UCSD vs cal vs UCLA

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - San Diego
1

<p>I know there are a bunch of these... but could you CC people plz offer some advice for my specific case?</p>

<p>Cal: Letters, Arts, and Sciences; probably major in something sciency/biology-y, but NOT premed (though classes would intersect, of course); pay $8,000/year; live 20 mins away.</p>

<p>UCLA: Letters, Arts, and Sciences; probably major in something sciency/biology-y, but NOT premed (though classes would intersect, of course); financial aid unknown but probably similar to cal's.</p>

<p>UCSD: Bioengineering (great program, I am very interested in this, but not 100% sure it's what I want to do), still not premed, pay $2500/year, Regents scholar (priority registration, honors program, can check out dvds from library), muir college</p>

<p>Cal's got the prestige and well-rounded education and probably smarter people/not 'socially dead', same with UCLA+not too close to home, and at SD I have the option of bioE, pay 70% less, get Regents perks, i.e. priority registration. </p>

<p>Also, after college, after working, traveling, etc. I'll probably go to grad school.</p>

<p>thanks for your help, i need it!</p>

2

<p>I would choose UCSD hands down.</p>

3

<p>This seems more like a question about major over school. If you were in engineering in Berkeley, i would definitely choose Berkeley since their bioengineering is probably on par with UCSD.</p>

<p>I would definitely choose Berkeley over UCLA considering Berkeley is probably better and you live closer by. UCSD would be tougher to knock out since its a completely different major and you save money. My advice is to choose whichever major you have an interest in. I wouldnt say money is a factor since you can save a lot of money by commuting from your home and it can even out at the end.</p>

<p>Just a reminder, smarter people = harder competition = harder chance of getting a good GPA.</p>

<p>As for socially dead, i would say this is misleading. True it doesn’t have as many parties as schools like Santa Barbara but it’s not like a commuter school where it’s empty. People just seem to be more focused on their studies. Afterall, this more of a science school</p>

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<p>UCSD, Bioengineering is second only behind MIT…I think</p>

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<p>This is grad school
[Best</a> Biomedical and Bioengineering Programs | Top Engineering Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/biomedical-rankings]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/biomedical-rankings)</p>

<p>I guess berkeley isnt high up there but theres a chance that grad schools think higher of berkeley engineers than UCSD because well, it’s berkeley. Dont quote me on this though.</p>

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<p>Also, just because a school is ranked higher than another doesn’t mean it’s the right school for you. Rankings follow an unusual set of quantifiable factors, many of which have nothing to do with how much students enjoy their time there.</p>

<p>It’s good to keep this in mind even beyond undergrad. Grad schools are ranked even more intensely, but it’s ultimately about the individual’s matching. Could I have gone to a better-ranked school for my PhD? Sure. Would it have helped me become a better scientist and publish more? No guarantee.</p>

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<p>And sometimes top programs do correspond with best fit, which I got lucky with.</p>

<p>All three schools are great. You can’t make a wrong decision – unless you go to the school you can already see yourself being miserable at. All three offer top-notch resources for research, faculty, and campus life.</p>

<p>Some are better for sports, some better for weather/climate, some better for off-campus activities, etc. It’s fine to use subjective criteria for undergraduate since everything’s still an open box. Once you’re looking at graduate school, then you have to be more discerning with things like fit, research, faculty/advisor, placement, etc.</p>