Hey folks,
I will be a junior in high school this fall, and I am looking for some advice when looking at colleges I’ll apply to next year. I’m from Wisconsin, but I am hoping to go out of state. I’m looking for a 4 year liberal arts college/ state university with a good biology program, possibly pre-med. I would prefer a college that is not big on greek life, but has an outdoorsy, welcoming, and quirky atmosphere. Colleges with good financial aid are wonderful as well.
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, doubling up on science and language, will probably have 6 APs by the end of high school
ACT: not yet taken, hoping to do well
Activities: Model UN, environmental activism (organizing and leading events), activism for other causes, volunteering, study abroad,
Interests: Biology, Medicine, Spanish, Foreign Languages, Environmental Science
Colleges I like: Pomona! (despite the low acceptance rate), William and Mary, Scripps, Tufts, Pitzer, Macalester, Amherst, UC Boulder
I was wondering what my chances are of getting into these colleges, or what are some other colleges that would suit me. I’ve also been looking into safety schools, so let me know any recommendations. Thanks!
Hey! You seem to be academically pretty solid- but I would try to push those extracurriculars. Think outside the box! There’s a lot of things you can do as a high school student that you aren’t aware of.
As for safeties- look at your state schools. In-state is often cheaper and has higher acceptance rates.
Check back in after you have ACT or SAT scores, and think about taking SAT subject tests as well (not all schools require them - see if any on your list do). In the meantime, for a few more to look at, check out Lewis and Clark (Portland, Oregon), Willamette (Salem, Oregon) (both of those you are very likely to get into with merit aid); Reed (Portland, OR) (more selective, very quirky); Vassar in Poughkeepsie, NY, and University of Rochester.
St. Olaf would be more of a match school for you and seems to fit the vibe you are looking for.
I know that this is not quite answering your question. However, several years ago I got to visit the University of Wisconsin a few times, due to my working on a project that was being done cooperatively between my company and a team at U.Wisconsin. I was very impressed by the quality of the students and professors there. I have kept in touch with a few of the people from there.
You should verify what your budget is. However, I would definitely keep your in-state flagship in mind.
A year from now you will have another year of high school grades, and are likely to have at least “first attempt” SAT scores. These will help us to suggest some schools. It would also be helpful if you do some school visits.
Consider the University of Minnesota, since as a WI resident you should be able to pay in-state tuition. The College of Biological Sciences there is great, and fairly selective (average ACT is around 31).
Definitely check your parents’ budget and run the net price calculator (or at least consult a chart for average aid for your parents’ income range at this early stage) if your parents haven’t assured you they can pay the highest possible amount, as much as $300k over 4 years.
That plus scores will help determine the list 