I need help in deciding whether to go to UCLA or not...

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
21

<p>As much as I prefer UCLA over UOP I think their admit reqs for the pharm 5 year is fairly good.</p>

<ul>
<li> High school GPA of 3.6 (on a 4.0 scale) and</li>
<li>Either a combined SAT Critical Reading and Math score of 1250 (with at least a 550 in Critical Reading and Math), or an ACT Composite of 27.</li>
</ul>

<p>I don't think that's all that bad. The only problem is that they don't require an SAT II in something like bio or chem whereas UCLA requires at least 3.</p>

<p>Has anyone looked UOP's research oppurtunities? UCLA is generally considered a good research school so how does UOP compare?</p>

22

<p>erm, can't say much about that.<br>
but i was chatting to some of pharmacists at a recent family meet (have tons of 'em there), and the ones who graduated from uop and ucsf say that uop pharm training is a little more inclined towards retail, while sf preps you a lot for clinical work and research. of course, you can do whatever you wish (all my uop relations are currently working at hospitals, haha), but that's just a comparsion.</p>

23

<p>Thank You all for your inputs. I am going to choose UCLA :)</p>

24

<p>I hope this doesn't sound arrogant, but..</p>

<p>It sounds like UCLA has not only better but also broader opportunities for education. If you're thinking about engineering at all, UCLA is the better choice. If you're thinking about doing research, UCLA is the better choice. The UC's are major research universities after all, and UCLA grads have a very high entrance rate into health grad schools. You will probably have an easier time doing research in any field of your choice coming out of UCLA, rather than, as skyline says, working at a pharmacy. Besides, UCLA has that cool nanotech research center with Stanford and UCB :p <3The only reason I can see why UOP is preferable is possibly smaller classes, but really once you get into your major, your classes will be small at UCLA too.</p>

<p>One last note, when I visited UOP two years ago...it really gave me that community college feel. Maybe, it was just that one weekend. Overall, however, I believe UCLA will provide a more fulfilling college experience.</p>

25

<p>Your post basically sum up my thoughts and conclusion.</p>

26

<p>I agree with lavalita. UCLA has a variety of opportunities to conduct research and partake in small classes. When I visited UCLA, our tour guides were each doing research in the microbio/immunology field. One of them was also considering attending pharmacy because she knows she has been prepared for it. However, one of my friends visited UOP and she said that the campus seems like it was a community college and the people didn't seem to hold intelligent conversations. This wasn't what he was looking for. He wanted to be able to learn from his peers as well as receive an excellent undergrad education. So, all in all, I believe that UCLA will better prepare you for anything you want to pursue during your post-undergrad.</p>

27

<p>Hey, do you know whether it is possible to go straight to a school of public health for a masters degree?
I know I will defintely minor in public health.</p>

28

<p>Despite all the opportunities, there's still a chance/luck factor that goes along with your applications for specialty/graduate schools. Guaranteed spots are hard to pass up.</p>

<p>("75% of UCLA applicants attend UCSF."- That cannot be true- it is too ridiculously high for any school.)</p>

29

<p>I don't know if that statistic is correct. I have a printed out copy and that's what it says. I got it from the UCLA Career Center. However, I can't find it anymore. I'm entierly open to the possiblity that it was a typo and they have since removed it.</p>

30

<p>I think a more realistic percentage is 7.5% of UCLA applicants attending UCSF. :rolleyes:</p>

31

<p>now that is truly hard to get in. Does anyone know the admit rate for UCLA's school of Public Health for UCLA undergraduates?</p>

32

<p>perhaps the career center stated that 75% of UCLA applicants get into pharmacy school...not only UCSF, but all the pharmacy schools
a gauranteed spot may sound nice, but not at UOP...do you really doubt your ability to attend a better school? If it were gauranteed med school...then maybe, considering medical school is much harder to get into than pharmacy school
Conducting research is very very important...UOP doesn't offer that
UCLA excels in health related fields...if you go there, commit yourself, conduct research, and receive good grades...you'll do fine
Don't give up on UCSF just because you think it's hard to get into...chances are you'll all do better than you expect
college isn't as difficult as you think
besides...from uop, you'll have a very difficult time getting a research position upon graduation...
ucla and uop aren't even comparable...they are on two completely different levels</p>

33

<p>UCLA/UCSF will provide for a far more fulfilling experience than UOP will...
i disagree that chance/luck is involved in the college process...if you work really hard and do all that you can, you will succeed =)</p>

