So I recently got accepted into Riverside, Irvine, Davis, San Diego, and Berkeley. I narrowed down my choices to Berkeley and Irvine. I would be coming in as a Biology Major/Letters of Science and I am completely conflicted as to which college is the best fit for me! I need to take into consideration the grade deflation for med school, proximity from home (which is 30 minutes from Irvine), and the thought of a cutthroat course scares me! The only thing pushing me to go to Berkeley is the thought that I will always be experiencing something knew and that there are MANY opportunities in terms of internships and such. Also, my friends say it helps you grow as a person and that everyone loves it there! My friends from UCI can’t say the same because they wish they could choose a different UC & I’m afraid that I’ll feel trapped since I know the area so well already. HELP!
UPDATE: My gpa in high school was a 4.17 and my SAT score was 1240 (out of 1600). I don’t believe in my abilities to do well since Berkeley is notorious for their difficult classes and low GPAs.
Big congrats!!! How did you get into Cal with SAT score of 1240, for Biology no less? I know of multiple kids with 1500+ and 3.9-4.3 GPA who were not admitted.
competition in UCI fro top grades can be keen in engineering and the life/physical sciences too. You should talk to current or recent UCI student regarding those areas.