ENLIGHTEN ME: UVA, VTECH, UPenn, Cornell, Johns Hopkins

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello all! I am currently a junior and am soon beginning the application process. I want to get an idea about where I stand among my peers and my chances for the above schools. I don’t yet have a confirmed list of colleges that I am 100% going to apply to, though I probably will to most Virginia schools and some out-of-state that have good research science and med programs.

Additionally, if you have any advise/tips that you would have given to yourself when you were beginning the application process, please share :slight_smile:

Demographics:
-Asian Male
-Junior at public school in Virginia
-Prospective Major: Biology + Chemistry (Premed track)
-1st gen to attend college in US

Academics:
-GPA: 3.97 UW, 4.47 W
-SAT: 1550 (first time 1510)
-SAT II: 800 Biology, (Taking Math II, Chemistry, Spanish & US History next month, projected is >780)
-AP Scores: 4 APWH, 5 Biology (Taking Chemistry, APUSH, AB Calc, AP Lang, AP Psych, projected is 4/5)
-Class Rank: top 5%
-Senior Year: AP Physics C, AP Economics, AP Government, AP Spanish Lang, Independent Science Research, AP Literature, AP BC Calculus
-Classes taken thus far: Math - All up to AB Calc, English - 9H, 10H, AP Lang, History - World H. I, APWH, APUSH, Science - Research Bio, Research Chem, Physics DE, AP Bio & AP Chem, Electives - All up to Spanish V, Advanced Orchestra.

Extracurriculars:
-Vice President of Pre-Health Honor Society (2 yrs, 70 members with career interest in medicine, health, etc)
-Vice President of Volunteer Organization (3 yrs, 18 chapters consisting of 100 members doing youth-focused service projects, put in at least 200hrs or more, various community events, fundraisers, etc)
-Debate Captain (3yrs, managing very large team of nearly 80 people)
-National Honor Society (1yr, aspiring officer)
-Science Olympiad (2yrs, first year went to state competition)
-Science Research Club (1yr, student-led research in synthetic biology)
-Mathematics Tutor (2yrs, volunteering at local children’s enrichment center)
-Hospital Volunteer (6 months, 55 hrs)
-Library Volunteer (3 months, 60 hrs)
-Research Science Internship (Lots of hours, summer scientific research unpaid intern, work published in journal)

Awards/Recognitions:
-2nd Place Award ISEF Regional Science and Engineering Fair
-5th place states award Science Olympiad
-3rd Place Award public Forum Debate JV, attended 10 tournaments, qualified for states this year
-1st Place Award VEX Robotics
-School top volunteer award
-Selected (out of 2 people from my school) to attend conference with Sean. B. Carrol at HHMI Janelia campus
-Commended NMSQT Scholar
-Metrofinals Debate Qualification

Recommendations:
-#1: AP Biology Teacher (Have her for study hall, also sponsor for aforementioned honor society. Loves me, has told me repeatedly to ask for for recommendation for college. I expect a great LOR, 10/10 quality)
-#2: AP Lang Teacher (Great in her class, earned an A, (9/10 quality)
-#3: Spanish Teacher (Loved her class and earned an A+. Definitely 10/10 quality)

Thank you for your help!

2

You have a highly competitive profile. With your stats and ECs, you are qualified to apply to any school basically. Focus on your essays this summer and narrow your EC list. You want to build a theme in your application that relates your ECs, your essays, your letters of recommendations, and you choice of major that you are interested in. You are an extremely competitive applicant

3

if you want to go to med school I’d go to a school less competitive than JHU. You’ll graduate with a lower GPA than at a school like UVA, which will impair your medical school chances.

4

Curious about what you mean by narrowing EC list. I’ve excluded most activities that I thought were not as significant, already, but for the most part, isn’t the more the better?

5

Solid profile thus far. You’ll definitely be competitive with all those STEM awards; that being said, Penn, Cornell, and JHU are still considered reaches for everyone. Regeneron STS is a huge award coming up for you next year (you probably know it does come out after regular apps are submitted, though you can still provide an applicant update).

Did you take USABO, USACO, or USAPho this year? If you can get semifinalist in one of those, that’s another boost to your app.

Good luck!

6

Thanks for your response anonpenn2022. I indeed know about Regeneron STS, and am actually taking a class senior year that focuses on advancing a project specific to that competition - I look forward to it!

Unfortunately as my school is only 2 years old, we are yet to have any of those STEM competition cubs. I have attempted starting a USABO club with my former research biology teacher, but he says he has a lot on his plate :confused: Possibly next year. Thanks once again!

7

Does anyone know of any unique STEM-enrichment summer opportunities (internships paid/unpaid, programs @ universities, etc) for the Virginia area (Yes, I am willing to travel across states and distances up to 3hrs away). I have my summer basically open, so wanted to fill it with something constructive. Also, are part-time jobs helpful for resume? (that may or may not be STEM related).

8

.