OMG thank you so much! You don’t know how much this means to me. I’ve always considered myself to be an average writer at best. I understand the importance of essays and will not slack on them!
I’m not @tsbna44 but I am going to say you can be hopeful. You are very accomplished, and importantly, your EC’s jump out to me as being ones you are truly interested in and that will probably continue to be threads in your life, if not your life’s work. In all the “chance me” threads, this last quality – authenticity of EC’s – is actually pretty rare. Plus it is a little different. Plus you have geographic diversity adding a featherweight to the admissions’ scale (depending on which schools you apply to).
Take every one of our opinions with a grain of salt – including mine. But 99% of us are just parents that have been through the process. So most of us are knowledgeable but not experts. That said, some are experts on this board, so paging @michaeluwill. Hopefully he will weigh in.
@tsbna44 is often pessimistic, and while I think perhaps a bit too much so in your case, I agree with his/her point that it is better to not count on reach admissions – that way, if you get in, great! And if you don’t, also great! Because you have focused on likelier admits and therefore have schools you’d be happy to attend and where you were admitted.
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I agree with @cinnamon1212 that you totally have a shot! Obviously a small chance, as with anyone else, at reaches, but if you do end up with a 1550 and essays that you can show your passion through, hopefully a school will see your potential and admit you. It’s definitely worth it to apply, and IMO, going in with a positive but realistic attitude is the best way to go. Brown ED is hard, but even if you get deferred, write a really good letter of continuing interest and it’s possible to get in RD.
About your illness–have you thought about where the explanation about it is going to go? You said you didn’t want to write essays about it, which I think is a good idea. Have you communicated to your guidance counselor/teachers whether they should mention it or are you putting it in additional info?
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My guidance counselors and teachers are both going to be writing about it. The teachers I’m planning on asking (AP World and AP Chem) both had me when I got sick. I retook Chem the following year as well. I’m going to be setting up appointments with my teachers in the fall and ask them to emphasize my illness but especially on how much I persevered and showed tremendous grit.
I also plan on writing about it in the additional info section. I’m not sure if I should write a well thought out essay or just briefly explain.
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No idea about your chances, but this could be the start of a fun essay.
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Yes! I wanted to tie that into a supplemental essay or part of a video portfolio for Brown. Something along the lines of a very important mentor of mine who happens to be also 4 years old.
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I like that idea.
Pessimistic? Well, I told my daughter she’d get into 16 of 21 - she got into 17. I missed W&L.
That said, I do think it’s good to get turned down somewhere - that shows that you did try hard enough…unless you are focused on a school, even if a safety, then no reason to reach, etc.
I try not to be pessimistic but I cringe when I read the I applied to only 10 schools and I got turned down. And I told the story of my daughter’s vaeledictorian - 4.0, 4.5+ Weighted, 36 ACT - applied to 16 of the US News top 20 and 0 for 16. Got into NYU full pay and UTK with a scholarship - which is where she’s going.
At the top, it’s a tough road. With TO, it’s even tougher - and the top schools are admitting many TO, not just a handful. They are knowing out the 33, 34, 35, 36 ACTs, etc.
I’m a realist…I did not say not to apply to schools and I recommended others earlier. I’m a big fan of 2 safeties - which you can see yourself at, 4 or 6 match and 4 or 6 reach - and I’d use all 20 common app spots - even if applying to free places - because you never know what kind of merit is going to come in. You did the work, I’d use the apps.
You only have to find one right school!!!
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Georgetown is NOT a flexible curriculum- lots of requirements! My d loved it and got an amazing education but it isn’t until your junior or sometimes even your senior year that you can really take whatever courses you want.
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Thanks @cinnamon1212
As some others have mentioned, you write clearly and with a positive tone. That will be a big help.
I am having a slight issue with your health issue and using that to explain some academic blips (through recommendations). Hard to see without an official transcript, but dipping to an A- from an A may not warrant an explanation at all. In other words, don’t push your recommenders too hard about that, unless they think it is logical given their class. On the other hand, odd choice to me for you to allow recommenders to tell your story and not you when you say
Your extras seem well above average and I agree with the SAT comment made by @tsbna44. That’s not easy.
Super hard without seeing the whole package but Brown will likely be a miss, but please go for it because nobody knows for sure. Choosing it for ED is a likely mistake because you will need the ED for a shot at the reaches below.
Since no financial constraints, on the high end I like the Emory, Washington U, Tufts, Georgetown group for you followed by the Tulane, U Miami, Wake Forest, Rochester, Richmond group. On the safe side, Pitt does work as does Delaware and American.
Overall, lots of schools are playing an ED game right now, so including a larger state school among the safer group, like Delaware, is important. IU is a lock and I like it - but bigger even.
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Thank you for replying! My school actually doesn’t use A-s we’re on a A=4.0 3.3= B+ 3.0 = B scale.
My transcript looks a little messy tbh.
