I went to UC Merced and am currently at a T15 med school on a full-ride. I interviewed at most of the top med schools (including Harvard, Hopkins, UCLA etc.), and UC Merced didn't hold me back in the slightest. IMO I had a much better experience at UC Merced than the vast majority of my friends did at other UCs because of the lack of competition, the abundance of research, and how supportive the professors at UCM are.
Unless you're considering a Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Duke type of school, I think undergrad prestige matters pretty minimally. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.
Agreed with this! UC Merced alumni here. Graduated with 0 debt on a full ride scholarship and I got to enjoy all new amenities, labs, dorms, etc. oh and don’t forget the smaller class sizes equivalent to a private university!
Totally agree. UCM grad here and I’m currently an academic faculty at one of the major hospitals in Manhattan. No regrets at all attending UCM and I feel like I got a much better experience at UCM than many of my friends that attended the other UC campuses. College is what you make of it.
This randomly popped up on my feed.
I started off from a community college and went to med school and residency with kids from Stanford/Harvard/UCLA undergrad Now going into medicine is a whole a different discussion to have 😂
Nope. The school I'm currently at actually thought it was a positive, and this is despite most of my classmates coming from HYPSM schools. I do think you have to do everything right (i.e. kill the MCAT, good ECs, good GPA etc.) to reap the benefits, but if you can do that, UCM absolutely won't hold you back (other than from maybe UPenn and Yale.)
Nope. I got into Kaiser and into or WLd at all of the UC med schools other than UCSF. I didn't get the sense that anyone really saw it as a negative that I went to UCM.
My good friend graduated from Fresno State and got into Stanford’s med school. Another friend graduated from USC and didn’t get in anywhere stateside, but did in the Caribbean. 🤷🏽♀️
High Gpa, finished undergrad technically in 3 years but stayed a 4th year to get a minor, assisted with a skin cancer clinical trial over 2 years, had excellent references and was a tutor for chemistry dept. I’m sure they did more, they were always busy!
I don’t think that’s ever been the case! CA medical schools let alone medical schools in general care less about where you got your degree. They don’t even care what you major in! As long as you fulfill the necessary pre reqs, score high on the MCAT, demonstrate good ecs, and a high sGPA then that’s all that really matters.
While it’s doable, most of my peers who attended UCLA and UC Berkeley arguably had a harder time according to them than the peers I know that had attended UC Merced (sprinkle in some students from UC Davis and UCR). To put into perspective one of their situations, I knew someone that got accepted to all the UC’s including UCLA and UC Berkeley but decided to go to UC Riverside because she got the regents scholarships and knew she was graduating with no debt which was smart for medical school. She was a hard worker so I’m sure she would’ve done well if she had chosen to go to UCLA or UC Berkeley but she ended up getting a 4.0 in Biological Sciences which is extremely difficult nowadays and scored I believe a 99th percentile on the MCAT. She got into HYPSM med schools but ultimately chose a medical school that paid for her whole tuition! By junior year she was already guaranteed for UCR med school without taking the MCAT because she just did so well but she declined the offer. So school doesn’t necessarily matter!
Thank you for your reply. I don’t mean to be rude, or undermine your achievement, but race, gender and sexual orientation is now a major factor that can carry more favorable weight than going to a lower-ranked UC. So just want to make sure OP is getting the full picture
Hi, I’m trying to pursue comp sci. I got into UCM, waitlisted at ucsc, and accepted at csu Fullerton which would you say is the best option for internships and jobs?
Dear Sir, My son got accepted at both UCM and UCSC and is interested in perusing medicine. Please text me your number or call me at 5106009015 so that we can get your advice to make informed decision
. Thanks
Dear Sir, My son got accepted at both UCM and UCSC and is interested in perusing medicine. Please text me your number or call me at 5106009015 so that we can get your advice to make informed decision
Similar happened to my son - rejected from all the UCs he applied to but got into UCM with his GPA. Here’s my advice to him on whether to go to a cc and try a transfer, or just enroll at UCM:
(1) UCM is a legit University of California school. It may not be as competitive as other UC schools vis a vis application rates, but it is certainly ranked among the top 25% of all public universities. It is also much more oriented toward ensuring the academic success of its students (Having another child at UCSD, I can personally confirm that they leave the students to sink or swim much more at UCSD).
(2) UC Merced has a good premed program. They do a lot to prepare you for getting into med school, including having research and internship opportunities.
