Hey since it’s college decision day I really need help picking. I’m between Berkeley and Cal Lutheran. I’m a bio major (microbio at Berkeley) and pre-med. I like Berkeley because it is very highly ranked and I love the area and the feel of the campus. However, I am incredibly scared about the grade deflation because of how important gpa is to applications for medical schools and the overall competitiveness and stress of the campus. Cal Lutheran (I do have Honors) it offers small class sizes, easy access to research opportunities, and is much less competitive and more nuturing. But, I am worried it’s too small and isn’t really in a fun location, and, obviously, it isn’t highly ranked (if ranked at all). So I am at a complete loss of what to do. Any insight from students or parents would be super helpful! Thank you!
Bio majors have the lowest GPA at Cal according to this article(see: http://projects.dailycal.org/grades/). It would certainly be concerning to me if I were planning on pre-med.
But, lots of people change their majors in college. What if you decided to do something else other than medicine? I’d think you would have greater opportunities Cal then. Tough decision.
Re: http://projects.dailycal.org/grades/
That lists the GPA in classes under that subject title, not majors. The main biology majors are molecular and cell biology and integrative biology. “Biology” is just the introductory sequence courses 1A, 1AL, 1B (though these are typical pre-med courses, regardless of the pre-med’s major).
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/2071932-grade-distributions-in-prerequisite-courses-for-gpa-based-goals.html has some information on grade distributions by course from https://www.berkeleytime.com/ .
Pre-meds commonly take Biology 1A, 1AL, 1B; Chemistry 1A, 1AL, 3A, 3AL, 3B, 3BL; MCB 102; Physics 8A, 8B; Math 10A, 10B. Pre-meds typically aim for a 3.7 GPA or higher to have a decent chance of medical school admission. From https://www.berkeleytime.com/grades/ , the percentage earning A- or higher is:
22% in Biology 1A
31% in Biology 1AL
22% in Biology 1B
27% in Chemistry 1A
69% in Chemistry 1AL
23% in Chemistry 3A
88% in Chemistry 3AL
27% in Chemistry 3B
76% in Chemistry 3BL
23% in MCB 102
28% in Physics 8A
28% in Physics 8B
31% in Math 10A
35% in Math 10B
Cal Lutheran is ranked #14 Regional Colleges West in US News and World Report.
The smaller classes would be a benefit as well as is the opportunity to meet one on one with professors directly during office hours etc instead of Grad TAs. However you do also need to keep in mind that the number and variety of bio classes offered each semester may be fewer given the size of the school. The undergrad courses listed above by @ucbalumnus would be offered each semester most likely and would be easy to get into (small class sizes and labs) However, some upper division bio classes are only offered every other semester, so although they would be easy enough to get into, you would have to plan ahead accordingly.
Cal Lutheran does have a 4 year graduation guarantee and good merit scholarships…so it could actually be cheaper than Cal Berkeley in some cases. Med school will be very costly…so a cheaper undergrad program could be a benefit. Med schools as you note are looking closely at GPA rather than just what undergrad school you attended.
Additionally, Cal Lutheran offers summer session at a reduced rate (some GE classes free and housing reduced) if that is of interest as well.
Cal Berkeley campus and Cal Lutheran campus locations are so very different. It all depends on how you feel about a large more urban campus vs a small quiet campus nestled against the foothills. There are plenty of amenities in Thousand Oaks and access to beaches, Channel Islands,Malibu. LA…etc if you have a car or access to someone on campus who does…as walkability is an issue if you don’t.
Unless you live at home (commuter) or are over 21, students are expected to live on campus through Junior year. Most seniors move off campus. If you bring a car…parking is free. (In CA, this is a big advantage , as urban area schools often charge hefty parking fees).
Good luck to you!