I Apologize for this really long post...CHANCE PLEASE!

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>I'd appreciate any help! Thanks! I am trying to get a better idea of what is in my reach for when I apply to college next year. (I'll be a senior in the fall)</p>

<p>State: Massachusetts
Ethnicity: White
High School: Catholic School- sends several kids to ivies each year, and many to top schools (approximately 250 students in my grade)
GPA: I'm not really sure what my GPA is... I know that we weight averages, and do it on a 100-point scale.
Class Rank: first decile (I'm fourth in my class, but that doesn't get reported)</p>

<p>SAT 2310 (800CR, 760M, 750W) Taking again, just for my own sanity because I know I can do better on writing</p>

<p>ACT- taking in June
SAT II- taking in June
PSAT 228 (hopefully good enough for semifinalist)</p>

<p>Classes/Grades- (My school has five levels of classes, CP, CP1, H, H1, and AP. Freshmen and Sophomores cannot take APs and you are only allowed to take 3 APs in a year)</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
Honors 1 World History I 97
Honors 1 English I 89 (bleehhhhh only B ever)
Honors 1 Algebra II and Trig 94
Honors 1 French I 97
Honors 1 Biology 98
Graphic Design 96
Religion (required) 98</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
Honors 1 Chemistry I 98
Honors 1 French II 98
Honors 1 World History II 96
Honors 1 US History I 96
Honors 1 Geometry 96
Honors 1 English II 97
Religion (required) 97
Studio Art II 95</p>

<p>Junior Year: (all A's... lowest APUSH which will be a 92)
AP Biology
AP US History
Honors 1 Anatomy and Physiology
Honors 1 English III
Honors 1 French III
Religion (required)</p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule:
AP Chemistry
AP US Government
AP Calculus AB
Honors 1 Literature and Composition (senior English)
Honors 1 Physics
Honors 1 French IV
Social Justice/ yearlong service internship</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: (I'm predicting what I will participate in next year)
Student Council (10,11,12) Class President (11), Student Council President (12)...student council is a big deal at my school and we do a lot; This is definitely my favorite EC
House of Compassion (10,11,12). Volunteer at a home for low-income AIDS patients
Teach CCD (9-12)
School Newspaper Writer (10-12)
St Vincent De Paul (9-11)
Boy Scouts (9-12) Will be an Eagle Scout this year (hopefully)
Soccer (9,10)
Track (9,10)
Cross Country (11, 12)
Work at the local minor league baseball park concession stand (11,12). This is why I quit track this year. Possibly will be getting a second job.</p>

<p>Summer- This summer I will continue working. I will also teach CCD over the summer.</p>

<p>Awards/Honors-
Honor Roll
National Honor Society
La Societe Honoraire du Francais (VP 11)
Mu Alpha Theta
Science National Honor Society
English National Honor Society
History Honor Society
Regional Science Fair 1st place (10)
State Science Fair 3rd place (10)
Community Youth Appreciation Award (11)
...yeah I am kind of lacking in this section.</p>

<p>Two main concerns about applying to college-
- There is nothing to make me really stand out against the other applicants (I am white, middle class, do a lot of typical things... even though it's what I enjoy doing)
- The other people in my grade are extremely smart and talented. I'm afraid that if I apply to the same schools as the people in my grade who have better GPAs than I do (3 people at least), colleges will not look at me as a strong applicant</p>

<p>Anything I should do better next year?
What are my chances for top schools? Specifically I'm looking at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, Northwestern, Georgetown, Tufts. I want to eventually go to medical school, but I plan to major in political science.</p>

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<p>If you want to go to medical school, why would you go to a top school? You will go there, rank in the lowest decile, and be looked at poorly by medical school admissions commitees. Instead, go to a practical, reasonable school, shine there, own your MCATs, and go to a good medical school. No reason to go to Harvard because Med school DOES NOT determine prestige of residency. I know countless people from “normal” colleges who have gone to top residency programs. Just an idea…</p>

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<p>Thank you for your advice. I will definitely be applying to many schools that I would love to attend, but that are not “top” schools. I want to go to the college where I am happiest, and where I will receive the best education possible. I know quite a few people who have gotten into good med schools from both “top” schools and from not-so-top schools. I think that wherever I go, my college experience will be what I make it. And if I can’t pull things together to get into medical school, then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.</p>

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<p>Any other comments/advice?</p>

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<p>@Diagnostician Don’t medical schools have better consideration for top undergraduate universities. And don’t top medical schools help you get better residencies?</p>

<p>You should apply to ivies, but don’t be optimistic about HYP especially. Georgetown and Tufts are within reach.</p>

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<p>@dblazer not. at. all. My mom went to an okay-ish college/medschool 6 year program. It is ranked not at all high (but not very low… probably a little less than #180 in the nation or something), but because it wasn’t very high, she stood out and was valedictorian. Then she did her residency at Johns Hopkins, the #1 place for med school/residency in the country. So no, that’s not true.</p>

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<p>Ok, I thought the undergrad mattered somewhat, but hey i guess it helps with med school courses. @born2dance94, I wasn’t suggesting that it’s not possible for someone to get a good residency from a worse school, I just thought that top med schools would have more top residency matches. Did your mom go to the UMKC program (just wondering)?</p>

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<p>@dblazer I have no clue. lol sorry. All I know is she put it as her top choice and was matched for it almost immediately.</p>

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<p>why the hell arent you taking something biology/medicine related in 12th grade???
do some art (music, drama, etc.)
you need to somehow show you are not like all the middle class kids, organize some charity event, write a book, get a job, etc.</p>

<p>other than that, GPA is great, courses are great, leadership is great, sports are great SATs are great</p>

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