UCB v. UCLA v. U of Rochester (Help!)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Hi! So I was fortunate enough to be admitted to Cal today and I'm narrowing down my choices. I'd really like your guys' input since I'm so torn about where to go!</p>

<ul>
<li>Berkeley -</li>
</ul>

<p>Pros: Near SF so can visit!, very liberal atmosphere that I like, driven student body, excellent professors, far away from home but not TOO far, world-renowned school, received most aid from here</p>

<p>Cons: Cutthroat atmosphere (esp. for pre-meds) could make college very un-fun, hard to get a good GPA for grad school, huge class sizes, reputed not-so-attractive/nerdy student body, dorm food sucks, might not graduate on time, disadvantage if I want to go to UCSF grad??</p>

<ul>
<li>UCLA -</li>
</ul>

<p>Pros: Family nearby so can help them out when they need it, gorgeous student body, well-rounded atmosphere, awesome school but not as dog-eat-dog as Cal, sunshine & way better dorm food</p>

<p>Cons: Too close to home?, still a huge school, grade deflation once again, got less aid (though may receive other scholarships from UCLA soon), may not graduate on time</p>

<ul>
<li>U of Rochester -</li>
</ul>

<p>Pros: Research at Medical School nearby, will likely be one of the top students so high GPA + better chances at internships, leadership, etc.; 3+2 program means I can get my Master's degree with just an extra year of school, flexible curriculum => easy to double major & also start student orgs, smaller class sizes = more individual attention</p>

<p>Cons: Cold & gloomy weather, opposite side of the country from home (plane tickets $$$), student body not exactly known for being well-rounded/attractive, medium-sized city far from NYC, no one knows it so if I decide to get a job before grad school it'll be difficult to find a well-paying one, got less aid than UCs so would have to appeal even with $12,000 merit I received</p>

<ul>
<li>Other Notes -</li>
</ul>

<p>I'll be going into brain science and want to go to grad school - either PhD or MD (or dual degree but let's be realistic). I'm currently pre-med but considering switching in to the tech field b/c better work hours + less time in school/fewer loans + higher pay; if any of you can comment on either the neuroscience/life science or computer science programs for these schools I'd be eternally grateful.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>U of R is very highly regarded and well known- that will not be a problem…you may or may not be a top student there…don’t count on “likely”, you will find very similarly bright students at all three schools- U of R is just smaller, but may have more research opportunities because of it…</p>

3

<p>Yes, I apologize; I didn’t mean to imply that I was looking down on UR. But like @ApplesTo said, it does have a less competitive atmosphere than Cal. Thanks for the input and side note: I’m not planning to switch majors to Computer Science - my prospective major requires me to take computer science classes, however.</p>

4

<p>Could be that a less competitive atmosphere is a sign of more secure students…certainly not less intelligent…bottom line is that all three schools are a win for you!</p>

5

<p>Spread your wings and come to Cal! </p>

6

<p>I really don’t know any pre-med who isn’t graduating on time so it’s strange to me that you’ve listed that. Also why did you list a disadvantage if you want to go to UCSF for grad school? You know they give students from Cal a “boost” right (Cal is their feeder school)?</p>

<p>But yes, it is painful being pre-med here, but I wouldn’t trade it… </p>

7

<p>@dina4119 Two things I’ve heard are that it’s difficult to graduate on-time from the UCs due to the size of the schools and that top grad schools tend to accept a higher proportion of students who did undergrad elsewhere. I am open to being proven wrong, however.</p>

8

<p>I don’t see how size of the school would make it more difficult to graduate? Nearly everyone gets to take the classes they want when they want, if that’s what you’re worried about. And again, I know a lot of premeds and some take gap years but I haven’t met any who are graduating late.
I’d like to hear where you heard that top grad schools accept more students from elsewhere, though. But in the case of UCSF, Cal is their feeder school and adcoms there have said that students from Cal get a boost.</p>