Chances at UPitt?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello, I applied about a week ago at Pitt for Neuroscience.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.63 W, 3.31 UW
ACT: 33 Composite
-35 Math
-35 Writing
-32 Reading
-31 Science
SAT II: 750 Bio
AP/Honors: 20 Honors Classes, 7 AP Classes
Senior year schedule:
AP Spanish
Calculus I
Gym
AP Euro
Honors Band
AP English
AP Chemistry
Art Studio II
<em>Edit</em> Ethnicity: Asian</p>

<p>I mainly got As and Bs, except for my math grades which were terror each year. In math freshman year I finished with a D+ and got C+s both sophomore and junior year. My overall GPA did show an upward trend though, with a ~3.5 W freshman year, ~3.6 W sophomore year, and a ~3.7 W junior year.</p>

<p>I think my essay was pretty good, I worked on it a long time with a tutor.</p>

<p>I have one teacher currently in the process of writing me a letter of recommendation, but I don't think it will be complete by the time Pitt receives my application, since I only asked her like a week ago (I know, I should have asked earlier). However, I still haven't sent my HS transcript in so I'm debating whether to hold off sending it before she writes the recommendation, so I can send the recommendation in as well.</p>

<p>Pitt doesn't have an extracurricular supplement or anything, but I requested that my counselor put that I self-studied for the AP Psych test junior year and got a 5 in her letter of recommendation.</p>

<p>I did visit Pitt junior year during spring break, not sure if that counts for anything though.</p>

<p>I think I have a pretty good chance, but I was wondering what you guys think. Pitt is probably my first choice now since I want to major in neuroscience and Pitt probably has the best neuroscience program out of the schools I can get in to. Also, I live in Pennsylvania so the tuition will be much less than someone out-of-state.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Your math grades may be a red flag becausse you’re telling them you want to do neuroscience. You’ll have lots of math to master. You might have a better chance by being undeclared than by choosing any science before you get in.</p>

3

<p>I think the 35 in math would show them that you are pretty good at it</p>

4

<p>I didn’t realize neuroscience was so math oriented, I thought it was more biology and chemistry centered, with a little of psychology overlap. How far in math will I have to go with a neuroscience major? On Pitt’s site, the only math related co-requisites for the major listed are “Basic Physics for Science and Engineering 1 and 2 or 0110 and 0111 Introduction to Physics 1” and “Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1”, which I figured would only take about 2 semesters or so for both requirements. Would I still have to take more math further down the neuroscience track though?</p>

<p>My two most favorite subjects by far are biology and psychology; I really thought I would like neuroscience but is it not what I thought it was?</p>

<p><em>Edit</em> Also, how big is Pitt on teacher recommendations? I can’t decide whether to submit my transcript or wait for her to write the rec.</p>

5

<p>I was actually talking to a Pitt neuroscience major today (I plan to major in neuroscience, I am just not looking at Pitt) specifically about the major. She was saying how it is biology oriented and the only times she dealt with math was when she took calc 1 and introductory physics classes.</p>

<p>You should have a decent shot, your stats are fine, the only red flag I see is that you have Cs and Ds on your transcript.</p>

6

<p>Ok thanks, that makes me feel better. Do you know of any other schools that have strong biological/neuroscience that I could possibly get in to?</p>