Hi guys,
I am currently a junior at a large, rural public high school in Minnesota, and am beginning my college application process in ernest. I’d appreciate some feedback about my chances, or maybe some info on how people with similar credentials have fared in recent admissions processes. If you believe I should be aiming lower or higher based on my stats, please let me know.
Ethnicity & Gender: Caucasian/Female
Intended Major: Biology and Society, Human Biology, Health and Society, Biopsychology, Neuroscience, Regenerative and Reproductive Biology, Molecular Bio and Genetics (Varies by school, but all bio-ish majors with a pre-med track)
-ACT Score: 34 (single-sitting)
-Weighted GPA: 4.4, 3.99 unweighted (one A- in Precalc A sophomore year) on a 4.0 scale
Intended College: CALS, College of Arts and Sciences
AP/CIS Classes Taken or Signed up for: AP Chemistry, AP Calc AB and BC, AP Biology, AP Physics w/ Calc, AP Psych, CIS Public Speaking, CIS Critical Writing.
Extracurriculars:
-Peer Leaders
-WEB Leaders
-LINK Leaders
-SADD
-JV/Varsity Tennis (5 years)
-Volunteering in hospital birth place: 250+ hours
-Concert Piano (12 years)
-Apprentice chocolatier with a fine chocolate company (4 years)
-Certified EMR
-AP Bio and Chemistry TA
-National Merit Commended Student/Semi-finalist (waiting to hear for sure)
-I’ll have really good references from my AP Chem, Calc and Bio teachers and the head of my EMR class. One of the big administrators at the hospital where I volunteer will also write me one. My boss at the chocolate shop is a former Cornell grad and TA, and she knows me very well.
Applying to:
Cornell or Tufts ED
U Michigan Ann Arbour
Boston U
U W Madison
Brandeis
Harvard (they have to take somebody, right?)
UC Boulder
I’d really appreciate feedback on my chances at these schools and maybe other similar ones. I’d also love other ideas for safety schools, since I want to make sure I can go to college!
Thank you so much!
You have some reaches, some matches, and IMHO at least one highly probable safety (UC Boulder). This is a very good start. You also have excellent stats.
Have you considered the cost of these schools? Have you run the NPC and discussed the result with your parents and figured out whether you are likely to be able to afford them?
I am thinking that you might want to add your in-state flagship since with your stats it should be a rock-solid safety and it should also be affordable. Since you are on a premed track you need to budget for 8 years, so that the first four need to be affordable preferably with no or very little debt. Also, a very high GPA at an in-state flagship is usually a very good start in the direction of medical school.
I think will be in the application pool for any college based on this information but many of the competitive schools you are looking at are lottery schools so you cant guarantee admission but I definitely don’t think Cornell and Tufts is too big of a stretch. I think you have a good chance at the other (non ivy) schools.
If you are looking at Ivy leagues you need SAT subject test scores. Have you taken any?
@DadTwoGirls Thank you for answering! My family has looked into the finances of all of these schools for undergrad, and we should be able to make it work for all of the ones on my list, except possible U Michigan Ann Arbour, because their financial aid is not very accommodating.
Your list is very balanced. Harvard though is a reach for everyone and you will need to take SAT or ACT exams. Maybe chance me back? http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/2005601-how-can-i-have-an-actual-chance-please-enter.html#latest
Hi @ivystateofmind! I took the ACT (34), but I don’t need SAT Subject tests for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell, which is the only Ivy I’m seriously considering. Harvard’s website says that I don’t need to submit the subject test as long as I’ve taken the ACT/SAT reasoning test.
Oh im sorry i skipped that line by mistake!
@iluv2swim The only Ivy I’m seriously considering is Cornell, and their school of Agriculture and Life Sciences doesn’t’
require SAT subject tests, and Harvard says they’re optional. Thanks for answering!