Chances for George Washington University?

Colleges and Universities A-Z George Washington University
1

I am currently a junior.

Stats: 3.75 GPA (I know that some schools calculate your GPA from just your sophomore year and junior year, not sure if these schools do that. If so, my cumulative GPA from those 2 years would be about a 4.2)
1300 SAT (I realize it’s low, I am taking it again and will likely raise it substantially)
Male, Caucasian- out of state
I’ve taken AP US History (and did well)
Honors Inorganic Chemistry (and did well)
And by next year will have taken AP Bio, Organic Chemsitry (which is a second year college class), and CP English.
Also, Spanish 4 which in the future will be an AP class.
My school doesn’t offer any IB or HL classes, also few AP’s

My passion is medicine.
I wrote my first proper, independent research paper my sophomore year of high school with the advisory of a Ph.D of neuroscience (Entitled: Alzheimer’s Disease: The Theory of Causation). This paper has been published in a magazine and was inspired by witnessing the progression of my grandfather’s Alzheimer’s Disease. I am currently working on my second (Chronic Irregular Respiration and The Allostatic Load), which will be finished and published by the time I am applying next year.

Also, I have a medical TV spot on a local TV show that I host (broadcasted to around 100,000 people).

In addition, I shadowed a doctor at my local hospital for a week and had the opportunity of witnessing, and to a limited degree, assisting in an actual autopsy.

I also have a website that I started which is dedicated to bringing new and “divergent” perspectives to various medical related topics (currently has 3 authors, me included).

I also co-founded a public speaking organization with the Ph.D I mentioned above, where I gave numerous speeches.

Finally, I have my student pilot’s license and will (eventually) obtain my private pilot’s license.

Other facts:
I will have recommendations from a professor of neuroscience and from a Harvard trained cardiologist (both of which have mentored me in medicincal concepts for a year+)
I am NHS president of my chapter and played varsity tennis for 3 years.

Is it a match, safety, or reach?

Thanks,

2

It’s a reach right now, unless you can raise your test scores by about 80-100 points. I would recommend trying the ACT. Many people just can’t crack the SAT, especially since test prep people have no idea what to do with the new one. Why did you get a Pilots License knowing your passion was medicine? Also, why did you put time and effort into a research paper with only an SAT of 1300? Your time, it seems, would have been much better spent on test prep than glamorous ECs.

3

@Studious99
Thanks for the reply.
I am not sure if you are aware or not, but George Washington University has a test optional policy for the majority of applicants (a category which I would fall under). So if I were not able to raise my SAT (but I definitely will be able to) I could still apply without that being considered.
More so, I got my pilots license because I enjoy soaring 5,000 feet above the ground, taking part in the stupendous feat of flight (something few will ever experience from the perspective of the pilot).
And I put “time and effort” into a medical research paper because it is my passion; I didn’t write it simply for the purpose of “glamorous ECs”. I assure you, it is much more enriching in terms of knowledge to write a legitimate research paper on a pressing topic than it is to spend hours in an SAT prep book. Furthermore, while I don’t deny the necessity of studying for the SAT, I believe it is also important to realize how ridiculous, inaccurate, and corrupt the test is.

4

Remember that you will have to take the MCAT if you do decide to go through the grueling process of medical school admissions, so time you spend cultivating your standardized testing prowess in high school will benefit you down the road, should you choose to pursue that path.

5

My D got into GW without fantastic test scores, but with passionate EC’s. If you can convey your passion in your essays i dont see why you could not get it.

6

Quite simply, I think you’re a match. I think your determination and passion will come through in your application and test scores won’t be as relevant. I’d still try to get them higher, though. As @Studious99 said, it’ll be great practice for the MCAT, which is NOT “ridiculous” or “corrupt.”

7

If you want to go into medicine you need good test taking skills. Also many scholarships look at standardized test scores and gpa. For admission into med school good gpa and MCAT scores are needed for the screening of applicants.
Utilize the ACT and SAT as a good practice in building that skill. Once you get into med school you will be taking more standardized tests and you don’t want to do poorly on those.