Rejected
OOS from Carnegie Mellon CS GPA 3.56
Majors were CS and Cog Sci but over time realized I wanted to do cog sci with design and interaction more than CS
Essays were good
Also, I got into UCSD in high school but chose CMU at the time thinking it was a good fit
I don’t think the UCs received my letter explaining the gaps in my transcript for medical reasons. I am considering resending it along with an appeal because UCSD cog sci is fitting with my academic and professional goals. Very devastated with the results.
Accepted
Computer Science
Sixth College (Like 4th down on my list)
4.0 (Sortof)
Academic renewal and some 'F’s from way back when including a C which may or may not be counted. 80 units of straight A’s however.
All pre-reqs (for both CS and CSE) and IGETC
EC’s:
Technical Lead Google Developer Student Club
Programming and writing apps on my own
A previous business owner in an unrelated field
Essays, I wrote them without help so not sure how I’d score them. I pushed my kids and family as well as being an old guy (35) returning to college to pursue a passion that made me quit my previous career.
Not sure where I went wrong with UCLA given I opened the other two acceptances first it was kind of a let down to not even get waitlisted. I had already Sir to UCB which may have impacted the decision or it could just all be a crap shoot. Did I get lucky at UCB and UCSD or unlucky at UCLA?
Accepted for Computer Science (Muir College)
GPA: 3.95
ECs: Worked part time retail, nothing fancy. I had a short contract at a telecommunications company for graphic design. Member of the CS club at my CC.
@chel17 I appreciate your response-- and you’re absolutely right. I think I still have some self-deprecating feelings about wanting to have gotten in somewhere with more ~prestige~, but the reality is that all of the UC’s are great schools with so much to offer. Gotta get over that feeling, it doesn’t serve me any good. Thanks.
@Gumbymom Hey do you or does anyone know a good alternative to pre-med besides a Biology major? I really like UCSD but got in as for my 2nd major Psychology instead of human biology at Muir college and I don’t know if that’s the best major for a Pre-med. I have 3 more pre-med classes left until I’m done with them (1 Year O Chem, 1 Semester Biochemistry- Hoping to get these done as soon as possible) Since
it seems that I can’t get into a Biology program any suggestions on what I should do?
I’ve only taken 1 Psychology class up to this point. I find the study of the human mind interesting I’m just scared it’s not a great fit for med-school and if medical school doesn’t work out I could possibly be left with a lower pool of job options than If I had a Biology degree. Should I either go to UCSD for Psychology, Switch to a different uncapped major at UCSD that is perhaps better for pre-med/medical school, Or go to UCR for Biology.
Hi! I’ve been sitting on your question because I’m not quite sure as to how to direct you. It sounds like you’d enjoy going to UCSD for biology instead of Psychology, and you understand the added work and pressure you’d be creating for yourself should you choose to go there for pre-med. You do have a viable option with UCR for biology as a pre-med should you choose to do so.
In my opinion, I would recommend you choose UCR.
UCSD is rigorous for its STEM classes and it is competitive for pre-meds. UCSD accepted you for psych and even though it wasn’t for biology, their acceptance still shows that they chose you for what you can bring to the campus whether it be your work ethic, your enthusiasm, your culture, etc. This does show that you have what it takes to succeed, but at what cost? Not only would you have to focus on making sure you’re on track for psych (which is an impacted and popular major) in terms of grades and classes, but you’d presumably also be working hard to study for MCAT, put in volunteer hours, looking for internships or jobs, and be studying for other courses that you will have to learn by yourself.
I’m the type of person that believes that you can succeed at anything that you put your mind and efforts out to do. However, I’m also the type of person that will ask you “why make it harder for yourself?” Trust me, I know what it feels like to not get into your #1 school (for me, it used to be UCLA). At CC, I realized how UCSD was the school that could best offer me what I needed (research opportunities + work experience for bio) and I knew that in the end it really didn’t matter what school I chose (it was between UCI, UCSD, UCSB) because I was the determining factor in achieving what I wanted. In your case, I truly believe that if you take advantage of the resources and the pre-med/biology program at UCR, that you will succeed no matter what. After all, you’re only receiving your BS degree there. There’s still a chance for you to apply to UCSD’s medical school and getting in if that’s what you’re worried about.
