I’m a rising senior and am putting together a list and would appreciate if someone could chance me
I’m looking at Yale SCEA, columbia or banard, NYU, Boston U, Dartmouth, Northeastern, Tufts, USC, Tulane, U of Chicago, and WashU. I am aware most of these schools are a reach for everyone but I’m wondering if it is worth it to try and what I can do to increase my chances
career goal: surgery + international medicine
Intended Major: neuroscience (and something in language or global health)
Gender: female
ACT: 35
Unweighted GPA: 4
Weighted GPA: 4.6
AP Scores: Chemistry-5, Physics 1-4, US History- 5, Lang-5, Euro History-4, Human Geo-5
extracurriculars+ volunteer work:
-multiple honor societies (languages, science, math, regular)
-regular honor society VP and language VP
-competitive soccer since I was 8 w/ multiple state tournament finishes
-high school varsity soccer sophomore year-on (didnt play as a freshman)
-freshman mentor
-volunteer and youth board member for a womens empowerment charity and Ive done work for multiple events through them
-volunteer at local hospital
-volunteer and organized a large area cancer fundraising event
awards:
havard book award
ap scholar w/ distinction
won a scholarship for a language study last summer
other school specific awards
You’re a competitive applicant, but your EC’s/Awards are very average except for soccer. You need really to stand out with your essays.
Tufts, tulane, Northeastern are lowreaches/highmatches.
IMO these are average EC’s for top 20 universities in a medicine focused major:
volunteering at hospital.
lotsa honor societies and clubs
HOSA or medical club leadership
Competing at HOSA or equal and going to state
normal clubs
researching w/out publish
shadowing a doctor at local area
Strong EC’s
research published in journal or conference
shadowing a high-level doctor through internship
HOSA or equal competition best in state
Soccer best in state (when you’re in high school and past)
raising 5K plus in fundraising (and you are a clear leader of the event)
something unique that you don’t see everyone post on CC
I’d say applicants need at least 1 strong EC to have a decent chance to top 20 universities.
@pieguy54321 thanks! through our cancer fundraiser we raised $200,000+ and it was lead by 8 high schoolers from the area including myself. Ive shadowed about 4 doctors and one who was a professor at a university near my home and am currently doing a research internship and have a chance at being published. Do those give me a push? Also Im looking at HOSA and it seems really interesting and helpful but would it be worth it to try to get involved now considering I send my applications out this winter?
No real point for going for HOSA if it’s this late, and to the AO it’d probably just seem like a last-ditch effort to boost your resume. The cancer fundraiser is really good, and I’d def mention you shadowed doctors. These definitely give you a push.
For the research internship, it really depends on whether or not you get published.
All the stats check out, some good ECs, specifically the cancer research. That sticks out to me as highly significant, with you combining with 7 other high school students to raise $200k+. Congratulations on such an achievement! That’s absolutely incredible, regardless of its use in your app. That being said, it will definitely help your app alot, but I also agree with other posters that you seem quite average outside of that and soccer. I would definitely apply to all the schools that you listed, as I feel you could be a competitive applicant, but as always with schools like those, don’t get your hopes up too high. That being said, thank you for making a difference in the world for people struggling with cancer! GL!
The most important factors are 1. Are you academically qualified to go (depends on school (3.8+/32+ for most top schools, but the higher the GPA/scores the better) 2. Are you hooked (athlete/URM/FG/legacy in that order, multiples would be super hooked) 3. If not 2 then do you have anything that sets you apart (National competition placed/won, unique abilities/EC). If you don’t have 2 or 3 than forget about SCEA/REA at HYPS, give yourself the best shot by EDing somewhere.
I do know one person who didn’t have 2 or 3 above but made it in. She was deferred SCEA, admitted RD. Stats 35/4.0UW/4.5W/state champion in her sport although not a recruited athlete, plus numerous other ECs. You can see that just with this sample size of one how difficult it is to get in on the SCEA round.