Need help deciding : Ucla v. CAL v. USC

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm sure there are tons of these kinds of threads, but none are in the exact same situation as I, therefore, I must make this thread. I am thinking about going into Pre-Med, so please tell me which would be the best option for me, considering the circumstances. </p>

<p>UCLA:
This school will cost me about 7500. I am a Biology major and I have many friends that attend (will attend) UCLA. If i do go, i would be rooming with one of my best friends that I've known for the longest time and it would be pretty fun. I would say that UCLA would be the place i would be happiest, but would it lead to good medical school results? </p>

<p>Cal:
This school is farther from home, and i would be getting a richer college experience. I would be paying about 7000. The social life is probably duller, but would the prestige of Cal outweigh this?</p>

<p>USC:
I am getting basically everything paid for if i go here, so money isnt an issue. About 2000 I would have to fork over every year, but which is pretty good compared to the 50000+ total. My major is biomedical engineering and i hear the alumni association is really good for landing a job. Would the drawbacks of living near the ghetto be worth it in this case?</p>

<p>I love all 3 schools, but this is a hard decision for me to make. Which school would be the best for medical school entrances, and if you were in my situation, which would you choose? I have friends at all 3, and each give out very convincing arguments why i should go to their school.</p>

2

<p>Cal.</p>

<p>I think I'm telling everyone I know to go there just because I probably am, but my brother is a graduating bio major there this year and he's the one who basically got me leaning towards it. Berkeley is not only the best public education you could probably get, but it rivals a lot of what private schools have to offer. You probably won't have as many science-y people at USC and the professors at Cal are exceptional. It's library is massive and the social scene is pretty okay. The food is also hella cheap and really good. Despite all that, I'm still going to admit day at USC to find myself a football player.</p>

3

<p>Given your major I would say accruing 30K in debt at Cal might be worth the price of admission. That said, my advice to students is go with the financial aid because the stress factor is so much less when you own less money. BUT you have a major that will pay quite well when you graduate so you are an exception. So in this case, I would consider Cal, it has that old school prestige the others do not have.</p>

4

<p>I would go to USC, since it is willing to offer a free tuition. USC premed = UCLA premed = Cal premed. However, you might not wanna major in something related to engineering if you wanna go to med school, since your gpa won't be as high. Remember, engineering is one of the hardest majors at any college and thus isn't an ideal major for premeds, whose gpa are crucial for success in gaining med school acceptances.</p>