I got into UCB and UCSB the past two weeks and waitlisted from UCSD. Overall, my pick is UCSD because it embodies everything I look for in college. My major (cognitive science) is something that genuinely interests me and I would have fun learning, and UCSD is the best institution for it; they also have a great pre-dental society and clinical opportunities. I heard 85% pre-dental students have gotten into dental school. Compared to Berkeley I think maintaining a high gpa for dental school would be more capable, and the campus is exactly the kind of environment I want (beach, sunny, warm, LA JOLLA, closer to home).
But still, I got waitlisted so that means I have to commit somewhere first, and those choices that are best at the moment are UCB or UCSB. What keeps me from committing to UCB is the grade deflation I heard that intimidates me and also the fact that their Cog Sci degree is B.A. only (i’m not sure if or how that would impact my preparation for dental school). On the other hand, for UCSB, I don’t know if I would adjust well to the notoriously known party culture there. And, they overall have less clinical opportunities provided for pre-dental preparation, more so since they don’t have a directly connected hospital nearby (correct me if I’m wrong).
I need some guidance. Would anyone let me know their insight on which college would be better choice to commit to, USB or UCSB, for undergrad pre-dental? I want to compare research, clinical, volunteer opportunities in pro for dental school and overall student life at each school in balancing academics and social life. And anything else if available.
I attended UCSB for undergrad and UCB for grad school. They are extremely different with respect to culture and environment.
This sounds more like Santa Barbara than Berkeley. Have you visited both schools? Have you spoken to students at both schools?
Take away the word “first.” Don’t commit assuming that you will get off of the waitlist at UCSD.
Cog Sci degree is B.A. only (i’m not sure if or how that would impact my preparation for dental school).
Being a BA won’t impact anything. UC Davis has a great Health Professions Advising website. Look at this dental pre-req chart and compare it to Berkeley Cog Sci requirements vs your major at UCSB (which doesn’t offer Cog Sci). How likely are you to be able to get the classes you need at Berkeley compared to UCSB? How many of the required courses are held for students in other majors?
Where did you hear or read this? Neither school has a hospital on campus. Do you need hospital based experience for dental school? Both schools have student run pre-dental clubs/societies. Their Instagram pages are both active. Both host speakers from dental schools and both have volunteer opportunities. Both share interning opportunities with their members.
I have a first year at UCSB (and turned down UCSD) and she said the party reputation (which was a concern of hers) is very overblown.
Berkeley is on the semester system and UCSB (and SD) are on the quarter system. Which do you prefer? My kid really likes the quarter system but the pace can be brutal, especially for STEM intro classes. What is your major at UCSB? If it is not a STEM major it will be harder for you to get STEM classes during your first quarter, and you might not be able to start working on the dental school pre-reqs until the second quarter. Maybe find out if that is the case at Berkeley too?
Finally, something to consider for all the UC schools, how many AP credits do you have? The UC’s are very generous about AP credits and they might help you fulfill some of the GE and pre-dental requirements. And for UCSB the more credits you come in with the earlier you get to register.
I am going to wager that the academic undergrad experience is more similar than it is different at all the UCs. If you can visit or attend admitted students day for both schools that might help you make a choice.
Congrats and good luck to you as you start this next journey!
Thanks so much for the thoughtful response! Reading it made me realize how I had a narrowed and biased perspective towards UCSD because of my desperate thought to get off the waitlist. I have a lotttt more research to do about UCB and UCSB now, each regarding my major too. I have one question: based on your experience at both SB and Berkeley, how would you say the community at either school impacted your education? Did any part stand out in terms of networking, etc?
I took a 10 APs and my major at UCSB is pre-bio so I think so far it sounds like I would have a boost to get the classes I want? By the way, I wanted to ask regarding the quarter system. What did your kid like about the quarter system? I wanted to know what kind of students prefer quarter over semester pacing and why.
I am probably older than your parents so what I experienced isn’t what you would experience now. Personally, I loved UCSB. I liked the campus setting, the biking community, and the fact that it was a college town. As I biked in town or across campus, I always saw someone I knew. Berkeley is urban. To me, it felt more anonymous. Certainly people make friends but I didn’t feel that people were as open as they were at UCSB. Again, that was my experience and won’t necessarily be yours.
I am a healthcare professional and was a bio major at UCSB. I took advantage of opportunities offered on campus, including a half unit course that allowed me to shadow at a hospital in Santa Barbara. That said, I think summers are when you will get your most significant pre-dental experience. Neither school is going to hand you an opportunity on a plate. You’ll need to contact dentists in your area, explain that you are a pre-dental student, and ask if they need any help over the summer. Contact them early so that, if needed, you can interview over spring break. If nothing else, ask if they might be willing to talk to you about the profession. If you can’t get pre-dental summer work, look at other healthcare settings that might have an opportunity.
