Which would you pick? Prestige or GPA at UC's?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
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<p>Okay I’m just wondering what your people’s opinion on this would be.</p>

<p>If you are an above average applicant, for example, 1300 / 700 / 700 / 650, 3.7 unweighted GPA (stats I just made up from the top of my head), top 15% in class, what would you choose? You know for a fact that you are not in the lower rung of applicants, but you are not in the highest rung of applicants.</p>

<p>A) Say you were accepted to 2 different universities. One with more name recognition, say UCSD, or UCLA or UC Berkeley for that matter. This is an excellent university and you will be surrounded by plenty of overachievers and bright people. But the school is very competitive and it will be tough to rise to the top of your class and get top marks, since there is an abundance of stellar students. You plan to go to grad school, and for grad school a high GPA is very very important.</p>

<p>B) The other university would be say, UCSB. This university is a good school too, but of course not as good as the top tier UC’s. It has a poor reputation as a “party school”. It is not as prestigious and its name is not as respected as UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCSD. However, you being a motivated hardworker, it will be MUCH easier for you to rise to the higher ranks of your class and get a very good GPA. And if you have a fear about feeling inferior with a lot of cutthroat competition with overachievers at the top UC’s, at UCSB you can actually placate your ego (haha) and feel good about yourself, while rising to the top. And for grad school, your GPA will look a lot better.</p>

<p>Which would you pick? Having a lot of competition and possibly having a difficult time keeping your GPA up, and having to work extra-hard, at a top-tier UC (choice A)? or Having less competition, and having a little easier time keeping a high GPA at UCSB (choice B)? </p>

<p>What looks better for grad school, who will most likely be picked? Say a 3.1-3.3GPA at UCLA or 3.7-4.0 at UCSB?</p>

<p>I know most of you still say, smart and ambitious individuals will be fine wherever they go, and they will succeed. But which position would you personally pick? (keep in mind you are an above average kid, but not like top top)</p>

<p>I just want to hear your perspectives :)</p>

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<p>I would definitely pick the more competitive school. you are accepted to dat school cuz they know you can handle their work and competition. There is a reason why admission officers choose the top students for their schools. But, talking in work wise, definitely a easy UC, but seriously, if u tihnk about it, its worth goign to a competitive school...JUST GO TO UCLA,UCSD,or UCBERK and do you best. if u wanna get easier grades, go to a easy college that is less demanding.</p>

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<p>whoa. those made up stats are almost identical to mine 1350/700/720/640 3.89 uw. that's ....wow. i know what you mean. i would pick prestige over gpa because i can make a difference with the gpa. i can't change the school. There's no way of knowing if I might do even better in college at a prestigious school.</p>

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<p>I probably sound overly idealistic and cliche but I would pick the school that would challenge me to do my best. When I was picking schools a couple of years ago, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to either UC Berkeley or Cornell University, two schools notorious for grade deflation. I eventually chose Cornell. I still cringe when I see someone decide against a school because they think it'll be "too hard." You're going to pay a significant amount of money to attend school, why not get the most out of it that you can? Your GPA may or may not suffer if you attend the more rigorous school, but I'm sure you'll do much better on standardized tests whether it's the MCAT, LSAT, etc. And, trust me, graduate schools know which schools are the toughest, they know the characteristics of the student body, and they know the average GPA at each school.</p>

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<p>Haha I guess the purpose of my post is pretty useless, pathetic, and futile. (My made-up stats are not too far from my real ones). After I got rejected from my top choice UCSD, which I am getting over, I'm trying to rationalize my position and convince myself that UCSB will be good for me and I'll thrive there. I guess I have been superficial and prestigewhorish and elitist before, when I had no rights to do so (being not very stellar on paper). But I talked to another CC member on AIM and he enlightened me about the fact that it will be easier to rise to the top in GPA at a mid UC like UCSB.</p>

<p>And now I'm thinking, how it would be if I did get into UCSD as well. I used to be really in love with that school, but after the rejection, I've still contemplated about it a lot. The academics are very rigorous and I am a hardworker but I don't know if I would be able to keep a good GPA at UCSD while still having some sort of life outside of school, lol. Grad schools look for top GPA's. </p>

<p>Haha but whatever, like I said I guess my post is pretty useless, and just a way for me to feel better. And I bet if say I did get into UCLA, I'd probably go there. But now I realize I have to face reality and think positively :)</p>

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<p>Hey norcalguy. Is there anyway you could post your HS GPA and SAT scores as well as how you are doing at Cornell. Grade deflation/ inflation really interests me, and I think it will play a role in my college selection.</p>

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<p>if i was gaurunteed a 3.7-4.0 at UCSB, I would pick that over UCLA.</p>

<p>That, however, is highly unrealistic. I imagine you should change it to 3.0-3.3 at UCLA and 3.3-3.6 at UCSB. Then it would be a tough decision and a more realistic one.</p>

<p>All the UC's are pretty hard, and it would be hard to get a 3.7-4.0 at any of them.</p>

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<p>I asked this question a couple days ago because I'm planning to go to grad school(med school) and I didn't get accepted to top tier UCs, so I asked if undergrad schools are major factor for grad school, and most people said no. </p>

