Undergrad: UCSD or USC?

[MedicalVballer]

I'm pre-med, a transfer student (junior), and deciding between UCSD and USC. I'm really stuck here. It looks as though UCSD has a lot more to offer in the bio sciences and is a lot more advanced, yet I'm told to really consider USC.

I've been to both campuses and loved both, so it just comes down to the financial aid and which has a better program that will well prepare me for med school.

Any input would be really appreciated. Thanks!

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[ksmi117]

School Specific Discussions is a forum for discussing medical schools. I'm moving this thread to the main Pre-Allo forum. 🙂 I'd weigh in but I know nothing about the schools.

 

[MedicalVballer]

Got it, haha. Thanks!

 

[Excelsius]

I'm pre-med, a transfer student (junior), and deciding between UCSD and USC. I'm really stuck here. It looks as though UCSD has a lot more to offer in the bio sciences and is a lot more advanced, yet I'm told to really consider USC.

I've been to both campuses and loved both, so it just comes down to the financial aid and which has a better program that will well prepare me for med school.

Any input would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Both are good schools. Given that UCSD is going to be much cheaper as a state school (are you a resident?), you should not spend extra money on USC. Also, if you are interested in medical research, UCSD is cutting edge. They are one of the leading institutions in brain research, I think better than UCLA.

 

[bigyihoroi]

I graduated from UCSD. UCSD has a great science and engineering program. As you know, UCSD is a "Research" school. They devote a lot of their money into biomedical research. So if doing research is one of your major concerns for the remaining of your school years, I will highly recommend UCSD because you will have numerous opportunities not only from all those on campus but also from pharmaeutical companies (e.g. Pfizer, Celgene), biotech companies, and non-profit institues (e.g. Salk Institute, Scripps) near UCSD. Also, if you like to have a more relaxed lifestyle, SD would be an ideal choice compared to USC. USC is also a great choice but you will have to deal with high tuition and the traffic in LA, which is 10x worse than that in SD. If none of the above is ur concern, then both USC and UCSD have great reputations and have excellent programs in science.

 

[ZeusonRoids]

You can't go wrong with either....but consider this
I was recently at a 2nd look day for USC medical school and one of the people asked how many of us went to undergrad at USC that were going to go to USC-Keck school of medicine. about 20% raised their hand. That is a SIGNIFICANT chunk of people.

I know nothing about the schools for undergrad though...

 

[eyang22286]

as mentioned above, UCSD is a premier research university. stuff here really is cutting edge. you will find research opportunities in practically anything, either it's bio, biochem, chem, etc. look up some of the departments and you'll see that there are some pretty big names here (including roger tsien, GFP-holla).

anyways, i'll also say that i know very little about USC past its reputation and hefty price tag. it's a great school, but in terms of the sciences, i can say that UCSD is a very solid choice.

 

[rdr44bb]

You can't go wrong with either....but consider this
I was recently at a 2nd look day for USC medical school and one of the people asked how many of us went to undergrad at USC that were going to go to USC-Keck school of medicine. about 20% raised their hand. That is a SIGNIFICANT chunk of people.

I know nothing about the schools for undergrad though...

A good chunk of that 20% could come from their Bac/MD (30+ students) and didn't apply out...

 

[Appless]

You can't go wrong with either....but consider this
I was recently at a 2nd look day for USC medical school and one of the people asked how many of us went to undergrad at USC that were going to go to USC-Keck school of medicine. about 20% raised their hand. That is a SIGNIFICANT chunk of people.

I know nothing about the schools for undergrad though...

That has nothing to do with anything. all schools favor their own students. If you go to UCI med and ask how many kids are from UCI a majority will be. Same goes for UCLA, and any other med school that also has its own undergrad institution. Personally I would go to UCSD just for the money factor. Unless your parents are rich and footing the bill. Even if they were I far prefer SD to LA. Either is a fine choice but the price tag at a UC is significantly lower the USC or as my teachers call it the University of Spoiled Children 😉.

