Help me create my list...Match and safety needed!!!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

So far I have looked at:

Harvard
Wash U in STL
Duke
U Chicago
Northwestern
UC Berkeley
Stanford

My problem is that these are all reach/high reach schools for me.

I have also considered:
UNC Chapel Hill
UVA
Boston U
Tufts

These seem more match, but I’m not sure.

My Stats

Currently a high school junior at a mid size public school, one of the top schools in MN

GPA: 3.865/4.0 UW 3.923/4.2

ACT: Composite 32 one sitting, no study, I will be taking it again in April through school, hoping for a 34/35, otherwise I’ll take it again in June

ACT breakdown: 31 English, 29 Math(I have no clue why math is my best subject typically, (34) Reading, (34) Science

SAT: Taking in December, shooting for above a 2200. I have been scoring between 2220-2300 on practice tests.

SAT Subject Test: I will take Chemistry, Math 2 and Biology eventually, probably in March

AP Classes (9 total by graduation): APUSH (4), APLAC (this year) AP Calc AB (this year) AP Chem (this year) APLIT (Next year) AP Calc BC (Next year) AP Macro (Next year) AP Stats (Next year) AP Physics (Next year)
I am expecting mainly 5s on the tests but APLAC/AP Macro may be 4s

Advanced/Honors/Dual Enrollment: By graduation I will have 4 Dual enrollment classes through the UofMN. All classes except for 4 have been advanced/honors/AP/dual enrollment. (the classes that weren’t honors were only offered as ‘regular’ classes

Ethnicity: Caucasian (First Generation)
Gender: Female

Extracurriculars:
Basketball 10th grade, couldn’t play in 9th due to ACL injury, never healed properly so i can’t continue
Softball 10th-12th, injury 9th grade
Science Bowl Junior-Senior
Interect Club-10th-Senoir, will have a leadership position next year.
Jazz Band-self taught the saxophone in 7th grade
Symphonic Band-have played the clarinet since 5th grade
Volunteering at local hospital
Shadowing an orthopedic surgeon( I want to be an Orthopedic Surgeon)
I will be able to join NHS at the beginning of second semester this year, hopefully I will have a leadership position.

Recommendation Letters
Next year I should receive great recommendations from my AP Chem and AP Calc teachers, Possibly dual enrollment Anat&Phis teacher.

I think My safety schools would be UofMN and UW Madison but i really don’t want to stay in MN or WI.

Please tell me if I have any shot at my any of my reach schools. Also if you could, please suggest more match and safety schools.

My intended major would be biology or biochemistry, on a premed path.

2

Have you looked at Emory?

3

@anxiousenior1 no i haven’t looked at Emory very much, I may have glanced at it once or twice. Do you know if they have a good biology department? would you say it would be a match school for me?

4

I would say match or high match. And yes, the Biological sciences are its 3rd most popular major.

5

Thanks

6

Bump

7

Biology is a STAPLE major at virtually all universities. You don’t have to ask or worry about whether their Bio is good. It’s easy for univs to have good bio programs.

8

Are you interested in biology because you’ll be premed or for another reason?

What’s your parents’ budget? Will you need merit scholarships? Need-based aid? Or will you be full pay?

I’d recommend St Olaf (if you want to stay in MN - excellent for the sciences/premed, summer internships at Mayo), Rhodes (agreement with St Jude’s Hospital) if you want the South.

9

So, I just want to say, as a current undergrad, not to worry too much. Don’t let the stress of college applications take over your life.
From what I can tell, you’re a very impressive and dedicated student. College applications are weird because you have to manage to show a group of admins who you really are in a set of answers and essays, which can be difficult. When it comes to the applications and essays themselves I think there is something to be said for having someone help you along the way (read over your essay at various stages and provide feedback). There is also something to be said for being well-rounded and not purely academic (which you show in your extra-circulars)
Other than that, it’s really all about what that school is looking for in a student. Of your list, I applied to Harvard, Northwestern, Duke, UVA and UNC (among others). I will say I got into 3/5 of them, but I hardly had to scores you do. However, don’t expect to be accepted everywhere, but know that once you get acceptances, that’s when the real decisions begin. College visits and getting a feel for the life you’d have on campus is how you’ll find the perfect fit.
Good luck in your process! You are far ahead of where I was Junior year.

10

@DG2018 if you don’t mind me asking, which ones did you get into?( I understand if you don’t feel comfortable sharing) I have to say that I have visited the majority of the schools on my list, and I absolutely fell in love with Harvard. Unfortunately I feel as if Harvard is way out of my reach :frowning: I can only apply next year and hope for the best!
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I wish you the best as you continue through college!

11

@MYOS1634 I am not interested in biology just because I want to be premed. I have always loved the sciences growing up and biology has been one of my absolute branches of science. That being said, I feel like I am more interested in biochemistry and the molecular side of biology. My parents say the will be willing to send me to the school of my choosing, no matter the cost, but I assume, when the time comes, that will truly be brought to within a $40,000-$50,000 budget. If a school offers merit aid, I would definitely be grateful for it. As for need based, net price calculators for most schools give us a $2000-$4000 range of need. I would more than likely be a full pay student. I really don’t want to stay in MN, or the midwest really. I would only want to be in the midwest if I were in the Chicago or St. Louis area (I really love these cities).

12

It’s a valid question.
Out of those I got accepted to Duke, UVA, and UNC.
And if I’m being honest I’d sort of fallen in love with the thought of duke before I even got my acceptances/rejections so not getting the others didn’t sting. And in case you didn’t catch that, I now attend Duke University.

13

Thanks. Congratulations on being accepted into a few great schools. I can only wish