Hi! I tend to overthink everything, but I finally have narrowed down my college options to UC Davis or UC Berkeley. If I went to UC Davis, I’d major in wildlife, fish, and conservation biology. At UC Berkeley, I’d major in Molecular Environmental Biology with a focus in animal health and behavior. I know that the latter is a much more general degree. Would this be a disadvantage? While I think it’d be nice to have a wider variety of classes, I’m worried that I’ll have less opportunities to go in depth into wildlife specifically. I know both schools have great research opportunities and strong programs, but I’ve heard internships are really competitive to get at UC Berkeley. I’m also just wondering what campus life is like at both schools. I know that’s a really general question, sorry.
I don’t have anything to say about the school programs specifically but I will offer this: I volunteered at one of the largest wildlife rehab hospitals in Northern California for a couple of years. Almost every vet intern we had was from Davis. I don’t know enough to know whether or how your course would overlap with that, but Davis certainly seemed to be held in very high regard for wildlife education.
UCD is a biking campus and has a great bus system which gets you around campus and town. The quintessential small town feel but only 20 min to Sacramento airport and about 1 1/2 to 2 hours away from Lake Tahoe. Socially, UCD is more earthy, laid back and friendly but there are students who drink and party if you like that scene.
Weather: Rain and cold during the winter, nice Spring and Fall and can be very hot during the summer.
UCD tends to more collaborative vs. competitive.
Undergrad research is available especially if you find a professor with your area of interest.
My older son attended UCD as a Environmental science major was able to secure 2 research positions (one with his Ecological restoration professor and one doing Salmon research for his Fish and Wildlife professor).
I would look at the curriculum for each program and see which program best suits your academic interests. Plenty of nature and outdoor activities around UCD so I would lean toward UC Davis although I tend to be bias.
Check out the career center and there are plenty of temporary jobs/internships with the Department of Fish and Wildlife based in Sacramento: https://icc.ucdavis.edu/
If you’re seriously considering Berkeley, look into the ecosystem management program. You can kind of customize your area of focus to emphasize wildlife biology. I’ve also heard good things about Davis. I got admitted to both under natural resource management which is kind of similar, so I’m in the same boat! Let me know what you end up deciding! I’m leaning towards Berkeley; there’s a program you can apply for where you spend a semester in French Polynesia designing your own ecosystem monitoring/surveying plan and present a formal scientific paper on it which would be a really great experience! Best of luck.
Late to this thread but wanted to ask @Gumbymom … what is your older son doing as a career with this degree from UC Davis?
He worked for 2 years for the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife as a Fish and Wildife Technician which he loved but it was a Permanent Intermittent job (not guaranteed full time hours and no benefits). CFWD jobs are evaluated by Seniority so you have to work your way up the ladder to the permanent Full-time positions.
He is now working for a private Environmental Consulting firm as an Environmental Biologist (Full time with benefits) and works with all animal species. He is getting great experience in the area of Environmental policy and eventually hopes to go back to the CFWD if a good opportunity avails itself. He has been lucky with his current job since most is field work so Covid has not had much impact which he is thankful.
Experience is key in doing well in the Environmental Science field.
For pre-Vet, with one of the top Vet schools in the nation, Davis is a no-brainer. But the OP did not indicate that such was his/her long-term plan.
have you been admitted to both?
and are you a freshman or transfer applicant?