College List advice: CA resident pre-med [3.92 GPA, 3.97/4.22/4.66 UC GPA, ELC, 35 ACT, 1520 SAT]

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Demographics

  • US domestic: US citizen
  • State/Location of residency: CA
  • Type of high school (current college for transfers): CA public
  • Gender/Race/Ethnicity (optional): Male Asian
  • Other special factors (first generation to college, legacy, athlete, etc.):

Intended Major(s) Biology, pre-med

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.97 UC 10-11
  • Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): 4.66 UC 10-11, 4.22 UC capped
  • Class Rank: Top 9.5%? ELC program
  • ACT/SAT Scores: ACT 35, SAT 1520

Coursework

AP Calculus AB/BC: 5
AP World history: 4
AP Chemistry: 5
AP Physics 1: 5
AP Physics 2: 5
AP Biology: 5
AP Statistics: 5
AP Phycology: 5
AP Computer Science Principles: 4

Awards
local Science and Engineering Fair 1st place

Extracurriculars
Science and Engineering Fair Student Leadership board
President of Research club
local youth symphony leadership
paid summer internship in biopharma companies for 3 consecutive summers

Cost Constraints / Budget: no constraints

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What are you asking ? You listed no schools or no desires for what you’re looking for …

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Let’s assume that you get to medical school (your excellent results this far are a good start). This is 8 years of university where the last 4 are going to be expensive.

Right now you could spend $85,000 per year to attend university. Given the gradual increase in prices over time, this could be close to $100,000 by the time that you get your bachelor’s degree. Medical school could easily cost more. You might be getting to a total cost of around about $800,000 or even a bit more by the time that you are called “Dr ijcv”. Can you and your parents pay this with no debt at all? If some debt would be needed to fund this, then how much?

There are many, many universities that are very good for premed. If you look at students in good MD programs, in general they will have gotten their bachelor’s at a wide range of universities. What do you want in a university? Have you visited some universities to get some sense where you might be comfortable?

Are you about to start your senior year of high school?

You have very good public universities in California which can prepare you very well for medical school. Actually, you have some pretty good private universities also (I got my master’s at one of them, but in a subfield of mathematics).

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Thanks so much for the inputs.
My parents and I prefer UC for sure. But UC admissions are more and more unpredictable.

How does this list look like? Any suggestions?
Reach: Northwestern, Duke, WashU, UCB, UCLA
Target: Case Western, USC, UCSD, UCI, UCSB, U of Wisconsin Madison
Safety: UC Riverside, UC Davis, SDSU

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How does this list look like? Any suggestions?
Reach: Northwestern, Duke, WashU, UCB, UCLA
Target: Case Western, USC, UCSD, UCI, UCSB, U of Wisconsin Madison
Safety: UC Riverside, UC Davis, SDSU

Many thanks!

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So again - you’re not sharing what kind of school you’d like - weather, size, greek, sports, etc.

First off, you’re choosing a track - pre med - that can be done anywhere. Your GPA, MCAT and other things like shadowing will matter. Second, if you’re like most kids and change tracks, you’re in one of the most under employed majors. Some will be gainfully employed but under employed means - not using your degree and potentially saying - would you like one or two sugars. Kidding - sort of.

I bring this up because @DadTwoGirls makes a valid point. Northwestern is $91,290 (now) - more when you go. Duke $90K. So you’re looking at $375-400K for undergraduate, only to go to medical school so $800K. Going to these schools doesn’t necessarily give you an advantage. You have to deliver in the pre-reqs and MCAT. btw - you needn’t major in bio so major in what you truly want. If it’s bio great - but if it’s English, etc. then don’t.

Unless your name is Bezos or Buffett, I imagine it would be hard on your family to spend that much - and hard on you. Many doctors rue the many years of debt they have.

So you ask for suggestions ?

