<p>I was admitted to UCSD for undergrad BioE: Pre Med, only problem is it will cost me 35,000 dollars a year in student loans.</p>
<p>I realy really really want to live in Berkeley/SF area when I am an adult, and I know being admitted to their BioE GRADUATE program would be much easier coming from UCSD, just cuz of the BioE reupation...</p>
<p>My question is this: Do the UC graduate departments look at residency when accepting students? For undergraduate it is much easier for CA residents to gain acceptance to a UC school, does this "residency rule" apply for graduate students who live out of state applying to the UC GRAD schools (specifically berkeley).</p>
<p>I could go to Rutgers in NJ for my undergrad, and work my ass off for 4 years, then apply to UCB for GRAD school. That would only cost me 10,000 dollars a year versus 35,000 dollars a year... Any input? please help I'm freaking out... I know its 4 years away but i like to plan ahead...</p>
<p>140k in debt is a very large amount of debt, and while admittance to a graduate program for PhD students might be fully funded, I'm not sure how much you would have to pay off the debt, and, after you graduate, don't loans begin to have interest? You would probably have to work for a few years to pay them off. BioE majors can get paid fairly well, I'm not excatly sure how much, although I've heard it's below some other engineering branches. </p>
<p>I'm not sure what advantages the "Pre Med" program gives you, although perhaps it's something- I'm just not familiar with UCSD's program.</p>
<p>From what I've heard and encountered, I think that some UC professional programs greatly prefer residents, such as UCSF meidcal school, but academic graduate programs such as BioE would not care much about residency, if at all.</p>
<p>I would say that, as far as I can tell, for many if not most publicly funded graduate programs in California, your past performance, perceived potential, and whatever other factors the program look for will more greatly affect your chances. Now, some UC programs, particularly some of the professional programs, might take residency as a large factor. As far as medical schools go, I've heard at least UCSF looks more favorably upon California residents than non-residents. Other will be more informed on this stuff than I am. Consider the medical or pre-med forum.</p>