(3) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Going to a CC and hoping you can transfer into a ‘good’ university while aligning and transferring credits is a process fraught with potential issues. Acceptance and transfer is not guaranteed (nothing is in this world). True, you’ll save money, but it may not get you to your goal more cheaply in the long run.
(4) In the long run, med schools and employers are not going to look at your undergrad institution as closely as you seem to think. The school/campus does not matter as much as what you gpa and experiences are. Chasing a certain pedigree is not as favorable as it seems. In the end, it’s what you do about the opportunity you have, rather than trying to create some hypothetical ‘ideal’ background.
This ^
Would also add that it’ll be “easier” to be top of your class at UCM and med schools will look at how you did relative to others so this gives you a higher chance to stand out. Not saying you’re not smart enough to graduate top of your class at UCLA for example, it’s just way more competitive.
Oh good lord. Who is making fun of you for joining the reserves? Let me know who I need to give a stern talking to (and maybe toilet paper their house).
Seriously tho.. as a surgeon who is on the other end of the pipeline I have mad respect for you yo. You’ve got a goal and you’re going at it and doing whatever it takes to achieve it. I’m sorry the UC’s are such crapshoots. It pains me that with a 3.9 you are still having a hard time with acceptances. That’s ridiculous and frankly just unfair.
As far as med school don’t stress about where you go for undergrad or about what route you take. I sat on the adcom for my med school and honestly all we cared about was forward progress and momentum and decent scores, WHEREVER the person went. I had plenty of people in my class from the tiniest cc’s as well as from bigger state schools. So don’t stress. Just get good grades, kill the MCAT and apply early. The rest will fall into place. Don’t give yourself the added stress of worrying where to go - it will detract from getting good grades and stuff.
And lastly give yourself a pat on the back and take care of yourself. This journey to becoming a doctor is a marathon, not a sprint. Best of luck.
For med school you can graduate with a bachelors from UCM, apply to the HPSP program and join as an officer and get your med school paid for.
While I don’t agree that UCM has the best pre-med program, I do suggest getting in touch with the people who find pre-med opportunities. They’ve got a program you can apply to for MCAT support as well. It’s a great school for keeping a competitive gpa for medical school, as the curves aren’t too harsh.
also I forgot to add. This school is heavily research focused, with not that many students. You can get into research labs as a first/second year and develop your med school app way more efficiently. Want to be president of an org? You probably can! Want to do research and get published? Way easier than trying at UC Davis. Want community service in a rural underserved area?? That’s Merced!
The only problem with Merced is the fact that it’s a rural area. It’s pretty much like any other UC regarding everything else. Since you want to go to med school I’d pick Merced. The town is sort of boring so you will be able to focus on doing research, and getting good grades.
Are you from the San Joaquin Valley? If so you should look into this:
[https://admissions.ucmerced.edu/SJVP-BStoMD](https://admissions.ucmerced.edu/SJVP-BStoMD)
UC Merced as of now is a very good pre-med path school, many of my peers have had success getting into post grad programs around the state. I’d very much recommend it
UCM alumni currently in medical school here. I know it's not the best school but there are some positives. It's easier to get classes and experiences. I know many majors (not comp sci) that was able to finish 4 year degree in 3 years. I could have and planned to but life.. Also I'm more an introvert so getting involved in groups, volunteer work, and research was a lot less scary and stressful when there weren't so many other students gunning for opportunities. Honestly it gave me some great stories and experiences to write about in my PS that wasn't so cookie cutter.
Most of my med school class rn are from big UCs (UCLA, UCSD, UCB) but we ended up in the same place. It's about what you make of it.
So the reserves wont pay for college unless you have active duty time.. basic training and school after doesnt count. It has to be like a deployment and that deployment has to be around 2-3 years to get the gi bill. The reserves will also be annoying to deal with so ill inter fear with your school making it harder and longer to graduate.
Randomly stumbled upon this post but wanted to mention I originally went to one of the UCs (being vague for anonymity but not UCM) and due to personal reasons, decided to transfer and was accepted at another UC to begin junior year there. However, I ultimately did not go through with it.
I will say, the college experience is really up to you. Doesn’t matter much where you go as long as you work hard and put the effort in. Speaking as someone who went on to a top med school after undergrad and is now a resident. Best of luck!
I came to UC Merced with a full-ride and sh!t ton of external scholarships. I turned down UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Santa Cruz for UC Merced. My family was extremely poor, so I used my external scholarships on personal things that I never had (e.g. clothes, laptops, etc.).
UCM allowed me to live a “good” college life. I was eating good every other day. I got into 5 PhD programs of my choice (four are top programs for my field whereas the other one is mediocre). It’s what you make out of it.
