rednawz]

Going to be perfect honest with you. Doesn't matter at all what UC you go to and I'd actually go as far as saying the "lesser" UCs are better meaning not LA or Berkeley. Here is my reasoning. Firstly at those top UCs, everyone and there mother is involved in ECs to the point where its just ridiculous to find volunteering and research experience. At the UC I go to, there is literally a 6 month waiting list to volunteer at pretty much every hospital in the area. When you really think about it, this is an insane phenomenon. I have to wait half a year to work somewhere for free. Besides from the fact you are 100% expendable at top UCs, there is also the competition in classes. Everyone and their mother also want to be a doctor and so expect to study all day long and still possibly not achieve your expectations.

The same resources and quality of professors are at the other UCs and much fewer people actually pursue the ECs like volunteering and research.

So really man, chill out, calm down. Your stats are good enough to get you into a UC. Don't worry if it's even UCR or UCSC. It sounds like you work hard and are dedicated (you are posting on sdn as a high schooler....). Just use that determination and motivation to your advantage at the next stage and I'm sure you'll be fine.

As a note, most colleges (at least my UC) include the bio major within the college of letters and science, which is one of the easier schools to get accepted to (compared to engineering for example). You'll definitely get a chance to perform in the introductory bio major courses.

Also, I could be wrong but I don't UC even see your AP exam results until after you are accepted.

 

[Stumpyman]

Going to be perfect honest with you. Doesn't matter at all what UC you go to and I'd actually go as far as saying the "lesser" UCs are better meaning not LA or Berkeley. Here is my reasoning. Firstly at those top UCs, everyone and there mother is involved in ECs to the point where its just ridiculous to find volunteering and research experience. At the UC I go to, there is literally a 6 month waiting list to volunteer at pretty much every hospital in the area. When you really think about it, this is an insane phenomenon. I have to wait half a year to work somewhere for free. Besides from the fact you are 100% expendable at top UCs, there is also the competition in classes. Everyone and their mother also want to be a doctor and so expect to study all day long and still possibly not achieve your expectations.

The same resources and quality of professors are at the other UCs and much fewer people actually pursue the ECs like volunteering and research.

So really man, chill out, calm down. Your stats are good enough to get you into a UC. Don't worry if it's even UCR or UCSC. It sounds like you work hard and are dedicated (you are posting on sdn as a high schooler....). Just use that determination and motivation to your advantage at the next stage and I'm sure you'll be fine.

As a note, most colleges (at least my UC) include the bio major within the college of letters and science, which is one of the easier schools to get accepted to (compared to engineering for example). You'll definitely get a chance to perform in the introductory bio major courses.

Also, I could be wrong but I don't UC even see your AP exam results until after you are accepted.

Wait, you mean your local hospitals actually give you a wait list? Lucky you! In my area (not CA) I've applied to every hospital, and just got rejected from each and every one. A couple of them told me something like this: we only had 12 spots available, and 370 people applied, so unfortunately we could not take you at the time. 😡
Doing administrative work at a free clinic 30 miles away from where I live in a run down 100 year old building until I transfer ugh.
-sorry just had to vent.

 

[Morsetlis]

^ And this is why you don't want to live in California 😀

Go for an EMT job.

 

[mikejm11]

Going to be perfect honest with you. Doesn't matter at all what UC you go to and I'd actually go as far as saying the "lesser" UCs are better meaning not LA or Berkeley. Here is my reasoning. Firstly at those top UCs, everyone and there mother is involved in ECs to the point where its just ridiculous to find volunteering and research experience. At the UC I go to, there is literally a 6 month waiting list to volunteer at pretty much every hospital in the area. When you really think about it, this is an insane phenomenon. I have to wait half a year to work somewhere for free. Besides from the fact you are 100% expendable at top UCs, there is also the competition in classes. Everyone and their mother also want to be a doctor and so expect to study all day long and still possibly not achieve your expectations.

The same resources and quality of professors are at the other UCs and much fewer people actually pursue the ECs like volunteering and research.

So really man, chill out, calm down. Your stats are good enough to get you into a UC. Don't worry if it's even UCR or UCSC. It sounds like you work hard and are dedicated (you are posting on sdn as a high schooler....). Just use that determination and motivation to your advantage at the next stage and I'm sure you'll be fine.

As a note, most colleges (at least my UC) include the bio major within the college of letters and science, which is one of the easier schools to get accepted to (compared to engineering for example). You'll definitely get a chance to perform in the introductory bio major courses.

Also, I could be wrong but I don't UC even see your AP exam results until after you are accepted.

Wow 6 months to volunteer? Thats almost insane. @ovpharm I don't want to skip and classes I just wanted to know if my AP scores were looked at as attractive for admission, which they apparently aren't.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Wow 6 months to volunteer? Thats almost insane. @ovpharm I don't want to skip and classes I just wanted to know if my AP scores were looked at as attractive for admission, which they apparently aren't.

When they built a new hospital near UCI, I called the first week it opened to see if they had any spots open for volunteers. They said they had all 60 filled within the first day.

 

[Tots]

When they built a new hospital near UCI, I called the first week it opened to see if they had any spots open for volunteers. They said they had all 60 filled within the first day.

Sounds about right. UCI pre-meds are vicious.

 

[Slowpoke]

Sounds about right. UCI pre-meds are vicious.

Not all of us are.

 

[Rednawz]

It's sad because I have heard 50% of the people who enroll at UCI are premed. Then you look at how many people actually go to medical school....what happens to all the others?

 

[hiyaman]

It's sad because I have heard 50% of the people who enroll at UCI are premed. Then you look at how many people actually go to medical school....what happens to all the others?

They do something else.Is the grass greener on the other side? Probably.

 

[mikejm11]

It's sad because I have heard 50% of the people who enroll at UCI are premed. Then you look at how many people actually go to medical school....what happens to all the others?

Maybe 50% of the bio majors but not 50% of the freshman class lol

 

[LuciusVorenus]

It's sad because I have heard 50% of the people who enroll at UCI are premed. Then you look at how many people actually go to medical school....what happens to all the others?

UCI has a 34% matriculation rate. I'm guessing the other 2/3s go into dentistry, pharmacy, PhD programs, optometry, podiatry, etc.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Maybe 50% of the bio majors but not 50% of the freshman class lol

And even then, people change in 4 years and may want other professions. I certainly wanted a completely different profession back when I first started college.

 

[Big Dog]

...so relevance of tests to prospective major is non-existent for most liberal arts students (which includes 99% of bio prospies).

UC recognizes that most students change their major 2-3 times while in undergrad (and that premeds drop off the train after a few C's) so a bio prospie is no different than a history prospie. 700's and 4/5's in anything is great for UC.

Note, one does apply directly specialized programs like biz, Eng and theater/music, so tests and ECs are relevant for those programs, and those specialized programs only.