Hello,
would really appreciate some help in creating a list of colleges best suitable for me. just finished jr year in high school, so will be a senior in the fall. Here are my credentials:
GPA unweighted: 3.89
GPA weighted: 4.04
of weighted: 3 (can only take weighted classes in jr year at my school. though i plan to take 2-3 this coming school yr)
asian ethnicity
SAT score: 1400 (screwed up first time but plan to retake in fall and also planning on taking act)
SAT bio: 730
sat math: 790
sat chem: 710
I’ve done a lot of EC’s in hs though:
-eagle scout
-pres of 3 clubs
-interned at San jose state university this summer
-taught music to several unprivileged students
-overseas trip where i donated diabetes supplies to india
-deca international qualifier for 2 yrs
other things too but id say these are the main ones.
really interested in some applied math & premed combo. was thinking of doing major in applied math and minor in bio and then go to med school. tried making a list of colleges but struggling on how to determine which ones are feasible for me to get into.
would really appreicate if someone could help make me a list in reach/match/safety format.
What state do you live in? Guessing CA based on your internship?
If you want to go to Med school, it’s best to go to a very affordable school where you will be able to get a high GPA. This is so you can both afford med school and get into a med school. State flagships are often great choices because of this.
Do you like large, medium, small schools, etc?
Do you need significant merit or fincancial aid?
Are things like sports or Greek like important to you?
Do you want to go to school in a big city, medium, suburb, etc.?
And yup, ive done college match surveys. with my current sat score, not getting the matches im looking for. idk ive seen that the surveys are generally very conservative, rather than examining me on a holistic basis. Assuming that admissions are based on not just the SAT score and also factor in essays, gpa, ec’s, etc., i need some help w/ a list. thx!!
All of these have both applied math and biology, and your current SAT score makes you competitive for each:
Reaches:
-Emory
It’s in Atlanta, and it’s a very good school. However, is a very challenging one.
-Rochester
It’s in Rochester (NY). There are no required classes, so you can take whatever you want (besides what you need for your major).
-Tulane
It’s in New Orleans. Apparently it’s a pretty big party school, but it has an amazing location in Nola, though.
Matches;
-UCSB
It’s in Santa Barbara. It would be an instate school for you, which makes it more affordable. I have no clue about the state of admissions for UC schools though, so I think this may not actually be a match?
-SDSU
It’s in San Diego. [insert above lines minus the part about it being a UC school]
Safeties:
-UN-Reno
It’s in Reno.
-Wofford and Furman
Two different schools that are in the Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina. Good schools with beautiful campuses and good programs.
-College of Charleston
It’s in Charleston, South Carolina. A good enough safety school. It’s not outstanding academically, but it’s in a great city.
*Disclaimer
I am somewhat familiar with Wofford, Furman, and C of C because they are all in my state. That’s why I recommended them. I know few safety schools outside of my home state.
Remember that if you want Med school, go to a school where you can get a great GPA. This means that you may not want a particularly challenging school.
When you say not worried about financial aid at the moment, what does that mean? Honestly, for most student that is a top consideration. It is kind of a waste of time for people to recommend schools without more info in that area.
Can your parents afford $60K per year? Are you low enough income to get need based aid? Do you need to find merit aid? The answer to those questions makes a big difference in what recommendations you will get.
You look like a competitive applicant for many schools in California. If Medical school is your goal, then keeping Undergrad costs at a minimum is essential so target the UC’s and top CSU’s. You will get an excellent education for an in-state price.
Pomona College/UCB/UCLA: Reach
USC/UCSD: High Match
UCD/UCI/UCSB/Cal Poly SLO/Occidental: Match
UCSC/UCR/SDSU: Low Match
UCM/Cal Poly Pomona/CSU Long Beach: Safety
If OP is interested in medical school, then the question has to be can the parents afford $60,000 to $70,000 per year for eight years (or potentially a bit over $500,000 total). If the answer is “$500,000 is a bit painful”, then it is important for anyone seriously considering medical school to try to minimize the cost of undergrad in order to save money for medical school. Of course a school where OP can maintain a high GPA is also important. Even if OP decides to stick with math, a Master’s is a good idea so having some money left for graduate school is a good plan.
I think that @Gumbymom has a very good list of schools to consider in post #7. California has a great in-state system.
Given you’re interested in going to medical school, I would focus on finding a place where you can thrive/do-well. You absolutely need a high undergrad GPA (3.7+) to get into a medical school in the US. There is no work around it. So here are some thoughts…
As you probably know, while GPA is high, your score is not competitive for the top UCs
Applied math (or biology) is not an easy major, definitely not at the top, large public, research schools like UCs
If you’re set on going to medical school, and given the cost is not an issue for you, I would suggest you seriously research about small liberal arts colleges.