<p>Applying to a variety of schools and just wanted to see if they were matches or at least reasonable reaches.</p>
<p>GPA/Rank/Classes:</p>
<p>Weighted: 4.5/5 (Mostly A-, A's, and B+)
Rank: 16/300
AP Classes Last year: Statistics, Lang. Comp, and US history
AP This Year : Calc BC, Chem, Physics B, French, and Lit.</p>
<p>Scores:</p>
<p>SAT 2190 (M:710 R: 730 W:750)
Subject Tests: Chem: 670 MII: 790
ACT 33 Superscored:34 (M:35 S:33 R:34 E:35)</p>
<p>E.C's (Top 5)</p>
<p>Volunteer with religious community+ youth leader
French Club (Captain of Quiz bowl team, 2nd regional competition)
Math Team (Varsity 2yrs 2nd Place Regional Competition)
Model UN (Head of Environmental Committee for school)
Environmental Club (New club at school/founding member, help organize plan activities)</p>
<p>Summer Activities:
Research at Medical Clinic
Volunteer at nonprofit education organization for one week
Travel
Fundraising for nonprofit organization</p>
<p>Interested Major: Biomedical Engineering</p>
<p>Thank you for your input!</p>
<p>Cornell: low reach
BU: low match/safety
Cmu: high match/low reach
Columbia: reach
MIT: high reach</p>
<p>For Bu I am applying for the honors program. How selective is that?</p>
<p>The 710 in math kind of puts you out of range for a lot of these engineering schools I’m sorry to say. You’re below the bottom 25% in math at Cornell, CMU, Columbia, and MIT (not sure about BU honors). The chem score is also low, but the math II score helps out with the low SATI math score. You’re a reach at cornell, CMU, columbia, and MIT, while you’re in at BU (though I’m not sure about their honors program)</p>
<p>Yeah I was concerned about the math score and was wondering if my act math (35) would compensate for that if I sent it. I was also concerned with my class rank/gpa but have an upward trend and wondering if that helps. I also haven’t one any major awards but wondering if context (rural ct school) matters.</p>
<p>Yes! That ACT math score would definitely help. And yes, the upward trend helps. Still a low reach at CMU and Cornell and a pretty high reach at Columbia/MIT IMO but much better chances!</p>
<p>In my applications I tried to emphasize a sincerity with BME to help change the world but I feel in the whole college application process this becomes stale. I know that my stats are average for some of these schools (low for others) but what do the colleges exactly look for, numbers aside.</p>
<p>Also for the chem score i took the test because of honors chem, realizing afterwards it was more oriented towards ap chem.</p>
<p>I can’t speak much for the others but CMU (Carnegie Mellon I assume) and Cornell are ones that I applied to and have not heard back from yet. I was accepted to Princeton through Early Action. I had a 2200 SAT and a 760 Math + 720 Mol Bio. Top of my class, perfect A+'s. To be honest, Princeton is different. There are people with 2400’s that get rejected, so SAT isn’t everything, nor subject test. Your ACT’s are probably your best strength along with the 790. Check the forums. Engineering schools, however, are almost straight academically-oriented. Your rank and GPA are great, but keep in mind that if any of the kids above you apply to your schools, your chances just got severely diminished. I think both are reachable, but every application into the Ivy-Leagues (or something like that) is a long shot. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you for input and congratulations on Princeton/good luck for CMU and Cornell! I don’t think that people from my school are applying to CMU or Columbia, however I do know others for BU, MIT and Cornell. I know its a long shot but you never really know unless you give it a shot :)</p>
<p>Good for you! You’ll kick your butt if you don’t apply and are hesitant. My mom went to CMU and said it changed so much. Anyway, during any of your interviews, be passionate! They don’t want another super smart boring kid. They want passionate leaders to change the world. They know when you really mean that you want to change the world. They build leaders and will push you to insanity. They hire 2400 SAT boring people to work for them when done though. It’s hard-earned prestige, and they don’t want it to be wasted on a guy planning to spend his life sitting in a cubicle. I don’t personally know you, but I think if you’re this dedicated to talking about it (plus your stats say you have leadership) your only real challenge lies in convincing them of your passion and resolve for biochemical engineering. Try to even give a real example or idea you might have. As long as it is based in science and isn’t glaringly impossible (don’t say you want to create energy as 1st law of thermodynamics will automatically hurt you, but rather say you wish to research and develop a bio-organic energy transformer that can convert stored chemical potential energy into electrical energy through the buildup of an electrochemical gradient). I think you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Thank you for the great advice! I will bring out my personality if given interviews and I will also try to show my interest in the field. I had some thoughts on gene treatment and drug delivery and will try to bring out my interest in those as well. My passion is to do something special and if the colleges admit me, I will do my best to reach these goals. (Just have to get past the statistics barrier)</p>