<p>I'm having a really hard time choosing between these two!</p>
<p>Admitted to UCSD as a human bio major at Revelle College, I went there yesterday for their admit day and LOVED it, but probably wouldn't consider the option as heavily if I weren't in that college for that major. </p>
<p>It'd be UCLA hands down if UCLA had a human bio major, or more concern for undergrads who aren't in HSSEAS (I regret not applying to the engineering school). I got in to UCLA as a regular bio major, i'd probably try to transfer to cell/molecular bio though. I want to go into the biomed industry, maybe genetic research or medicine.
I still have to visit UCLA for their admit day in a couple weeks, I've been there a couple times before, though I haven't spoken to profs or students. I loved it too, especially Westwood. </p>
<p>So I know there are similar threads out there, but this one is more specific, what are some pros and cons for each?</p>
<p>Anyone have a different opinion on UCLA or UCSD?</p>
<p>I suspect that your chances of graduating on time are somewhat higher from Revelle/UCSD than from UCLA, since the Revelle general ed requirements match up rather nicely with what you need to be taking as a bio major. At UCLA one of the big challenges is getting the courses you need in order meet the prerequisites for the higher-level courses in a timely manner.</p>
<p>– I attended both schools, and they’re both excellent in different ways, but it was quite a bit easier to get the lower division courses I actually needed at UCSD. Internships in biology-related fields may also be somewhat easier to come by; Westwood/West LA/Santa Monica wasn’t a hotbed for this kind of off-campus research (though very cool in many other respects.)</p>
<p>Okay, yeah I deduced the graduating on time thing yesterday at ucsd, talking to a few bio majors about how they never had problems getting the classes they needed. Revelle sounds amazing and I definitely want to do research.</p>
<p>I’m willing to sacrifice the sports for the research at ucsd, and the city atmosphere isn’t a big deal to me. I’d be okay with La Jolla. Also, I don’t think I’m competitive enough for UCLA. Not that I’m not competitive and am never ahead of the game, but I’m not really cutthroat at all. I realize premed at UCSD is really almost as bad, but at least I’d be in the right college to actual be have a competitive edge where as at UCLA it seems like as general bio major, I’d be totally lost.</p>
<p>^ It seems you got your decision made up</p>
<p>how about visiting both campuses and both their bio-sciences buildings?
IDK, maybe talk to one of the people there?</p>
<p>^ It seems you got your decision made up</p>
<p>how about visiting both campuses and both their bio-sciences buildings?
IDK, maybe talk to one of the people there?</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m actually pretty sure right now. Hopefully UCLA visit later this month won’t change my mind. I really want to be a Bruin but…undecided still. =</p>
<p>I think you’ll thrive at UCSD.</p>
<p>I think you’re underestimating the level of competitiveness in the bio major at UCSD. It’s equally, if not more competitive than UCLA. One of the reasons for this is because EVERYONE there gave up sports/extracurriculars to go to UCSD lol. It’s like you all have the same idea, so it becomes this center for people who only want to focus on school. I lived in San Diego for a long time, and attend UCLA, so I’m pretty familiar with both schools. </p>
<p>I applaud you for not getting caught up in the name-rep of UCLA, but I’d advise you to seriously consider the competitiveness of UCSD before giving up a great college town and atmosphere at UCLA.</p>
<p>Congrats, and good luck!</p>
<p>I think I have a decent grasp for how competitive UCSD’s bio department is, I was just under the impression that you have a better chance to get to know profs and get internships/research opps there, versus at UCLA. </p>
<p>Oh and I also got into Berkeley…for spring semester. A heartbreaker, but I didn’t really like the atmosphere there at all and I’ve heard plenty of horrorstories about premed there so Berk is out of the equation.</p>
<p>dash – for your interests, UCSD doesn’t really have a competitor among the UCs… The worldwide biomed industry has centered itself in San Diego and environs. That’s where the big dogs bark, so that’s where you need to be. The higher tide floats all boats, etc.</p>
<p>It will be equally competitive to UCLA. The difference is the Revelle housing provides a support system difficult to find at UCLA.</p>
<p>im in the exact same situation as you! leaning toward UCLA right now…but still very unsure. dont worry, youre not alone!</p>
<p>lfc6691 - you say you’re in the <em>exact</em> same boat… are you also looking for human bio and are accepted into UCLA as a regular bio major?</p>
<p>haha, i would say that that seems very unlikely, the exact same boat, but i actually do know someone who goes to my school (nonetheless) in my situation too , and we didn’t know it until we saw each other at ucsd’s admit day. I guess it’s more common than we think! I talked to quite a few UCSD students who turned down UCLA and Berkeley, and one who also turned down Harvard for the Revelle/Human Bio route. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the help so far, my pro and con chart is very heavily weighted toward ucsd right now.</p>
<p>And today it’s more UCLA…=</p>
<p>dashgirl it is too bad that you didn’t go to College Day at UCLA. They split the kids into Humanities and Life Science majors at one point. The Life Science (ie any of the bios, LS, physiology etc. majors.) The counselor from the bio dept was there and explained how to meet with advisors, some majors it is required, to set up a 4 year plan, get help and to get anwers any time you need help. The MCD Bio dept has it’s own advisors, Biology has its’ own advisors etc. The help is definitely there you just have to be pro-active and get the help you need. It didn’t seem difficult to do.</p>
<p>dashgirl – you wrote that you wanted to go into either the biomed industry, or medicine. If the former, you really need to get your head around the fact that the biomed’s relationship with UCSD leads to much more attainable internships and post college first employment than a bio degree from UCLA. You should do some more investigating into my assertion – to see if that is true, and to what extent… you must see that practical reality yousrelf.</p>
<p>I actually did attend college day at UCLA this past weekend and I’m also going to scholar’s day and an overnight thing friday/saturday. I am aware that there are biomed opportunities in san diego, and the whole vibe of the campus was certainly more inviting than UCLA’s was for college day (definitely got to feel like i was just a number and the weather was quite disgusting for LA…I live less than an hour from the campus, I know). </p>
<p>I also talked to a former bio professor from ucla, who is currently doing research at USC (weird, right?) and he basically summarized what i already know–It would be quite easy to get into biomed from UCSD but…it would be unwise to sacrifice the social atmosphere of UCLA because I’m not at all sure I’ll even decide to major in a science and a non biosci degree from UCSD would be…not very appreciated in any field. He also reminded me that I have some pretty close connections already in the biomed field and that undergrad research is far from unavailable at LA and major switching would be less hectic. </p>
<p>so still waiting on my weekend but…I’m still leaning towards UCLA just because…I know that I’m always this indecisive and there’s a good chance I won’t be doing a science at all…so it seems like a safer choice.</p>