I don’t think I used any type of networking at either school. While in undergrad, I knew I was going to grad school. This was pre-internet so I called the schools I was interested in and spoke to the admissions advisors on the phone. I’m in the Los Angeles area and didn’t use any type of networking at Berkeley to get a job in So Cal.
I hire a lot of UC students who are taking gap years before applying for grad school. Many need to take pre-req courses that their undergrad institution didn’t offer (ex. some schools don’t offer anatomy). They usually take the courses at community college. The professional schools are aware that not all schools offer their pre-reqs and understand students taking the course in another setting. However, while Berkeley offers most of the courses, the student’s I’ve had from Berkeley had a difficult time getting into the courses. Or, if they got the lecture, they couldn’t get the lab. This is anecdotal based on the students who have worked in my office but it is something to look into at both schools.
I seem to remember reading that Berkeley suggests that another option for pre-health students is to take some courses though UCB extension (the adult learner program). Because they offer a whole post-bacc program through extension, these courses include all the pre-health prereqs.
That’s good to know. I just hired a soon-to-be Berkeley grad to work in my office after graduation. He’ll have 4 courses he needs to take before applying to grad school.
For what it is worth, I just hired a UCSB student as well.
My kid entered as pre-bio, but has since switched, and her first quarter she had a chem and calculus class and another class that fulfilled a GE requirement. They generally do not allow first years to take 4 classes during the first quarter so students have time to get acclimatized to college, but I think you can do it if you feel like you can handle it. Registration at most of the UC’s is always going to be a headache but probably a little less so at UCSB because their undergrad population is about 10,000 less than Berkeley. You can check the AP credit pages for each school to see how your AP credits will be allocated and which requirements they fulfill. Here is the link for the UCSB page:
The thing she likes the most about the quarter system is that a class is only 10 weeks long so if you don’t love a class it’s over fast. This also means that midterms happen at week 5. The quarter system allows students to take more classes and try a variety of courses. My daughter is not a fan of super long breaks, so the two weeks off between fall and winter quarter was the perfect amount of time for her to recharge and not get bored. She is very type A and always needs to be busy.
And if this helps you in any way my daughter really wanted to go to UCLA but was waitlisted there. She grew up in a city and was worried that UCSB’s location might be too quiet, too small town for her, but I think the relaxed vibe of the school has been really good for her personality because it has forced her to find some balance between her need to always be doing something productive and socializing in a chill way (her words, not mine). She said what she really likes most about the school are the people - they are smart, friendly, and really open to meeting each other. She was not a kid in high school who went out very much, but UCSB has pushed her out of her comfort zone and she really likes the social aspect of the school. And she has always been a beach kid so that is a big plus too!
Forget UCSD (you talk about how great it is) as it’s not an option.
I wouldn’t worry about BA vs. BS.
I would compare the course catalog vs. what is required for pre-reqs for dental school. It’s likely the major is irrelevant - even if you chose History - but the pre-reqs need to get done.
If you visited UCBS and UCB, which would you prefer?
Would you say that it’s about the same at both Berkeley and SB in terms of self-initiative that is necessary to get those dental clinical/volunteer opportunities beyond campus?
I would not. But that is my opinion and might not be your experience.
Look at the pre-dental advising at both campuses. You can see that one provides a lot more personalized information for students at their school. The other links to the AADAS site. Students at the second school are going to have to do a lot more research and take a lot more initiative on their own. That is where clubs/societies can help. However those are only as strong as the leadership in any given year.
Dentist here. I truly think that where you go undergrad has little if any impact on your admission to dental school. The most important factors are your grades and test scores. As for pre-dental advising, it’s nice but I don’t think the process is complicated enough that there is going to be significant impact between the advising at different schools. There are shadowing opportunities everywhere- a major city health clinic, a small mountain town private practice. You really can go dental from anywhere! So go where you think you would be happiest and do best. There is an argument to be made that going undergrad to a school with a dental school may give some special research/volunteer/observing opportunities but most dental schools are not expecting that, and I wouldn’t prioritize that over a school where I think I’d be happier or a stronger student.
Thank you so much for the insight, I’ll be taking all those factors into account to consider what’s best for my goal to get to dental school. Really appreciate all the help you given me with your replies!
This entire process has been making me reconsider my priorities, and as you mentioned I believe it is best that I choose the school where I can be the strongest version of myself. Ultimately, I’m gonna try to keep in mind that I will get what I make out of my circumstances. Thank you for reminding me this!
In the end pre med is advising. It’s always great to have a soundboard, coach, organizer etc. but these are things kids can easily do on their own, even if there wasn’t a formal track.
So yes, always best to pick the right school for you. You’ll know which classes you need to take for dental school and there will be someone to help guide you (if you need it) even if less formalized than at other schools.
But you need to be your best in school. So find out where your comfort lies.
Thank you!