<p>Hey everyone
Can you guys rate my chances of getting into TCNJ?I want to get into the regular biology major. Right now I am a junior and have a gpa of 3.8. I am probably in the top 15% of my class. My SAT scores are 1870/2400 and 1260/1600. The problem is my extra curriculars. I am in two clubs right now and dont hold leadership positions in any. I am planning to start volunteering this summer and take up a job as a counselor at a sumer camp. Right now i am not in any honors or AP clases but next year i'll be in honors physics, AP Biology and AP calculus.</p>
<p>so far your gpa seems very good, counting on whether or not it is on a 4.0 unweighted scale and your gpa is unweighted. if your scale is a 4.0 and you have a 3.8 you’ve done a good job. what you really need to do is raise your sats; to a 1300 at least. the bio program is very competitive and the kids that i know that got in had sats even above a 1300. also, and i don’t want to sound harsh, you must get to work on your ec’s and community service. the only problem is that you are rushing it all in at the last minute, which tcnj will take note of. in other words you weren’t consistently involved all four years of high school; just until senior year before college. and you have not taken any honors or ap courses until senior year so it seems like a big last minute thing. honestly, right now i would have to say that you will have a hard time getting in; tcnj is now ranked as a most competitive college. but keep working and good luck!</p>
<p>I applied to the biology department this year.
I had a 1840/2400 and 1250/1600 and was in the top 2% of my class with pretty good ECs, I received a letter from TCNJ saying that the whole school of sciences, which includes, bio, of course has been “inundated with applicants.” In other words, there was no more room for people in that school.
I needed to change my major if I wanted to be accepted.
I also know that ED was up almost 30% at the school this year, which could have been the reason why there was not much room.
So I do think you need to step it up if you would like to be accepted to the biology program. HOWEVER, a friend of mine who has a lower gpa and less ECs and was not in the top 2% was accepted, so there are always exceptions.</p>
<p>Jersey Girl–what do you know about the TCNJ Honors Program–my daughter has already been accepted to TCNJ and receive an application for the Honors program. Also, she is accepted as undecide–how hard is it to switch into the bio program? She has AP Bio now and really love it.</p>
<p>Jersey Girl–what do you know about the TCNJ Honors Program–my daughter has already been accepted to TCNJ and received an application for the Honors program. Also, she is accepted as undecided–how hard is it to switch into the bio program? She has AP Bio now and really loves it.</p>
<p>undecided 2009:
honestly, I am going to be a freshman myself there in august and I got an invite to try out last week for the honors program. But I have learned a lot about the honors program so far from students that I have spoken to online. Basically, all of your liberal arts courses can be honors; however, doing so with a science major can be difficult since most of the courses deal with philosophy, literature and history. One girl that I spoke to that was in the program is a chem major and she has yet to take a single honors course b/c she has so many science requirements to fulfill. That might work out the same for you if your daughter is going to be a bio major. Also, we have the option of taking an honors freshman seminar (FSP), however everyone that I have spoken to does not recommend it. If you do take an honors FSP then you have to be housed in the honors dorms at Cromwell, which I hear are like prison cells lol. I feel that you are much better off with the towers, Travers and Wolfe. Finally, I know that bio is a more difficult major to switch too b/c it is so competitive. However, it will def. be easier if your daughter is an undecided and hasn’t filled any other major requirements yet. And, of course, if she is in good academic standing. Good luck!</p>
<p>I heard that they aren’t putting all the honors students in Cromwell this year–that they were mixing things up more than that and having groups of honors students spread through all the freshman dorms. At least that’s what they said when DS and I visited.</p>
<p>Newjrsy, with stats like that I don’t think you’d make the biology program. It would be best to go in undecided and then become a bio major later, that may be what I am doing.</p>
<p>I was accepted after a second review and I had a 1330 SAT and much better EC’s than you. Join a bunch of things senior year and find something unique! If you stand out you have a much greater chance of catching their eye, especially if you are low in a different area.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>