<p>ECs and other data are posted on my other thread but I have a "low" 25 ACT and was wondering what were some good, (REALLY GOOD) universities for biological sciences. I've tried looking this up but of course lists consist of Ivy Leagues and with this low of an ACT I need recommendations for colleges/universities that I actually have a shot at that specialize in this field. Specifically Immunology if that helps. Thank you so much.</p>
<p>biology curriculum is pretty much the same everywhere. It’s just one of those majors that require YOU to make the opportunities happen. At prestigious schools the profs are not going to come looking for you, but if you come looking for them most of them will give you some time. you’ve to turn this time into an opportunity for research, work-study, summer internship/fellowship, etc. I don’t know what your other stats are, but you can find hundreds and hundreds of US schools that will educate you well in biology if you will only create a relp with your profs. So often young people fail to do this and it’s just plain nuts. so good learning is a product not just of prestige created by publications and awards (indeed, it’s often the opposite of publications, grants, awards) but of what YOU do with the time you have. So with an ACT of 25 or 35, you can still grab a “good” education in biology. </p>
<p>Do you have graduate or professional school intentions? Nevertheless prestige won’t play a big role in where you go, since science curriculum is generally very standard among all universities. Research internships are widespread at large universities. Aim on getting high GPA!</p>
<p>OP, go to collegesimply and search for colleges using your ACT score. Lots will show up and you can go from there. It’s a long journey…</p>
<p>I have a long history in science (biology). What you want to find are colleges that have ample opportunity for hands-on research… not the kind of research done from a lab “cookbook” but real, open-ended research that you don’t know ahead of time what you will find. The other part of the equation is finding a research mentor. Ideally, someone with the knowledge, time, and interpersonal skills to guide you on this research journey.</p>
<p>Finally, courses with interesting and cutting edge biology topics would be a real boon. Many college biology curricula seem to be stuck in the 1900s. For a molecular person, real innovative biological research utilizes math, computer science, and high content tools (genomics). The person who has an in-depth understanding of biological processes and is adept at using these three tools will be a research leader in the coming decades. Look for opportunities to learn and explore these areas in the “best” biology programs.</p>
<p>With your test scores, where you should apply will depend LARGELY on how much your family will pay. You won’t likely get into the schools that give the best aid, so your family will need to pay much/all costs.</p>
<p>How much will your family pay? </p>
<p>what is your home state?</p>
<p>It’s probably to put too much emphasis on a specific subfield of bioscienes. Usually, immunology is taken up as a specialty at the graduate level. That said, while a course or two in immunology might be offered as an elective in an undergrad general biology or cell/molecular biology program, you might be more likely to find a program that aligns with your stated interest if you look for schools that offer a microbiology major. Sometimes, microbiology is offered as a subspecialty track in a general biology major. It’s probably more common to find microbiology as a standalone major in the colleges of agriculture at public landgrant universities. So, that is where you might search, starting with the landgrant university in your own state. Sometimes, am undergrad microbiology major is offered by the microbiology dept. in a med school and it may not be readily apparent that this major is available, if you limit your search to the colleges/schools in a university that more commonly offer undergraduate majors.</p>
<p>Good advice here about the breadth of biology. Here’s a few LACs with very fine Biology/Biological Sciences departments;</p>
<p>Ohio Wesleyan U
St. Olaf College
Allegheny College
College of Wooster</p>