Hello folks. Not sure what happened to my previous thread, but Im still deciding to decide on which university I should attend. I am currently doing pre-medicine, but I may plan on switching to an engineering major if I find out med school is not for me.
Cal Poly Pomona:
Pros:
- 20 minute commute from home
- Affordable ( Full Ride scholarship)
- Honors Program
- If I do switch to engineering, its easy to do so and great program
- High GPA average
- Established connections with hospitals and doctors in my area.
Cons :
- Not the best pre-med program
- Cal State not as prestigious as UC. Could possibly hurt me when applying to med school.
UC San Diego:
Pros:
- Has own Med School
- Nice Location
- Rigor will prepare me for medschool
- If I do switch to engineering, top 12 engineering program.
- Prestigious
Cons:
- Pricey
- Socially dead
- Grade deflation
- 35% from UCSD got into med school (Average:41%)
- 60% of UC students get to change majors to engineering successfully
My gut is telling me Cal Poly Pomona, but I’m afraid of losing the great opportunities presented at UCSD. Staying close to home is appealing to me and its cheaper. Any other pros and cons I should think about?
UCSD ALL THE WAY. Better experience, not socially dead, more opportunities, more likely to be successful if u r driven, and u actually get the college experience. I chose UCSD too i also live like 15-20 mins from cal poly pomona. My tutors go there and it is taking them muh longer to graduate. They are bio majors and they said it takes 5 years typically and usually to get ur bachelors. Being engineer is harder, would count on same or longer.
Plus UCSD has way better ranked hospitals and medical buildings right on or near campus!!!
Current CPP biotech major here,
If I was in your position I would pick UCSD. San Diego is a beautiful area and there’s a lot to do in the city. At Pomona the campus is nice (so is UCSDs) but the surrounding area is pretty trashy (There’s college towns 10min drive away but you can’t simply walk off campus to one). The social life on campus is also pretty non-existent at Pomona so that shouldn’t be a factor is pomona vs ucsd. Whether you decide on med or engineering you can’t go wrong with UCSD. At CPP there’s great STEM programs but UCSD is more prestigious in pre-med and an engineering degree from a top UC vs from cal poly won’t make a difference. Bottom line is you should pick the school you feel like you would like the most (both academically and socially/living there) and have no regret going to. Good luck and congrats on getting into two great schools!
@rbstudent I’m definitely familiar with the area. What dont you like about CPP? The only reason Im considering CPP is because of the financial aid + scholarship and less difficulty in changing majors.
@ucbalumnus I differently did research this and emailed the department head regarding the department I’m interested in. He basically said that If I do well on my screening courses and passionate about ECE, he said they can meet with me and discuss options.
Mostly bc the campus life is pretty dull (absolutely dead on weekends), restaurants on campus close very early and aren’t open on wknds (which wouldn’t be that bad if the surrounding area was nice but it isn’t), and campus events/school identity is pretty lacking. But there’s also a lot I like about CPP. For instance the campus itself is nice and the academic/recreational facilities are pretty great. Academically, Pomona is a very good STEM school and its getting more and more selective as a result. Its also a lot cheaper than a UC and is pretty highly respected by employers (especially for engineering). Recreationally, there’s facilities like the BRIC (brand new gym/recreation center) which is really nice and there’s also an ecological reserve on campus with a long forest trail (my favorite part of campus) etc. There’s a lot of clubs, job opportunities on campus, and the greek life here is pretty solid. Next year i’m also living in the suites which are a lot nicer than the old freshman dorms. All in all campus life is pretty much what you make it. Im enjoying myself here bc I like the academics and have a lot of friends from home going here. If I had the chance I would go to UCSD bc I think I’d have a better college experience in San Diego than I would here but it’s different for everyone. I hope I could help with your decision. Good luck!