ACT/SAT Scores:
1520 SAT (760 for both sections)
33 ACT. 32 Math, 29 Science (oof), 35 English, 35 Reading.
So far I’ve submitted only my SAT scores to my EAs. Should I consider sending my slightly worse ACT?
Coursework
8 Honors Classes
9 APs (5 from junior year)
1 “post-AP” class (calc 3)
Awards
Seal of Biliteracy for Japanese with a score of A1
Presidential Volunteer Service Award: Bronze
AP Scholar with Distinction
Extracurriculars
marching band soloist and alto saxophone section leader
school jazz band soloist and saxophone section leader (requires auditioning)
bravura youth orchestra soloist, principal sax player, and section leader (requires auditioning)
math tutoring on behalf of the National Honors Society
Tri-M member, occasional volunteering through gigs and concert help.
100+ hours of volunteering through Bravura Youth Orchestra.
Japanese school student every Sunday since kindergarten
a few other miscellaneous club memberships
Essays/LORs/Other
Common App Essay: 8/10. I worked on it with my English teacher and my guidance counsellor, and they both approve of it.
Overall Supplemental Essay strength: 7/10. I don’t consider myself a terrible writer, but for the common “Why Us?” essays I’ve gone with doing a rudimentary approach (the “solid” approach on the collegeessayguy website).
Counselor LOR: 9/10. She is very (over) optimistic about my future and has big expectations for me.
Teacher LORs: 7/10. I got letters from my Calculus BC/3 teacher and my AP Chem teacher. I have positive relationships with both of them and my grades are decent/good for each.
Cost Constraints / Budget
My parents are comfortably middle-class, but I am still wary of costs as I am factoring in future medical school expenses. For example, if I get into both Rutgers Honors College w/ a scholarship and NYU with little aid, then I’ll likely pick the former.
Schools
Safety (certain admission and affordability)
*Seton Hall (accepted)
*Rider University(accepted)
*Rutgers (SEBS + SAS) (Applied EA)
Likely (would be possible, but very unlikely or surprising, for it not to admit or be affordable)
*Case Western Reserve (december 1st)
*UW Madison (applied EA)
*Northeastern (applied EA)
Match
*Rutgers Honors College
*Boston University
Reach
*Columbia University
*Case Western PPSP Program
*Vanderbilt University
I’m wondering what my chances are of getting into Rutgers Honors College. I’m also open to looking for more target schools, as well as reaches that are feasible, which have good pre-med and biology programs.
Thank you so much for reading! To any seniors out there, good luck!
You have a 3.9 UW GPA: how could your Calc and Chem grades be only “decent/good”? Do you genuinely think that your teachers see you as a “C” student?
This might seem an odd point to pick on, but I get impatient with students who are disingenuous or hide behind false modesty. You might say that’s not you- that it is anxiety talking, but I am un-fashionably impatient with that as well
You are in the top 20% of your class with strong stats and good rigor. You have solid ECs. You are qualified for all of the schools on your list. You already know that you have 2 choices for college, so the only real question is how many choices will you have come April.
Go ahead and keep looking for more matches if you want, but otherwise divert your anxiety into something more productive!
edited to correct mistake in class % (tx @tsbna44)
It’s smart and mature of you to recognize that. Save your money for med school.
I think you have a pretty good chance.
Not sure you really need to add more. You will almost surely get into Rutgers NB, and if you get Honors (which comes with $$) that’s a tough deal to pass on as someone intending to go to med school.
I would, however, reclassify Northeastern as a high match/low reach given that your GPA is a notch above those of students that are typically admitted EA.
Sorry if I come across that way . My suburban community, me included, is quite privileged. I would say that my high school is pretty competitive, as there are 30 other students who perform near/better than I do.
My overall grades for AP Chemistry and AP Calculus ended up good, with an A and a B+ respectively, but there’s an asterisk. Especially for AP Calculus, my test scores varied wildly, and I ended up with a C+ for a marking period. The finals for each class ended up pushing my grades.
Obviously these fine details don’t matter for a college looking at my transcript, since they only see my overall final grades (my school doesn’t make transcripts with quarterly grades), but it probably had an impact on how my teachers saw me as a student.
I appreciate the optimism for my choices! I came here partially because of a single stat for RHC: they claim that 90% of their students are in the 10% of their high school classes. It’s been nagging at me, but perhaps I shouldn’t worry too much.
I hope you and your children in college are doing well!
Note on your cost - you should run the NPC for schools like NYU and NEU. if you are full pay - whack them. Better to do schools with merit whether a Hofstra, u of Denver or U of SC. TCNJ etc.
