Can anyone help me match my academic stats to an ideal school?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Intro: I'm a sophomore with, in my opinion, pretty good grades. However, not good enough for schools like HYPS and perhaps most ivy leagues schools. Problem is, I know next to nothing about any other colleges. I could only name a few colleges outside of the big ivy leagues, and since there is only a small chance of me getting into one, I want to bulk of my applicants to go to less selective schools. Another member told me to post me stats and preferences here and see if anyone could suggest some colleges that they know of that they think would suit me. So, here it goes:</p>

<p>Classes: I'm pretty much all honors freshman and sophomore year so far:
Freshman:
Honors bio: A or A-
seminar geometry: B+ or A-, pretty sure it's was A- though (seminar is above honors, but GPA wise it is weighted the same. It's supposed to be for students that need more of a challenge)
Western civilization intergrated: A ( a 2 period class everyday that is a combination of language arts and history/social studies, and it is supposedly for gifted students only, so honors language arts and honors west civ is under west civ intergrated, counts as two credits)
Spanish 2: A
Band: A</p>

<p>Sophomore year (after 2 semesters, aka after midterms)
Honors chem: A
Seminar Algebra 2: A
Global Issues Integrated :A (same as freshman year, but it's the sophomore version of it, still 2 credits and above regular honors English and global issues)
Spanish 3: A
Band: A</p>

<p>Those are my grades and classes so far. My GPA Freshman year was bad, a 3.933, mainly because I got a C one quarter freshman year in math. Next year, I plan on taking these classes:</p>

<p>Honors Physics
AP Bio
Honors Pre-calc ( I decided to go down from seminar to honors because I was adding AP Bio to my workload and seminar Pre Calc is notoriously hard. I don't want to end up getting D's and being forced to drop down mid year. The GPA weight is the same)
Viewpoints: (same as other integrated courses, combines US history with English lit, still considered an honors or above course)
Spanish 4
Band</p>

<p>What I plan on taking senior year, but it may change:
AP Chem
Anatomy
Calc AB
Senior Sem ( integrated, same as above)
Spanish 5
Band</p>

<p>And those are the classes. Any questions about them, or any clarification, just ask.</p>

<p>I expect my GPA to end up as a 4.0 or 4.1 this year. my GPA for after the midterm for sophomore year was a 4.2, and I expect it to stay somewhere around there, thus, combined with my freshman 3.9, and if I keep up my work, I should end high school around a 4.0 GPA. NOTE: this is on a 4.6 GPA scale, I think. I know that an A+ counts as a 4.6, so I'm not sure what scale colleges use.</p>

<p>I also run cross country in the fall, indoor track during the winter, and outdoor track during the spring, so I'm doing running sports year round, practice after school everyday. I'm nothing special at it, so I don't expect to get any sports scholarships.</p>

<p>I'm not that ahead on clubs or anything, but in between school work, sports, and a little time for a social life, I don't really have a lot of time for any other clubs. I would try out for Model UN, but the costs of the trips are a bit to expensive for my family, which brings me to my next point:</p>

<p>My family is able to live comfortably, but not enough to pay for my four year undergrad career at a 55k a year college. I plan on trying for financial aid and maybe getting a loan too, and I'm sure my parents will contribute what they can, but that's why I'm gearing towards public rather than private college. I think somewhere around 40k or 45k might be alright. If lower, that's even better. I live in Pennsylvania, and I know instate schools in PA will cost less, but I also want to go to school in a different part of the country and expand my horizons. I am looking at UPenn, but I don't know if I'll get in. </p>

<p>I don't really know much about rural or urban colleges, so if you want, you can give me your opinion about that. I'm also unsure about the differences between medium and large sized colleges/universities, but I know I don't want to go to a school with a small student faculty. Medium to large is better.</p>

<p>Sorry for the huge wall of text. If you have any other questions, please ask. You can post one suggestion, an entire list, or other advice for me. I'll be grateful for anything, and thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Edit: I forgot to mention: I want to go to medical school and become a doctor. Thus, Im looking for schools with a "good premed program" so to speak, or schools with one of those BS/MD programs, where you have a guaranteed spot in their med school. </p>

<p>So, any schools that you think fit my academic stats/preferences, or that your just like, please post them. Academics fit, in my opinion, is probably 50% of my decision, and the other half is a mixture of everything else I mentioned. So schools that I have shot at getting into, school I most likely will get in, schools I almost will definitely get into, all are welcome. Thank you!</p>