Is it true that the students are UCM aren’t as academically competitive as other UCs? Yes, it is. No doubt, but this gave me more opportunities, honestly. I was on top of my academics, research opportunities, and extra curricular activities.
You get the benefit of attending an upcoming school, nearby a hospital, with the benefit of research, and a smaller class size to compete with. UC Merced is absolutely a wonderful choice!
UC Merced is ranked higher than any of my instate colleges. CA students put it down but SO many students in other parts of the country don’t have such a good option so try and think bigger than your local environment.
I definitely will say that UCM is the place to thrive, but you have to make sure to put yourself out there! UCM offers so many opportunities most schools don’t. I regret not enrolling in clubs, attending more office hours and using all the resources that were offered there. I will be honest UCM was a struggle to get used to especially if you’re low income but most are. Coming from a city to an underdeveloped Merced was a hard transition for me but throughout the years Merced continues to expand. Eventually I fell in love with merced and don’t regret my experience there. It has taken me where I am in life right now. I will be attending a grad program at Columbia in June. I was a biology major and added on a psychology as a major as a GPA booster (best thing I could have done). Feel free to reach out!
I think this school discussion is way too overhyped in the US... Just go to the school that wants you, do your best, work hard, thrive, and become whatever you want.
Cc + TAG into a better UC may give you more options in life if you decide not to go to med school and, assuming by you keep up your gpa, probably improves your odds of med school admissions.
Depends on the environment you want. Merced itself is a great school with smaller classes and extremely updated (buildings, technology etc). If you do not care about the physical location of the school just go there. Also merced has tons of financial aid to give. If you think you will be miserable there (as I probably would have given I chose a beach school), go to cc and do tag. your OTHER option is to go to uc merced for two years and transfer to a different UC from there. You can do that!! I did that!! Went to ucsc and transferred to ucsb :)
UCM is quite isolated, and if you don’t want to go there go you can still go elsewhere just get good grades at a CC. I know so many people that have transferred to so many uc’s like ucb, ucsb, ucla and even privates like USC. For some reason it’s easier to transfer into those schools than as a freshman. Ultimately it’s up to where you wanna go to. Don’t feel forced to go somewhere you don’t want to
IMO CC would be the better option if you are planning on enlisting, you have your Basic Training + technical training to do which can vary between 3-8 months depending on ur job. You may have to consider any follow on training or exercises following that. I am a CC student but know people that are fine in UC and CSUs while in reserves, but CC would guarantee the most flexibility in that regard.
Honestly I would go with UCM. I was in a very similar situation as you when I graduated. I got invited to merced and i do think it’s ultimately where i was meant to be. i’ve had so many more opportunities at this school than i would have an other, especially a UC. I know my professors on a personal level, and speak with them regularly. not only that, but depending on what major you choose there’s a requirement to do research as an undergrad in order to get ur degree. I’m currently doing research on stable isotopes as a third year and when i talk to my friends at other UC’s they look at me like i’m insane. this school is full of opportunities and connections that won’t come at other uc’s. the food on campus does suck tho i won’t lie. there’s also gonna be a lot of people who tell you it’s boring and there’s nothing to do. my best advice is to make friends and make the most of what you can. of course there isn’t a crazy night life in a super rural town, but there’s plenty of things to do with your friends.
As a current UCSD grad student and former UCM undergrad, the quality of education is much better at UCM due to the smaller class sizes and greater opportunities to interact with faculty. I would strongly consider attending.
About to start dental school after having graduated from UCM I lived my whole life there so in that sense I’m biased but the area isn’t too crazy but the school is very nice and I loved all my professors classes were never very difficult and lots of people like to help such as older classmates and things of that nature so I couldn’t recommend it enough as the smaller class sizes keep you in the loop with professors and allow a great relationship to be built for letters of recommendation and what not. I also transferred from the local community college there as well and the process was very easy and I loved all my semesters there!
Idk why this got recommended to me but I go to Berkeley and can tell you that one of my best professors used to teach at UC Merced. If I were you I would go to Merced, keep your head held high, and achieve great things. You freaking got this.
First of all, Merced is part of the UC system. Be thrilled. Be proud. Be excited. CC then transferring may be a great option for you. But there are millions of young people your age who would die to be on the UC Merced path. Either way, congratulations.
Ignore the haters. UCM is a great school with a solid faculty and great facilities. If you’re not totally sold, definitely consider the community college route for your gen ed then transferring as a junior.
