As decision day approaches, I am in need of some opinions on my choices.
To preface everything…
I am an Asian American Student that wishes to pursue a pre-med track with the end goal, of course, Med school.
At UC Berkeley, I got into the College of Chemistry as a Chemical Biology major. I visited on Cal day and loved the campus/city feel and i know the prestige of the college, especially with the CoC. However, I have heard of grade deflation and the high competition of the school. I will be OOS all 4 years and did not recieve any financial aid. But, this is still my top and don’t doubt my drive to succeed, even if that means studying more.
At UW Seattle, I got direct admit into the Biochemistry/Chemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences. My parents are moving to the Seattle Area (regardless) this summer, so I will get in-state tuition after the first year. The school isnt as prestigious as Cal but I know their Med School is top ranked. The campus/dorms were very nice and modern.
UCB is my top, but my parents are in favor of UW.
I also have UF (in-state) and Rhodes College (Deans Scholarship) as options, but I am not as fond of these schools as a whole.
Any opinons??
Any of these schools is going to have a tough path to premed - Rhodes might be the easiest to get the grades you need, honestly. Every large flagship has tough weeder courses and a LOT of smart students shooting for med school. I’d probably go with UW if you are set on one of the larger schools. It is still a new place to you, and you’d save money for med school. But don’t think premed is going to be any easier there.
IMO, UW for a large public (since your parents are moving) or Rhodes for a more intimate experience.
Paying OOS fees for premed makes absolutely no sense.
btw: Cal does not have a med school. (UCSF is a separate campus and has always been so.)
In addition to the comments above, there is NO guarantee that you will have priority for a UC med school.
She also got into UW. My physician and the doctor that she shadowed also recommended UW.
My dd is at UCSF for pharmacy. The competition to get in was brutal. Any med program at UCSF is brutal. Most of her classmates are not from UC’s.
If UF is much less expensive, why not go there and apply the savings to expensive medical school?
Travel to Florida medical schools for interviews will also be more expensive and less convenient if you are at Washington or UCB.
But also consider your plan B, since most frosh pre-meds do not get into any medical school.
For example, about a quarter of students in UCB pre-med courses earn A- or better grades. That means that most will have GPAs that make admission to medical school unrealistic. Then there is the MCAT, pre-med extracurriculars, essays, recommendations, interviews… Medical school applicants spend a lot of time and many thousands of dollars applying, but fewer than half are lucky enough to get even one admission.
My question is “is undergrad just a means to an end or are there things about UW or UCB that you like better than the other?”
I personally believe that four years in college is so much more than the degree you get but maybe I’m an outlier in this regard?