Although much of the coursework is the same, there are differences in advising. One of my son’s freshman roommates was a chem major in the College of Chemistry and it seemed like he had a different experience from my son’s friends in L&S.
There are also differences in which majors are readily available if the student wants to change their major at some point.
I mention this since the OP indicated an interest in possible medical school, rather than graduate school. So it’s possible they might end up wanting more flexibility to do a different major. I think the first person to mention grad school in this thread was @aquapt rather than the OP.
Note that UCB chemistry majors have to take harder versions of chemistry and physics courses and more math courses than biology majors and most pre-meds have to take.
Good point - I didn’t mean to assume that the OP would pursue grad school in chem, vs. med school. It’s just that the OP mentioned the ranking/reputation of chem at Berkeley, and that’s really more about the strength of the grad programs and research. How would the knowledge base that an undergrad chem major on a premed track acquires at Berkeley differ from their counterparts at UCLA? The extra reputational reputational weight of UCB’s department really makes no difference in that context… so my mind went toward “But what if you really want to be a chemist?”
Yes, I think College of Chemistry is typically for students who want to be chemists (or chemical engineers).
That’s why I asked which College @vpani was admitted to. They might actually have applied and been admitted to the L&S Chemistry major, which would be a more typical choice for a premed intended student, and would give them flexibility within L&S without going through the change of college process.
From the web page discussing the two Chemistry majors,
B.S. in Chemistry, College of Chemistry
The B.S. in Chemistry degree provides a strong foundation in experimental processes, instrumentation, and quantitative analysis. Students will also acquire a strong foundation in math and physics, having taken the higher level sequences of these courses.
The B.S. in Chemistry is intended for students who are primarily interested in careers as professional chemists (e.g. in environmental, pharmaceutical, materials, and industrial chemistry), or wish to have a thorough grounding in chemistry in preparation for professional or graduate school in chemistry, a scientific career in government or industry, a teaching career, or related career tracks. Students in the B.S. program may also choose to pursue the Computational Chemistry or Materials Chemistry concentrations.
B.A. in Chemistry, College of Letters & Science
The B.A. in Chemistry includes a greater number of humanities and social science courses than the Bachelor of Science degree and is intended for those interested in careers in teaching, medicine, or other sciences in which a basic understanding of chemical processes is necessary.
Re: housing at UCLA: Just wanted to add that it’s certainly possible to get a shared room in an off campus apartment in Westwood (UCLA) for around $900-$1000. My daughter is in living in one right now. It’s definitely a little worn, but perfectly homey and she and her roommates are very happy. We give our daughter money for utilities and groceries and the total comes out to what we paid for her sophomore triple plaza room with 19P meal plan. Westwood can be scary expensive, but if you look for older, smaller buildings, there are plenty of options walking distance from campus.
There are new and also renovated dorms at UCLA - my kids experience (a double, then a triple, now off campus) has not been particularly negative in terms of housing. Her off-campus place is dated but very spacious (on the expensive end but right in the middle of the off-campus housing area). For pre-med, I’d say the proximity of the hospital at UCLA ought to be a huge plus. Note that for the past couple of years, winters have been gloomy/rainier than previous drought years at UCLA. However I wouldn’t deny a kind of “upbeat” vibe compared to Berkeley, though the beauty of the Berkeley campus, especially under the tall trees, is undeniable…
I just got this email about visiting Berkeley for three days.
“ You are invited to participate in bridges Senior Weekend 2025 (April 17-20), an all-expense paid trip to visit the UC Berkeley campus.”
I might do it! I’m interested but I don’t know, I’ve seen Berkeley in person and it was okay but by then I would have seen the UCLA campus and I think I’ll like it there more.
Yes I have to agree. I was on “financial aid” when I attended school.
The Issue is that you’re counting money that you don’t have yet.
When you are in an extremely tough major, you are going to be spending a lot of time: studying, either independently, in your study groups, and in your labs.
I don’t know how UCLA or Berkeley conduct their work-study placement, but I know that you may not like your job and/or get to put in the amount of hours on campus to meet your financial expectations.
There are some jobs on campus that have already been held by some students and they return to them yearly. I call them the “cushy jobs” because you can read and study while you work there.
A very large number of jobs, however, are in food service. That means you are cleaning, bussing, doing dishes at the eateries.
You may not get the number of hours that you need for your budget, so you can’t count the total amount that is listed, in your work study package, because there will be days when you don’t go to work because you have to meet a study group.
My children had friends in work-study jobs, while they were at their college campuses. It was easier and, in some cases, better paying jobs on and off campus that weren’t designated as “work-study” that seemed to work out better for them.
The point is that if you are on a really tight budget, please don’t start counting the money that you haven’t earned yet.
There are no more doubles on campus anymore. They changed that starting this coming school year. The only way is if you have an accommodation, but even that is not guaranteed—my kid has been on a waitlist for a single for almost a year now.