Need to Decide by 5/1...

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So...I've come to an impasse regarding deciding which colleges to go to. Because I'm basically undecided at the moment in terms of majors/concentration, I'm probably going to do a premed track since that's what I seem to be most interested in.</p>

<p>Here are the ones I'm still considering:
UC Berkeley
UCLA
Northwestern
Washington University - St. Louis
UCSD</p>

<p>Also been waitlisted at Johns Hopkins and Caltech, but I have no idea what my chances are for getting off those waitlists.</p>

<p>Thoughts on each one:
UC Berkeley:
Pros: It's the flagship UC; it's got the most "prestige". Close to home (short drive+BART ride away). Lots of people I know there. Regent's/Chancellor's Scholarship, meaning 4 years guaranteed advising, 1k a year, RCSA, faculty advisor, and probably some other minor perks I'm forgetting. Badminton/Cubing Club =D. Very strong academic environment. Strong sports scene (Cal football). Costs ~24k a year. Norcal weather. BART to San Francisco.</p>

<p>Cons: Cutthroat competition supposedly; no pre-med advising, no on-site medical center. Supposedly harder to maintain a high GPA. Lots of people (too many?). Neighborhood isn't as safe. ~60% of med students get accepted into med school. Questionable research opportunities?</p>

<p>UCLA:
Pros: It's almost as prestigious as Berkeley. People seem happier there. On-site medical center/school. Dorm food is amazing. Still close enough that one can get to the school in ~2 hours (Southwest has cheap SJC-LAX flights; LAX has a shuttle directly to UCLA/Westwood). Westwood is nearby. Good neighborhood. Beautiful campus (northside at least). Honors program. Strong academic environment; although possibly a little less competitive than Berkeley. Strong sports scene (UCLA Basketball). Costs ~25k a year. ~80% of honors program med students get accepted into med school.</p>

<p>Cons: Dorms look old (at least the reshalls do). Further away. Slight drop in prestige from Berkeley. No Regents. Traffic is a *****. Big school. Home football stadium is an hour away (Rose Bowl). People seem more superficial; lifestyle is different (socal lifestyle). Hotter than Norcal; friends are already complaining. No A/C in most dorms. Harder to get off campus unless you have a car. Honors program = significantly more work? ~60% overall medical students get accepted into med school (slightly lower than Berkeley). 3 years guaranteed housing.</p>

<p>Northwestern:
Pros: Very strong academics. Heard its a beautiful campus. Heard its good for premed students. Counselor and English teacher feel this is a good place for me. Chicago is nearby. Medical school nearby.</p>

<p>Cons: Have not been to campus. Financial aid: 36k loans a year (no grants) + 2k for Nat'l Merit. Costs ~50k a year. Cold/windy. Not sure about research opportunities or programs. Med School isn't as highly ranked.</p>

<p>Wash U:
Pros: AMAZING premed program. Beautiful campus. Small school. Research opportunities everywhere. Medical school/center nearby. Good food. >90% of med students get accepted into med school. Some dorms are amazing.</p>

<p>Cons: Boring area. Lots of drinking (this was a serious problem for me when I visited during Multicultural weekend; I was being woken up at 4:30 am every day by drunk roommates; also people had puked in the elevator. Also, my friends were being hit on to the point of serious issues by drunk guys). Cold/windy. Not too much to do on campus. Premed factory. Supposedly dangerous outside at night. Financial Aid: 4k grant + 2k for Nat'l merit; ~44k a year costwise. Res-halls are not so amazing. Seems to be more conservative (I come from one of the most liberal areas in the nation). People seem more "closed".</p>

<p>UCSD (Marshall):
Pros: ~23k a year. Superstrong in Bio/BioE. Perhaps slightly less competition than Berkeley/LA. Heard its a nice campus. Regents Scholarship (2k a year I think). Great weather. Medical School nearby. Close to other research centers (Scripps, JPL?)</p>

<p>Cons: Not as strong in non-bio fields. Not well known outside of west. Haven't been to campus. Premed advising: unknown.</p>

<p>So the main thing preventing me from choosing privates is the fact that they cost so much more. Over 4 years they add up to ~100k more than UC's. Are they really worth that much? If it was like Harvard I would probably say yes, but since they're not I'm not sure.</p>

<p>So...any comments on where I should go/why I should go there? I still am seriously considering all of these schools. Appreciate all opinions. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>It seems like you like Berkeley best.</p>

<p>And, honestly, it's probably for the best anyway. It's silly to pay more money when you have schools as great as the UCs at in-state rates!</p>

3

<p>Berkeley! Just don't be cocky thinking you'll get all A's, work hard, and you'll be fine. </p>

<p>Note: Berkeley's campus is gorgeous - especially the western / northern / eastern ends. Dorm food is much improved...Cal Dining won an award:
04.12.2007</a> - Cal Dining wins the Oscar of eateries</p>

<p>Why turn down Regents to go to a satellite campus down south? ;)</p>

4

<p>Wash U St Louis and NU are not worth 100K more than UCLA let alone Cal. I will shoot you a PM on some specifics.</p>

