UCSB vs Cal Poly SLO vs UC Merced

[jasmeets93]

I am a senior in high school right now. I got into ucsb, cal poly slo, and merced. I want to pursue a career in medicine, and was wondering which college I should go to? I got into biology for all three. Which of these schools is better academically, for medical school later, after my undergrad? Which school would be best to pursue undergrad at, and then have higher acceptance rate to a medical school?

Thanks so much.

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[getdown]

I am a senior in high school right now. I got into ucsb, cal poly slo, and merced. I want to pursue a career in medicine, and was wondering which college I should go to? I got into biology for all three. Which of these schools is better academically, for medical school later, after my undergrad? Which school would be best to pursue undergrad at, and then have higher acceptance rate to a medical school?

Thanks so much.

None, you have a shot at getting into medical school from any undergraduate university as long as your GPA and MCAT is good. The school's reputation plays a minimal, if any, role in your getting admitted. YOUR actions matter more.

 

[qwerty89]

The schools name doesn't really matter. What does matter is the tier the school is in. Going to a CSU over a UC will hurt your chances at medical school admission (im not saying its impossible, just harder). UCSB is by far a better school than either of the other two by far (unless you mean SLO engineering).

 

[thespazz]

I would say go where you feel comfortable. I did speak to someone who did Bio at Merced and she said the program was definitely in its infancy. Do you want to go to a campus that's just developing or a more established university? Lots of questions, but I would go with UCSB.

 

[ViEtPh0]

I am also in the same situation as the OP but with Davis instead of Santa Barbara. However, my major is Biomedical Engineering. Would going to a CSU over a UC still hurt my chances at medical school admission in this situation? (Cal Poly is known for it's engineering program.)

 

[thespazz]

I am also in the same situation as the OP but with Davis instead of Santa Barbara. However, my major is Biomedical Engineering. Would going to a CSU over a UC still hurt my chances at medical school admission in this situation? (Cal Poly is known for it's engineering program.)

Cal Poly has a fantastic engineering program, but I urge you to look into the program at Davis. I knew some guys that had some great experiences at Davis in the biomed engineering program.

 

[Geekchick921]

Moving to hSDN.

 

[the duck]

Go to a UC over a CSU. Cal Poly is a CSU, the specific UC doesn't matter much, except for the availability of resources, which I can't speak to at thos 2 UCs.

 

[Tots]

Something to consider: With the recent budget cuts UCs are in a lot better shape than most CSUs. While the effects of the cuts can be seen at my UC, I still get all the classes I need. The same cannot be said for my friends at a CSU.

That being said you would probably have more opportunities at UCSB/UCD than UC Merced however since UC Merced is quite small and new there are awesome opportunities to get to know your professors and really get involved.

 

[jasmeets93]

Something to consider: With the recent budget cuts UCs are in a lot better shape than most CSUs. While the effects of the cuts can be seen at my UC, I still get all the classes I need. The same cannot be said for my friends at a CSU.

That being said you would probably have more opportunities at UCSB/UCD than UC Merced however since UC Merced is quite small and new there are awesome opportunities to get to know your professors and really get involved.

Umm, which school do you go to, and what is yout major?

 

[Tots]

Umm, which school do you go to, and what is yout major?

Rather not say. But I do not attend any of the UCs being considered in this thread.