Well, you will definitely have good in-state options.
I think you’ll likely get into Tulane and BU; it’s a question of whether you get merit aid, and how much.
Chapel Hill, Emory, and Georgetown could go either way but you’ve certainly got a shot.
I’m just trying to see a pattern to how you picked these schools.
It seems that you like urban settings, mostly. I don’t really see a pattern as far as affordability, good merit aid, good need-based aid… so perhaps you’re just not price-sensitive?
Your EC’s are predominantly musical but I don’t see a pattern of your picking schools where music is in the forefront. There’s nothing “dismal” at all about building your extracurricular life around music - I just wonder why your preliminary college list doesn’t reflect that focus.
Given that there are many excellent schools for studying biochem, why these in particular? I mean, they’re all fine schools of course.
You might look at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, which is similar to Whitman in size, competitiveness, and educational philosophy, but which has a music conservatory fully integrated with the liberal arts college. It’s a great place to double-major or minor in music, or just participate in the rich musical life of the college as a non-major. If you’re someone whose social experience in high school has been music-centric, you might really love Lawrence and find your people there. It’s excellent in the sciences, with many students continuing on to doctoral programs.
University of Rochester is similar in competitiveness to Tulane, and also has a rich musical culture both among the conservatory students at Eastman and among the students on the main campus. It’s a fantastic school for sciences, with rich research opportunities. Case Western Reserve also has strong sciences and music opportunities through the Cleveland Institute of Music.
BU is no stronger academically than Rochester, Case, and Tulane - possibly a little weaker. It is in demand “because Boston.” It’s a good school for sure (I went there in fact) and there are some very bright and ambitious students there, but IMHO the intellectual seriousness is less concentrated at BU than at the others - in part because the larger size of the school and its lack of a centralized campus just dilutes the sense of a learning community. But that’s just my opinion for what it’s worth. There are certain programs I would definitely choose BU for; others not so much. I definitely wouldn’t full-pay for BU unless I had money to burn and couldn’t bear to be anyplace but Boston.
You have potential to get merit aid from schools like Whitman, Lawrence, Rochester, Case, and Tulane. Whereas, if you do not qualify for need-based aid, you will be full-pay at Emory, Georgetown, or UNC if you can get into one or more of these reaches. So it’s worth really getting to know those match to low-reach schools; you might discover that they offer the same quality of education as the super-reaches and perhaps even a better fit for you. (And of course the WA publics on your list are excellent too.)
Those are my stream-of-consciousness thoughts, for what they’re worth 