<p>I'm having a lot of trouble deciding between UW, Berkeley, and Caltech, mostly between the first two. I don't think I want to go to Caltech because I feel like it's going to be even more cutthroat than Berkeley, less socially oriented, and more restricted in fields/in general. I plan on doing pre-med stuff and later going to medical school.</p>
<p>UW has such a good medical school and (because I live in WA), it would be so convenient/low-cost for me to go to UW undergraduate and shoot for UW medical school. And, I know people often say try not to factor in your friends into choosing a college, but... there are people that I will miss greatly if I don't go to UW.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Berkeley is very prestigious (again with the prestige...), and so even if I somehow decide not to do medical stuff, I will at least have the name of Berkeley behind me. Also, it's core sciences are superb, and may provide me with a better chance of getting into great medical schools in general (though I'm not sure why I would need to go to a medical school other than UW). It could also be a new experience (though possibly a bad one, with what I often hear about Berkeley people, etc.).</p>
<p>Actually, I think Cal Tech would have a better social scene. The undergrad school is very small, and draws people from all over the US and the rest of the world. They are not going to be popping home for weekend! Both UW and Berkeley have a very large local, in-state population and so a much more diffuse social scene. That said, a friend of mine used to teach at Cal Tech and she doesn't recommend it for undergrads, because they are worked so hard!</p>
<p>UW and Berkeley are both very prestigious, I wouldn't think there'd be much difference there. It's the placement into medical school that is your real issue. Is there a preference for admission for UW grads to get into UW medical school? Same question for Berkeley -- or is the med school actually UC San Francisco?</p>
<p>It seems to me that, all criteria considered (w/e they decide to use, anyway), that there is an emphasis on in-state undergrads for entrance into UW medical school - the stat. is that 88% of med students at the school are from in-state.)
Also, yea, there isn't a medical school at Berkeley. There are a variety of UC med schools, but the closest they come to UW is:</p>
<p>UCLA #11 vs. UW #7 in Research
and
UC San Francisco #10 vs. UW #1 in Primary Care</p>
<p>I never really got the impression that UW and Berkeley were "equally" prestigious, but you think so? As my dad said, it's so hard to make the choice between the two because UW is so... "immaculate". Forget alumni contributions, all we need is Bill Gates, lol. New buildings pop up here and there (new Foege building for bioengineering recently) and cost of living is much lower, dorms are cleaner/better, crime rate is lower, scenery is great.</p>
<p>I'm trying to figure out my own mind, and if prestige will matter to me in the long run.</p>
<p>The prestige of where you went for your undergrad degree will not matter in the long run. It's what your GPA is, and especially how well you do on the MCAT that gets you into med school. If you like UW, are fine with going there for both undergrad and med school, than it likely would be your best bet. As you say, the cost savings for an instate student are not insignificant.</p>
<p>And, you could get some networking going as an undergrad that would help you with your med school once you get there -- internships, working as a research assistant, etc. Even participating in medical research studies (not all of them are scary!) will give you insights and contacts that could be useful later. Good luck with it, and let us know your final decision.</p>
<p>hey i got into berkeley and UW but i think im going to choose UW. I'm def going to go for med school and i think UW offers equal opportunity as berkeley does. UW bein #7 in med research is a big deal. I mean MCATS are realli going to be the deciding factor not necessarily the name berkeley. alot of it comes down to personal preference too.</p>
<p>Moominmama: Hmm, what you say makes a lot of sense. I guess the prestige of an undergraduate degree won't really matter in the long run, yea... and I guess there's going to be new experiences no matter if I'm in-state or out-of-state. It'll be good to have friends around too.... Right now, then, I'm leaning towards UW, BUT whenever I start to build a preference one way or the other, I get unsure really fast, so I don't really know, haha. I'll make sure to keep in mind what you said, thanks.</p>
<p>xbballx: Yea, I hear that UW offers the same opportunities as Berkeley from a lot of people, and that it's not necessarily that the programs or anything at Berkeley are better, it's for some reason the general belief is that they are. I was getting drawn into the name of Berkeley, too, despite other reservations I had towards it. Your decision to go to UW over Berkeley is more justification for me to go to UW too, haha! </p>
<p>What's your name? </p>
<p>If I decide to go to UW, maybe we will meet (and play hecka 2 hand touch/flag football or something else equally awesome lol).</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't think I want to go to Caltech because I feel like it's going to be even more cutthroat than Berkeley, less socially oriented, and more restricted in fields/in general.