Go to a CC. Kick ass, join a group or honors program like Phi theta kappa for example. So many university will email you and offer scholarships when you are almost to the finish line. Everyone wants to talk down about CC. But it is the best thing out there. It will also go a long way with that $4500 cap rather than going to a university. Apply for FAFSA, pocket that money. I was in your shoes.
I highly recommend that you go to a community college and then do the tag program. You will have more options and you will get a lot more acceptances plus save money.
From what I’m seeing there is some people who recommend going to UCM and honestly I say take the opportunity to go there. If what people say about classes being smaller and being able to have more help I’d recommend it. I currently go to a UC in socal and honestly it’s really hard to find classes and most of the time it’s kind of hard to get help because at times they tend to just chuck busy work. But honestly I recommend going to UCM if you’ll have more of an opportunity.
Community College is the way to go. Financially, it's not worth it anymore.
Do the TAG, save yourself 2 years of more debt. In the end, your degree is the same.
Less competition the better. My friend is pre-med at UCLA and it's grueling (and dirty, lots of cheating and stealing). If you can get a high GPA with lesser competition, kill the MCAT and have a few EC, that UCM degree won't matter at all
My cousin went to UC Merced, liked it because there’s was less people in the classes and more support from the professors.
She was part of the Greek life and loved it as well.
She just graduated from SCU with her masters.
Go to UCmerced!!
If you are going to med school. Do NOT go to community college. I have a son in Premed now and some med schools do not care for core classes to be taken at CC.
Join some Facebook Premed group and you’ll see the same info. It is not recommended as it is not as competitive.
FYI med schools LOVE military service. Get yourself some clinical experience ASAP. Good luck.
No idea here on premed BUT please go to the school (UCM ?) that will be easier for u to get ur courses, move along and graduate witht he least $. Prestige is a moot point if u have to die competing to finish ur pre-reqs, struggle to pass etc. Goodluck!
The plan itself isn’t as important as the execution. Dont stress too much about the “optimal plan” because there are going to be plenty of life events along the way that will force you to be flexible.
As someone who goes to UCSB, I can attest that UCM is actually better than most people think. Since it's a new school, there are plenty of new opportunities to be made, and it's up and coming. Pretty good for the first research institution to be made in the 21st century. It's still a UC, so there's still many research opportunities. People are doing fine with finding jobs and education, and overall isn't a bad choice.
I went to community college and it was a great experience. Ended up transferring to UCSD and graduating with BS EE . Enjoyed that CC gave me time to figure out what I wanted.
Not a Merced guy but coming at it from a wider viewpoint, beyond LA and Berkeley, you’d be surprised how few people know or care about the teirlist of the remaining UCs. Just getting the UC brand on your degree will definitely take you far! I’ll leave it to merced people to convince you to go there :)
Please go to UCM. CC is great and it totally makes sense in a lot of situations - yours is not one. You need to get that first year college "experience" at UCM. There is no comparison at CC. You can always co to CC if it is not working out. You can always go to the Navy or Air Force or whatever - they are not filling up. These are backup plans. Being able to go to a UC is not a backup plan - it is an opportunity you may not get again.
Life experience will be a factor for the more prestigious medical schools. They want their students to be a diverse and well-rounded group who know more than just how to take a standardized test. How you apply what you've learned to difficult or challenging life experiences will actually be an important consideration. It will be how you differentiate yourself from a hundred others who all have the same numbers on the same exams.
Good luck on the journey and I hope you find it rewarding.
Yup. Go the CC route. If you finish all the requisite classes, the UCs can’t reject you. See if you can pay for tHe CC w/o your education benefits and save those for when you transfer to your dream UC.
I went to UC Merced and am currently at a T15 med school on a full-ride. I interviewed at most of the top med schools (including Harvard, Hopkins, UCLA etc.), and UC Merced didn't hold me back in the slightest. IMO I had a much better experience at UC Merced than the vast majority of my friends did at other UCs because of the lack of competition, the abundance of research, and how supportive the professors at UCM are. Unless you're considering a Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Duke type of school, I think undergrad prestige matters pretty minimally. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.
Agreed with this! UC Merced alumni here. Graduated with 0 debt on a full ride scholarship and I got to enjoy all new amenities, labs, dorms, etc. oh and don’t forget the smaller class sizes equivalent to a private university!
Totally agree. UCM grad here and I’m currently an academic faculty at one of the major hospitals in Manhattan. No regrets at all attending UCM and I feel like I got a much better experience at UCM than many of my friends that attended the other UC campuses. College is what you make of it.
