What do I do?

So I’m currently enrolled into UC Riverside as an incoming freshman. My original hope was to transfer after 2 years to Berkeley (since I’ve always wanted to go there) or UCLA (because it’s closer to home so it’s more convenient for my family). I’m not entirely sure what to do because I’ve read several posts regarding people in my situation who want to transfer to another UC and it’s discouraged me a little bit since it’s considered to be very difficult to do. It’s kind of made me regret my decision and is making me think I would’ve been better off in a CC instead. This situation is a little more tricky because I want to go to med school and I’m not sure if transferring would hurt my chances or not. Some advice would be much appreciated.

Based on my knowledge of things: You’re right, UC-UC transfers are usually considered last, so it’d be harder to transfer from Riverside than it would be from a CC. I doubt going to a CC would hurt your chances of going to med school since you should be able to transfer into a pre-med major. If you haven’t declared a major yet, there will be virtually no difference in attending a UC. At either CC or UC you will be taking GE courses which sometimes have little to do with your major. If you major in biology or something related, I don’t imagine there being an issue once you apply for med-school if you go to a CC since you will finish all your upper division courses (which I’m guessing carry more weight when applying to med-school) at whichever 4-year you transfer to. assist.org will give you an idea of courses you will find at a CC compared to a UC.

If you do decide to go to CC, then make sure not to take Organic Chemistry at the CC but at the UC. I have been told that many med schools take a bit off for taking organic chemistry at a CC. That being said, UC Riverside is a perfectly good school and you can certainly get the premed training you need there.You need to balance your desire to go to UCLA or UCB with the possibility that you might not be able to transfer in and maybe not even to a UC.

Thanks for the advice, but I don’t think I was clear on the last part of the post. I meant if transferring from a UC to another UC would do any harm to my chances rather than a CC to UC transfer, though I’d imagine that it’d hardly make a difference anyways.
UC Riverside is definitely a good school and I don’t doubt that I would have a great college experience there, it’s just that it’s not where I want to stay for all four years I guess. I don’t know, lots of conflicting feelings with wanting to go somewhere else and whatnot.

Because you had your heart set on UCLA or UCB, and saw UCR as simply a stepping stone to one of those, and because you haven’t started there, you have no relationship with UCR. Are you considering not going to UCR and starting at a CC instead?

Remember that for med school what will matter is your GPA & MCAT scores, and as @xraymancs points out, your core requirements- and organic chemistry definitely- should be taken a 4 year university. Look at it as a total package.

It makes no difference except for what I mentioned previously. My point was that transferring into UCB and UCLA is not a sure thing whether it be from CC or UCR. I agree that it is probably a bit easier form a CC since there is an agreement in place, however, there is always the chance that you will not get into the school you want and that is what you need to consider as you decide what to do.

If it helps, I think UCLA gives the same consideration to other UC students as they do to California CC students (not sure if this is for in-state students though).

UCB…does not. Let’s just say that.