<p>Here's some info on UCSF taken from <a href="http://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/pharmd/admissions/aboutstudents/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/pharmd/admissions/aboutstudents/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Remeber, for those of you who live in cali...it's way easier to get into UCSF from inside cali as can be displayed by the stats below: (~87% of admits are cali residents)</p>

<p>Admitted Student Profile
The UCSF School of Pharmacy is committed to admitting PharmD students who have diverse cultural, economic, and social backgrounds. Although grade point average is an important factor, it is not the sole reason for acceptance. In addition to intellectual and academic competence, the School's admissions committee considers communication skills, leadership ability, community service, health care-related or research experience, and motivation for pursuing a career in pharmacy. </p>

<p>Typical Entering Class Profile
Based on the class entering in fall 2005 </p>

<p>Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
Low: 2.89
Average: 3.51
High: 4.00 </p>

<p>Prepharmacy GPA
Low: 2.60
Average: 3.50
High: 4.00 </p>

<p>Quarter Overall Units
Low: 135.00
Average: 230.26
High: 431.09 </p>

<p>Residency
86.89% California residents
11.48% Out-of-state residents
01.64% non-US residents </p>

<p>Degree When Entering
02.46% no degree
01.64% Associate's degree
95.90% Bachelor's degree
06.56% Graduate degrees</p>

<p>Typical Applicant Profile
The typical applicant we offer admission to is characterized by the following profile. Most applications are strong in all areas. </p>

<p>Academic background characterized by:
Breadth of coursework
Attendance at a four-year college
More than 190 quarter units of completed college coursework
Completion of a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree
A cumulative grade point average of 3.51
A grade point average in prepharmacy requirements of 3.50
Application that demonstrates:
Strong and detailed letters of recommendation
Detailed biographical information
A strong, well-written statement of purpose and thought-provoking essays
Strong, confident interviews
A good interview essay
Personal motivation shown by:
Community service or volunteer work
Knowledge of pharmacy and the health care industry
Excellent communication skills
Other Considerations
Extenuating circumstances will be considered, but may not necessarily influence the admissions committee's final decision. For example, the applicant might be the primary caregiver for a family member, might be employed full-time, or might have unique personal circumstances.</p>

34

<p>here are the top pharmacy school rankings: (UOP is not on here)
<a href="http://www.pharmacychoice.com/education/ranking.cfm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.pharmacychoice.com/education/ranking.cfm&lt;/a>
this is from 1998 because i couldn't find a more recent one online...i did however find the us news rankings for the top three pharmacy schools and they are as follows: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/hea/brief/pha_brief.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/hea/brief/pha_brief.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Health: Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
Ranked in 2005* </p>

<p>Rank/School Average assessment (for 2005)
score (5.0 = highest)
1. University of California--San Francisco 4.6
2. University of Texas--Austin 4.4
3. University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill 4.2 </p>

<p>Rank/School Average
reputation score (for 1998)
(5 = highest)<br>
1. University of California–San Francisco 4.5<br>
2. University of Texas–Austin 4.2<br>
3. University of Kentucky 4.0<br>
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 4.0<br>
5. Purdue University–West Lafayette (IN) 3.9<br>
University of Minnesota 3.9<br>
7. Ohio State University 3.8<br>
University of Arizona 3.8<br>
University of Florida 3.8<br>
University of Maryland–Baltimore 3.8<br>
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill 3.8<br>
University of Tennessee–Memphis 3.8<br>
13. SUNY–Buffalo 3.7<br>
University of Illinois–Chicago 3.7<br>
University of Washington 3.7<br>
16. University of Utah 3.6<br>
University of Wisconsin–Madison 3.6<br>
18. University of Southern California 3.5<br>
19. University of Iowa 3.4<br>
Virginia Commonwealth University 3.4<br>
21. University of Kansas 3.3<br>
22. Medical University of South Carolina 3.2<br>
Philidelphia College of Pharmacy & Science 3.2<br>
University of Georgia 3.2<br>
25. University of Mississippi 3.1<br>
University of Nebraska Medical Center 3.1<br>
27. Rutgers College of Pharmacy (NJ) 2.9<br>
St. Louis College of Pharmacy 2.9<br>
University of Oklahoma 2.9<br>
Washington State University 2.9<br>
31. Auburn University (AL) 2.8<br>
Creighton University (NE) 2.8<br>
Mercer University (GA) 2.8<br>
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center 2.8<br>
Univeristy of Missouri–Kansas 2.8<br>
Wayne State University (MI) 2.8 </p>

<p>All of the schools on this list are ranked higher than UOP</p>