Lookin' for Biology + Business in California

Hello again CC’ers, i’ve been thinking about college again & realized i’ve probably been looking at this whole thing too optimistically, in all likelihood uc-berkeley will crush my
still-beating heart, & I won’t get into the LSBE program; so I need (a) back-up plan/s. As such i’ve been looking to colleges that I can also apply to here are my(mostly arbitrary) requirements:

  • In california(i’m pretty sure if I were to leave california for any longer then a year i’d shrivel up like a snail & die)
  • good food(2nd most important)
  • painful academics(if no one is screaming of the mental scars given to them by this school’s [probably engineering/CS/physics/etc.] program, then my
    academic-sadomasochism doesn’t want it)
  • classes on genetics/genomics/genetic engineering/etc.(this is the part of biology I want to get into)
  • Both a good biology, & a good business admin/econ program
  • If the school doesn’t already offer a dual business + biology undergraduate program, then it needs to allow me to double major in both
  • Relatively chill campus(a rager every day is not ok, but every other day is fine)
  • public*(if it’s a really cool private then i’m open to it)
  • has some entrepreneurial spirit

College i’m probably going to also apply to

  • all the UCs
    -except Merced, because no one likes Merced(sorry Merced)

Have you looked at Cal Poly SLO, UCR and USC?

1 Like

looked at the UCs but haven’t looked at SLO yet, but I do see it mentioned often, so I guess it warrants a look.

I would google…won’t let you link here. Niche plus best food.

Then go through the top 2 or 300 and find the CA schools and take a look.

There are a lot of top colleges with bad food and I think you are smart to have that as an important item.

Bio you can do anywhere. Business is not Econ. Know which you want. Check curriculums. One is prepping for a field; the other is a liberal art with lots of reading, writing, and quantitative work.

In CA, in the top 75 is UCLA, USD, Long Beach State. Occidental and Pomona.

1 Like

@Ikg4answers looks like Cal Poly SLO is good for all requirements i’ve mentioned previously, & allows me to double major in both business administration, & microbiology, it offers classes in genetics, i like the whole learn by doing thing

1 Like

also you are correct about the whole biz admin, & biz econ thing, but i’d enjoy & learn in both & in the case of UCLA specifically they offer their entrepreneurship minor + they offer quite a few management courses.

Sounds like you know where you want. Good luck getting in.

1 Like

thank you!

Have you looked at Santa Clara University?

2 Likes

nope ill check it out though

@onipl Santa Clara looks good, if I were to go there I’d probably double major + double minor in the Management & Entrepreneurship Major, Biology Major, Entrepreneurship Minor, & Biotech Minor

Yes, Santa Clara was my first thought; also USC, which is very interdisciplinary-friendly. The USC Marshall website says this about double majors:

Interdisciplinary Education

USC offers over 170 majors and over 220 minors that many Marshall students take advantage of. With more than 16,000 combinations, you can pursue your personal interests or career aspirations and create your own interdisciplinary education.
Common Double Majors:

  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Political Science
  • Biological Sciences (B.A.)
  • International Relations
  • Neuroscience
  • Philosophy
  • Public Policy, Management and Planning

There’s also the Science Management major in the joint Keck Science department that is shared by Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps. Studying in the Claremont Consortium also gives you access to STEM classes at Harvey Mudd and Pomona. Here’s an article about a student in this major: Natural fit: For polymath Connor Bloom ’19, science management had it all | Claremont McKenna College

1 Like

What are your interests - I mean, CA has different regions (when one says I want to stay in CA is that So Cal, No Cal…other areas? and the schools they are different. What size? Do you want big sports? Budget?

If you think you’re good enough to get into UCLA, for example, then you can likely go to Arizona for dirt cheap. Or a school on WUE that maybe isn’t in the state borders, but will be reasonable.

If Jesuit is ok and your budget is $60K or so, then the Jesuits - like USD, LMU, SCU, etc. - and how about a U of Pacific.

Personally I think saying - it has to be in CA and then leaving it open - is really not a good search mechanism. If you go by food ratings, you can really narrow down on a few.

PS at most big state schools there will be a rager every day…or a lot of nightlife - but it doesn’t mean you have to partake.

What’s your budget? What do you want size? Weather, etc? Big sports, not big sports…

Santa Clara was my first thought too…but it’s very expensive. Will it be affordable for your family? Very very likely it will be more costly than your CA instate public universities. Run the net price calculator and see.

Our DD is a grad and double majored in bioengineering and biology. The school very much supports double majors. In our kid’s case, this required a lot of course credits per term, and one summer of courses to graduate in four years. YMMV on that.

@tsbna44, I guess I never really thought about any environmental factors that weren’t food, so here’s some things that are important to me

  • shorts weather(for me anywhere between 65, & 105 degrees average fahrenheit)
  • constant access to coffee(I need to have at least 5 cups a day)
  • bigger than my high school(I really don’t care about size)
  • i don’t really want to go to a religious school
  • When i’m talking about a party everyday I’m more talking about the social culture around partying, basically is partying & drinking the only social event
  • don’t care about sports either way
  • not sure about my budget, i’ll have to talk more to my parents about that one.

The article seems interesting, I’ll look more into the Claremont Consortium.

@cup_o_joe_2025

SCU is a Jesuit school but it is very ecumenical. Really the focus is on community service, and giving back. All good.

Food is terrific, and so is the weather!

As long as the food is great i’d be happy with anywhere in CA.

But why CA? The Bay Area is different than So Cal. SD is different than LA is different than Riverside.

The Bay Area will not work for you in the winter time.

Yes - budget is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd most important thing - because if you won’t qualify for need, but your parents tell you $40K, then LMU, SCU, USD, Pacific, Occidental - wherever - won’t work.

A Tucson (U of AZ) may work but will still have days that aren’t 65.

What are your stats - that combined with merit, will matter.

I think coffee every day is easy. Non religious is easy. Good food - ehhh - but many eat off campus and most places have a salad bar. My daughter’s school is doing fresh squeezed OJ - sometimes you get lucky.

But you sound more like So Cal then No Cal - and you’re likely limited but there will be options. Maybe an SDSU. I mentioned USD - but it’s Catholic.

Santa Clara will. My kid wore shorts year round there…and flip flops.

2 Likes