Good BS/MD programs, Ivies, for a poor southerner

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey guys and girls, I need help figuring out some good BS/MD programs, and my chances at the ivies. Particularly, I'm interested in Dartmouth, but I've visited several others and liked most all of them.</p>

<p>Background info: From a poor Georgia school that does not rank students.</p>

<p>SAT I: Totally rocked that test, not 2400 though.
SAT IIs: Planning to take Math 2, Chem, then some kind of humanities one. I'm expecting that Math 2 will be an 800 or close, Chem will be in the 700s, and the humanities one is the only one at risk for being lower, but I'll study ardently I guess.</p>

<p>Grades:</p>

<p>9th: GPA: 3.7, all I remember.
10th:
Honors Precalculus A/A
Honors Chem A+/A+
Honors World History: A-
Honors English: A-/B+
Spanish 3: A-/B+
AP Psychology: A+/A- slacked off second semester. 4 on AP exam without studying, class was very lacking too.</p>

<p>11th: so far. First semester/(Current, in progress)</p>

<p>AP USH: B+/(A)
AP Calculus AB: A/(A)
AP English Lang: B/(A) didn't know that class would be so hard!
AP Chemistry: B+/ (A)
Math Team: A+/(A+)
Science Team: A+/(A+)
Note: I've had a very difficult year this year for reasons I will explain to a college if necessary, but I don't feel the need to share.</p>

<p>Awards/Honors:</p>

<p>Outstanding Student Award (10th/11th)
Math Team: Numerous and various awards, placement in competition
Science Team: (see Math Team)
Graduating under honors plan
Talent Competition winner: (9th, 10th, 11th, expecting 12th)
AIME Qualifier: 11th</p>

<p>Community Service:</p>

<p>Homeless shelter: 20 hours
Environmental groups: 50 hours
Will finally be old enough to volunteer at the local hospital in June.</p>

<p>Clubs/Memberships:</p>

<p>Math Team, Science Team: like I said, loads of awards, will probably be captain for one or both next year, as the positions are reserved for a senior.</p>

<p>Honor Societies: Math, Science, National. Will join EHS next year hopefully.</p>

<p>My passion: Music, that's how I've won the talent show every year. It's my number one extra curricular, though I don't really seek awards for it because it truly is what I love, and I don't care about using it as a tool to get into college.</p>

<p>Colleges:</p>

<p>Ivies, particularly Dartmouth or Harvard (size bugs me).
Tulane (I like New Orleans but I think it's too big, applying anyway.)
Georgia Tech
Cooper Union</p>

<p>Any other ones you suggest.</p>

2

<p>Whats your exact SAT score?</p>

3

<p>ull get into GA Tech - No Doubt</p>

4

<ol>
<li>800M/790W/680CR. I can't read lol.</li>
</ol>

5

<p>southerners can't read good...</p>

<p>pfft i can read good fine</p>

6

<p>HYPS, MIT, and, most of the other Ivies and, yes, Dartmouth are reaches. But most of the schools just below the absolutely most selective would be near matches or matches for you. Take a look at the list below. High matches are at the top, matches are in the middle, and low matches are at the bottom.</p>

<p>Williams
Washington University (St. Louis)
Brown
Northwestern
Wesleyan
Johns Hopkins
Cornell
Carleton
Vassar
Carnegie Mellon
Tufts
Washington and Lee
Emory
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
Georgetown
Bowdoin
Haverford
Macalester
Davidson
Colby
Univer. Of Southern CA
Colgate
Brandeis
William and Mary</p>

<p>Perhaps your stategy should be to pick out a couple of reaches, three or four matches of various levels, and a couple of safeties.</p>

7

<p>Brown and Dartmouth are side by side in the US News rankings last I saw. Any reason why Dartmouth is a reach and Brown is a possible match?</p>

