Im a CC student and will be transferring this fall. I applied to Cal State Fullerton and UCR and got into both. I’m proud of myself but now am a little lost as to which school I should attend. Here are my thoughts on it so far. I am concerned as to the school recognition when I apply to med school. I prefer Fullerton weather WAYYY more than Riverside weather. Might be a little superficial but try working with 100 degree F months at a time. Fullerton is much more affordable than UCR but rent is much higher in Orange County compared to the Inland Empire. I understand UCR will have better research opportunities but Dr. Gray has stated that having no research is not a deal breaker. UCR does have it’s own new med school. I understand going to UCR will not increase my odds in getting into their med school but having those resources sound very appealing. Probably one of my biggest concerns is the curriculum intensity. As a CC student I have no idea as to the level of difficulty at these institutions and don’t want to walk into a bunch of B’s and C’s.
Is there anything else I should be thinking about?
Hi Doped_on_Hope:
Both are good schools, so it come up to a coin toss. CSU Fullerton has a reputation as being one of the most academically-rigorous of the CSUs, which is good for you, assuming that you attend and do well. However, rent is ridiculously expensive around the campus area (I live in SoCal, so I know). But, your point about UCR is well-taken: it is a UC and it does have a medical school. However, the chances that a UCR graduate will attend the UCR medical school is not guaranteed. And, overall, most UCs are harder to get into than most CSUs, perhaps with the exception of UC Merced. But I know several people (both nurses) who went to UC Merced precisely because it was a UC school.
One thing that you can do is to spend the time and look at the coursework from your prospective major(s) at both schools, and see which fits your goals better. Also, might want to check out RateMyProfessor and check the professors.
Note: I have degrees from both a UC school (not UCR nor UC Merced) and a CSU school (not Fullerton).
I should add one more thing: If you believe that you can do top-notch work, then look at the grading scales at the CSUs versus the UCs. Nearly all UC schools offer plus/minus grading, so you could get an A+ in a class if you really do well. Most CSUs offer plus/minus grading as well, but some do not. Mine, unfortunately, did not, so if you missed an A, you got a B. There was, and still is, no A- or B+.