chance me at these schools/give me feedback on college list

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey! I’m a junior and was just wondering if anyone could give me any insight into my college list?

I’m a white, Jewish, female, who would be full pay. I haven’t taken the SATs yet (was supposed to in March and May, now just hoping for June and August), but my highest PSAT is a 1380. My weighted GPA is 4.33 (I think), unweighted is about like 3.8 I think. I attend a prestigious private school and my school has good connections with a lot of schools. Prospective major would be public health or bio on a pre-med track

Course Load: (H=Honors, Adv=Advanced)
9th: H Geometry, H Spanish 2, H Physics, World History (no other option for freshman). English 9 (no other option for freshman), 3D Art
10th: H Alg2, H Spanish 3, H Chem, World History II, English 10 (no other option for freshman), Mixed Media Ert
11th: H Precalc, H Spanish 4, H Bio, Modern American History, Adv English (basically AP but my school is getting rid of most APs), H Organic Chemistry
(Taking AP Spanish Lang/Culture and AP English Lit exams)
12th: Not sure yet, but my ideal course load is: AP Calc BC, AP Bio, Anatomy and Physiology, Adv English, AP Psych (but they might change it to Adv)

ECs:
JV tennis all years of high school
Head of club “Students United in Multicultural Awareness” in 11th (and 12th I think), in 10th just head of one part of club, but still leadership role, and in 9th just a reg member
Just reg member of Feminist discussion club in 11th and 12th (prob)
Out of school:
Volunteer at a hospital for like 2.5 years (like 250 hours currently I think)
Ballet dancer (like 2 hr per week)
Summer after 9th, 10th, and 11th: Working at a camp, but no pay, just as like an assistant counselor (but my camp won’t hire you unless you are in college, so technically volunteer work) basically 5 days a week for about 7 weeks from like 8:00-3:30
There might be more I’m forgetting but I think that’s it

Awards: National Spanish Exam Gold 9th, 10th, maybe 11th haven’t gotten scores back yet, high honors list every semester so far in HS

College List: WVU (honors college), Pitt, Lehigh (dad went there, and so did lots of his family), U of South Carolina (honors college hopefully, or just regular), Emory, Georgetown, GW, UMiami (mom went there).
Anyway, I so would just love some feedback on whether my list has a good distribution and which schools you think I’ll get into. let me know if I forgot any details!

2

Oh also- I’m instate for Pitt. And I’d also love any suggestions for other colleges to look at.

3

I am not an expert by any means but I think your stats are really good. Same for your ecs but would suggest you work on showing leadership.

4

You have a good mix of safety, reason, and reach schools there.
You must keep in mind that with every single application, you really roll the dice on whether you’ll get in-- your application just weighs the die a bit.
Your classes are good, GPA is great, extra-curriculars extremely good, and I’m willing to bet your SAT will be great as well. Your commitment to volunteering and taking AP exams without the respective classes shows very well and will help you.

Here’s an arbitrary guess at your chances in percentages (Again-- a roll of the die!!)
WVU: 90% Honors: 85%
Pitt: 85%
Lehigh: 55%
USC: 95% Honors: 90%
Emory: 45%
Georgetown: 30%
George Washington: 75%
Miami: 50%

When you get to Lehigh level and above (in terms of presitge) the die becomes… fickle. Your application is basically as qualified as anything can get, and these schools receive thousands at that level. You need to stand out in your essays and recommendations. The majority of that is unfortunately up to chance but you can create some assurance. Your peers will try to convince you that your extracurriculars or grades will save you. The truth is that your essay will make or break your application, because it is the only time the committee sees you as a human being. Get good grades and scores and participate in things (check, check, check check), and you fulfill requirements. Appeal to them on a human level and you will (probably :slight_smile: ) get in.

Pre-med can really go anywhere, but I’d recommend looking at schools that have an affiliated or, better, a hospital on or right next to campus. Find a school that you can see yourself going to. Your extracurriculars are diverse and (don’t know what guy above me is talking about) show a wide berth of capabilities and leadership (a quality i think is waaay overrated but that’s for a different rant). You’ll do great anywhere.
Good luck!!!

5

@Dawert26 - thanks so much! your kind words mean a lot :blush: And you are so right about it really being a roll of the dice. My parents always remind me that when I start applying and getting decisions back, I shouldn’t take it personally or get upset if I don’t get in somewhere. Easier said than done, but I always try to keep it in mind.

6

Class of 2020 here (high school senior), so I just got done with the college application process and would just like to give my 2 cents.
Stats and ECs look strong! However, always remember that many other people will have similar stats so it’s important to show why your unique experiences make you a good fit for your schools. Focus on writing strong essays (personal statement & supplementals) since that’ll help individualize yourself. If your application is well-rounded and you are effectively showing passion for & commitment to your activities, which you definitely seem to be, I think you’ll have great chances at those schools.

7

@vc1288 Thanks! I’m definitely hearing a lot that my essays and supplements will need to be really good, so I’ll definitely focus on making them strong :smile:

8

What about Tulane?

9

Can & will your parents pay full-freight for UG & Med school w/o loans?

10

Since you’re instate for Pitt, apply to Penn State and Temple too, as well as their Honors College. Add Lafayette (unless your parents disapprove because of the historic rivalry with Lehigh, in which case, replace with Dickinson.)
USC Columbia is a safety, its Honors College is “reach for everyone”. WVU Honors and Temple Honors are safeties.
If you like Pitt, look into UCincinnati Honors, it may be a better fit than WVU Honors.
Seconding Tulane if you like Emory.

11

I’ll third Tulane, especially if having a strong Jewish presence on campus is important for you.