<p>Hello everyone, I was waitlisted to UChicago and it was my first choice. I was also excepted to UCLA and Berkeley, and now am considering to going to Berkeley. My problem is that in my heart I really want to go to Chicago because I feel that I am a perfect fit for the school and that I will just be a number in Berkeley. I went to visit Berkeley and while I thought it was nice, it didn't click with me. I plan on majoring in Cognitive Science and French. </p>
<p>My biggest concern is that I won't be able to get off the waitlist. And if I am that I will not get into med school because of a low gpa. I actually love the fact that UChicago students care more of knowledge rather than letters but I feel that Med School might not. </p>
<p>I am just wondering if anyone has any advice for getting off the waitlist and if going to UChicago is hurt my chances for Med School?</p>
<p>nobody seems to know much about the med school stats on chicago on this forum, and I can't find them online mostly because I don't know where to look. I'll assume they're very friendly though</p>
<p>I don't know if there are up-to-date stats. I have seen people post the Chicago has an 85% acceptance rate. One older publication said UChicago grads who get a 3.2 had a 65% admit rate, and with a 3.3 a 75% admit rate. My S, who is premed was told at a meeting of the AMSA premed group by an admissions head that a 3.4 to 3.5 from Chicago would get one into most places one wanted to go if the MCAT scores, rec's, etc. were good as well. That is the best I can say.</p>
<p>Thank you Idad. Because other students have been confusing me at school. They keep saying that Med school will frown on it without considering the school</p>
<p>In that same older publication Idad mentioned (it's from 2002 maybe?), U of C students had the lowest average GPAs for med school admits, meaning that the school is taken into account. One of my housemates is applying to law schools soon and says that a Chicago GPA is respected, even among professional schools (who may people say don't consider the school).</p>
<p>good luck! You may find it amusing that Berkeley was MY dream school, but my parents wouldn't even let me consider applying (I'm from New York, my parents figured that the moment I got out to California I'd stay there forever, Chicago was acceptable compromise, because it's far from home AND cold).</p>
<p>It seems as though everyone loves California, not sure why? I live in LA and I guess I am just too used to everything here. Change is nice sometimes.</p>
<p>Berkeley appealed to me because it seemed to really be everything to everyone. I liked that it was football and intellectual at the same time; I liked that it was very nerdy and very hippie; I liked that it had state school aspects and elite school aspects.</p>
<p>Though anecdotally, it seems like a lot of Chicago waitlists and rejects end up at schools like Berkeley, a friend of mine got into Chicago, Berkeley (out-of-state), NYU, and Oberlin, and he's going for Berkeley.</p>
<p>I think it has to do with Chicago's selection. Berkeley tends to be a bit more academic while Chicago looks for the whole package. Both are great and I will be happy at both but I feel like Chicago will be more beneficial to me due to the academic experience and smaller class size</p>
<p>What do you think of Chicago? Everything you were looking for?</p>
<p>Well, I can give some pretty convoluted input.</p>
<p>For what it's worth, way back when... (OK, 1980) I was accepted at UC Berkeley and U of Chicago (I was from SoCal).</p>
<p>I didn't get enough financial aid to get to go to Chicago so I went to Cal (devastated at the time, trust me). I am now a physician scientist and active on the admissions committees for both "regular" MDs and MD-PhDs at my medical school in the Northeast.</p>
<p>On the admissions committee we <em>definitely</em> pay attention to what the grading situation is at a given college or university. It is not unlike the considerations given to undergraduates coming from different high schools. If an applicant's GPA seems "low" during discussions we check where they are from and if it is from one of the large public institutions OR a place where we know there is no grade inflation (like Chicago or JHU, for example)-- all is OK. It's only fair. And I know we are not unique in this approach.</p>
<p>And amykins, you made me laugh -- I ended going 3,000 miles away for med school and stayed here (your parents were pretty clever). </p>
<p>By the way--- I loved Cal, but now I find myself thinking along the lines of amykins' parents and have not encouraged my high school junior to apply to Berkeley ;-) . Her current first choice (very seriously) --- U of Chicago! So we'll see if 27 years later we can get this done. Hope so.</p>
<p>MrSparkle-- you have 2 fantastic choices, rejoice in your good fortune and how your hard work paid off and take your best shot. There is most likely no "wrong" choice and if you are truly unhappy you can always transfer. </p>
<p>Thank you so much for your input. I guess there are a lot of students - or past students - that are in the same situition. But I am happy to read that colleges take a school's average GPA into consider. I love both Berkeley and Chicago and I am truly happy for this and as you said, if the worst happens I can always try and transfer. </p>
<p>The problem is that everyday my mind shifts from one school to the other.</p>