Chance Me: Brown PLME, UCB, UCLA, Stanford, and John's Hopkins?

Background: I’m an Asian female who goes to a large(ish) public high school in suburban California.

GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.4 weighted
AP courses taken (through junior year): Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Biology, Chemistry, English Language/Composition, AP World History, AP US History
AP scores: All 5’s
SAT: 1560 (770 reading/790 math)
ACT: 35 composite
**I only took each of these tests once
SAT Subject: Math: 800 Chem: 790 Bio(E):770
Rank: My school doesn’t do ranks, but I’m in the top 20 of about 530

Onto EC’s…

Community service: about 200-220 hours (I don’t have an exact) including:
-coaching middle school quizbowl, science, and debate clubs
-volunteering at a nursing home
-rasing money (about 3000 dollars) for a nonprofit to help fund education in developing nations (organization omitted for privacy)
-public library event helper
-peer tutor and mentor to elementary and middle schoolers

Non-community service EC’s:
-pianist for 12 years; ABRSM certification levels 1-8 (8 is the highest possible before a diploma)
-speech and debate club president; Parliamentary debater who has earned awards in various competitions both locally and at larger state and interstate tournaments; public speaker with some local awards
-founder of an academic club that prepares students for medical competitions, internships, research, and other healthcare related stuff
-president of the mentor/tutoring club

  • club athlete for a popular sport (no major awards, I’m quitting this year, sport not mentioned for privacy)
    -internship with a professor; I came up with a problem and have worked on an experiment from scratch all summer
    -writer for my school’s paper, usually a science column
    -I’ve shadowed a cardiologist at his private practice and worked in the office and helped with testing (nothing major since I’m not a professional)
    -USABO (USA Biology Olympiad) semifinalist

Hook: I have a chronic health condition that lead to a lot of trips to the hospital basically my whole childhood. Me being the curious and extremely bored person that I was in those hospitals, I was fascinated by the doctors and the stuff they did (I know it’s vague, this is just the overall gist of it). All this “stuff” has inspired me to become a physician (I specifically want to be a surgeon).
-This is it since I’m Asian, want to be pre-med, and come from a fairly wealthy background of graduate school educated family members. I’m not a legacy student.

**Tips on how to strengthen my app would be greatly appreciated since I’m a junior right now (therefore, I’m assuming that I will keep up the trend of all A’s and all 5’s. Not to be arrogant, but just to picture the best case scenario.)

Question: If I’m not likely for Brown PLME, how likely am I for Brown regular admissions?

Possible majors: Biochemistry, molecular biology, possibly applied math

FINAL NOTE: UCB, UCLA, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and Brown are definitely reach schools. I plan on having way more target and safety schools. Having said that, are there any reach-type schools that y’all think I have a decent shot at? I know admissions are honestly kind of a crapshoot, so I’m just lookin’ for an estimate.

Help is greatly appreciated!! Thanks guys!!

You have a strong profile. I am not sure what else you could have done. You will have a good shot at some of your schools, especially given you’re a in-state for UCB and UCLA. Your work at Salk Institute of Sciences will help. Chances of getting into Brown PLME are very low for anyone…they only take total less than 100, with around 20-25 in the ED cycle. This program encourages applications from students of underrepresented minority groups in medicine. With respect to Stanford, it will come down to who else is applying to Stanford from your school. While you have a strong profile, it is lacking any uniqueness/awards. Here is a good news, which you probably already knew…given your interest in medicine, it really doesn’t matter where you go to your undergrad. As long as you have a strong undergrad GPA, MCAT score and clinical/research experience, you will get into a medical school.

Thank you so much for the advice!