Hi, I have submitted my SIR to UC Davis, and was recently admitted from UC Berkeley’s waitlist for January 2018.
(If I attend Berkeley, I would choose FPF to start attending in the fall.)
And now I have to compare the two colleges to see what institution would give me the best insight/experience for the 4 years to come.
Please give me any advice or answer some questions I have at the end! Also correct any misconceptions I hold.
I should mention that I want to become a vet in the future. I’m 90% confident I want to stay in that track, but I’m not entirely certain.
I am Animal Biology major for Davis and Cell and Developmental Biology major for Berkeley.
Davis Pros:
- Receiving $7.5k per year
- Honors benefits
- Hands-on experience for vet school
- #1 vet school (accepts most undergrad from Davis itself)
- Already deposited & has roommate
- Good housing & food
Davis Cons:
- Big class size
- Not a good option if my future plan changes
- Not much name recognition
- May not have as academically driven environment as Davis
Berkeley Pros:
- Academically challenging
- Semester system
- If major changed, any other program is highly recognized as well
- Smaller (than Davis) class size
- Name recognition
Berkeley Cons:
- GPA deflation (someone pls give me insight in this area)
- Possibly tougher to get into vet school?
- More mental pressure
- Housing isn’t great (pls tell me more)
- Area isn’t “friendly?”
The problem is that my dad REALLY wants me to go to Berkeley. I immigrated to the US in 2010 and kept up good GPA, test scores, etc., and he thinks it’s crazy for me to turn down the best public university in the US, as his intention in moving here was to give his kids the best education. Unless there is a significant advantage Davis holds over Berkeley, he is SET.
For me, I see the benefits of both schools. My biggest concern is regarding my education as a Pre-Vet student. I would like to know what experience a vet student has at Berkeley (hands-on, GPA wise, applying to vet school) and maybe how that compares to that of Davis. Another big concern is GPA. Although I have done well throughout high school, I definitely had difficult times understanding subjects and I am certainly not a genius. I also want to know how stressed I would be.
I’ve used logic after logic to explain to my dad the benefits Davis has over Berkeley, but all he thinks is that I don’t want to go to Berkeley because of the tough competition. While this is partially true, it’s mostly due to my fear of not being able to meet the requirements for a vet school or not being the more outstanding candidate for one. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INSIGHTS IF YOU ARE PRE-VET OR HAS ANY IDEA IN THAT AREA.
It would be a big help if you can give extremely convincing reasons if you are arguing for Davis, since my dad is not willing to hear.
This entire writing may seem like I’m leaning toward Davis, but I am really not partial toward either. It’s just my dad’s blind insistence that’s getting on my nerves and making me less attached to Berkeley.
Oh yeah, any response before 10 am tomorrow would be appreciated!