GPA: 3.24 (personal reason for low GPA)
(highly competitive school//top 50, #1 in the state) (nearly 3/4 of the students get into either BC or BU, annually)
SAT: 1520
AP scores:
Chemistry: TBD
US History: TBD
Calculus AB: TBD
Environmental Science: TBD
Economics: TBD
World History: 4
SAT II:
Math 2: 800
Chem: 800
Extracurriculars:
Sports: Basketball and Lacrosse
(JV)
AAU D2 Basketball
Hospital Volunteer (~2 years)
Hospital Research Assistant (Cardiology)
Attended many notable STEM programs
Volunteer assistant teacher in the Vietnamese Language
College Essay:
Topic: Serving the Community
-an event
-self-identity
If you don’t have any extra admissions leverage. Ie urm legacy development candidate or sports I think all of the schools mentioned will be a very difficult but obviously not impossible process. Very high scores. Unique gpa story might be enough. Tough to tell.
But good luck you have great achievements already.
I’m sure you have a valid reason for that low of a GPA, but IMO, that’s just way too low for such high level universities. Your ECs are pretty average, and it looks like you didn’t take too many AP classes either. If you are in the state’s #1 school, I am hoping they offer more 6 AP classes. You want to major in biology, but you haven’t taken AP Bio yet. Those points are a bit sketchy, but if you can really justify your points, then you are fine. I would say at most you have shot at BU, but unless you have something exceptional or a major connection, don’t look too keen on the Ivies. But then again, there’s a lot of luck that could be on your side! GL!
About 75% of my friends who are planning on majoring biology volunteer at hospitals. It’s not anything out of the ordinary. In addition, you are a senior who is still on JV, which is not going to help you very much. And you haven’t listed any of these ‘notable’ STEM programs, so I can’t really take that as anything special unless you specify. The only thing moderately special is the assistant teaching, but that’s not incredibly unique. I’m just giving my opinion, so don’t reply back saying you disagree with me without giving any reasoning as to why. I’m not trying to put you down, I’m giving you honest feedback.
Obviously, I do not know my GPA by the end of senior year and I’m obviously going to make Varsity because seniors aren’t allowed to play JV. My stem programs are NYLF: Medicine and Harvard MedScience. I am planning to attend more in the foreseeable future. The hospitals that I am working at are highly notable (Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Center
These are the credentials you will be applying with, and that is the GPA you submit, since you apply early senior year. Even being varsity senior year isn’t exceptional, if anything it is average. As you even said, seniors aren’t even allowed to play JV. Regarding your summer programs, I have friends who went to them. They are definitely somewhat meritorious, but they are just about your typical pre-college program you pay a couple thousand dollars for and get a certificate. I understand NYLF is invite-only but it still quite normal, nothing on the level of RSI or TASP. The hospitals you work in will definitely help you a little more than someone who is volunteering in a normal hospital. However, since you are volunteering, not doing getting any substantial deliverables (papers, presentations), it probably won’t do much more than show an interest for pre-med.
Are you at Boston Latin? That would change the calculus some for the Boston schools, which I believe try and reserve a certain number of slots. Northeastern is a little more SAT-driven as an alternative, although a 1520 puts you close to the midpoint for accepted students.
I respect your privacy but in the absence of further information admissions people will not have context for your low GPA. Unfortunately my uninformed opinion is that your GPA is low enough that it would hurt your chances at the schools you describe.
Your sports and ECs are very respectable but not distinguishing so you can’t afford not to address the GPA. Consequently you may want to use your essays to provide a narrative that suggests you are resilient and determined.
Again I know you might not want to share the circumstances and that is purely personal. Just trying to provide an alternative. Good luck.