Hi everyone, I was accepted into both UCLA (for the BS in biochemistry) and UCB (for the BA in molecular and cell biology: biochemistry). I have future plans on eventually going to pharmacy school, and I was wondering which one of these schools would be best for me to achieve this goal (although there is a possibility it might change, so the ease of transferring majors is also important). I definitely like UCLA’s campus and vibe more than Berkeley and feel like I would get a higher GPA at UCLA, but I know that Berkeley’s name and prestige have greater weight when applying to grad schools. Which one of these would be better for me and my future?
At the undergraduate level, both programs will prepare you for pharmacy school. I doubt that any pharmacy school admissions committee would care whether your degree was from UCLA or UCB, because in the grand scheme of things, these really are very similar schools/experiences. So you should base your decision on which school feels like a better fit for you, and where you feel you will thrive. Then, once you get to college, make sure you take advantage of the opportunities that you have, including research, and make sure you get to know professors who can write you good letters of recommendation. Volunteer or work in/around a pharmacy. I would also advise that you make sure you get a really strong grounding in physical and organic chemistry–these will serve you well as you study biochemistry and pharmacy. And make sure you check out the requirements for application to pharmacy schools (before you even start college), for example, check out the UCSD or UCSF pharm D program websites.