This randomly popped up on my feed. I started off from a community college and went to med school and residency with kids from Stanford/Harvard/UCLA undergrad Now going into medicine is a whole a different discussion to have 😂
Did your UCM degree ever come up as a negative during interviews?
Nope. The school I'm currently at actually thought it was a positive, and this is despite most of my classmates coming from HYPSM schools. I do think you have to do everything right (i.e. kill the MCAT, good ECs, good GPA etc.) to reap the benefits, but if you can do that, UCM absolutely won't hold you back (other than from maybe UPenn and Yale.)
I have heard that adcoms at CA medical schools may not view schools like UCR, UCM, and CSUs favorably. I have you seen/heard of this?
Nope. I got into Kaiser and into or WLd at all of the UC med schools other than UCSF. I didn't get the sense that anyone really saw it as a negative that I went to UCM.
My good friend graduated from Fresno State and got into Stanford’s med school. Another friend graduated from USC and didn’t get in anywhere stateside, but did in the Caribbean. 🤷🏽♀️
Wow, that's what did your friend do to stand out? Have a high GPA, research?
High Gpa, finished undergrad technically in 3 years but stayed a 4th year to get a minor, assisted with a skin cancer clinical trial over 2 years, had excellent references and was a tutor for chemistry dept. I’m sure they did more, they were always busy!
I don’t think that’s ever been the case! CA medical schools let alone medical schools in general care less about where you got your degree. They don’t even care what you major in! As long as you fulfill the necessary pre reqs, score high on the MCAT, demonstrate good ecs, and a high sGPA then that’s all that really matters. While it’s doable, most of my peers who attended UCLA and UC Berkeley arguably had a harder time according to them than the peers I know that had attended UC Merced (sprinkle in some students from UC Davis and UCR). To put into perspective one of their situations, I knew someone that got accepted to all the UC’s including UCLA and UC Berkeley but decided to go to UC Riverside because she got the regents scholarships and knew she was graduating with no debt which was smart for medical school. She was a hard worker so I’m sure she would’ve done well if she had chosen to go to UCLA or UC Berkeley but she ended up getting a 4.0 in Biological Sciences which is extremely difficult nowadays and scored I believe a 99th percentile on the MCAT. She got into HYPSM med schools but ultimately chose a medical school that paid for her whole tuition! By junior year she was already guaranteed for UCR med school without taking the MCAT because she just did so well but she declined the offer. So school doesn’t necessarily matter!
Nope! In fact it actually was a positive for a couple places since they knew alumni!
Can't come up in interviews if the interviews don't even happen. Sad but true...
Hey what was your GPA?
I got a 4.0
I'm a California high school junior and this randomly popped up on my feed -- do you think the same would be true for law school admissions?
I think so! I think the LSAT and GPA are huge for law school, so if you kill those, you'll probably be good.
What is your URM status?
I'm White.
Thank you for your reply. I don’t mean to be rude, or undermine your achievement, but race, gender and sexual orientation is now a major factor that can carry more favorable weight than going to a lower-ranked UC. So just want to make sure OP is getting the full picture
Hi, I’m trying to pursue comp sci. I got into UCM, waitlisted at ucsc, and accepted at csu Fullerton which would you say is the best option for internships and jobs?
Dear Sir, My son got accepted at both UCM and UCSC and is interested in perusing medicine. Please text me your number or call me at 5106009015 so that we can get your advice to make informed decision . Thanks
Dear Sir, My son got accepted at both UCM and UCSC and is interested in perusing medicine. Please text me your number or call me at 5106009015 so that we can get your advice to make informed decision
Similar happened to my son - rejected from all the UCs he applied to but got into UCM with his GPA. Here’s my advice to him on whether to go to a cc and try a transfer, or just enroll at UCM: (1) UCM is a legit University of California school. It may not be as competitive as other UC schools vis a vis application rates, but it is certainly ranked among the top 25% of all public universities. It is also much more oriented toward ensuring the academic success of its students (Having another child at UCSD, I can personally confirm that they leave the students to sink or swim much more at UCSD). (2) UC Merced has a good premed program. They do a lot to prepare you for getting into med school, including having research and internship opportunities. (3) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Going to a CC and hoping you can transfer into a ‘good’ university while aligning and transferring credits is a process fraught with potential issues. Acceptance and transfer is not guaranteed (nothing is in this world). True, you’ll save money, but it may not get you to your goal more cheaply in the long run. (4) In the long run, med schools and employers are not going to look at your undergrad institution as closely as you seem to think. The school/campus does not matter as much as what you gpa and experiences are. Chasing a certain pedigree is not as favorable as it seems. In the end, it’s what you do about the opportunity you have, rather than trying to create some hypothetical ‘ideal’ background.
