Schools for Zoology/Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

College Majors Science Majors
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<p>So, I know most people suggest being a biology major undergrad then getting a masters degree or a PhD in zoology, but I'm looking into being a zoology (or ecology and evolutionary biology) major with a second major in psychology in order to go on to get a PhD in ethology (animal behavior.) I'm also looking into minoring in English, as writing and reading are other passions of mine. Some of the schools I applied to I'd have to just be a biology major, but for a place like Cornell, I figure it'd be worth it, as you can always focus on a specific concentration.</p>

<p>I've applied to the following schools: University of Florida, University of Virginia, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, CU Boulder, Colorado State, Cornell, and Stanford. Obviously, if I got into Cornell or Stanford that would be fantastic, but my question is, for what I want to go into what should be my next choices? I'm not really sure if I want to go to UC Davis undergrad, as that's where I want to go to graduate school and I'd prefer not to be in the same place for 8+ years. Or is UC Davis fantastic enough for zoology that if I get in, I should just go there anyway? </p>

<p>I hear back from the other schools in March, but currently I know that I got into CU Boulder and Colorado State. People in Colorado generally consider Colorado State a joke and say to go to CU Boulder, but I hear a general consensus on CC that Colorado State is good for biology/zoology. Does anyone know whether CU Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology is any good?</p>

<p>Thanks for any help and sorry my post kind of rambles on!</p>

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<p>Just go to a public school in your area, or at the very least, in your state. Live at home if you can. A PhD does NOT come cheap. Expect to be saddled in hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. You need to conserve as much money as possible in your undergrad schooling, which, in the grand scheme of things, does not matter much if a PhD is really in your sights. Because for graduate school, all that matters is your GPA and work experience. That’s it. So you’d be wise to go to a less prestigious, in-state public school to save money and more likely to get a high GPA than if you were to go to Cornell or Stanford.</p>

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<p>

Yes, it does. Any good PhD program will come fully funded plus a stipend for living expenses. </p>

<p>

…no. The importance of GPA is blown way out of proportion, and in a lot of fields it’s the least important factor after GRE scores if you meet a certain threshold (3.0+ overall, ~3.3+ major). Most important by far are research experience and academic preparation, followed by recommendations.</p>

<p>The piece of good advice in that post is that it’s prudent to choose an inexpensive option, which is something I agree with. If you’re a California resident, I would lean toward one of the UCs (Berkeley IB is a fantastic option) or, if it gives enough financial aid, UVA. </p>

<p>CU Boulder has a great ecology program, and Boulder is more scenic than Fort Collins. I’d personally prefer it, but you couldn’t go wrong with either.</p>