8

<p>As far as I've been able to determine, Dartmouth is a little more difficult to get into than Brown. Brown's median SAT M+V score is about 40 points lower than Dartmouth's, so academically, Brown is a match for GF. On the other hand, the percentage of applicants Dartmouth admits is a bit higher - about 18% to Brown's 16%. So, both are darned difficult to get into, but I put more weight on GF's SATs - which are a pretty good match for Brown - and the fact he was from Georgia (which I thought would be helpful), and called Brown a high match. Could just as well call Brown a low reach. At any rate, given his SATs, GPA, and location, I'd guess he has a better than average chance at Brown...But better than average is probably no more than 25%.</p>

9

<p>Am I being realistic looking into the ivies, with my financial situation? I know my grades and SATs give me a shot and some of them, but not a guarantee obviously. I was just wondering, am I going to be able to acquire financial aid?</p>

10

<p>In general, the Ivies and many other top schools are need blind. That is, they accept kids without regard to their ability to pay, and then offer financial aid to those who applied for aid and have a demonstrated need. The aid can be in the form of grants, loans, work-study, etc.</p>

<p>If you get in, and you've applied for aid and have a real need, most of these schools will offer you financial aid. To get the details, your best bet is to visit the websites of the schools in which you're interested and take a good look at their financial aid webpages. Most of them spell out what you need to do to get financial aid and the kinds of aid the school offers. If you can't get enough info from the webpages, call the financial aid offices. In most cases, they will be helpful.</p>

11

<p>AUTOREJECT OMG</p>

<p>If you get a B in ANY course, you will be rejected everywhere you apply. EVERY college will turn you down, including Compton Community College. You might as well go work at McDonalds or a construction site. Oh, wait, they'll see that B on your transcript and turn you away too. Starting up your own business? Pshaw, good luck. No one will buy from you with your lousy "b".</p>

<p>CONSUME CONFORM OBEY - Nothing but perfection will suffice in academic endeavors! All colleges DEMAND their applicants and admittees have no life outside of their studies. If you fail to live up to these standards when you apply, you will be assassinated by the government.</p>

12

<p>I actually just found out the history grade ended up an A, so there you go Russian dude.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, I guess I'm still doomed to community college.</p>

<p>Any chance at Vanderbilt? I just got mail and looked them up and I'm interested all the sudden.</p>

13

<p>undeadrussian, yo posted that same comment on another thread. If your gonna write nonsensical ******** at least make it different from post to post...</p>

14

<p>How could I have forgotten to include my cumulative GPA?!</p>

<p>Well, I don't know the exact number, but it's something like 3.8uw/4.4w.</p>

15

<p>Amptron, the impression I have had is that Brown is slightly more selective than Dartmouth. The distinction you made regarding SAT scores I believe is more of a reflection that Dartmouth puts a greater emphasis on SAT scores (note that the avg GPA & percent of students in the top 10% is lower at Dartmouth than Brown).</p>

16

<p>Keep talking guys.</p>

17

<p>stambliark41 - </p>

<p>I think we're just quibbling over details here. As I said above, both are very difficult to get into. Best bet, because of their low admit percentages, is to call both reaches and to recognize that even applicants with stats as good as GF's have probably no more than a 25% chance of getting into either one.</p>

18

<p>I guess with the ivy leagues, no one can answer whether or not you'll get in, crazy things happen.</p>

<p>So I guess the question everyone should ask is: should I bother applying?</p>

19

<p>If money was not an issue I would advise Dartmouth ED, but you might want to RD it considering the financial situation. I would say Brown/ Dartmouth are worth applying to, you might get in. Keep the As this semester!</p>

20

<p>By all means, apply to Dartmouth or Brown, if you really want to go to one or the other. You're stats are in the Ivy ballpark. Just understand both are reaches, but not out of reach. Hope to get in, but don't count on getting in, and, as I said above, apply to some good matches and safeties to cover your rear.</p>

<p>Look, I applied to UPenn ED. My stats were also in the Ivy ballpark. Even so, I knew it was a reach...and I didn't get in. Then I applied to Wash U ED2. Wash U was also a reach, somewhat less than UPenn, but still a reach...And I got in. Moral of the story? Kids do get into their reach schools. So give it a try. The worst that could happen is you won't get accepted and you'll end up at one of your match schools, which, if you've chosen you're matches well, would be just fine.</p>