You know NYU is not giving u merit and it’s not likely at NEU or BU.
For med school the name matters less.
You note comcern fir cost so find those mid size schools that pay. Denver, Miami Florida etc vs ones that don’t.
“You note comcern fir cost so find those mid size schools that pay.”
Where did this student say that his family couldn’t afford to send him to undergrad school? Please show me.
The student said this:
“My parents are comfortably middle-class, but I am still wary of costs as I am factoring in future medical school expenses. ”
And yes, anticipating medical school costs is smart…but this student never said the family couldn’t afford the undergrad schools to which he applied.
I don’t think this student needs to add more applications to the 11 he has already submitted. He or she already has acceptances to two colleges. So it’s not like he or she isn’t going to go to college. Poster clearly stated that he is aware of finances, but this is something HE is conscious of. It sounded to me like funding wasn’t an issue.
I say…good luck to this OP on his remaining pending applications.
Sure, he can add some if he wants to…but really, I think there will be more than just the two current acceptances when all is said and done.
Thanks for the reply! I hope you and your daughter are doing well.
I took another look at Northeastern’s stats and yeah, you’re right, it’s a match at best. I don’t know what I was thinking for putting it in “likely.”
I also should clarify what I mean by a “feasible reach.” Something like a high match/low reach; a college that I can imagine I have a 15%-30% chance of getting into.
Why bother when you’re very likely going to be admitted to a strong, well respected (and higher ranked, if that matters) university for a very reasonable cost? (Rutgers)
Thanks for the reply! I should clarify about my financial situation.
I forgot to mention in my demographics that I’m a triplet, with two brothers that perform similar to me academically if not better. My parents have been a bit vague about how much money is prepared for each of us, but from what I know, if I go to an expensive school with no aid then I’ll be on my own at medical school at best.
RHC and Case Western are attractive to me because they’re both known for offering scholarships and they also have at least good pre-med programs.
In that case, please be sure your parents are on board with the net costs for your colleges. It’s pretty pricey to have three kids in college at the same time!
Locking in guaranteed merit aid might be something you and your siblings should consider…if needed.
We don’t know - but we now know he’s a triplet and he said he’s wary of it. That, to me, signals a lower cost school is desired.
I agree with @DadOfJerseyGirl with one caveat on why bother outside of Rutgers - OP states he’s unsure if he’s going to get into Honors - and that sounds like a desire.
So he can “complement” Rutgers Honors with a school like Alabama and its $3K tuition - and join the McCullough Medical Scholars to pursue his pre med interest. I put the link below and you’d do Honors too.
My main point is - if you raise money as a concern, you likely aren’t interested in an $80K school - that’s all.
I think it’s mature of the student to think of his finances/family. On the other hand, the family can’t / shouldn’t be vague - so the OP would then have a better understanding of their situation. Perhaps TCNJ or Rowan could also be options?
I did a little cursory research on Pitt and it has a good pre-med program. It also has an Honors College, though it doesn’t seem as impressive as Rutgers’s.
I’ll have to look more into it, but on the surface it’s a tempting choice.
With triplets in college and possible medical school on the horizon, it is good thinking to be cost conscious. For the private schools on your list, such as Case Western, you are still looking at a pretty substantial total cost even with a good merit offer.
You will want to have a talk with your parents about budget numbers. Assuming you are full pay (you will want to run expected family contribution for the various schools)… If your parents are comfortable with $50-60k per year (for example), you are in the ballpark for many OOS public schools without merit, or a private school like Case Western with some merit. If on the other hand you need to get total cost down to $30-40k or less, you may want to look for some lower cost options.
What’s impressive to you about an Honors College?
If you are looking for reputation, then look at U of SC (too late) and Arizona State.
Honors means different things at different places - but note - being in Honors is not going to give you a left for grad school. It will from the point of smaller classes or interesting subjects - but having it on your resume won’t impact grad school nor would it likely impact a job after college. It’s more for experience. There are different levels of Honors Colleges - but look at what they offer.
At Pitt (you’re likely too late for merit) but your SAT would help) - Honors courses are open to anyone…but formal entry into the program is likely harder than the two most consider the top - the two I mention above.
FSU - you’re too late - but it’s another - where Honors is super hard even though it’s not the best known Honors, etc.
In the end, find the right fit - and finances are about fit.
Whether you go to Rutgers or Radford, your med school chances won’t differ - as long as you deliver academically, test wise, and the other areas that are important such as shadowing, etc.
. My suburban community, me included, is quite privileged. I would say that my high school is pretty competitive, as there are 30 other students who perform near/better than I do.