So I have a really tough choice to make. I have been accepted to UNCW, Cal Poly SLO, and UC Davis, as well as a few other schools, but at this point those are my top three. I am going to major in biology, but I feel that at some point I may switch to environmental science. I am drawn to UNCW especially, but I am worried that going to a smaller school such as that one will make it harder for me to get into a more selective grad school. At some point in my life I would love to live in California, so I’m thinking grad school would be the best time for me to do that.
Bottom line, will going to a school like UNCW make it even harder or impossible for me to get into a selective grad school in California in the biology or environmental science majors?
Thanks in advance!
Do all cost you the same?
If not go for the least expensive one.
Have you visited them?
Calpoly is in a much nicer location than UCD.
An UG degree from CP, especially if it costs less than paying the OOS tuition for UCD, will get you just as far.
I have visited UNCW and will visit Cal Poly and UC Davis in a couple weeks. UNCW makes the most economic sense, as it is the least expensive, closest to where I live (Pennsylvania), and I got into the honors college. I’m just not sure if it has a good enough reputation to allow me to get into a selective grad school once I graduate.
I should clarify that I am currently entering undergrad. I just want to make sure I will have an opportunity to go to a selective grad school (hopefully in California) after finishing undergrad.
are you talking about a PhD program? or MD, MBA, Law, or a masters program?
What matters most in applying to PhD programs is
1-letters of recommendation from professors who know you well AND Who are known to the professors at the graduate school program.
This is Key -so you May have a better chance of getting into graduate programs from Davis than from Cal poly simply because there are more professors at UCD.
I would do some serious research to compare where the professors at those colleges went to graduate schools .
Applying to graduate schools is like applying for a job –graduate school admissions is decided by the professors and a strong letter of recommendation from a fellow professor that they know means a lot.
2-grade-point average above 3.75 in your major.
3-research !!!
4-
Your GRE scores.
Do all the research you can do doing your undergraduate years, and if you can co author a paper to being published .that is a huge .
No, going to UNCW vs a CA school won’t make a difference.
are you instate for any? (I would STRONGLY discourage paying OOS fees for a Bio/Enviro degree, which is rather generic.)
^Yes, I don’t think you should pay OOS tuition/fees for any major really.