Lots of people say that you will have better chances if you go to the undergrad of the medical school you want to go to because the teachers will know you and know that you’re taught well, but the reality is that so long as your GPA is good, your ECs and volunteer/work hours look solid alongside the strong academic profile that you have as equal of a chance as the UCSD pre-med undergrads.
If you’re still unsure of what to do, I can connect you to a friend of mine at UCR who is pre-med like you except he’s a sociology major. So not only can he provide details about UCR and its programs, but he can provide real insight as to what it’s like doing your own degree and trying to keep up with other activities and studies. Let me know if you’re interested in his contact (highly recommend), and I can PM you his info. If you’d also like insight on the Psych program at UCSD, I can connect you with my roommate and she can give you information on what classes you might be taking.
Good luck. I truly believe that you can succeed just as well at UCR as you could at UCSD, but I know and I’ve seen how hard it is to be pre-med and want you to have the best chance at attaining that goal.
@PursuitOfKnowledgee: You can major in any subject as long as you complete the Medical school course requirements. Psychology is a perfectly acceptable major to pursue but you need to have an interest and be happy with your major. Biology is probably the most common “pre-med” major and not a great backup for job potential if Medical school does not happen. Other than biology, what other subjects interest you?
I was accepted for psychology BA/BS and when I applied it just said BA/BS. i’m not sure if I got accepted for BA or BS. Is there a way to find out or does it not matter? If anyone knows or have the same question please lmk.
@IBkidonthestreet thank you so much for such an insightful response. When I really think about it your right In so many ways. Whilst I can potentially reach my goal of medical school with either path it definitely seems as if the UCSD route does have a considerably larger degree of difficulty than UCR.
I guess I just want to attend UCSD because since I’m from San Diego I am well aware of the prestige and global ranking that this school has attained. I’m so drawn to UCSD because it gives you so many opportunities to succeed whether that be the volunteering, research, or academics that it offers. But, it’s important to step back and realize that UCR is also an amazing school and I’m sure if I lived in the area I would hear a lot more about the opportunities that attending UCR affords as well. I have a couple of counseling meetings set up, one with my CC counselor and one with a UCSD counselor. Hopefully, they’ll be able to provide me more specifics about the classes I’d have to take in order to balance both paths. All I really know right now is I have 3 more classes till I’m done with the pre-med requirements (1 Year O-Chem and 1-semester BioChem) but your advice has been invaluable to me. thank you so much.
I’d be so grateful if you could connect me to any of your friends. I would love to know what it’s like to be a Psych major at UCSD and what the path of a non-biology pre-med student looks like especially at UCR.
@Gumbymom you know the funny thing is that I’m actually quite fascinated with the human mind. It’s always interested me how we humans think and why we do the things we do. So Psychology or any major that explores the mind or body is a subject that I’m interested in and that I can see myself enjoying.
My main concern in choosing to pursue an education at UCSD for Psychology is that I don’t know if I’ll be behind in terms of graduating on time and being able to balance the rest of the pre-med courses I have left (3), and the Psychology courses I’d be taking. I have only really taken one class with the tagline “Psychology” and it worries me that I’d have to take an exuberant amount of Psychology classes in order to graduate on time. to be fair I’ve technically only taken 2 Biology dedicated courses so far but the unknown psychology workload still scares me.
Whilst I do have lofty goals and will do everything in my power to get into medical school and become a doctor I also like to be practical so one of my main concerns as you mentioned was job potential. I’m quite interested in gauging the value of a Psychology degree Vs. a STEM degree such as Biology. I’m worried that If Medical School doesn’t work out I won’t be able to find as good of a job with a Psychology degree than if I had a Biology degree. I’m not tied down to Psychology either it just seemed like the next logical major/degree for medical school behind biology/chemistry.
Hey guys so I got into UCSD but what I get for financial aid plays a huge part in if I decide to accept. How and when can I find out about my financial aid award?
@isurfblacks it’s already shown in the portal. just click on the financial aid tab and it should show you your financial aid award for the school year.