Hello! I was wondering what the people on CC thought about Cal vs. UCLA vs. UNC. I am a psych major at all of these schools, and will be paying full out of state tuition for all of them. I am considering atmosphere (I am a pretty chill person), and after I’m thinking about grad school and PHD to become a clinical psychologist or med school then residency to become a psychiatrist. Other things to note: 1. I do identify as LGBT 2. I am from texas and therefore a warm-natured person 3. UCLA has a biopsych major I really like which is interesting 4. UNC is in fact 10k cheaper per year and is a less expensive place to live. I mean for curiosity’s sake I did also get into WashU with the PNP major (philosophy, Neuroscience, and Psych) so if you think i should go there tell me your thoughts.
Let me know your thoughts!
Academically, all four are excellent schools. If money isn’t a factor, I would go with WashU, St. Louis. But it sounds like money is a factor, in which case I would go with UNC (Chapel Hill?), so long as you have visited the place and find that the social environment is welcoming of LGBT students. I can’t speak for the place in this regard. The state has an unhealthy obsession with gender and public restrooms, but the university and its younger generation are guaranteed to be more intelligent and knowledgeable of the U.S. Constitution than their state legislators and ex-governor.
As a Californian, I am proud of the UCs, especially Cal and UCLA. And yes, the psychobiology program in the latter is excellent - I know someone else who is considering it right now, with similar career goals in mind: my daughter. (Also comparing it to Cal and other schools.) However, in her case, she’s looking at in-state tuition. You have to decide whether the huge class sizes and cutthroat pre-med classes (= potential GPA-killers) are worth out-of-state tuition. Both schools will be highly competitive in the sciences and export the highest number of medical school applicants in the nation (UCLA being #1: over a thousand each year).
Weather might be worth the premium! Also, LGBTQ students find a normal/ natural home at the UCs, especially at Cal and the San Francisco Bay Area. (Sadly, sometimes politics on campus can take things to the opposite extreme, shutting down conservative voices. Neither extreme is healthy in a college. People should respect freedom of speech.) If you haven’t visited, check them out. Admitted students’ weekends are coming up soon. UCLA Bruins Day is April 15, and I think Cal is April 20. The campuses and surrounding locations are VERY different. Both schools have friendly students, although the perception is that Cal students are, on average, slightly more stressed out academically.
Unless saving money is a priority, I’d go with UCLA over UNC for: LGBT welcoming, weather, the biopsych major you want. On the other hand, if huge classes are off-putting, then take a close look at WashU.