Help me idk what I'm doing what college should i apply to

College Search & Selection
1

I copied and pasted my activity sheet below, sorry if it’s big. I’ll take any critique I get for that too. I’m asian, have legacy at Cornell, family is just my dad but mom isn’t really present.

I applied to Sloan Kettering HOPP, Simons, Brookhaven HSRP, CSHL Partners for the Future, and UFL’s summer science program, but I’m expecting to get rejected by all of them (already rejected by HSRP, Simons, and UFL). I’m probably going to do a summer internship at CSHL’s education center thing, but how much would my chances go up if I happened to be accepted by CSHL or HOPP? Also how much would my chances go up if I got 1500+ on my SAT? Anything I can do to improve my outlook?

GPA: 3.88 unweighted, 4.95 weighted
AP Classes: expecting to complete 13 AP courses by June 2020

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Science Olympiad
2015 - PRESENT
Served as team captain in my sophomore and junior years. Participate in one of the most competitive regions in New York (eastern Nassau).
2016: Gold - Anatomy (Muscular, Skeletal, Integumentary)
2016: Silver - Fossils
2017: Bronze - Anatomy (Nervous, Sensory, Endocrine)
2018: Gold - Anatomy (Respiratory, Digestive, Immune)
2018: Bronze - Microbiology
2019: Silver - Protein Modeling
2019: Bronze - Anatomy (Cardiovascular, Lymphatic, Excretory)
2019: Bronze - Genetics
2019: Bronze - Herpetology
2019: Bronze - Fossils
5th place Nassau East Regional victory, 2019
New York State competition qualifiers, 2019
Volunteer as a tutor for my district’s middle school.

Science Bowl
2016 - PRESENT
Participate as a specialized member in biology.
Competed in 2017
3rd place Long Island Regional victory, 2018
1st place Long Island Regional victory, 2019
National Qualifiers, 2019

Biology Olympiad
2016 - PRESENT
I founded the extracurricular in my school during my freshman year and continue to help participants annually.
Semifinalist (ranked top 10% of scorers nationally), 2017
Semifinalist, 2018
Semifinalist, 2019

Academic Team
2016 - PRESENT
Participate as a specialized member in science and fine arts.
4th place JV Long Island Regional victory, 2017
3rd place LIFT XVIII Nationals Division, 2018

Robotics
2016 - 2017
Competed in 2017

STANDARDIZED TESTING
SAT
(2018) PSAT/NMSQT: 1430
(2019) SAT: TBD

SAT II
(2017) Biology E: 780
(2019) Biology M: TBD
(2019) Chemistry: TBD

AP
(2017) Human Geography: 4
(2018) World History: 4
(2018) Seminar: 4
(2018) Biology: 5
(2019) US History: TBD
(2019) Research: TBD
(2019) Chemistry: TBD
(2019) Language: TBD

State Exams (NY Regents)
(2016) Earth Science: 99
(2017) Biology: 100
(2018) Chemistry: 95
(2019) Physics: TBD

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
2016, 2017, 2018
Attended two week-long programs funded by a scholarship from my school in summers prior to 9th and 10th grade. Gained experience with basic laboratory tools and techniques, including fluorescent tagging proteins, restriction analysis and gel electrophoresis, and bacterial transformation.
Attended the Biology and Genomics of Social Insects symposium held at the laboratory.

Stony Brook University
2017 - PRESENT
Currently attend a rigorous weekly STEM program taught by Stony Brook professors in inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and biochemistry.

MIT / Columbia Splash
2017 - 2018
Weekend trip consisting of lectures taught on a variety of advanced topics in science, taking place at MIT and Columbia University.

OCCUPATIONS
Wellife Medical Consulting
2015 - PRESENT
Have assisted patients and done accounting work for a medical clinic, both on weekends and during summers.

NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Tri-M Honor Society
2012 - PRESENT
Participate as a first violinist. Have also played as a level 6 NYSSMA soloist and qualified for LISFA festivals.
Served as secretary my sophomore year.

Chinese
Proficiency in Chinese.

