Should I transfer to a UC? (From SDSU)

SDSUCSD
Mon, 05 May 2014 01:58:58 +0000

Hello everyone!

I am currently a student at SDSU finishing up spring semester and the only thing that’s been on my mind is the question of whether or not I should transfer. I got into UCSD for Molecular Biology and UCLA for MIMG.

I’m really stumped at this point because I’m almost certain that my GPA will take a hit - whether it’d be due to being intimidated by a new and more competitive environment, or having to adjust to the rough quarter system - while at SDSU, I can comfortably say that I’d be able to keep my GPA high.

I don’t know what to do. Let’s say I’m pre-med. Up until now, I’ve been under the impression that medical schools only care about numbers - a high GPA and a high MCAT score. Recently, however, I read online somewhere that admissions officers at medical schools kind of look down on CSU students and somehow consider the rigor of the undergrad institutions of their applicants when reviewing applications. Is this true?

tl;dr - Would it be a safe idea to stay at SDSU where I can keep a good GPA? Or should I let my GPA take the hit and transfer to a UC so that admissions officers at medical schools won’t look down on me (would that even be the case?) Will transferring to a UC regardless of a GPA drop better my chances of getting into med school?

***(Also as a side note, I’m almost certain that I’d have to be at UCLA for 3 years since a lot of my courses don’t transfer - I’d have to retake all of Physics, all of Life Sciences, and the last calculus class. UCSD I’d most likely be at for 2 years since I’d only have to retake the Physics series. Which school would you pick under these circumstances?)