G9
S1: (3.4) 3 As, 3 Bs, 1 B+ (just disorganized)
S2: (4.0) 7 As
G10:
S1: (3.65) 2 As, 2B+s, 3 Ps
I opted for a P instead of a letter grade because I could not catch up on work due to my health
S2: (4.0) 5 As, 2 Ws
I withdrew from two classes, actually only one of these classes is one I opted for a P the semester before. Once again due to health reasons.
Also bc of covid my school had an A or no credit policy for this sem.
The reason why I stress out over my 10th-year grades is because I’ve heard colleges would recalculate my Ps in my GPA as a C or a D even.
G11:
S1: (4.0) 7 As
S2: (4.0) 7 As
Summer dual enrollment: 4.0
G12: Hopefully 4.0
So during my sophomore year, there was actually a significant hit. I don’t want my recommenders to totally explain my illness. I do want them to explain the grade dip but emphasize how much I struggled yet persevered. I think my recs will shine with my personal qualities and grit. Even though I got a B+ in AP Chem or a P in AP World History, I know they are both very proud of me for finishing bc I was always on the edge of just dropping the entire year.
I will also write about it in the additional info section. I just don’t want to write my common app about it bc I don’t believe my illness is a defining factor in my personality.
My school list has also changed a bit.
Safety: UNC Charlotte
Match: U of Rochester, William, and Mary, U of Washington,
Reach: Brown (ED), Rice, Amherst College, Pomona College, Duke, Georgetown, UNC-CH
I think I’ll just add one more match school to my list.
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I think William & Mary is a Reach, not a Match. It’s just as selective as UNC-CH.
UNC Charlotte is probably a good match or safety. You decided to drop NC State?
Other schools in NC you might look at are Appalachian State University (probably the 3rd best public after UNC-CH and NC State, beautiful setting), maybe East Carolina ECU (pretty good regional med school).
Not in NC, but you might look at VCU Virginia Commonwealth University as a safety. They have a good med school and a very diverse student population. I think you would have no problem at all getting in there.
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Well, William and Mary’s OOS acceptance rate is 36% in comparison to UNC-CH’s OOS acceptance rate of 14%. A big difference in selectivity IMO. On top of that, William and Mary’s 75% SAT is 1490. A great score and I’m certain I can at least score 1500. I think that would make William and Mary lean towards the match side. Definitely not a 100% chance I will get in but a match nonetheless.
By UNC Charlotte’s common data set 75%, SAT is 1270 and only 24% have a GPA over 3.75. That seems like a safety to me even if I’m OOS. Also based on looking at my school (we don’t have Naviance), I think I’ll get into the University of Washington especially since I’m not going for engineering or CS.
I think maybe let some others chime in, but UNC is a big school and W&M is not.
GPA is listed as very important at W&M. Average high school GPA is 4.28 at W&M. It’s not an easy school to get into. Rigor and GPA are very important considerations per their CDS, but I am not an expert on W&M. I just know, living in the region, that it is considered an excellent school right about where UVA and UNC are. Per UNC’s CDS GPA is only important, not very important.
Others might have more direct experience, though, so hope they will speak up if so.
i do not see you being admitted to any of your reach schools.
Isn’t costochondritis typically a short-term condition brought on by stress,anxiety,or poor posture ?
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Costochondritis was the diagnosis given to me when I experienced severe chest pain after getting the flu. Doctors told me they can’t fully explain what happened but they explained that the virus somehow infected my nerves. It was not brought upon by stress or anxiety but rather a viral infection. They went back and forth on diagnosing me with fibromyalgia but ultimately decided not to after I began to improve.
May I ask why you don’t see me being admitted? Anything in particular I’m lacking?
You lack an actual standardized test score such as the ACT or SAT and you want your teacher recs to focus on an excuse. Also, your ECs are not going to move the needle in my opinion.
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Yes, what I’ve heard is that UNC puts more emphasis on extracurriculars and essays. Hopefully something I will excel at.
While I don’t have a perfect GPA, my only speedbumps have been at the beginning of my high school career and when I was sick. My course rigor is also good.
Well I’m taking the SAT on August 28th and in October as well. My standardized test scores will come through there. I will not be applying TO.
No I don’t want my teacher recs to focus on my “excuse”. I believe I was misunderstood my words.
I am strong student in both AP Chemistry and AP World History. I’ve set the curve multiple times in AP Chem and my World History teacher will be helping me on my historical research essay.
Rather I want them to focus on my qualities and character traits I showed when I was sick not on explaining my poor performance.
These include:
-grit
-perseverance
-curiosity
They understood my personal situation and how much I overcame to get the results I did. I missed weeks upon weeks of school but not once did I give up. They themselves told me to take it easy and take the year off but I pushed through. It would be an understatement to call it an “excuse”. Forgive me if I’m coming across as rude, but I’m a little hurt that all the hardships I’ve overcome simply boil down to an “excuse”.
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I do not see your comments as rude or impolite; I take them as a direct response to issues that I raised.
Was your treatment for pain on an outpatient basis ?