Please provide your GPA including 9th grade and I’ll give you some plus respond to your list. You only included 10/11. It would also help to know what you like as you have midsize and large. Forgetting names and rank, you must have a dream spec of school.

Thanks

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I think your list is well balanced. @Gumbymom can post the acceptance rates of the CA Publics. As long as you are happy with your sure thing schools, go for it.

You are very fortunate that your parents are able and willing to pay for your undergrad education. That is a wonderful gift that we also gave our kids without limit. Doing so is a family decision which some families do agree to make. And some just don’t even if they can.

Do you want additional college suggestions? And do you want options that cost less? If so, please respond do. If not, again, I say, your list is very well balanced. Good luck!!

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I also find your list to be well balanced.

I will speak about biology.

You do not have to major in biology for premed, but if this is where your interests lie there is nothing wrong with it.

Biology majors can get jobs in the field. These entry level jobs can pay a decent salary for young adults in their early 20’s, living with roommates. Most plan to return to school in order to further their career (not uncommon to work first).

Your list is well balanced as long as your parents are willing/able to pay. If you save money on undergrad you will have more for med school (or any graduate degree) which means less loans.

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Nevermind

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Congratulations on being a competitive applicant along with all your accomplishments.

Here is some Biology admit rates if available for the UC’s and SDSU. What the data does not show is how competitive the applicant pool was for these schools and specific majors and I am waiting for the new 2023 admit data for an update.

Campus Biology
UC Berkeley 12.9% for College of L&S
UC Davis 45% for College of Biological Sciences
UC Irvine 23.7%
UCLA 10% for College of L&S
UC Merced 93%
UC Riverside 66%
UC San Diego No data but <20% Capped major
UC Santa Barbara 27% for College of L&S
UC Santa Cruz 52%
San Diego State 33%

I would put UC Davis into the Match/Target category since their College of Biological sciences is impacted and competitive. UCI, UCSD and UCSB would be in the High Target/Low Reach category.

SDSU would be a Likely but unless you are local I would not call it a solid Safety. Several postings this year where students were admitted to a few UC’s but not admitted to SDSU.

UCM would be a Safety with ELC although UCR did get some ELC referrals this year but not in the competitive/popular majors. UCR would fit the Safety category for you. ELC is either top 9% from your HS or top 9% statewide. Either ELC would be listed after you fill out and submit your UC application.

Best of luck and I am sure you will several wonderful acceptances from which to chose.

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I go back to asking the UW GPA for total as the OP has listed non CA publics as well.

I’ll also note and OP can answer and we’ve read it a million times - many kids list UCR but then say - but i have no intention or desire of going there.

OP - hope you can give us a complete picture of grades and what you desire in a school, especially because you asked for suggestions.

Thanks

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And that’s the thing - UC Riverside, in my opinion, is probably the only real safety on the list, so it is critical that you would be happy to go there if that ends up being your only option (I am NOT saying that will be your only option, but crazy things sometimes happen in admissions, especially with the UCs, so liking your safety - just in case - is absolutely critical). Would you be happy to attend UC Riverside if that’s what you get? If so, then great - you are all set. If not, you need to keep looking.

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@thumper1 Thanks so much for the inputs. You are right. I probably need consider about medical school cost. Most likely my parents are not able to pay for it. Could you please suggest some additional colleges, cost less, but comparable to my match? Thank you!

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@worriedmomucb Besides UCR, any other safeties do you suggest?

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Among the UCs, only Riverside and Merced would be safeties. Have you looked at any CSUs beyond SDSU? You’d probably find a few solid safety/matches there (and low cost). Beyond that, there is a very, very wide world of colleges and universities out there - if you give some more info on what you’re looking for (size, location, culture, etc), people will be able to give you some suggestions.

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What is your local CSU, and would you be willing to attend if admitted? Look it up on this list.

I would suggest adding Cal Poly SLO to your list. UCs are unpredictable because they are holistic. They consider 13 factors, including what you convey in your Personal Insight Questions and your 20 Activities and Awards. CSUs are more stat based. Note that SLO calculates a GPA using grades 9-11.

