I’ve been accepted to UCSB Honors for Bio, visited the school and loved the campus. Pretty much had my mind set on UCSB.
But — I just got accepted to UCB (L&S Bio) - and I’m at odds with what to do…
My goal is to get into Med School right after my undergrad, so my GPA has to rock. I was told that at UCB it’s almost impossible to get a good enough GPA for med schools.
I’m so honored to get admitted to UCB and feel like I’d be letting a huge opportunity go if I choose not to go there. But at the same time, is it smart for me to go if I may hinder my long-term goal?
Not crazy at all. Following your heart is really the best decision and it sounds like going into it, you were already set on UCSB, not to mention you know how important GPA will be.
If you’re not planning on going right into the workforce and want to go right into med school, the name of the institution on your degree really only means so much, especially when your GPA is what they look at most. Obviously though if you went to Berkeley and NAILED it there, it would look pretty good too though.
Medical schools just look at GPA and not where it came from? I find that hard to believe. I’m perfectly willing to be corrected by someone who knows what they’re talking about, but I find that very hard to believe. Berkeley is one of the top schools in the country. UCSB is … UCSB.
@AboutTheSame It’s a pretty debated topic. If we’re talking about some obscure no-name school, I’d agree. But UCSB is still a good school and the UC system is widely recognized as being such.
People will also debate about the grade deflation at Berkeley and that med school admission officers keep that in consideration, but again, it’s debatable as well.
It’s the whole package of a person, their entire application. It’s not just GPA just like it’s not just the school they came from.
Maybe someone with more first hand experience can chime in.
I usually recommend Cal, but… yeah, med schools really put your GPA above everything (except perhaps MCAT), and probably don’t give enough weight to the school you went to. While MCB at Berkeley is a great program, it is also quite difficult. That said, I know a number of people from Cal who have gone to med school, so it’s certainly possible. There’s also something to be said for the fact that a challenging undergrad program will prepare you better for the MCAT and med school. Finally, I think that ability to get good grades is often based on the environment you’re in - if I were at UCSB, I think that rather than working just as hard as I am at Cal and getting better grades, I’d be working half as hard and getting the same grades. But that may not be true for you.
You’re not crazy, but I would strongly consider both programs. I would say that in your case, how much you like the atmosphere at each school might matter more than usual, since your primary employment “prestige” is going to be based on the med school you go to. If you strongly prefer the environment of UCSB, I would go there, and the same for Cal.
Everybody’s got circumstances. For your case, this is nothing crazy and actually very reasonable.
Getting into good med school where you want to be is much more significant than attending a good undergrad - UCSB is still a very good school.
I would say also consider what kinds of fields either school can give you if for some chance in the future you decide to stop being premed. Many of my peers were also dead set on going to med school after undergrad but as time goes on people begin to consider other great careers and options. Cost is important too if med school is what you really want. One of my friends a couple years ago chose UCSB over Cal because he got more money at UCSB, even if Cal had a better program for his field.
Good advice from @alwayswonderines (interesting name) : I started out (eons ago) as a math/pre-med major. Organic chemistry took care of my med school dreams and “finite dimensional vector spaces” persuaded me that I was not meant to be a mathematician. I majored in behavioral psychology and went to law school – both of which were more up my alley. Fortunately, I went to a school where those changes were not difficult. It’s worth keeping in mind that what you are aiming at now may not be where you end up. Best of luck wherever. ATS
No you’re not crazy, do whatever is beneficial towards your future in order for you to succeed. Don’t listen to anyone who says youre stupid/crazy/etc. because I’m pretty sure they’re taking a different life path than you are so their opinions shouldn’t matter. It’s your life, you know what you need to do, so do it.
UCSB is a good school, I know people who are passing up UC Berkeley for UCSB (in Physics, however, for which UCSB is ranked ~10 in the world to UCB’s 1-4). Although I am probably going to Cal you probably won’t regret choosing UCSB especially if you’re on a medical track.