College Help!!!

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys! I am currently a senior who plans to be a pre med student (majoring in Biomedical but unsure yet) in college and I would like to receive some input to improve my odds into getting in my desired colleges. Below I listed a general idea of my application. Also, any recommendations on other colleges that would be a good fit based on my profile would be very appreciated. Any help is useful! Thanks!

Grade: Senior
Location: Northern Virginia
Current GPA: 4.11 (Most likely around 4.31 by end of 1st semester)
Current SAT Math: 760, English: 710
Subject Tests: None (plan on taking Math 2 Subject Test during October)

Extracurriculars:
-Volunteered at the DC VA Medical Center for the last 3 years in OR, ER, and Pharmacy. I was able to gain insight in the medical field by shadowing doctors and the medical staff and watching surgeries while also providing help in the hospital such as handling prescriptions for patients, inputting patient surgery information, and distributing medical supplies throughout the departments.
-This last summer, I served as a volunteer intern at a Calcium Signaling Lab, observing and also performing my own labs. I performed labs on my own and also with the help of some of the lead researchers in the department. I also quantified my own and others’ data and presented my lab data and progress every week.
-Accumulated over 600 HOURS through this program

-Volunteered at the Walter Reed National Military Center last summer in Occupational Therapy and Surgical Waiting Room. In Occupational Therapy, I helped my supervisor find technology for current and former US military personal who are disabled or impaired from combat to assist them in their current living situation. In Surgical Waiting Room, I comforted the patients families and helped them keep up to date on the current status of their loved one in the OR.
-Volunteered around 90 HOURS from Walter Reed

-Volunteered in the Red Cross for the last 3 years. Served as a Blood Donor Ambassador during this span and helped out in various events to promote general safety from homes to disasters.
-Received around 84 HOURS

-Started volunteering in the Medical Reserve Corps this past year to help improve health and safety of communities and provide emergency support in the case of a disaster

-Founded FBLA in my school and am a member of National Honors Society, Math Honors Society, and Science National Honors Society

APPROX. TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS: 750 hours

Junior Year Course Load:
-AP Language/Comp
-AP Psychology
-AP Calculus
-AP US History
-Physics Honors
-AP Chemistry
-AP Computer Science A
-Study Hall

Current Senior Year Course Load:
-AP Literature
-AP Calculus BC
-AP Biology
-AP Physics
-AP Human Geo
-AP Government
-AP Statistics
-Study Hall

Schools I am interested in:
-VCU
-Virginia Tech
-Penn State (University Park)
-UPitt
-William and Mary
-University of Virginia
-University of Southern California
-University of Florida
-Baylor
-George Washington University
-University of Maryland (College Park)
-Drexel

Also what type of financial aid package would i

2

You are getting quite a few B’s in a very tough load of AP classes. I think that you should either put in even more work and try to pull a few of those B’s up to A’s (which might require backing off from some of your outside-of-class activities), or take fewer AP classes.

Have you run the NPCs on your out of state schools, or are you fine with being full pay without taking on debt?

3

Thx DadTwoGirls for your suggestion. I will do NPCs

4

Have you looked at the requirements and recommendations for admissions that your colleges have? Do they not care about Foreign language?

Your GC should be very well versed on your chances of admissions to the VA state schools based on how students like you have done in prior years from your high school.

I suggest getting your public school apps done ASAP as timing is important. I think you’ll have some early acceptances from rolling admissions schools, covering your safeties. I am assuming money is not an issue.

5

What is your unweighted GPA, core courses only? AP scores?

And when you say ‘biomedical’ major, do you mean biomedical engineering? If so, not all the schools on your list offer that major.

6

I applaud you for not overreaching. This is a solid list of schools for pre-Med and you are a solid applicant. I am not sure what your question is, but get that Pitt application out. They do rolling admissions and it’s a great place for pre-meds. But if you live in VA and can get into UVA, w&m, or VT (in that order), you can’t turn those down.