This is the answer.
This ^ Would also add that it’ll be “easier” to be top of your class at UCM and med schools will look at how you did relative to others so this gives you a higher chance to stand out. Not saying you’re not smart enough to graduate top of your class at UCLA for example, it’s just way more competitive.
Oh good lord. Who is making fun of you for joining the reserves? Let me know who I need to give a stern talking to (and maybe toilet paper their house). Seriously tho.. as a surgeon who is on the other end of the pipeline I have mad respect for you yo. You’ve got a goal and you’re going at it and doing whatever it takes to achieve it. I’m sorry the UC’s are such crapshoots. It pains me that with a 3.9 you are still having a hard time with acceptances. That’s ridiculous and frankly just unfair. As far as med school don’t stress about where you go for undergrad or about what route you take. I sat on the adcom for my med school and honestly all we cared about was forward progress and momentum and decent scores, WHEREVER the person went. I had plenty of people in my class from the tiniest cc’s as well as from bigger state schools. So don’t stress. Just get good grades, kill the MCAT and apply early. The rest will fall into place. Don’t give yourself the added stress of worrying where to go - it will detract from getting good grades and stuff. And lastly give yourself a pat on the back and take care of yourself. This journey to becoming a doctor is a marathon, not a sprint. Best of luck.
For med school you can graduate with a bachelors from UCM, apply to the HPSP program and join as an officer and get your med school paid for. While I don’t agree that UCM has the best pre-med program, I do suggest getting in touch with the people who find pre-med opportunities. They’ve got a program you can apply to for MCAT support as well. It’s a great school for keeping a competitive gpa for medical school, as the curves aren’t too harsh.
also I forgot to add. This school is heavily research focused, with not that many students. You can get into research labs as a first/second year and develop your med school app way more efficiently. Want to be president of an org? You probably can! Want to do research and get published? Way easier than trying at UC Davis. Want community service in a rural underserved area?? That’s Merced!
The only problem with Merced is the fact that it’s a rural area. It’s pretty much like any other UC regarding everything else. Since you want to go to med school I’d pick Merced. The town is sort of boring so you will be able to focus on doing research, and getting good grades.
So close to Yosemite for a one of a kind hike in nature!!
Are you from the San Joaquin Valley? If so you should look into this: [https://admissions.ucmerced.edu/SJVP-BStoMD](https://admissions.ucmerced.edu/SJVP-BStoMD)
UC Merced as of now is a very good pre-med path school, many of my peers have had success getting into post grad programs around the state. I’d very much recommend it
UCM alumni currently in medical school here. I know it's not the best school but there are some positives. It's easier to get classes and experiences. I know many majors (not comp sci) that was able to finish 4 year degree in 3 years. I could have and planned to but life.. Also I'm more an introvert so getting involved in groups, volunteer work, and research was a lot less scary and stressful when there weren't so many other students gunning for opportunities. Honestly it gave me some great stories and experiences to write about in my PS that wasn't so cookie cutter. Most of my med school class rn are from big UCs (UCLA, UCSD, UCB) but we ended up in the same place. It's about what you make of it.
So the reserves wont pay for college unless you have active duty time.. basic training and school after doesnt count. It has to be like a deployment and that deployment has to be around 2-3 years to get the gi bill. The reserves will also be annoying to deal with so ill inter fear with your school making it harder and longer to graduate.
Randomly stumbled upon this post but wanted to mention I originally went to one of the UCs (being vague for anonymity but not UCM) and due to personal reasons, decided to transfer and was accepted at another UC to begin junior year there. However, I ultimately did not go through with it. I will say, the college experience is really up to you. Doesn’t matter much where you go as long as you work hard and put the effort in. Speaking as someone who went on to a top med school after undergrad and is now a resident. Best of luck!
I came to UC Merced with a full-ride and sh!t ton of external scholarships. I turned down UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Santa Cruz for UC Merced. My family was extremely poor, so I used my external scholarships on personal things that I never had (e.g. clothes, laptops, etc.). UCM allowed me to live a “good” college life. I was eating good every other day. I got into 5 PhD programs of my choice (four are top programs for my field whereas the other one is mediocre). It’s what you make out of it. Is it true that the students are UCM aren’t as academically competitive as other UCs? Yes, it is. No doubt, but this gave me more opportunities, honestly. I was on top of my academics, research opportunities, and extra curricular activities.