 

[lord_jeebus]

You can't go wrong with either....but consider this
I was recently at a 2nd look day for USC medical school and one of the people asked how many of us went to undergrad at USC that were going to go to USC-Keck school of medicine. about 20% raised their hand. That is a SIGNIFICANT chunk of people.

I know nothing about the schools for undergrad though...

There's a similar chunk of UCSD grads at UCSD SOM

 

[JamesBond15]

UCSD. No need to spend the extra cash. You will get a great education at UCSD.

 

[VanBrown]

The girls are hotter at USC.

 

[searun]

The most important factor for any premed in selecting an undergrad institution is football. And, no, I am not referring to soccer. Football. Now, close your eyes, envision football in your mind, and you have your answer.

 

[Tots]

USC is a lot more expensive than UCSD and for that reason alone I would choose UCSD. (Since both are great schools and all)

 

[august3]

Everyone keeps quoting the price tag at USC as a reason to pass it up. It is true that USC is expensive, but the vast majority of people I met as a student had fantastic financial aid and/or scholarships. One of my freshman roommates actually got a better deal from USC than UCLA and another graduated only 17k in debt. All in all, don't write it off until you know what they are offering.

 

[redlight]

so far, i think ucsd is winning this argument. cheaper, likely better ops for biomedical research, the beach.., and a top 20 school tied to it.


btw doesnt usc = univerity of spoiled children? 😉
sure-- better sports programs, maybe more attractive people.

BUT

is usc harder or easier to do well in academically?

ucsd average gpa is ~3.0- univ wide (http://gradeinflation.com/Ucsandiego.html)
40% admission to med school rate in 07... lower than the 45% national rate (though im sure some factors for lower admissions stem from being a cali resident (http://career.ucsd.edu/sa/PMedHis.shtml )

... not the best of luck getting into schools... even their own home institution (less than 10%)...http://career.ucsd.edu/sa/PDFs/UCSD Admits 05-07.pdf

usc has a 50% acceptance rate to med in 07 (ucsd was 40%)
http://college.usc.edu/pre-health-faqs/

 

[Slowpoke]

a win, win decision if you ask me. can't go wrong either way -- both are near the beach, though UCSD is a bit closer.

Everyone knows the closer a university is to the beach, the chances of getting accepted to medical school goes up.

 

[PremedIowa]

so far, i think ucsd is winning this argument. cheaper, likely better ops for biomedical research, the beach.., and a top 20 school tied to it.


btw doesnt usc = univerity of spoiled children? 😉
sure-- better sports programs, maybe more attractive people.

BUT

is usc harder or easier to do well in academically?

ucsd average gpa is ~3.0- univ wide (http://gradeinflation.com/Ucsandiego.html)
40% admission to med school rate in 07... lower than the 45% national rate (though im sure some factors for lower admissions stem from being a cali resident (http://career.ucsd.edu/sa/PMedHis.shtml )

... not the best of luck getting into schools... even their own home institution (less than 10%)...http://career.ucsd.edu/sa/PDFs/UCSD Admits 05-07.pdf

usc has a 50% acceptance rate to med in 07 (ucsd was 40%)
http://college.usc.edu/pre-health-faqs/

These are all a terrible reasons to pick a school, and this topic has been discussed to death. If you do well at either university you will not only be admitted to medical school, but probably the exact same list of schools. If you do poorly at either, you will not be accepted.

Choose based off opportunities, cost, location, and family. Pre-medical placement rates are worthless.

 

[Sunny28]

As someone who attended USC, here is my advice. USC is expensive, but your paying for smaller classes, great resources, diverse talented students from all over the country, the Trojan family and the huge networking opportunities that gives you, amazing sports, great community and social opportunities. The cons of LA in my mind are the traffic, all the concrete, the material-ness of LA, etc. The neighborhood is fine, just be smart.