2

Sorry I wanted to link my sheet which probably would’ve been way better but wasn’t allowed to submit the link

3

If you are asking for school suggestions, we need to know what you would like to study, and what the budget is, also any geographical considerations.

4

Your summer activity this year will not make or break your chance of admission anywhere. It will just be one more thing that will help you decide on your eventual career direction, and that might give you something to write about in an essay.

My two cents: Don’t enroll in any summer activity that will earn you college credits. That will just create one more academic transcript that you need to keep track of for the rest of your life.

Two cents more: Now that tax day has passed. Sit your dad down and help him run the Net Price Calculators at the websites of all of the colleges/universities currently on your list. Find out what might and might not be affordable. If your parents are divorced/separated, be aware that your mom’s financial information will also be necessary for most colleges/universities that use the CSS Profile for financial aid applications. Often this means that students must focus on institutions that only use the FAFSA.

5

Yes, first figure out what you will be able to pay for college. That is essential. And cost is very individual, based on student record and family financial circumstances. Don’t just use the “sticker price.” Run the Net Price Calculator (NPC for schools you are considering to see what the cost might be for YOU.

There are so many schools out there where there are absolutely amazing students, faculty, and staff. You’ll go to one; it’s really a matter of figuring out the accessible ones that will be a great fit for YOU.

What MIGHT you want to major in?
What region(s) would you prefer (Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, etc.)?
Urban school? Urban campus? College town? Rural?
Small (<4000); Medium (4000-10,000); Larger or Larger? (my classification)

You might need to research and visit a few places to figure out the answers for you.

I think it helpful to think of the college admissions process not as where I can get in but more as who am I? what environment works best for me? who makes me a better person? If you can figure out that, you’ll be able to identify great schools for you? It’s really about self-exploration. That makes sense right? Figuring out what’s important to YOU, allows you to find a place that helps you be your best you.

Good luck!

6

Thank you for your advice guys, I’ll check out the NPCs for sure. I don’t really have any huge preferences besides somewhere with a good biology program and maybe a place with good food? Forgot to mention that oops

7

Well that makes things a bit easier —University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Great bio program.
Large but not huge public.
Wonderful college town.
5 college consortium to take other classes. School spirit and top men’s ice hockey and good football.

And per your goals.

The best and most diverse dining options in the USA.

Plus a brand new multimillion dollar campus student center, new science buildings and entrepreneurial sciences center.

Awesome stuff!

8

I neglected before to compliment you on your hard work and success. Congratulations!

Without regard to cost, some that come to mind,

Cornell would be great

William and Mary–terrific for bio, with new Integrated Science Center with very up-to-date labs and lots and lots of undergrad research opportunities, 6500 undergrads, campus food only average but lots of places to eat just a few minutes from campus around historic Colonial Williamsburg district, great weather

I think Colgate and Hamilton College are outstanding schools up your way. I know the Colgate cafeteria is very nice, though I didn’t have the food there. I think Hamilton has great campus food, although less available around the campus.

The University of Rochester academically would be excellent for you. Like W&M, it is a mid-size national research university with a nice campus. Also in your area, might need a car to get to area eateries. I remember them, just not exactly how close they were to campus. Like W&M, academics would be as good as anywhere.

Case Western Reserve University (CWRU or “Crew”)–similar size to W&M and Rochester. STEM school. Outstanding in the sciences with lots of research opportunities. In a nice area of Cleveland, also cold weather. It is generous with merit aid (often 1/4 to 1/2 off) for high-stat applicants.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts–Similar to CWRU, EXCEPT it has a notably hands-on, project-oriented curriculum. Less traditionally academic like W&M, Rochester, CWRU, more work coops and lots of credit comes from project classes, where students work collaboratively on engineering type projects. We love the campus and the students (very impressive), but that type program may or may not be appealing to you.

Carleton College might be a great, top-ranked small college option. It’s in Northfield, Minnesota, a nice little college town (St. Olaf’s is there too) and pretty close to the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport… It is one of the LACs with the strongest science programs/students. Two close family members studied bio there, and one is a bio professor. I went to a great coffee shop there in the fall on a visit through town. Looked like other good, student-type restaurants around. It would be a great place if you are looking for more of an intellectual vibe with a high % of students going on to grad school . . . and cold weather.

