<p>I also suggest looking at the Fairtest.org (test-optional colleges) and CTCL.org (“Colleges That Change Lives”) for a few additional suggestions like Earlham, College of Wooster, et al. They are progressive colleges that are often very generous with merit and need-based aid for under-represented minorities.</p>
<p>Oh, and what about Oberlin? They make it a point of pride to help kids in exactly the OP’s situation.</p>
<p>Lots of good advice here. I think you have different concerns you need to be aware of: cost, rigor and “fit.”</p>
<p>Cost: do you know what your expected financial contribution (EFC) will be at the state schools where you’ve already been accepted? If your family can’t afford to contribute anything at all towards your education (and with 3 kids still at home and a household income of $20,000 it sounds like maybe they can’t), then you need to find as close to a full ride as possible, or else your parents will be taking out loans which I’m sure they also don’t want to do. Especially if you’re going on to med school, you need to limit your debt as much as possible.</p>
<p>Rigor: I agree with the above posts that you may find your school hasn’t prepared you adequately for what a competitive college will ask of you. Don’t feel bad if you need assistance and tutoring – it’s not a comment on you, but on your high school. Pay attention to how well you do on those SAT2’s - that will give you an idea of how prepared you are. However, if you’re ready to meet the challenge, I wouldn’t let that hold you back from a school like Harvard. Ironically, it may be the big state schools that are more problematic for you if they don’t have the mentoring and tutoring programs that private schools have (I don’t know whether the specific schools you’ve applied to have those – it might be a good idea to check that out).</p>
<p>Fit: do you have any opportunity to visit campuses? Obviously this would be after you’ve applied since apps are due soon. I don’t suggest you find the money for a plane ticket to Harvard – but maybe there are some local campuses you could drive to, just to get a feel for how a big state school feels different from a small private school. Even if these are not campuses you’ve even applied to, just experiencing those differences between types of schools can help you if you’re trying to decide between different acceptances in April.</p>
<p>Finally, you should be proud of yourself! Even if I didn’t know your background and the odds you’ve overcome, I’d be impressed with your good attitude and with how articulate and sensible you sound. I am sure you will go far and do very well. Personally I am pulling for you to get into Harvard – please come back tomorrow evening and let us know! 
</p>
<p>OP, you should look at Centre College in Kentucky. It is located about 1 1/2 hours from Cincinnati, so depending on where you live in Ohio, not too far from you. They have a brand new program called Grissom Scholars that provides full tuition scholarships for 10 first generation college students plus an additional $5000 in educational enrichment funds. Depending on financial need it can also pay for room, board and books. Here’s a link to the info:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.centre.edu/admission-aid/cost-aid/scholarships/grissom-scholars-program/”>http://www.centre.edu/admission-aid/cost-aid/scholarships/grissom-scholars-program/</a></p>
<p>Centre is ranked #45 on US News and World Report and has an excellent med. school admission rate. They also have a posse contingent from Boston so that may make you feel more comfortable there. They are working very hard to increase diversity so IMO you would be a very attractive candidate for their Grissom Scholarship. It wouldn’t hurt to apply because the application is free.</p>
<p>^ This is an excellent suggestion. Centre college would have the advantage of a smaller more supportive environment,
I was not aware of this opportunity, but it looks fantastic. </p>
<p>Hi, OP. First of all, congratulations on overcoming what sound like some long odds. I don’t know the aid situation at any of these places, but the first schools that came to mind were U-Illinois, Wisconsin, and Boston University, any of which I think you’d have an excellent shot of getting into, and all of which are slightly more competitive than the ones you’ve gotten into without being super-elite.</p>
<p>I also want to add that ANY of the schools you’ve mentioned would be places where you could get a wonderful education, and all sound like they would be a big step up from your high school. Good luck!</p>
<p>@Jalaquan: The HBCUs - Howard and Morehouse - are great choices as are the Ohio publics. My D is pre-med as well. What matters to med schools is your MCAT score, that you took the pre-med courses, your overall GPA and pre-med GPA, letters of rec, and that you got involved in your community - volunteering, leadership in clubs, research, etc. It’s not so much about which undergrad institution you attend as long as it’s accredited and well respected. All those identified on this thread fit that profile.</p>
<p>Once you get your financial aid letters (March/April), look at which colleges offers the LEAST amount of debt over all 4 years. With an additional 4 years of medical school, you need to think in terms of 8 years of college funding. If one of your choices offers a full ride (tuition, room and board, etc.), then take it. Think of it as getting a serious discount on your 8 years of ed. The best advice we got was to get to med school with low to no debt. Also, research which schools will offer you tutoring, transition to college support and so on. Best of luck, Dr. Jalaquan! </p>
<p>hey folks- this student has a 27 ACT, a good fit for many good U’s. A school closer to home than some may be useful for transportation costs and being able to visit. </p>
<p>Good idea to check on the student who chose Howard. Large schools can have enough students to find like minded students. I also feel as though this student can thrive wherever he (figure you’re a guy) he chooses to go. Nice to be with other high level students in one’s ethnic group but also with local/instate folks. Not all minorities need coddling, this guy has already proven he can do well without ideal support.</p>
