@emli8100 Definitely more laid-back than Berkeley. Happy friendly students and staff. Work hard, play hard. I had no idea the first time we visited that it was such a big bike school, on the order of Davis in that regard. Cal and UCLA will be much more walking campuses. People are pretty chill - at least in the engineering dept, students are very collaborative and not cutthroat. Soccer is the big sport there, but sports aren’t so predominant like they are at Cal and UCLA. But students tend to be fit from the biking, beach activities, etc. Some of the outdoor dining areas are really cool - a little peek of the ocean or an island. Of course, the entire campus is basically a resort-type location with views that will blow you away from all parts of the school.
Others will have a better perspective from a premed perspective. There was some good advice in a post above about checking into the premed support at each school. I know nothing about that. If you can visit all 3, you should do so. I know I could be happy at all of them - my kids have different feelings about some of them.
Would you say that Cal and UCLA are similarly brutal in competitiveness if you are NOT majoring in biology (or engineering, or another STEM field)?
My D was accepted to Cal and UCLA (and other UC’s) for sociology. She doesn’t know if sociology will be her final choice, but it will be something in the social sciences.
She does not do well in high-stress situations and super competitive classes. She’s capable of really great work but she hates being surrounded by really driven students. Also she is prone to feeling like everyone else knows what’s going on and she doesn’t (she has high-functioning autism and one of her problems is that she finds it hard to follow rapidly given oral instructions). She could end up feeling really down about herself if she’s surrounded by people who are constantly showing off how smart they are.
I would never throw her into a situation like you’re describing Cal/UCLA is for biology majors. Will it be the same in all classes? If so, she’d better go to UC Santa Cruz. (But she also gets annoyed when surrounded by students who just goof off and don’t take the classes seriously!)
^I think that sociology majors are different from premed. Definitely not cut-throat competitive, if only because they don’t have to be and because they don’t have the same “profile” (just like most engineers don’t have the same personal profile as most arts majors, for instance). First-year classes will be fast-paced and probably stressful (because if you put strong students who want to do well all together in a 300-seat room, you’re bound to get some stress) but the situation shouldn’t be as stressful as for premeds, who all compete against each other from the first day on campus. Sociology majors don’t compete against anyone.
Yeah, it’s true that highly competitive people don’t usually choose sociology as a major. Thanks.
She’s going to go to the admitted students day events (at UCSC as well) and see how she feels about the vibe of the campus and the other students. She’s very quirky and has never felt like she fit in at high school, so finding her “tribe” will be really important.
@emli8100 Thanks! I would definitely agree that Cal being on the semester system is something you should consider in your decision. I went to a quarter-system school (U of Chicago) and I really disliked the late September start and the mid-June finish and only having 2 weeks off in the winter. I also never really got accustomed to the faster pace – it felt to me like I never really got a chance to settle in to my classes before suddenly it was midterms, then finals. However, many students love the quarter system because of the faster pace and because if they get a disappointing class/professor they know it won’t last too long.
I’m in the same exact position as OP. Trying to decide between Cal, SB w/honors, and Davis w/regents (didn’t apply to LA or SD). The overwhelming advice I have gotten is, “Don’t come to Cal if you’re premed.” I also have a similar mindset as OP–the prestige issue with going to UCSB. However, I think this is just something we have to get over; at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about the effort one puts in. Therefore, I think if one is totally set on pre-health, then I’d take SB w/regents. However, if your mind is not completely set on medicine, then I’d take Cal for the various other opportunities it’d provide.
I’d also visit both campuses to get a better feel as to where you’d fit. Personally, though I’d probably prefer Cal a little more, I’m fine with both. Also, the stoner culture at SB is not ubiquitous, from what I’ve heard–you only engage in that lifestyle if you so desire.
I wanted to clarify that I didn’t mean to say that UCSB is full of stoners. I meant to say that a stoner from my HS got into UCSB, and that I didn’t want to believe that my “efforts” (sort of, at least academically) would take me on the same college path as him. The stoner kid wasn’t a complete slacker but he slept in most of his classes and bs’d his way through everything.
@ffffxxors I agree that the prestige thing might just need to be something we should get over. It probably won’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
my vote goes to LA. It seems to generally have a good (or at least better than Berkeley and SD) balance between academic and social life. While the premed there is supposedly a “bloodbath” (I wouldn’t know, maybe ask some current students and don’t go off of speculation?), its academia is still markedly better than that at SB. SB’s party culture detracts from its academics to the extent that I wouldn’t suggest it over LA. There is a significant difference.
did you get accepted to any other private universities you were interested? I remember you had a chance thread where you were wondering for some top schools?
@ANormalSeniorGuy Accepted at USC, waitlisted at Columbia and Penn but already declined the option–but parents don’t want to pay for those colleges (any of those 3). So they’re out.
Also UCSD is an option now because I got a 5k/year aid offer from an outside organization. I think it might be better than LA or Berkeley in terms of rigor and more serious than UCSB because I’m not a partier. If anyone reads this far into the thread please give me your opinions!
For premed it’ll be roughly the same.
Really the idea is 1) graduate from Cal or UCLA not a doctor but something else awesome or 2) ucsb regents with a shot at med school.
Which sounds better to you?
@MYOS1634 Thanks for the advice and I’m sorry if I sound stubborn, just really trying to weigh my options here. UCSD is the same rigor at UCLA and Cal? Does the Regents make a difference at UCSB?
Regents makes a big difference in that you have priority registration which means you can choose the class hours that work best for you and the sections/labs with the best instructors. You can really balance your schedule, which is crucial for premeds - it’s a marathon, your ability not spread yourself too thin any given semester is a necessity.
If you have similar privileges at ucsd then choose ucsd if course. Look into it.
Is putting Berkeley as my #1 because of the semester system bad? I’ve found that in HS I don’t do well with the quarter system and want a more relaxed pace instead of midterms/finals every few weeks or so. I know that it’s gonna be hard there but hopefully the semester system and dead week will help? Sorry if I sound naive and stubborn, especially with all the advice I got from you guys.
