UCSD VS UCR for premed?

UC_hopeful
Fri, 01 Apr 2005 03:45:04 +0000

nemzy, I am on the same boat as you. Law school admissions are pretty stiff too, so I’m torn between prestige and an easy 4.0. I’m not sure just how much I’m willing to give up the prestige… not only for superficial reasons, but academic as well.

Here is an advice I was given that I would like to share with you: Go to the school that will prepare you both for the LSATs and most importantly, for law school. In your case, MCATs and med school. I don’t know much about the MCATs, but going to an easy undergrad could really hurt you in med school. By getting easy 4.0s, you run the risk of not developping the necessary study skills, or much worse, not actually learning the material and grasping the knowledge you need for med school.

Also, I’m not sure that I buy that med schools don’t take heavy emphasis on your undergrad, because you never really know. I’ve been told that if you have the chance to attend UCLA, UCB, or UCSD, then take that chance - especially if you plan on applying out of state, some of those schools may not even know UCR exists.

I’m sure you’ll receive more input on this (here or elsewhere), but either way, here’s where you can’t go wrong: Go to the school that feels right to you. If that’s UCR, then by all means go for it. Things will work themselves out. Who knows, you may be miserable at UCSD, or vice versa. I guess a question you have to ask yourself is not whether you are willing to give up prestige, but if you are willing to give up being happy. If you choose UCR and you end up miserable (only saying this because most are – though that doesn’t necessarily mean you will be), then, really, is the easy 4.0 worth the misery? Because sometimes college isn’t only about what school you go to or about what grades you get, but also finding who you are and where you belong.

Good luck :)