You get the benefit of attending an upcoming school, nearby a hospital, with the benefit of research, and a smaller class size to compete with. UC Merced is absolutely a wonderful choice!
UC Merced is ranked higher than any of my instate colleges. CA students put it down but SO many students in other parts of the country don’t have such a good option so try and think bigger than your local environment.
I definitely will say that UCM is the place to thrive, but you have to make sure to put yourself out there! UCM offers so many opportunities most schools don’t. I regret not enrolling in clubs, attending more office hours and using all the resources that were offered there. I will be honest UCM was a struggle to get used to especially if you’re low income but most are. Coming from a city to an underdeveloped Merced was a hard transition for me but throughout the years Merced continues to expand. Eventually I fell in love with merced and don’t regret my experience there. It has taken me where I am in life right now. I will be attending a grad program at Columbia in June. I was a biology major and added on a psychology as a major as a GPA booster (best thing I could have done). Feel free to reach out!
I think this school discussion is way too overhyped in the US... Just go to the school that wants you, do your best, work hard, thrive, and become whatever you want.
Cc + TAG into a better UC may give you more options in life if you decide not to go to med school and, assuming by you keep up your gpa, probably improves your odds of med school admissions.
Depends on the environment you want. Merced itself is a great school with smaller classes and extremely updated (buildings, technology etc). If you do not care about the physical location of the school just go there. Also merced has tons of financial aid to give. If you think you will be miserable there (as I probably would have given I chose a beach school), go to cc and do tag. your OTHER option is to go to uc merced for two years and transfer to a different UC from there. You can do that!! I did that!! Went to ucsc and transferred to ucsb :)
UCM is quite isolated, and if you don’t want to go there go you can still go elsewhere just get good grades at a CC. I know so many people that have transferred to so many uc’s like ucb, ucsb, ucla and even privates like USC. For some reason it’s easier to transfer into those schools than as a freshman. Ultimately it’s up to where you wanna go to. Don’t feel forced to go somewhere you don’t want to
IMO CC would be the better option if you are planning on enlisting, you have your Basic Training + technical training to do which can vary between 3-8 months depending on ur job. You may have to consider any follow on training or exercises following that. I am a CC student but know people that are fine in UC and CSUs while in reserves, but CC would guarantee the most flexibility in that regard.
Honestly I would go with UCM. I was in a very similar situation as you when I graduated. I got invited to merced and i do think it’s ultimately where i was meant to be. i’ve had so many more opportunities at this school than i would have an other, especially a UC. I know my professors on a personal level, and speak with them regularly. not only that, but depending on what major you choose there’s a requirement to do research as an undergrad in order to get ur degree. I’m currently doing research on stable isotopes as a third year and when i talk to my friends at other UC’s they look at me like i’m insane. this school is full of opportunities and connections that won’t come at other uc’s. the food on campus does suck tho i won’t lie. there’s also gonna be a lot of people who tell you it’s boring and there’s nothing to do. my best advice is to make friends and make the most of what you can. of course there isn’t a crazy night life in a super rural town, but there’s plenty of things to do with your friends.
i will also say UCM does rank higher than santa cruz and riverside now
As a current UCSD grad student and former UCM undergrad, the quality of education is much better at UCM due to the smaller class sizes and greater opportunities to interact with faculty. I would strongly consider attending.
About to start dental school after having graduated from UCM I lived my whole life there so in that sense I’m biased but the area isn’t too crazy but the school is very nice and I loved all my professors classes were never very difficult and lots of people like to help such as older classmates and things of that nature so I couldn’t recommend it enough as the smaller class sizes keep you in the loop with professors and allow a great relationship to be built for letters of recommendation and what not. I also transferred from the local community college there as well and the process was very easy and I loved all my semesters there!
If you’re using military to pay, go out of state!
My nephew went to UC Merced and is currently waiting to start a residency program.
I actually think a smaller, less popular UC can offer you more opportunities to get involved and TA or do research.
if cash isn’t a problem, choose merced. Your friend group you get in the first week of college is highly important
Nah pass, just go CC route. Much more effective and rewarding for your life
Idk why this got recommended to me but I go to Berkeley and can tell you that one of my best professors used to teach at UC Merced. If I were you I would go to Merced, keep your head held high, and achieve great things. You freaking got this.
Was in a similar situation. I went to a CC and did my TAG to UC Davis. I saved an insane amount of money, so I preferred that route.
