I realize I have posted about this many times before and I am sorry but I really need a last rush of input because May 1st is soon.
I’m trying to decide between UC Berkeley and UCLA and hope to be on the pre-med track. I applied as an MCB (Immunology) major at Berkeley and an MCDB major at UCLA.
I hope to get that switched to Integrative Biology (Health Sciences) at Cal and Psychobiology at UCLA though.
If I don’t make it through those pre-med weeder classes, I will look into pharmacy (prob have the same weeder classes though) or a career in public health.
UC Berkeley: I feel much more familiar with the campus; I know all the inside jokes about the dorms and units, so I feel more “at home” at Berkeley. I have already made friends with some incoming freshmen. However, I am scared of not being able to make it through those weeder lower-divs. Everyone at Cal will be very smart and there’s hella grade deflation there. I have heard it is not good for pre-meds.
UCLA: It’s closer to home and it seems more suited towards pre-meds–they have a teaching hospital and all, so volunteering opportunities are easier to come by. People also seem happier there, and I’ve noticed that people who chose UCLA over UC Berkeley have fewer regrets. Campus is more beautiful and dorms/food are better, but I don’t feel as familiar with the place.
I would really appreciate everyone’s input.
In the end, I just want to make it through those weeder pre-med classes and have a happy 4 years with a good work/life balance.