<p>Edit 2: DDN asked about test scores, and I haven't taken the SAT or SAT II yet. On the PSAT, I got an 1840 but that was with no studying or preparation at all. With preparation, I expect at the least somewhere in the 2000 or 2100, maybe above. I want to see which colleges require which SAT IIs, and then decide which SAT II to take. Probably bio and math 1 or 2, but well see. If you have any advice about this, post 'em too!</p>

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<p>Test scores? Without them all I can recommend is the test optional LACs</p>

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<p>I edited my post so it will be easier for new people to see all the info at once :)</p>

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<p>Your stats are very hypothetical, so it is hard to say for certain until your whole application unfolds in reality. </p>

<p>By the looks of it you could be competitive for some top 30 schools.
Also, the ivy league schools aren’t the only outstanding universities. There are plenty of schools that are as good as or better than many of the ivies. </p>

<p>Some schools that I think line up well with the credential you have provided:
NYU, Tufts, Boston College, Umichigan, USC, University of Rochester, Wake Forest.</p>

<p>All of these are highly respected, top universities. I think you would have a shot at them. </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

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<p>…A 3.933 is NOT bad. Christ.</p>

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<p>^Even on a 4.6 scale</p>

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<p>Thanks a lot! Will definitely check these schools out. I know my GPA and sat scores are very hypothetical, but my in terms of grades and GPA, my pride just doesn’t allow me to go below a B or B+, which means that if I have too, I will cut out sports to maintain my grades. And in terms of sat scores, I have no idea how well ill do, but you can take them more than once I hear, so even if I do bad on the first time, I should be able to at least hit 2000 my second time…I hope. But yes, still very hypothetical. I have no idea how hard my classes will be next year, but I’m just gonna go with the fact that I have made it out with at least B+ in last years Sem geometry, a class where the teacher was terrible and the tests were terrible, as a general consensus around the school :)</p>

<p>And agreatperhaps, I know a 3.9 isn’t terrible, but I come from a Chinese family, and yes, it is the stereotypical Chinese family. My dad went to Harvard for grad school, so obviously a lot of pressure for me to hit high. But by this point, my parents realize that I just don’t have to heart to throw away all of my childhood for school, haha, and they’ve kinda relaxed a little bit. But still, I personally expect more from myself, and honestly, pretending that a 3.9 is bad is kind of a way to make me push myself more. Kind of like how one of my track teammates say a 4:45 mile is slow for him just so he can push himself to hit that 4:29 mile and make districts.</p>

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<p>I know you said you’re looking at different parts of the country, but based on what you said Penn State, and maybe the honors program there too, you should be looking at. It’s instate so will cost less (although PSU is still very expensive), seems like you’re a sports guy and there’s a sports culture there. The Honors program, if you get in, is very very good, and most of the students there would likely get into ivy league schools. Some actually turn them down for the honors college. </p>

<p>“good premed program” from what I understand about premed stuff, is up in the air. PSU does have Hershey med though, and if you do well in the honors college at state, I’m sure you could get into whatever med school you wanted. </p>

<p>And as someone said earlier, you got an 1840 without studying and stuff, which is a fine score, but thinking you’ll bump that up to a 2100 is a stretch. Its doable, but in my experience with standardized testing along with my peers, it’s rare to raise a score more than 200 or so points. Again, just my experience. CC is full of overachievers so almost everyone on here is “capable” of doing whatever they say they can do though. </p>

<p>And PSU is about as rural as you can get, but when I visited thats what I loved. The school is the center of attention. </p>

<p>Also - DON’T CUT OUT SPORTS OR DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE. The experiences that I had playing sports in high school are invaluable to me. college, especially undergrad is what you make of it. You can excel anywhere you go and land a great job or do whatever.</p>

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<p>Do you have any preferences about location?</p>

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<p>I’d prefer it to be out of state so as to enjoy new places in the US, but as etuck has mentioned, in state can be cheaper. If it is in state, I’ll probably end up at penn state. Other wise, the only preference I would have is for it to be out of state.</p>

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<p>If in state, Pitt tends to be more recommended for Pre-med due to the availability of multiple hospitals on or near campus. Penn St is more recommended for Pre-vet due to the presence of all the critters on campus. Obviously, you can do either from either place, so pick on fit, but don’t overlook Pitt.</p>

<p>I’m with others in suggestion you consider out of state IF you end up with the stats to make it affordable to do so. Of the list provided, drop U Mich as they don’t do well with OOS aid.</p>

<p>U Rochester (where my middle son chose to go for pre-med)
Case Western
Emory
and of course, Pitt (his second choice)
all come to mind as schools to look at.</p>