When I visited UCSD I didn't feel there was much of a college community, everything seemed really spread out and you don't get as much balance between social and scholastic opportunities. I'm by no means a partier, but is nice to have the option of going out with friends when you want to.

USC has great programs outside of bio/med, I took sailing classes, cinema classes, art classes, etc...

Ultimately pick somewhere you can have a balanced, happy undergrad; you might decide not to do medicine and want to be somewhere you have the option of other great programs.

 

[redlight]

These are all a terrible reasons to pick a school, and this topic has been discussed to death. If you do well at either university you will not only be admitted to medical school, but probably the exact same list of schools. If you do poorly at either, you will not be accepted.

Choose based off opportunities, cost, location, and family. Pre-medical placement rates are worthless.

iowa.. relax, it's just food for thought. 10% placement difference is not very significant.

i agree that placement rates should not be the main focus. fit, opportunities, abilty to excel should be prioritized...
i would hope price is not an issue due to fin aid

however, i think ignoring those stats (minutia, as iowa points out) above may be an unwise idea if OP is still undecided after the initial criteria. if OP is having trouble deciding which school to go to, and OP likes both and feels s/he can do well at both, i suggest going with the school that is harder to get into and places more people in med school on average...

 

[Appless]

As someone who attended USC, here is my advice. USC is expensive, but your paying for smaller classes, great resources, diverse talented students from all over the country, the Trojan family and the huge networking opportunities that gives you, amazing sports, great community and social opportunities. The cons of LA in my mind are the traffic, all the concrete, the material-ness of LA, etc. The neighborhood is fine, just be smart.

When I visited UCSD I didn't feel there was much of a college community, everything seemed really spread out and you don't get as much balance between social and scholastic opportunities. I'm by no means a partier, but is nice to have the option of going out with friends when you want to.

USC has great programs outside of bio/med, I took sailing classes, cinema classes, art classes, etc...

Ultimately pick somewhere you can have a balanced, happy undergrad; you might decide not to do medicine and want to be somewhere you have the option of other great programs.

If you are looking for a more college atmosphere and to party stay far far away from UCSD, USC wins hands down in that dept.

 

[armybound]

Go to USC, jump on the bandwagon, and celebrate that one-peat "dynasty" for decades to come.

 

[TheDokter]

UCSD has the better medical school, but a far less lively campus. UCSD is more academically oriented, and they have several Nobel Laureates on their staff. However, I'm not a fan of either location, but I would prefer the rich La Jallo part of San Diego (despite the drug troubles) over Los Angeles downtown area.

 

[veaselhaufen]

I think getting the "college" experience is hugely important. It doesn't seem like UCSD has much of that.

That grade inflation website was amazing by the way 👍

 

[MedicalVballer]

Thanks for the input guys. This is really swaying my decision towards UCSD.

I really believe that the college is experience is important, but I'm not that BIG of a partier, though it is a way to destress. I'm a native from LA and I can come back home on the weekends for that 😉

With that said, I do plan on balancing my studies, that's for sure. I'm trying out for the women's volleyball team.

Also, in SD there's the House of Blues, and I am 21, so I'm into the concert scene and what not.

I also want to study abroad and USC's program is almost 3 times as much, and with my family's situation that won't be possible at SC, even with financial aid (I'm against taking out a loan during my undergrad). And with some research, I really do appreciate SD's prep programs for med school.

If you have any more input I'd appreciate it!

 

[MedicalVballer]

And I do love the beach 😉

 

[rHinO1]

I transferred from a cc to UCSD at the begining of this year and I love it. I don't know what USC is like but here is a picture of what it is like at UCSD. I am a biology major btw.

Average class size for upper division sciences is ~300. To me, I like classes in big lecture halls and with so many people the curve usually works out to be very fair.

Almost all of the professors I have had are really good. There are many nobel prize winners on campus.

