Chance me for Biochemistry at UT Austin

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
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<p>Ethnicity- white
Live in Austin, TX</p>

<p>I want to major in biology/biochemistry/chemistry and then hopefully go onto med school</p>

<p>GPA(weighted)- 97.66/120
(pre-ap classes have 1.1 multiplier, ap classes have 1.2 multiplier)</p>

<p>Rank- school doesn't rank beyond top 10%, which I am not in</p>

<p>SAT I- 720 CR, 670 M</p>

<p>ACT- 33 Math, 31 English and writing combined</p>

<p>here are the academic achievement calculations that UT uses if they help - </p>

<p>The Natural Science Group – ACT Model</p>

<p>-1.179 + (ACT EngComp * .052) + (ACT M * .051) + (HSR * .017)</p>

<p>SAT Model </p>

<p>-1.617+(SATMath<em>.003)+(HSR</em>.020)+(SATCR*.001)+(SATW *.001)</p>

<p>EC -
Latin Club - Summa Cum Laude on National Latin Exam
Mu Alpha Theta member (honorary math organization)
Head busboy at a restaurant for 3 years
Ran a lawn mowing company for a summer
1 year JV wrestling/2 years Varsity wrestling (Co-captain junior year)
700 hours volunteering at a hospital
Fed the homeless on a few occasions in an underprivileged area
Commended on PSAT (212)
AP Scholar
Presidential service award
Varsity letter winner (wrestling)</p>

<p>Senior year schedule is-
Bio AP
Chem AP
Calc AB AP
English Lit AP
Statistics AP
Government AP (sem 2)
Macroeconomics AP (sem 1)</p>

<p>I will have taken 12 APs by the time I graduate.</p>

<p>I know that since I'm out of the top 8 or 9% automatic admissions rule, I will be evaluated with the personal achievement and academic achievement calculations. This seems good for me because I have basically everything they are looking for. Leadership, good essays, ECs, awards/honors, work experience, and community service. As well as above average test scores and above average curriculum. </p>

<p>I know CNS can be a bit tough to get into compared to some other schools at UT, but I do go to a very competitive nationally ranked (top 75) high school.</p>

<p>I know my downfall will be my GPA, but do you think I have at least a 60% shot?</p>

2

<p>A 60% shot? Sure. I’d actually put you up to at least 75% though. The new holistic application review policy is targeting students exactly like you, ones with a deceivingly low class rank but highly qualified nonetheless. A 33 ACT is great. It’s far above the CNS mean and will stand out. 700 volunteering hours is stellar as well and shows a strong commitment to service. 12 AP’s is a healthy amount and shows that you’re capable of undertaking a heavier course load (college will be much harder but this shows motivation). I could go on but I would say that you have a pretty sound application. </p>

<p>Not being in the top 9% puts you in a higher risk group but I’d still say you have a great chance. Biology and the rest of the CNS have a lot of room and should definitely be able to squeeze you in with the last 25% of their acceptances. If it’s not too late, I’d also consider applying for a couple honors programs. </p>

<p>What other schools are you applying to?</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the quick reply! </p>

<p>Wow, 75%? I thought I was basically screwed because I am way out of the top 10%… Also, I don’t have a 33 composite ACT, just a 33 math, then a 31 english/writing- just in case you misread. </p>

<p>And I was actually planning on only applying to UT Austin. I know I can get a lot of merit aid at other schools, but right now UT seems like the highest ranked college that I can get into-plus it’s in-state tuition. And if I don’t get in, I can always go to UT Dallas for a year and then transfer into UT.</p>

<p>If I were to consider another college, it would have to- </p>

<ul>
<li>have a good bio/chemistry department with a high acceptance rate into med school</li>
<li>good enough course rigor to prepare me for the MCAT </li>
<li>reasonable to attain a 3.7+ GPA without being a genius.</li>
<li>Not cost a ridiculous amount </li>
</ul>

<p>Also, on the ApplyTexas application, does it help to have a lot of college credit? I have already passed 3 AP exams, and could pass another 5 or 6 this year, but I was planning on retaking all of the classes I have credit for . (mainly for a gpa booster, and because the med school pre-reqs probably cover more information in college that I may have missed.)</p>

4

<p>Haha whoops, what did you end up getting on the ACT then? A lot of my enthusiasm came from the 33 composite… my bad. AP credit is not weighed very heavily, if at all, in the application process unfortunately. One would think they should but for some reason they aren’t often considered. Trust me, I really wish they were (I had 12 5’s and a 4, darn you Art History!!!).</p>

<p>You seem to have a pretty good idea of what it takes to get in to med school and your considerations are spot on. UT really is a great stepping stone to med school because it offers the right combination of rigor versus ease at a great price (huge deal for someone with 4 more years of tuition ahead of them). Judging from your stats, a 3.7+ GPA at UT should be well within reach for you and if you maintain your level involvement in EC’s then you should be right on track for acceptance to Texas med schools.</p>

<p>Because you’re outside of the top 9%, things can get a little crazy so I would recommend applying to A&M just as a backup. The application is very similar and it’ll be a lifesaver if anything goes wrong. You should get CAP’ed at the very least but I don’t think another $60 is too much to ask for considering the risk involved. Especially considering how late the acceptances will roll out this year, it’ll be nice having just 1 acceptance to lean on while you wait in seemingly everlasting limbo for UT’s answer (think March or April).</p>

5

<p>Thanks for all the help frever. I , as well as a lot of other people really appreciate you in the UTA forum! trust me! I know what you mean about non 9% admissions getting crazy, it really just depends on the entire application pool. I think I’ve set myself up for a decent shot, but I just hope that I don’t have to spend a year at UT Dallas CAP. I WAS going to apply to A&M, but honestly I would rather spend my first year at UT Dallas if it comes to that. I am also guaranteed a CAP offer at UTD due to my test scores. My only worry after that point would be a medical school looking down at my first year spent at a “junior college”. I just REALLY don’t want to go to A&M.</p>

<p>Plus, if I do get into UT Austin, I can continue volunteering at the local hospital during the summer so that by the time I apply to medical school I’ll have over 1500 hours at the same hospital (where I shadow a doctor from a UT medical school). –
(which would look great, I would assume).</p>

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<p>[Prospective</a> Medical Students](<a href=“http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept20676/files/397484.html#profile]Prospective”>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept20676/files/397484.html#profile)</p>

<p>Scroll down a little to the long list of universities. UTSW is a phenomenal medical school yet look at where their entering class graduated from. Both UTD, UTA and UT Austin (not to be confused with UT Arlington) are some of Southwestern’s prime sources for students. It goes to show that no matter where you attend undergrad, as long as you get the right numbers and show enough commitment, you can go to a great medical school.</p>

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<p>I think you’ll get into CNS.</p>

8

<p>What is HSR?</p>

9

<p>

High School Rank</p>