7

Any Virginia public university. Run the NPC and check with your parents they they’re affordable. Add a Virginia safety.
Don’t expect scholarships from either Pitt or Penn State. Apply to honors college at both as well as at UMD.

Don’t apply for biology (low ROI major, oversupply) apply for biochemistry, bioinformatics, etc.

Guessing you’d be pre-med, so I’d recommend you apply to Dickinson, Skidmore, and a few of the private colleges in VA/NC/PA/MD where you could get financial aid or merit aid.

8

Would you consider combined BSMD program? With your exposure to medical field and hours of volunteering Sienna/Albany Medical College combined might be a good shot at.

9

I see voluneering in the med field, then FBLA thrown in. Honor societies generally aren’t any tip, in themselves. If you have other activities that aren’t only career related, that show ordinary engagement with peers, think about which to include.

If your family is together and not self employed, run the Net Price Calculators (on each school’s website) for an idea of aid.

10

USC is very difficult for an OOS student and very tough on OOS financial aid. Is your GPA weighted or unweighted? Also consider USF, and look at LAC’s. You can check on their pre professional mentoring program and their statistics for admission into medical schools. They tend to offer generous merit awards and many will allow you to stack that with financial aid.

11

@ECmotherx2 not sure where you got this information…the USC this student is referring to is University of Southern California which is a private university that accepts OOS students a lot. There is no quota like there is at some public universities to accept a lot of instate students. None at all.

And OOS financial aid? It’s a private university that guarantees to meet full need for all…no difference between instate and out of state costs or eligibility for aid.

Did you think USC was a CA public university?

12

Thx brown2024 for your suggestion combined BS/MD program at Sienna/Albany Medical College. I will make sure to look into that college and see if the school would be a good fit for me to succeed. Is VCU, GW and Howard have any chances?

13

T hanks Mwfan1921 for your response.
My UW GPA 3.69/4.0 and Weighted 4.11.
How is BioMed Engineering as a carrier if I didn’t get through MD program.
AP Scores:
AP World History: 3 AP Language/Comp: 3 AP Computer Science A: 4
AP Psychology: 4 AP Calculus: 3 AP Chemistry: 2 AP US History: 4

14

Thanks lookingforward and will follow up your advice.

15

Appreciated ECmotherx2 and thumper1 for your input.

I will consider Instate colleges first and I may look UMD for Computer Science. Thx

16

Your AP scores are going to be a problem at the most selective privates.
Have you run the NPC and talked with your parents about costs?
Add Miami Ohio?

17

Thx MYOS1634 and appreciate your feedback and will accept your comment in regards my AP scores. Can you write what majors at Miami and Ohio?. Appreciate your valuable time.

18

They’re not bad but some of the universities on your list (UVA, USC, GWU) want 4-5…
Most will be fine with 3s.
VCU and Howard are safeties - see if they have BS/MD programs (those are always reaches).
Perhaps replace GWU with American, unless you live in DC proper and can benefit from the agreement GWU has with DC schools. American has the Douglass Scholars program, look into it.
As said previously, Iook into Dickinson and Skidmore.
Have you run NPCs?
What’s your EFC? Can your family afford it (most can’t)?

19

I think you need to find out what your family can pay annually.

In addition, keep in mind that the acceptance rates for BS/MD programs are very low…and those programs are as competitive or more competitive for acceptance than most T20 elite schools.

If you are anticipating applying to and attending medical school, you want to keep your undergrad loans to a bare minimum…like $0 if possible.

Does your family have financial need?

20

@MYOS1634 I am in good run for all my state schools except for UVA, which is a bit of reach. I plan on applying regular decision however, for UVA, as the UVA admissions officer who came to my school told us that UVA recalculates our GPA after 1st Semester and treats applicants the same, regardless of EA or RD. By then I should have a 4.31, putting me in a better position to get in.

Do you have any recommendations on any other colleges I should look into with EAP programs and DO programs?

Thank you so much for spending time on the replies!!!