[/quote]
Absolutely wrong - Caltech is incredibly collaborative, and curves in classes are never meant to hurt you. I doubt you can say the same about Berkeley. </p>
<p>Anyway, if your main goal is medschool, you do have to be extra cautious about Caltech. The average GPA here is ~3.0, and considering these are all ~1500-1600 (former) SAT students, that makes getting a high enough GPA for med school immensely difficult. It's not impossible though, and the people that can do it are duly rewarded and recognized.</p>
<p>Grading on a curve sounds dangerous to me.... I got a 1550 for the old SAT and a 2350 for the new SAT, and I'm pretty good at working hard... but I'm afraid of the possibility of burning out. I guess I can erase the thought of an unsociable Caltech though. However, I hear that it's not as complete of a university, for the classes and student groups, etc. </p>
<p>Already now, prestige is back into the picture in my mind, but undergrad... who cares about prestige if I am going to grad school, I guess?? I'm leaning towards UW right now. Again, thanks.</p>
<p>If I am not mistaken, admission to UC Medical School is limited to residents. Whereas the UW Medical school, while clearly admitting mostly Washington citizens, likes to present itself as national leader and I believe, thus, will admit non-residents. Additionally, UW has as medical school admissions compact with the states of Alaska, Montana and Idaho. For the record, Oregon Health Sciences University and U of Minnesota Medical School (two very strong programs) also admit applicants from throughout the country.</p>
<p>What the hell. Stupid berkeley fall semester starts august 22, god. I don't care about getting out in late may, id rather not start school so early. It doesn't match anyone else's schedules.</p>
<p>oh wow. jason!! i am having the EXACT same problem.</p>
<p>Berkeley or UW...</p>
<p>cost-wise, UW wins. with merit scholarships and NMS, my first year is basically free. but its still berkeley...</p>
<p>At this point, im leaning towards UW, just because of UW med. also, my sister goes to berkeley..and has having a helluva hard time even maintaining a decent GPA. she works so hard..any only has a 3.4ish gpa. that is ridiculious...</p>
<p>but what right now, im not too worried. im going to shoot for both, and decide later on...im going to the California Alumni Scholarshop interview on friday, and i have already applied to UW housing.</p>
<p>my advice is...just keep your options open...keep me posted on your decision!</p>
<p>I had a difficult time deciding between UW and Harvey Mudd. </p>
<p>UW = full ride + stipend + Honors + DA bioE + graduation in three years (30 RS credits + 25 AP credits) vs. Harvey Mudd, where I'd have to take out a loans and probably earn a lower GPA. </p>
<p>In the end, it came down to where I would be happier. I think you should visit both schools and get a feel of which place would be a better fit for you. As for me, I've decided not to let finances and the possibility of failure prevent me from going to Harvey Mudd. If I can't handle it, I can always transfer.</p>
<p>I plan on going to med school too (MD-PhD actually). I might come back to UW for that. Harvey Mudd's average GPA, like Caltech's, is 3.0. (HMC has the highest percentage of alumni with PhDs, followed by Caltech.) I know I'll have to work hard my undergrad years, but it'll be worth it.</p>
<p>Additionally, since I'm a Seattle resident, moving out of the state will give me an opportunity to become more independent, to grow in a way that I won't experience if I go to UW.</p>
<p>You have two great choices (well three actually). Gl with your decision.</p>