Hey guys, this is my first ever post on CC, and am really conflicted on which one to choose. For context, I was accepted to UC Riverside and waitlisted from UC Davis, but I got accepted from the waitlist recently. Now I don’t know which one to pick as both of them have their pros and cons.
Additional details: Applying for pre-med, both have the exact same fees after financial aid.
UC Riverside (Honors): Biology major
Pros:
Familiar with the university and some students (I went to their Highlander Day, I know some freshmen and some people who graduated from there)
Near to home (I live near LA)
Guaranteed to have university honors (priority registration for classes, classes with fewer students)
Also guarantees a capstone project in my fourth year (I will get research experience)
Cons:
Ranking and prestige (76th on U.S. News)
More competition for research opportunities → harder to get research experience
Mostly a commuter college (I am dorming there)
UC Davis (no Honors): Biological Sciences
Pros:
Ranking and prestige (28th on U.S. News)
More research opportunities
Have a chance to get into Honors after my first quarter
Not a commuter college
Know some people from my high school going there
Weather is considerably nice from where I live
Cons:
Unfamiliar with the university itself
Farthest UC from home
Not guaranteed to get into Honors
Already paid for the SIR fee and Housing fee at UC Riverside (I didn’t know if I was going to get accepted by UC Davis
Although ranking isn’t my top deciding factor and it doesn’t really matter in the long run, I felt the jump from rank 76 to rank 28 was too substantial to not be considered.
Any chance you can get up to see Davis before you have to respond? I haven’t spent a ton of time at either campus, but they are pretty different, and that could help you decide. I think the biggest pro of Riverside is the priority registration - that could make your life better, esp. for the first year or two. I wouldn’t worry too much about knowing people - you’ll meet people at either campus. I’ve also heard (but haven’t confirmed) that people in your situation will be able to get the housing deposit back - and it probably wouldn’t make sense to reject Davis to save $350/ whatever the SIR was. Best of luck with your decision!
But also consider what alternate paths you may take if you do not get into medical school (most frosh pre-meds do not eventually apply, and only about 40% of those who apply are admitted to any medical school).