5

<p>Forgot to add to UCLA:
Pro: ~80% of honors program med students get accepted into med school. Short flight down; Southwest tickets are cheap (it probably takes equal time from my house to Berkeley and UCLA).</p>

6

<p>UCB or UCLA. Both are great schools, and the Regents/honors distinction just make them better options. I don't think the on-campus presence of a med school is a factor of any importance. You can still do lab research at UCB with biomedical applications.
Also, I suspect that you will do well as a premed anywhere, given your academic strength, and I would not base your undergraduate decision on medical school acceptance rates.</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
Short flight down; Southwest tickets are cheap (it probably takes equal time from my house to Berkeley and UCLA).

[/quote]

True, it's a short flight...but add time traveling to airport, security screening, waiting for boarding, flight, travel from airport to UCLA in West LA traffic (405 = 1 hr easily on a busy day). Total trip time is about 4/5 hours...you could almost drive in that time...</p>

8

<p>Tested already; I got from UCLA to airport in 20 min at ~6:00 pm on a Tuesday (this is the tail of rush hour I assume?); security = 5 min; Waiting for boarding = 15 min; flight = 50 min; Airport to my house = 20 min. That's 1.5 hours, which is also slightly more than the time it takes for BART to go from Fremont to Berkeley. My house to Fremont BART = 30 min.</p>

<p>Anyways, my original point is that both California schools are easy to get to/from. But, if another school is definitely better, I can fly across the country to go there.</p>

9

<p>^ Congrats on the time...I would call that an anomaly.</p>

10

<p>Okay...but back to the original post: anyone have any other opinions?</p>

11

<p>
[quote]
Cutthroat competition supposedly

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Supposedly but not really. Perhaps in some majors, but even then, "cutthroat" is so exaggerated.</p>

<p>
[quote]
no pre-med advising

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not true. You can get advising if you want it. It isn't always easy, but you definitely can.</p>

<p>
[quote]
no on-site medical center

[/quote]
</p>

<p>True. There's UCSF, which some students commute to for internships, etc. via BART.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Lots of people (too many?).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Berkeley has ~34k students, UCLA ~38k. The other schools you mention are, obviously, smaller.</p>

<p>
[quote]
~60% of med students get accepted into med school.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>In comparison to UCLA's honors program 80% rate, it really is very comparable: take the top students at Berkeley who are pre-med and put them in an "honors program," and you'd have a comparable acceptance rate (if not a higher one).</p>

<p>Really, it's not that you'd have a "higher chance" of getting into med school because of that--admission to med school would need to be a random event for you to be able to make that kind of conclusion, and it isn't--but rather there's that whole "self-selectivity" thing at work here. If you've gotten into UCLA honors + you have Regents at Berkeley, you'd probably be one of that 60% who get into med school from Berkeley.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Questionable research opportunities?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Questionable? Berkeley has tons of research for undergrads.</p>

<p>Undergraduate</a> Research @ Berkeley</p>

<p>In terms of non-medical research spending, Berkeley spends more ($500 million+ each year) than most any universities, if not the most. And that's not even counting all the research done at LBNL (or the research done in conjunction with UCSF). You don't really need to worry about that.</p>

<p>For you, it should be down to UCLA and Berkeley. NU and WUStL definitely do not have a 100k advantage over Berkeley or UCLA (to be honest, I don't think they have a huge advantage either way). Go with the one that fits you best; don't be misled by rumors of "cutthroat competition."</p>

12

<p>But there is no premed council (the group that does your cover letter)?</p>

13

<p>UCLA - incredible Medical Center!</p>

14

<p>the infamous bump...I pretty much have to decide by the end of this weekend.</p>

15

<p>Eliminate the out of state schools. Northwestern is not worth $30,000 in loans per year; no school is. Wash U is not where you feel comfortable. Remember, you're not just going to school; wherever you choose will be your home for the next four years. You want to feel "at home".</p>

<p>As for premed advising, call Berkeley and find out. Talk to the Career Center. It is inconceivable that a flagship university of the level of Berkeley could leave premeds out on their own.</p>

<p>Your top best are UCLA and Berkeley. I really don't think you can go wrong with either school.</p>

<p>Congratulations and good luck!</p>

16

<p>If you're deciding between LA and Berkeley, and surrounding city is an important factor for you, go to LA. The city is fantastic and there's an unimaginable amount of things to do in Los Angeles. Berkeley, on the other hand, is home to plenty of hobos and lowlifes, and the town is often dirty in some areas. Also, if you think Berkeley is big, LA has ~2000 more undergrads; conversely, LA has two times as many faculty members as Berkeley does. Good luck.</p>

17

<p>I think it just depends on what vibe you like. </p>

<p>The Bay Area has a completely different vibe from LA...I wouldn't say that one is better, but they are very different. If you don't know which environment you prefer, give UCLA a try, for the sake of something new (since you already live by Berkeley).</p>