<p>Medical school is an intention, not a major- you will figure out your major within biology or other fields once you are in college. You can change your major and for medical school you can major in anything as long as you do well in the required courses for admissions. Most considering medical school enjoy sciences (I was a chemistry major- and am a woman, the tales I can tell about the days when there were few of us…). Do be sure to take plenty of fun electives to enrich yourself- you are a whole person not just a person wanting to be a physician. Courses like art history, music appreciation, literature et al benefit you and there won’t be time in your lifer later to learn these like you can in college.</p>
<p>Everyone here has been very kind. I want to thank you all for taking the time out of your day to help me.</p>
<p>I have typed up every college mentioned in this thread in Word, and tomorrow I will go over the them with my counselor to see if she has any opinions on them, and I will also look up all of their deadlines(I’m assuming most will be Dec 31 if not earlier). So I have a plan that I will start to carry out tomorrow!</p>
<p>Whatever college I ultimately decide on attending, I will immediately look for resources, such as tutoring, mentoring, etc. Well, actually, I will do that before I make a final decision. I never really thought about colleges in terms on size, but as @dustypig said, there will probably be fewer tutoring and mentoring programs at larger schools, so a smaller school may be beneficial. I will just have to see which schools I have applied too( and the ones on this thread) offer such resources. </p>
<p>I see diversity was brought up as well. I, personally, don’t mind how diverse the college is. Whether it be more white people or more black, asian, etc. as long as the school itself feels right, I am okay with any proportion of the ethnicity. </p>
<p>@Knoxpatch I see exactly what mean. I would most definitely like to make it through undergrad debt-free because I know most medical students must take out loans. I would like to minimize the loan effect.</p>
<p>@Pennylane2011 I will come back to this thread( or maybe I will message some of you instead) when I see how much each school is offering. I understand that some colleges have net price calculators, so I assume I could estimate how much aid I would receive from those. I will also pay attention to how they they distribute their aid( I looked at one net price calculator and it showed that it would expect me to take out a certain amount of money in loans to contribute).</p>
<p>Tomorrow, I will let you all know what Harvard’s decision is. </p>
<p>If there is anyone else wanting to chime in on this thread, please do! You all have been a big help.</p>
<p>Definitely look at Centre. Top 50 liberal arts school, excellent merit and need-based aid. You would be an asset to that school, and they very likely would reward you financially for your accomplishments and the diversity you bring to the school. My D has no hook and Centre is a top choice, coming from Colorado! Excellent school. Good luck!</p>
<p>Another vote for adding an application to Oberlin. Check if any of the colleges have programs to pay for you to visit them. When considering colleges, consider whether you want a partying atmosphere or a more studious one. Also consider whether you want a large university or a smaller liberal arts college. Smaller classes might be beneficial in either setting and class size info is easily available. Think about what you’d like to do aside from academics as well. In looking at your ACT scores, I would suggest some dual-enrollment math courses to help firm up your math foundation as you’ll need calculus for pre-med. I’m sure your guidance counselor has included an explanation regarding your freshman grades, so I wouldn’t worry about that affecting your chances. What you’ve been doing since counts much more. Keep up the good work! </p>
<p>Franklin & Marshall and Eckerd are also worth considering. F & M meets full need, but run the NPCs on all potential applications. </p>
<p>And please tell us how it all goes!! :)</p>
<p>All schools have net price calculators. </p>
<p>OP, My D reminded me about Fisk. It has a pre-med program in conjunction with nearby (across the street) Meharry Medical College, which is also an HBCU. We toured Fisk last summer and were very impressed. It’s a very small college and the admin and instructors work hard to keep kids on track. The students we spoke to love being there. Also, your grades and scores should get you some impressive merit aid there, AND you can take classes at Vanderbilt, Tennessee State and I think others. Here is the link to the pre-medical program (it’s not a guarantee to the medical school, but you work towards it in a specific program).</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.fisk.edu/academics/pre-professional-program/pre-medicine-and-pre-dental”>http://www.fisk.edu/academics/pre-professional-program/pre-medicine-and-pre-dental</a></p>
<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I got my Harvard decisions back. I was deferred. </p>
<p>@Jalaquan - don’t get discouraged; if you look on the SCEA-Harvard thread you will see a lot of really talented company in that category. Now onward to other options!</p>
<p>@Jalaquan - don’t get discouraged; if you look on the SCEA-Harvard thread you will see a lot of really talented company in that category. Now onward to other options!</p>
<p>Yes- do not give up. So many very qualified applicants on that “deferred list”- and a limited number of spots at Harvard, but there are many ways for students to reach their goals. </p>
<p>@Jalaquan I sent you an email a few days ago…hope you got it</p>
<p>Have you considered Miami of Ohio? There’s a program for students whose families are low-income that inclkudes mentoring, and there is an automatic merit award for which you’d qualify. My guess is that one would qualify for one or the other, but not both. These are in addition to financial aid awards.</p>
<p><a href=“Costs, Scholarships, and Financial Aid | Miami University”>Costs, Scholarships, and Financial Aid | Miami University;
<a href=“Scholarships | Costs and Financial Aid | Miami University”>Scholarships | Costs and Financial Aid | Miami University;
<p>Best of luck and congrats on your success.</p>