Among state flagships, UNC, UVA, Michigan, and Wisconsin are all top schools AND have lots of great places to eat right around campus. These are top-notch research universities in GREAT college towns. All are very strong in bio sciences, truly. Wisconsin is probably the least competitive for OOS students (still very competitive), and it is particularly strong in bio sciences. We were at an admissions program for bio sciences at UW just a couple of years ago, and the school has a vast number of programs. The complex where most of these programs is located is nice.

I agree with U Mass above and Minnesota would be a candidate if you wanted a larger research national university in an urban location (Minneapolis).

You would be a very reasonable applicant at all these schools, though they are very competitive for OOS students and admission would not be guaranteed. UNC in particular limits the number of OOS students.

If money is an issue, and larger schools and big-time research appeals, then Universities of Iowa and Nebraska and Kansas University might worth a look. Also excellent major research universities, just not as competitive in admissions as those listed above (still competitive). They give good merit aid to strong OOS applicants, so they might serve both as schools where you’d be a very strong candidate for admissions and would probably pay more like in-state tuition. I know Kansas and Iowa in particular have lots of places for students nearby–aka great college towns. We know a prof at Kansas who raves about the food options.

Dickinson and Franklin & Marshall and Lafayette, all in PA, come to mind as outstanding smaller schools where admissions are very competitive, but not to the extent as some of the schools above, and you’d be a great candidate and get a great education.

You are a great candidate. I think it most helpful to use this process as an opportunity to think about what appeals to YOU, where will you be your best self, living and learning with lots of opportunities and people who suit you. Maybe it’s in Minneapolis at a large research center in a large city, maybe it’s down the road in Northfield in a smaller community with smaller labs but also smaller classes and closer interaction with profs. Do you want more intellectual (Carleton) or more overtly social (UVA, UNC) (and still top-notch academics/research/etc.) (I don’t mean Carleton students, or those at other schools above, are not social.)

Good luck!

9

Based on your indicated interests, you may want to emphasize in your search colleges recognized for their faculty-mentored research opportunities:

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/undergrad-research-programs

10

https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/robotics-engineeringBecause of your biology focus, robotics experience, Chinese language experience, violin accomplishments. unweighted GPA match, do take a close look at WPI.

For serious music minor options see discussion at http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/22184825#Comment_22184825

For incredible overseas project research opportunities see https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning/global-project-program

For Biology see https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/biology-biotechnology

Consider related majors like Biomedical Engineering at https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/biomedical-engineering

For clarification of the three plus project program see https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning/wpi-plan

Because of your Robotics participation see https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/robotics-engineering

About 43% of the students are women, but students in Biology and Biomedical Engineering are overwhelmingly women. Average GPA of students entering in Fall of 2018 was 3,89, unweighted.

TTG has a great list above.

11

@platypusomelette

You sound extremely dedicated and accomplished in many areas! As others have mentioned, you need to determine budget first and whether or not you are eligible for need-based aid and how much. Also, although your mother is not currently present in your life, the most generous and competitive schools typically ask for the CSS profile as well as FAFSA and non-custodial parental income is taken into account for the vast majority of CSS profile schools. If there has been little to no contact with the absent parent, you can request a waiver regarding that parent’s financials, but obtaining such waivers is by no means guaranteed and will involve documentation. Just putting that out there as you move forward.

If there is an insurmountable disconnect between your expected family contribution (EFC) and what your father can pay, then you will need to target schools that offer merit-based scholarships. These will vary from a few thousand dollars annually to full tuition (very competitive) and full ride (very scarce and even more competitive). Your best chances will be at schools where your stats put you in the top 25% of admitted students. Additionally, if you qualify for National Merit, there are some schools that offer full tuition (+) for NMF. There are also schools that offer auto-merit for stats.

Without knowing your financials, the best place to start would be your state flagship or public universities with strong honors programs that offer merit scholarships to OOS students.