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In that case, this statement isn’t true:

Please check with your parents and let us know your budget, factoring in the cost of med school. Then posters here can more accurately guide you. Thanks.

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OK - you haven’t shared your 9-11 GPA but have acknowledged med school won’t be affordable. So I’ll assume you had a 3.97 including 9-11.

So if it were me, I’d lose Northwestern - because they don’t provide merit opportunities and you’re a full pay family.

Duke does - but limited. Vandy has them, as does WUSTL (on your list) and Emory. U Miami, Rochester, Case Western, Tulane, BU, NEU and more do as well amongst solid, top privates. But it’s likely school would still cost you a boat load. But they all offer merit - so reaches but worth a hail mary.

I would say CWRU is a reach - unless you demonstrate large amounts of interest. They are a DI school - so if you haven’t visited, get on their on line sessions or better yet ED (which brings financial risk). Madison is likely a target but it’s not cheap - and why Madison when there’s a boat load of less expensive flagships?

SDSU is the one that scares me as it was noted - there was a recent student in at UCB and not at SDSU. Stats wise it seems a safety - but it’s all over.

If you have a 3.97 from 9th grade, I’d start by - looking at cost - University of Arizona. You’d get $30K off a $40K tuition so all in about $25-27K. I don’t see it as any different than your UCs or Wisconsin. It’s a big flagship that will reward you and it has an Honors College dorm that is nicer than my house - really really nice - with an adjacent gym and counseling center.

Another would be U of Alabama. More than 1,000 Californians are enrolled there and why not. You’d get $28K off $33K tuition - so all in low 20s. The Honors Dorm gets you your own room with a bathroom shared with one kid. And for pre-med, you have the McCollough Medical Scholars - linked below.

Other schools - from a price POV where you can do well - to save for medical school - look at the WUE schools (linked below). It doesn’t look like too many come up (I chose Biology and BIological Sciences - and there’s Colorado State but you might see better majors).

Schools like Miami of Ohio, Mississippi State (low 20s or even lower), Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida State, Florida, Iowa State, SUNY schools and more are some of the bigger flagships that would be much lower in cost than Wisconsin or your privates. All of these will be under $50K and most if not all under $40K and some even under $30K - saving you money for grad school.

For other privates, U of Denver would give you a nice chunk of change as would other mid size school. And if you were interested in a Liberal Arts school, there are many that would throw money your way but since you don’t have any on your list, I won’t go there. SMU - not cheap - but has the Presidential Scholarship (full ride) and while it’s an LAC, if you have room left on Common App, it never hurts to throw in an app at Washington & Lee for the Johnson Scholarship. Hendrix is likely to offer you a flagship match (UC tuition) - it’s an LAC in Arkansas. Get on the email lists and you’ll get app waivers - and make sure you start demonstrating interest now - if interested.

Good luck

McCollough Scholars – Pre-Medical Studies at the University of Alabama (ua.edu)

WUE Savings Finder - WICHE

President’s Scholars Program - SMU (Southern Methodist University)

The Johnson Scholarship | Washington and Lee (wlu.edu)

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I do not know if these are really safeties or not. UC Riverside does have quite a good medical school. UC Davis of course has the #1 top ranked DVM program in the world, and the required undergraduate premed classes will be the same classes as the undergraduate pre-vet classes. I think that either would be very good for premed if you can get accepted.

So you really do have significant cost constraints.

I think that some of the UC’s and CSUs are worth applying to. Arizona State might be worth considering.

There are many, many universities that are very good for premed.

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If you’re interested in reducing the costs of your undergrad, and looking at your list, I’d think about adding:

  • Loyola Chicago, NC State, St. Louis U
  • Marquette

Within WUE, some of the schools you may want to consider include Colorado State, Washington State, U. of Utah, and U. of New Mexico.

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