I’m currently stuck between these two schools for biology. Which school could prepare me more for my major? Pros and cons?
Prepare you how? For Graduate school, Medical/Dental school, Research?
What will be your costs between the 2 schools? Are finances important in your decision?
Not sure about Sacramento State although will be much cheaper if money a big issue. UC Riverside has a very good Biology program ranked #73 Nationally (2018 US News) and the campus is growing faster than the other UC’s for a reason. Bio-Med (now Thomas Haider)…is EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE since a year faster than regular Pre-Med. You can do the regular speed route now as well with the new Medical School if you are going that route. I would aspire for UC Riverside unless finances are a main constraint…if so, then Sac State.
@Gumbymom Prepare me ultimately for Physician Assistant school. I’d like to know how hard/easy it is to get classes at UCR vs Sac State. How much access you have to research opportunities at each school? As far as costs go Sac will be up to $20,000 and UCR will be $29,000 but I’m still waiting on my Cal Grants to see how much I could possibly save
@Fisherman99 Thank you for your input! Can you tell me more about the Bio-Med route? Why is it faster?
If you are interested in attending PA school, then your Undergrad GPA, your GRE score and healthcare experience will be the most important when applying. Research should not be your focus but selecting a school where you have a chance for a competitive GPA and access to healthcare related EC’s as top priority. Both schools will meet that goal, but keeping your undergrad costs at a minimum might make Sac State a slightly better option although UCR is still a great option.
It seems like neither is within commuting distance which could help with finances but it may come down to your best fit and only you can decide.
@Gumbymom I guess that’s what I needed to hear. GPA, GRE, and healthcare experience are a top priority and that’s what I should consider when deciding between these two schools. I was thinking of doing an EMT program over summer to get my hours in while attending Sac State. But at Riverside, although the research opportunities are great, that’s not important when it comes to PA school. And I wouldn’t know how to get my hours in at UCR since I’m coming from the Bay Area and I’m very unfamiliar with the environment.
The Riverside area will have a lot of opportunities especially since they now have a Medical school. I think both schools will get you to your goal and much will depend upon you and not which school you attend.
lifted from my response to your Sac State thread.
i am not a biologist but, sac is a good school in a nice location that will prepare you well whatever your profession. There is a LOT of new construction on campus, including a massive new Science complex but, that is not supposed to be finished until June of 2019. While i am sure the new building will be great, you’d have at least 2 semesters with the old facilities. Thanks to Kaiser, Sutter, the UCDavis hospital and many more, there’s no shortage of medical jobs for students but, as far as research, that is more the purview of UCD, at the hospital in Sac and on campus 20 miles down the road.
As far as your choice, I’d suggest you spend some time on both campuses, tour the classrooms and labs, talk to some student. Saving $9k per year should be a significant factor, especially if you will incur debt to make it happen.
9k a year is a significant factor. As for Bio-Med (now Thomas Haider Program) it is an accelerated Pre-Med program a year faster than regular Pre-Med in conjunction with UCLA if successfully completed. Best to tour both locations and see how much grant money coming in on the finance side.
@NCalRent @Fisherman99 Will definitely tour both the locations and get a feel for the campus and its environment. Thank you both for your input. What sucks is that I won’t be notified of grants until mid-June. It would be nice knowing how much financial help I would receive before committing to these schools since the disbursement for UC’s and CSU’s will be different. But I do know right now that Sac State saves me a lot more money than UCR.