12

@platypusomelette

The best thing you can do to “improve your outlook” is to study your options by asking yourself how your interest fit in with their programs. This is the part no one else can do for you. You must apply your critical perspectives to define your personal fit. Asks yourself questions and seek answers. We cannot formulate your questions, but custom matches can make a big difference. As you do this, you are building a solid foundation to write a better essay and to create a more impressive interview.

To purchase the right vehicle, you need to be in the drivers seat. A good match will shine through!

13

Great recommendations above, and I totally agree with the comment in #11 that the best thing you can do to improve your outlook is to be self reflective about yourself and your interests and then look at schools that will work best for YOU. You can go go lots of great schools (assuming affordability, which is a big factor) the key is to find the ones, and there will be multiple ones, that work well for YOU. An added bonus to using the admissions process as a time of self-reflection–learning about yourself and what is important to you–is that finding good answers will pretty much automatically mean that your essays will be stronger because they will be a reflection of your true self, so will read more authentically and probably more passionately, and will be well suited to the schools that are a good fit for you. Achieving that, I think, would mean a lot more than a few points on a test score.

Let me give you an example. One of mine is, like yourself, a very good student, and also very social throughout K-12. We visited several outstanding national universities. We revisited one that has a strong intellectual environment/vibe. My spouse, who was with them on that trip, sat with them on a bench on campus for a couple of hours, watching campus life go by. It made mine think that at that school their intellectual side would probably become more pronounced. In contrast, some of the other schools were more social, more Greek etc. So it made them think about that dynamic and whether they would want to be in a place where one or the other would be emphasized more. They ended up going to a school they had not seen at that point, one that has a more intellectual vibe, and they’ve become more intellectual, it’s all working great, and they sort of had a revelation on that bench. So that can happen, and it’s a very healthy, developmentally appropriate way to approach the transition to college. (And great for your essays!) Good luck!

14

You have impressive achievements but I’m going to caution you that you run the risk of burning out. Are you doing all this stuff with the goal of getting into top colleges, or out of genuine interest?

Almost nothing you did before your freshman year counts for your college applications. Don’t assume it does.

Colleges don’t care about NY Regents. Why are you planning on three SAT 2’s? Hardly anyone wants three, and if they do, they usually want Physics or Math 2, not two Bio scores. Why thirteen APs?

You joined in May 2017, so by now you might be aware that having a boatload of APs isn’t a boost to getting into tippy top colleges. You have already taken 8 AP classes, so there is no reason to cram five more into your senior year, especially when colleges expect you to maintain high grades. You will also have a class called College Applications 101. This class gets you no credit and takes up many hours. You need to prepare essays and applications carefully, especially if applying to top schools.They want you to show why you’re a good fit for that college. You will have supplements that will require thought and time.

You are going to need a well-balanced list of good bet and match schools. If you plan to apply to many high reach schools, assuming that one will work out, you might be in for a rude awakening.

I am not trying to downplay what you’ve accomplished, which is impressive. Many long-time CC posters have seen profiles similar to yours. We’ve also seen some awfully disappointed students come the end of March, so plan wisely. Be sure you apply to colleges you really like, that are affordable, and that you are likely to get into, as well as some potential reaches. College admissions now is very different from when your parents attended, and legacy isn’t as helpful as it used to be. Best of luck to you in the college process.

15

Wow thank you for all your suggestions!! Unfortunately I actually didn’t know how much APs mattered to colleges and I kind of just took all of them because of what my counselors told me. I might consider lowering my workload for next year. How much of a chance do I actually have at ED’ing cornell? Does anyone have suggestions for what I should look for in an ED school?

16

Oh also I’ve noticed oxford and cambridge have higher admission rates yet are still good for bio? How might that work out?

17

^ that’s because you can only apply to one, should have taken AP biology, AP physics and AP chem (with 5s), AND still will have either or both of an oral exam/written exam to take and pass. So the applicants are highly self selected.

18

The OP should take into account what his highschool GCs are recommending in terms of classes senior year. An important component of the application package is the rigor of the student’s courses. At some schools, a full slate of AP courses is the norm to get the highest rigor notation.

19

OP do not take BioM subject test. Really, a waste of your time and money.

20

For Oxford and Cambridge, are you looking at their regular admission rates, or US international students admission rates?