Hi, I am currently a junior in high school and am trying to find some colleges that would be a good fit. I’m just having a hard time finding realistic options for myself, so I figured I would come on and see if anyone had any suggestions! I’m new here so bear with me if I mess something up.
Stats:
3.975 unweighted GPA, 4.08 weighted
34 ACT (35 English, 32 math, 35 reading, 32 science) and a 10 on the essay
1390 SAT (720 reading/writing, 670 math), 7/6/8 on the essay
Courses:
For my freshman and sophomore years, I was taking 4 honors classes (math, science, ELA, history). My school doesn’t offer AP until 11th grade, so this year I took AP bio, AP stats, AP Lang, and IB Spanish 4.
Extracurriculars:
My main extracurricular is horseback riding. I compete locally and have been riding for the past 9 years.
NHS
Class executive board
Science club
I play guitar
During the summers I work as a camp counselor for a horse camp.
Schools I am currently looking at:
University of Michigan (my favorite at this point)
UNC-Chapel Hill
Boston University (not quite sure about this one)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
As of right now, I am most interested in studying biology. I am pretty open minded to virtually any school, but I would prefer that it be of a medium/large size. Also, I am looking to stay in the midwest or the east side of the US. I know this might be vague but I really am open to trying anything.
Does anyone have recommendations for safeties/matches/reach schools?
I really appreciate anyone that took the time to read all of that. The whole process is starting to get overwhelming, and this is just the start!
You should have a few schools on your list that will certainly take you. Perhaps a local school that takes a lot of kids from your school, a state school where your stats will get you in. Places where your choice of Major will be supported. That’s going to be the tough part of your search. Once you have that corner covered, (and if you can get EA or rolling Admissions to cinch those options, so much the better) , you can go for broke on your other schools.
Some kids I know who have your numbers, picked a top ED choice because they had one. Then had some competitive Schools as well as those likely schools on their list
In my state, Binghamton and Buffalo are good choices to have as choices early. Add Michigan, Fordham, Tulane, Villanova as some more selective EA choices. Then a ED school like Emory or Rice or Dartmouth or Penn if that is what you want. If you really want put your hat into the ring for a single choice EA school to up your chances for admission to one of them, you have to shuffle your priorities accordingly.
Michigan is a bit touchy on EA for OOSers. I’ve seen some puzzling EA deferrals from them. Wisconsin is a good choice for you as a match as is BU.
Duke has good biology - not as big a school but should probably be on the list. University of Pennsylvania ranked high in biology. University of Pittsburg, maybe William and Mary and Boston College.
Biology is one of the most common undergraduate majors. Any solid school will have a solid biology program. You should be focusing on what you’re looking for in a university as a whole, not any specific biology department.
@cptofthehouse That was really helpful, thank you. I am very fortunate to not have to worry too much about financial constraints - obviously, the lower the price the better, but I’m trying to start with finding a college that aligns with my capabilities/interests and then work on financials from there. I am from Michigan so I will definitely start to add some schools like GVSU to my list to make sure I have something to fall back on if all else fails.
Brandeis, Tufts, Boston College, and Wake Forest all come to mind as good options. They’re all mid-sized schools with solid undergraduate teaching and very respectable science programs.
@albertsax Yeah, that is a good point. It is definitely not difficult to find a solid biology program, I just figured I would throw it out there in case people were wondering. I have mostly been trying to find schools that are realistic for my academic capabilities and then research and make visits to see if they match my personal wishes and needs.
If you say that you don’t have to worry “too much” about financial constraints, that implies that you still have constraints. Some schools will be about $75k/year. Have your parents said that they are willing to spend $300k on your education? If you are out of state, Michigan will be around $65k/year. Wisconsin is $55k. One of the biggest mistakes that students do is not to consider cost early enough.
@Eeyore123 My plan right now is to make a list of a variety of schools that fit my academic profile and are realistic options in terms of admittance. That is why I came on here, to get suggestions based upon my academics. Once I have done that, I will take my list and start comparing financials between the schools with my parents. Not disregarding financials, just finding a starting point. Cost is definitely something I will be concentrating on very soon and is my next priority.
You can shoot for some of the Ivies. Have these be your reach schools. Then take a look at Vanderbilt, Georgetown, etc as likely possibilities and NYU, BC, BU, GW as sure bets.
@kak1300 - If you are female, look at Mt. Holyoke - smaller than your ideal but solid academics including STEM, and you can take courses from a consortium of schools including Amherst, UMASS Amherst, Smith, and Hampshire. A storybook campus that projects both gravitas but also a down to earth vibe. They also have a solid equestrian program http://athletics.mtholyoke.edu/sports/equest/index
@kak1300 Following up the previous poster, ask yourself what you want to do with a biology degree. Research? Medicine? Do you want to merge your love of horses and biology and pursue a career in equine care? Here is the story of a 2019 grad who double majored in biology and gender studies at Mt. Holyoke. She will attend Tufts Veterinary School. https://blog.mtholyoke.edu/thegates/my-mount-holy-oak-ride
Being a Michigan resident gives you some very strong affordable options. UMich of course, MSU and any of the directional state schools. That makes for a good start. Get those applications off early. Then look at other schools.
You should get some idea as to what your family is expected to pay. Run some NPCs for done schools you have in mind. If it turns out the schools consider you full pay, unless they have enough merit awards that will bring the cost down to what your parents will cover, it may not be a good idea to apply there. Also parents who can, will sometimes break the bank to pay for Harvard but balk at paying for Haverford and Hartwick. Better to get all that on the table now.
I say this because I see it time and again My dear friend’s marvelous DD has s wonderful set of schools that accepted her. Parents divorced and mom and stepdad very limited on what they could pay, but the NCP dad had deep pockets. So no financial aid. And he refused to pay for those schools. Emory, Oberlin, BC just didn’t strike the chords for him. He would have paid for Ivy and had and did for his other kids. But as far as he was concerned State U where she got merit was the best choice.