Biology is the most popular major on campus ~19% of all students are in this major, which is why it will be impacted next year for incoming freshmen. There are 6 biology majors to choose from. I chose human biology because the classes in that major were the most interesting to me and it has the most flexibility/electives.

The facilities here are top notch, the food around campus is good, wireless internet is available every where on campus, we have two huge libraries that are great for studying, several cool common areas to hang out, and rimac (our main gym) is awesome. The campus is beautiful and you can see the ocean from several parts of it.

I think that if you come to UCSD and don't participate in research then you aren't taking advantage of an amazing opportunity. There are several ways to participate in research here (either for upper division credit or paid, usually one leads to another), and many opportunities to present research at symposiums/conferences. I did the Faculty Mentorship Program (FMP) this year for 2 quarters and got to present last week at the FMP symposium. My research project was in the Neurosciences and was in one of the medical schools labs (my PI is faculty at the SOM and the undergrad university). There are tons of opportunities like this here. Finally, we have 3 hospitals adjacent to campus and 1 more up the street. We also have several biotech companies near by.

Damn, this got kind of long.... I hope some of it helps.

 

[MedicalVballer]

rHinO1, I appreciate your input.

In fact I was at UCSD yesterday to get a feel for it again, it I loved it. I read up on about 3-4 programs already that pertain to research and med-school prep, and although I start in the Fall (my decision I think is set), I already started filling out the applications!

I'm really excited. I'm also looking to study abroad in Australia, which is popular for bio science majors from what counselors and advisors have told me, and I'm hoping to go next Spring quarter. And hopefully Japan in the future!

My major is biochem and cell bio, btw.

Which college did you transfer into? I'm in ERC. I'm looking forward to taking their MMW classes, and I think it will help balance my studies further.

 

[behealthy]

Being a person about to graduate from a UC, I'd go with USC. UCSD ( same with UCI) has lots of research, that's true. The system is broken though, and quite frankly, running out of money. Classes are quite large, and the bureaucratic system is awful. If you have the money, I'd go with USC. Having a friend who went there as an u-grad, and a gf in a USC masters program, I think I can openly say, they support their students better then UC's. You can get quality experiences at a UC, but it's kinda nice to have intelligent advisors, teachers who love teaching, and small classes.

 

[rHinO1]

rHinO1, I appreciate your input.

In fact I was at UCSD yesterday to get a feel for it again, it I loved it. I read up on about 3-4 programs already that pertain to research and med-school prep, and although I start in the Fall (my decision I think is set), I already started filling out the applications!

I'm really excited. I'm also looking to study abroad in Australia, which is popular for bio science majors from what counselors and advisors have told me, and I'm hoping to go next Spring quarter. And hopefully Japan in the future!

My major is biochem and cell bio, btw.

Which college did you transfer into? I'm in ERC. I'm looking forward to taking their MMW classes, and I think it will help balance my studies further.

I was going to tell you to hit the ground running and try to take advantage of the programs for research, study abroad, etc. . . but it sounds like your already on top of things 👍. A lot of the programs have deadlines by the end of fall quarter, and begin winter quarter.

Australia sounds awesome, and I heard there is a good 8 week summer program in ecology on the beach/rain forest in Costa Rica that I've heard good things about.

I transferred with a TAG agreement, so I chose Warren College b/c the GE requirements consisted of only 2 additional classes. The undergrad college really doesn't matter too much though. I actually found several non-science classes I wanted to take anyway. Which is good b/c taking 3 or 4 upper division science classes in a quarter is brutal. I'd rather take 2 upper division science classes and a lab, humanities class, or do a research project.

I already had my writing sequence completed, but the writing programs here look better than what I did at the cc. My advice for adjusting to the quarter system is take only 12 units your first quarter so you see what it's like. Everything here is very fast, which is good, it keeps things interesting. I was initially concerned about adjusting to the pace here, but once you know what to expect, it is all very doable.