<p>Hi all, I have a student who is deciding between the two and I am curious to know what you all think. Student Pre-Med.</p>
<p>depends on major.</p>
<p>People seem to think the Riverside campus is not attractive…</p>
<p>UC Riverside doesn’t get a lot of respect in California – for many, many years it has been the black hole of UC campuses – easy to get in, hard to get out. They’re probably doing happy dances now that UC Merced has opened and is even less desirable.</p>
<p>But that might not make any difference to you as a pre-med. Med school admissions are largely going to be determined by an excellent gpa – particularly in the science classes, and a high MCAT score. You might have an easier time getting that gpa at Riverside, and I suspect that if you’re an agreeable kind of person that professors at Riverside would really go out of their way to help you do well. The Honors program is a plus, particularly if it gives you preferential enrollment so that you can be choosy about the professors you have. Research opportunities may also be more readily available. You’ll also need to put in substantial time in medically-related activities (work or volunteer) and Riverside ought to give you a tremendous opportunity to do that.</p>
<p>UCSB is likely to be more competitive, but has the advantages of a great location and much better air quality. Housing is a lot more expensive once you’re past the dorm years, though. </p>
<p>If your long-term interest is research medicine, then UCSB may be the way to go. But if you’re interested in becoming a practicing doctor, I think you may have a clearer path at Riverside.</p>
<p>nice post arabrab… I agree with that in toto.</p>
<p>Thanks arabrab, I thought about the housing situation. The financial aid package is better at UCSB, but only by a few thousand. I was considering the long term housing costs. I will pass your post along to the student I am working with.</p>