Congrats on your acceptances at UCSD and UCSB. What got you those acceptances was much, much more about your hs efforts than where you attended hs. Same with med school. You will start college with a clean slate and what will make you “look the best” to medical schools is much more, much more about your efforts at any of the above colleges, not the name of school at top of your diploma.
As to your focus on research: do you have some interest in research or do you simply think “research” has to appear on an application to make it competitive? Unless you have goal of going to a med school that is strong in research, just to have “research” listed on a med school application is not of high importance to med schools. For most med schools, they probably don’t care. Spending time helping less fortunate people (activities that should be easy to find at any of your 3 school choices) is something that would go a longer way to impressing most med schools than just box checking “research.”
https://www.aamc.org/download/462316/data/mcatguide.pdf
p.14
Also consider that med school application process takes a year meaning that if you expect to start med school after your senior year, you will have apply in summer after your junior year. Although not unheard of, it can be quite difficult to stay on top of academics, have social life, etc and engage in a meaningful “research” activity/activities that could be listed on an application submitted after your third year. Again spending time helping less fortunate people (activities that should be easy to find at any of your 3 school choices) is something that would go a longer way to impressing most med schools than just box checking “research.”
I’ve always tried to avoid disclosure about S, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. In another one of your threads, I mentioned a story about a MD’s first day in a crowded premed class. I’ve had many discussions with this MD about the insane competition for premeds at UCSD. The MD I mentioned is my S, a UCSD graduate. Most of the premeds he started with were onto Plan Bs by end of first year, some as early as second quarter. The size of premed classes, the crumbs of As that professors handed out, the speed of the quarter system tended to be premed dream crushers at UCSD. Not to brag but S was strong hs student, getting acceptances at both UCLA and UCSB as well. He finished first year at UCSD with GPAs below 3.2, quite the slap to the side of the head for someone who had done so well in hs. It took quite a bit of soul searching and effort to overcome this slow start.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/2135511-ucsd-vs-usf-med.html
As a note none of hs friends who went to UCLA were premed, but he had 4/5 hs friends who started as premeds at UCSB. None of them made it to med school. No doubt there are many successful premeds at all UCs, but most that start never apply, and of those that do apply and get accepted, most will attend med school OOS.
“UCs will cost me 55k.” Although that figure might be current COA, count on it increasing in next 4 years and it doesn’t take into consideration cross country travel, travel for med school interviews, etc. As I remember UCSD only guarantees on campus housing for 2 years, meaning you’ll have to move out into surrounding often high cost areas, further adding to COA. You will be lucky if you graduate from UCSD with only 250k in debt. Adding to 4 years of med school, residency 3-5 years, 2+ years if you subspecialize, you will not begin earn enough to pay down debt (college/med school) in any meaningful well until into your 30s.
Premed is hard everywhere. Most who start change their minds and of those that apply, 60% will not start at any med school. If you become a successful premed, congratulations, it’s quite the accomplishment. But if you change your mind for any reason, why would you want the UC debt following you around. I am certainly not trying to deter you from pursuing your dreams. And I would agree that UCSD is a really good school. But FWIW, all things considered, I’d modify your OP to “… go to NC State, the free ride, duh.” Good luck.