I am utterly torn between UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley, which are my top choices. The deadline for everything is May1st and I still have not decided yet…
The main issue is that I’m afraid Berkeley will be too difficult for me, and I know it is much more difficult to transfer from a UC to another UC than from Community College to a UC.
My stats are on the lower tier of their averages (1300 new SAT, 30 ACT, 3.8 unweighted GPA, 4.3 weighted) and my major is Biological Sciences (Genetics, Genomics and Development)
I’ve heard so many stories of kids who cruised by in high school without studying and got put in their place at Berkeley, and the thing is I AM NOT one of those kids. If I had to work so hard to get mediocre grades in high school how will I survive at Berkeley? But at the same time I don’t want to let the fear of failing stop me from trying…what should I do? I will be more comfortable academically at Santa Barbara and less stressed, but the opportunity to go to UCB (one of the top schools that I can’t fathom why accepted me considering I was rejected from UCLA and UCSD) will always leave me wondering if I missed out.
Location, campus, etc. isn’t really an issue for me.
I noticed that you are going to pursue Biological Sciences.
Are you thinking about premed? If you are, I would highly suggest that you consider going to UCSB.
Are you premed? If so, I tend to agree with @StevenToCollege. Your scores put you somewhere between the 25th and 50th percentiles for incoming student at Berkeley (if I am reading the charts correctly). This is enough that if you work very hard you should be fine to graduate from Berkeley. You will learn a lot and have a degree from a really top university. However, it seems questionable whether you would get the grades that you would need for medical school.
I would not call you grades mediocre. Your grades are very good. I do however, suspect that you are correct and Santa Barbara will be less stress.
I have never been to Santa Barbara. However, from what I have seen from photos is looks to be a very beautiful campus in a very beautiful location.
I’m not pre-med. To be honest I’m still not set on what I want to be in the future, but am looking towards Scientific/Medical Illustration since my plans have always involved either science OR art and this path seems like the perfect best of both worlds. However, I am not sure if a more rigorous education in science at Berkeley would help me transfer to John Hopkins or a similarly good program for their Scientific/Medical Illustration courses or if I would just be doing extra work…both of UCB and UCSB’s art programs seem okay, although I did not have this career in mind when I applied.
You got into Berkeley because you can handle Berkeley. The fact that you had to work hard to get where you are is actually a plus for your future academic life, not a minus. You have the study skills and discipline to succeed wherever you go. IMO the kids who “are put in their place” are those who took their good grades for granted. In your case, you’ve connected them to hard work and so you are already ahead of the game. Discipline/perseverence wins every time. Choose the college that resonates with you as a whole person, not via the prestige factor. Personally I’d choose the more appropriate art department for your purposes. Good luck!
You got into both because they both wanted you. You can go to UCSB, probably double major (seemed to be fairly common there), earn a good gpa and bike your brains out (standard mode of transportation on the very flat campus). Or, you can go to Cal, which has more than 1 library (Cal has 32), a better academic reputation (because it is tougher, no question), and walk everywhere. Maybe your intended field of study will help guide you?
Our tour guide at UCSB had been admitted to Johns Hopkins, but didn’t like it and thought it would be too stressful. D’s classmate got into UCSB and UCLA and chose UCSB (admitted honors) as UCLA probably would have eaten him alive; he’s doing very well. D (also admitted honors) was looking for more of an academic challenge - Cal is providing that in spades.
I agree that Berkeley is more of a risk to your GPA. If you graduate Berkeley with a 3.0 and no fancy honors, would you be disappointed in yourself? If you graduate UCSB with a 4.0, would you wonder if you should have gone to Berkeley and really challenged yourself?
The fact that you are not premed means your entire career doesn’t hinge on your undergraduate GPA. But, bio related majors can have a stressful vibe because of all the classmates who do need to sweat their GPAs for med school.
“The fact that you are not premed means your entire career doesn’t hinge on your undergraduate GPA. But, bio related majors can have a stressful vibe because of all the classmates who do need to sweat their GPAs for med school.”
@AroundHere Good point. The first year is a real kicker - some pre-meds rethinking their paths and the other STEM majors scrambling not to be left on the back of the curve wave. It can be done - D is not pre-med and is blowing some of her pre-med friends out of the water in those mutual classes. Sometimes, it’s about what you want out of your education and what you’re willing to do to get it.
Many of my friends have said that it doesn’t matter where I go for undergrad, and going to Berkeley will indefinitely hurt my chances of getting into grad school at Johns Hopkins because of a lower GPA…do you agree?
Not for GPA, not for the rating, but if you are aiming at PhD, it’s for research opportunities and for networking.
Here’s my D’s story: She went to undergrad at UCB. When she graduated, she’d had 2 years of research. Her PhD applications included 3 LoRs from 2 professors and a post-doc who she did research under. Among the schools she applied to (and later admitted to), 3 people interviewing her were advisees of the 2 aforementioned professors, and one was a classmate of the post-doc.
I’m not saying that you won’t have those privileges at UCSB. I’m just saying that where you go for undergrad does matter.
Note that GPA is not necessarily the most important for application to grad school.
UCSB will not be a walk in the park in the sciences, but it seems to have a less competitive vibe compared to Berkeley. You can do quite well doing undergrad at UCSB in biological sciences- including going on to Berkeley for a PhD and then winning a Nobel Prize (Carol Greider '83)!
You may want to check out the College of Creative Studies (CCS) at UCSB. It would be an ideal place for someone who has a cross-disciplinary bent and it offers an undergrad experience that is unlike anything else in the UC system.
GPA is everything for professional school applications. PhD programs care about GPA, but probably more important are LORs and research experience.
I would guess that medical illustration is somewhat like professional school in emphasizing GPS as the programs are usually associated with medical schools, but most likely your portfolio of art would be important as well.
@TheSkyIsFalling3 UCSB seems like a more supportive environment and since you said you’ve worked hard for your grades, you may appreciate that. I got into Berkeley as well, and I’m considering Davis… haven’t picked yet. Oh, and also UCSB’s chancellor Henry Yang seems really nice
“I’ve heard so many stories of kids who cruised by in high school without studying and got put in their place at Berkeley,”
Is that some urban legend? Not true at all. Most kids got into UCB thru hard work. In fact, I don’t know any top school can claim that they only accept genius type. Your WGPA is actually above average for UCB but your SAT is light. They probably took you in for the former. Not unusual for UCs to do that, so you won’t be that ‘special’ at UCB. That said, you’d have a less stressful time at UCSB for the same GPA, and it’s a good program on its own. I think JHU or any other good grad school will take UCSB seriously. Only thing is, would you feel a need to tell people you also got into UCB over and over again…