<p>The most important factor is your GPA and MCAT/LSAT score, then your activites/research/intership,etc..then your interviews, essays and letters of rec, and last your undergrad schools.
But going to better undergrad schools will probably give your better opportunity for research/intership,etc..., so that's where it will benefit you.
So, assuming everything is the same, 3.7 GPA from UCSB is probably better than 3.4 from UCLA.
I'm not 100% sure about this, this is just what I heard.</p>

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<p>Thanks xranger. Ya I'm not sure yet but I'm considering Law or Business school, but definitely am going to A grad school.</p>

<p>Where are you planning to go xranger?</p>

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<p>3.98 UW GPA at a top Northern California public HS, 1550 SAT I, 800, 800,780 SAT II's, 5's on every AP test I ever took</p>

<p>I'm currently a bio major at Cornell (molecular/cell biology concentration) and have a 3.76 GPA. It's not bad for Cornell but not super either.</p>

<p>I hope I do not discourage people from applying to Cornell with this post. Just because I have a 1550 SAT score and a 3.76 GPA does not mean if you have a lesser SAT score you will get a lower GPA. I've been very studious at Cornell but I have terrible study habits and can sometimes be very stubborn in seeking help. I tend to go to TA's or the professor as only a last resort. </p>

<p>I have a friend at Cornell who got in with a 1100 SAT score (some people from her HS wondered how she got in with that SAT score in the first place). She's premed like me and currently has a 3.9 GPA. She's the type who isn't afraid to ask questions and is very proactive in her studying.</p>

<p>Despite what everyone says about Cornell, I think the work is very manageable with a good study habit (which I'm slowly developing), you'll do just fine. There are plenty of research opportunities available. I, myself, am currently doing research and am involved in a couple of student organizations as well. I absolutely love this school.</p>

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<p>I'm still undecided between UCSB, UCI and UCD</p>

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<p>well i wanna be challenged so i think i would go to a prestigious school. But if you think about it if you go to UCSB you are either gonna party or study. So there will ALWAYS be competition at every school even at UCR or somewhere else.</p>

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<p>hey awakenedream, im in the sort in a similar situation. Im in at SD, SB and Davis and can't really decide. while I know UCSD is probably the best school out of them, I wonder if i would be happier at the other two. Things would be alot more easier if Berkeley would accept us.</p>

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<p>I'd say 3.76 is pretty super for Cornell. I just want to maintain a 3.5 when I get into college; I really feel like I'll never want to do work when I get there.</p>

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<p>awakenedream,</p>

<p>I was in a similiar situation as you. I had to choose between UCB and UCSD. I chose the latter. One of the reasons I did was because I felt I had a better chance of rising to the top at UCSD (though thats not the only reason). It paid off because I enjoyed the slower-paced socal, had an active social life and got really involved at UCSD, managed to pull off a good gpa and get into a great grad school. I think it comes down to fit. If you do well at UCSB, you will get into great grad schools so dont worry about it. Just dont party too hard while you are there ;)</p>

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<p>i'm not sure that it is advantage to go to a school that overburdens you and force you learn stuff that you will forget anyway. in an easy one you can have much more time to deal with things that you really like and you can be really good in those ones. prestige circus doesn't matter</p>

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<p>Iam having the same sort of problem, just between Cal Poly SLO and UCI. Cal Poly is a top notch school and pride of the csu system. UCI isnt as great of a school, but i wouldn't say that it is bad. At this point i am leaning towards UCI.</p>

<p>A lot of this has to do with prefference. You could be a big fish in a smaller pond or a small fish in a big pond. Its an opinion based question. No matter where you go, you are going to be surrounded by top students. Chances are that if you went to either schools, you would be around the same type of people GPA wise. THe people that get 3.7 - 4.0's would probably get 3.3-3.4 at a top tier school. </p>

<p>WHat should make or break your opinion of the school is if you would have fun there. Sure school is about studying and working hard, but if you dont enjoy is there is no point. Prestiege is all about opinion. If you are one of the top students at a slightly lower tier school, companies will still look at you. It would be just the same if you were above average at a top tier school, companies woudl still look at you.</p>

<p>my solution is to go to a school that you would enjoy for 4-5 years. If you cant see yourself there for 5 years then dont go. you only have 4-5 years of college, take to mind that these years are probably be the last few years that you can thouroghly (sp?) enjoy before starting the career path.</p>

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<p>awakenedream,
i know EXACTLY what youre talking about! i just got rejected from ucsd and ive been gaurunteed at ucsb since september and just got my acceptances from there and ucd...and i tell myself the same exact thing you're talking about...im still waiting on cornell, but if i dont get into the top UC's here doubt i will get into cornell...however.....i did get recruited for soccer there so im using that as an excuse to keep my hopes up....probably not worth it....so do you think you will for sure go to ucsb? have you visited? isnt it BEAUTIFUL!!</p>

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<p>ya ucsb is beautiful!</p>

<p>bumpage</p>

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<p>nice Gradstudent what was UCSD like how hard is it?</p>