Hi, I’ve been stressed out like crazy recently because I feel like my college list doesn’t include enough schools that are achievable for me. I want to major in statistics or physics while also pursuing pre med in hopes of continuing on to medical schools. My current list (and it’s already pretty long) is:
Reaches:
-Brown
-Vanderbilt
-UCLA
-USC
-UF Honors College (should I get rejected from the honors college, UF’s main university becomes my safety)
-University of Chicago (I don’t really know if it’s worth it to apply here since I know I’m going to be rejected)
Targets:
-University of Michigan
-Tulane
-University of Rochester
Safeties:
-Binghamton
-Lafayette
-UMass Amherst Honors College
-ASU Barrett Honors College
I know that this list is already a bit too long. I’m just worried that I’m not going to get into the schools I currently have on my list, or that I won’t get a good enough education to continue into medical school. Can someone please share with me their thoughts on my situation?
For reference, my stats are:
SAT superscore: 1500
SAT best single score: 1480
SAT subject tests (only sending to schools that require them):
Math 2: 720
Literature: 690
AP scores: Calc AB - 5, Chemistry - 4, Comp Sci A - 4, English Lang - 3
I am enrolled in 5 AP classes currently (I’m a senior) and was enrolled in 4 last year (9 AP classes in total).
4 year weighted GPA so far: 3.88
Junior and Senior year weighted GPA so far: 4.83
You appear to like schools in or near large cities, would that characterize your preferences accurately? On the other hand, you appear flexible with respect to a major in statistics? (Lafayette, I believe, does not offer one.)
You are completely correct in saying I like schools near cities! Also, the only reason Lafayette is really on my list is because both of my parents went there and they really want me to give it a chance. If I were to go there I most likely would major in Physics or Chemistry.
What state are you from and what’s your budget?
What’s your TOTAL cumulative, unweighted GPA?
Your best bet would be a university where you have a shot at honors college OR a collaborative college.
Lafayette is a match, not a safety. UMichigan is a reach unless you’re a Michigan resident.
Unless you’re a CA resident don’t bother with being pre-med at a UC.
Premed is hard everywhere. Not only do you take hard classes, but in each you have to rank top 10-20%, class after class for 4 years. You thus need to be well above the top 25% threshold to have a shot.
@MYOS1634 My budget is about 50k a year and I live in NJ. I wasn’t really sure if Michigan was a reach or not so thank you for that! Also, the only reason I consider Lafayette a safety is because both of my parents went there, and my dad is a very active alumni with good relations with all the admissions counselors (I know this is kinda cheating and I feel bad for using my dad’s status in one of my applications but I’m taking the help I can get). My GPA cumulative, unweighted is a 3.52 (but I’m hoping they pay the most attention to my junior and senior year grades which come to a 3.97 unweighted).
You need more matches.
You should apply to Temple and/or Pitt and/or PennState. Apply before nov30.
Forget UCLA and USC.
What about UVermont? Miami Ohio? Michigan State?
Brown and Vanderbilt are polar opposite in terms of vibe. Read a Fiske guide and pick the one whose vibe matches you.
@MYOS1634 By matches do you mean safeties or targets? Also Vanderbilt and Brown are both schools that I like very much despite their different vibes. Thank you for the Fiske guide advice, I’ll check that out right now! Also, should I forget USC and UCLA due to my budget or selectivity?
If you are premed, then you need to realistically think about how to improve your chances for medical school.
Your SAT score is very good. Compared to other premed students that I have met, it is only slightly above average. You have a very strong uptrend. However, your overall high school GPA is lower than average for students that I have known who thought they were premed. Most students who go to university thinking that they are premed don’t make it to medical school. As such, personally I don’t believe that trying to barely get into an academically challenging school where you will be in the bottom 1/2 of admitted students is the right way to maximize your chances.
Also, if you can save money for medical school, then it is a good idea to do so. You should try to avoid any debt for undergrad, and try to leave money sitting in your college fund if you have one and if it is possible.
With this I would drop UCLA, and drop Chicago and probably Michigan.
Premed classes are going to be a lot more challenging than you think. If you attend U.Mass or UVM or Binghamton or ASU then premed is going to be plenty difficult.
I originally missed the fact that you are from NJ. I think that you should apply to Rutgers and possibly one of your other in-state public universities.
The biomathematics major at Rhodes https://www.rhodes.edu/academics/majors-minors/biomathematics could be a great option for a stats-oriented premed. Memphis has a lot to offer as a city (especially given that you already like other southern cities i.e. Nashville and New Orleans), and Rhodes has a strong relationship with St. Jude’s Hospital for premed shadowing, research, etc. It would be a low-match/safety for you with good merit aid potential.
If your goal is medical school, then I’d suggest you include at least one purely undergraduate-focused school on your list. Hamilton, for example, offers excellent support for its pre-med students. The school would probably be a low reach for you. However, your standardized testing and improving GPA indicate that, once enrolled, you could do quite well there academically. Bates would be another example along these lines.
As GoBears mentioned… Need more info…O/W… with those stats you have a shot at any school with odds of course adjusting accordingly…List a few fundamental preferences…
–Univ vs.LAC
–Geography/Region
–Size of student body
@collegebot1234 As you are from NJ and you have a budget of 50K, you should have in-state options on your list - Rutgers-NB, and maybe Rowan or TCNJ. That SAT score might get you some merit at Stevens.
Also recommend Case Western and EA if there is still time (not sure of deadline, might be Dec. 1). Case likes demonstrated interest. Your unweighted GPA is a bit on the low side, SAT is strong, subject tests are middling. So it’s not a shoe in, but Case also awards merit scholarships up to about 30K which would bring it within budget.
RPI, WPI, and Rochester might also be worth a look - I don’t know about merit and if you’re competitive for it there or not.
How about SMU in Dallas? My daughter, with slightly lower stats was accepted there last spring with a scholarship which was an approximately 60% tuition discount as well as admission to their Honors Program.