<p>Hi everyone, I'm about halfway through high school and seeking advice on what to do to get into these top schools (guidance counselor was NO help)...
so far (after 7 marking periods total...):
96.85 UW GPA, 98.3 W GPA
school does not rank
PSAT: 191 (soph)
courses and grades for sophomore year:
Geometry- A+
Living Environment- A+
Spanish 3H- A+
AP world- B+
English 2H- A
Junior year (sacrificing my lunch!!):
Algebra II/trig H
Chem H
Spanish 4H
AP USH
AP lang
AP biology
Sports: Varsity XC, Varsity Swim, JV baseball
Awards: National Spanish Exam Gold medal x2, All-County Band
-started a scrabble club
-part of Latin Club, Jazz Band
Anyway, I want to become a doctor...so what do you guys think of these schools?
Duke (favorite)
Brown
Yale
Penn
Bucknell
Northeastern
USC</p>
<p>On a side note, I will be starting a research project this summer with a mentor</p>
<p>It looks like you have a great start and some good ECs started and planned. Your PSAT is good, but you will want to try for a minimum 2100+ SAT to be in good shape for most of the schools on your list, so you might want to sign up for a prep class or get prep books. </p>
<p>Another reason to prep: Find out what the PSAT cut-off for your state was for National Merit, and see if you can boost the PSAT by next October to that level - There are many schools that offer scholarships for NMF> For example, USC offers an automatic 1/2 tuition for NMF. New York is generally pretty high - you’ll probably need around a 220.</p>
<p>Get the book “Paying for College Without Going Broke” by Kalman Chaney (about $12 on Amazon - it will be the best $12 you ever spend). Read through the book with your parents to get an idea about how much you can expect (if any) in financial aid and look for other strategies to pay for college. Applying strategically to schools that will pay your way is an excellent idea. Since you want to go to medical school - and that will be VERY expensive - consider looking for lower-ranked schools that may offer you significant merit aid so you can save your $ for medical school, and be sure to include your in-state public flagship. Having options to choose from at decision time will be very important.</p>
<p>If you keep going the way you have been, you should be a viable candidate for the schools you list.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>