Hey guys!
I’m planning on majoring in bio and doing premed, but i’m a little stuck between these colleges. I currently live in Norcal, and plan on visiting WashU, UCLA, and UCSD over spring break, but i just wanted some input from you guys.
Aside from cost, which of these is probably best for premed? I know that a high GPA is really important to get into Medschool, so I’m hesitant to go to LA or Cal.
How hard is it get a high GPA at each of these schools?
How is the social life and environment?
How is the premedical advising?
Thanks for your input!
If you got into Caltech (congratulations on all your acceptances, by the way), then there’s a good chance you could get a high GPA at an excellent-but-not-quite-as-ridiculously-hard school like UCLA. It’d be especially great because you’d get in-state tuition, and professional school is generally pretty expensive.
I’m just a high school senior though, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.
@nightsitter Cal is UC Berkeley. Caltech is California Institute of Technology.
Yup UC Berkeley, not Caltech. And money isn’t as big of a deal since I got a half ride at Wash U
I’m a premed at UCSD. UCSD is known as a premed factory, with one of the largest and highest ranked biology departments in the nation. It has the advantage of having four hospitals within walking distance (and a fifth opening this year, meaning even more clinical, shadowing, volunteering, and research opportunities), top-five research expenditures (which trickles down as more undergrad research), and the nation’s second-largest biotech and pharma cluster on the Torrey Pines Mesa (internships). In terms of padding your resume and med school application, it’ll give you great opportunities.
It’s hard to get a good GPA, but probably no easier or harder than it would be at either of the other UCs. The social life is passable: it’s definitely not “socially dead” but you have to work harder to find parties than you would at UCLA and even Berkeley. That said, if you’re even slightly social you’ll be okay. I haven’t actually contacted the premed advisers, but we have four of them and each college/department’s advising staff is generally knowledgable about premed study.
Oh my god I swear I saw “Caltech” up there… I was pretty tired, I suppose. My bad.