First of all, Merced is part of the UC system. Be thrilled. Be proud. Be excited. CC then transferring may be a great option for you. But there are millions of young people your age who would die to be on the UC Merced path. Either way, congratulations.
Go to cc.
Ignore the haters. UCM is a great school with a solid faculty and great facilities. If you’re not totally sold, definitely consider the community college route for your gen ed then transferring as a junior.
Go to a CC. Kick ass, join a group or honors program like Phi theta kappa for example. So many university will email you and offer scholarships when you are almost to the finish line. Everyone wants to talk down about CC. But it is the best thing out there. It will also go a long way with that $4500 cap rather than going to a university. Apply for FAFSA, pocket that money. I was in your shoes.
Randomly came across this but consider army or air force guard instead. Navy reserves doesn’t have tuition assistance.
Thanks for letting me know I’m gonna go active now I think or go national guard
Im from Merced. Prepare yourself for boredom.
I highly recommend that you go to a community college and then do the tag program. You will have more options and you will get a lot more acceptances plus save money.
From what I’m seeing there is some people who recommend going to UCM and honestly I say take the opportunity to go there. If what people say about classes being smaller and being able to have more help I’d recommend it. I currently go to a UC in socal and honestly it’s really hard to find classes and most of the time it’s kind of hard to get help because at times they tend to just chuck busy work. But honestly I recommend going to UCM if you’ll have more of an opportunity.
Community College is the way to go. Financially, it's not worth it anymore. Do the TAG, save yourself 2 years of more debt. In the end, your degree is the same.
Go to CC then transfer. Save $ for medical school. CA Promise means free education for two years. Good luck!
Less competition the better. My friend is pre-med at UCLA and it's grueling (and dirty, lots of cheating and stealing). If you can get a high GPA with lesser competition, kill the MCAT and have a few EC, that UCM degree won't matter at all
My cousin went to UC Merced, liked it because there’s was less people in the classes and more support from the professors. She was part of the Greek life and loved it as well. She just graduated from SCU with her masters. Go to UCmerced!!
My dude. Why can't you go to a state college? There are excellent state colleges in california
If you are going to med school. Do NOT go to community college. I have a son in Premed now and some med schools do not care for core classes to be taken at CC. Join some Facebook Premed group and you’ll see the same info. It is not recommended as it is not as competitive. FYI med schools LOVE military service. Get yourself some clinical experience ASAP. Good luck.
Don't sleep on cc. You will save money on undergrad which is important for med school, and then can spend two years in a place other than Merced.
No idea here on premed BUT please go to the school (UCM ?) that will be easier for u to get ur courses, move along and graduate witht he least $. Prestige is a moot point if u have to die competing to finish ur pre-reqs, struggle to pass etc. Goodluck!
The plan itself isn’t as important as the execution. Dont stress too much about the “optimal plan” because there are going to be plenty of life events along the way that will force you to be flexible.
As someone who goes to UCSB, I can attest that UCM is actually better than most people think. Since it's a new school, there are plenty of new opportunities to be made, and it's up and coming. Pretty good for the first research institution to be made in the 21st century. It's still a UC, so there's still many research opportunities. People are doing fine with finding jobs and education, and overall isn't a bad choice.
I went to community college and it was a great experience. Ended up transferring to UCSD and graduating with BS EE . Enjoyed that CC gave me time to figure out what I wanted.
Not a Merced guy but coming at it from a wider viewpoint, beyond LA and Berkeley, you’d be surprised how few people know or care about the teirlist of the remaining UCs. Just getting the UC brand on your degree will definitely take you far! I’ll leave it to merced people to convince you to go there :)
Please go to UCM. CC is great and it totally makes sense in a lot of situations - yours is not one. You need to get that first year college "experience" at UCM. There is no comparison at CC. You can always co to CC if it is not working out. You can always go to the Navy or Air Force or whatever - they are not filling up. These are backup plans. Being able to go to a UC is not a backup plan - it is an opportunity you may not get again.
The UC will always be there, too.
Life experience will be a factor for the more prestigious medical schools. They want their students to be a diverse and well-rounded group who know more than just how to take a standardized test. How you apply what you've learned to difficult or challenging life experiences will actually be an important consideration. It will be how you differentiate yourself from a hundred others who all have the same numbers on the same exams. Good luck on the journey and I hope you find it rewarding.
Yup. Go the CC route. If you finish all the requisite classes, the UCs can’t reject you. See if you can pay for tHe CC w/o your education benefits and save those for when you transfer to your dream UC.
Go the CC path. You can go to any college with a 4.0 gpa. Ik with ur work ethic you can do it