<p>This is my first time posting so I'm not familiar with how this works but here I go...</p>
<p>I'm currently a rising senior about to apply to colleges soon and I'm interested in pursuing a path in medicine.</p>
<p>Info about me as an applicant:
I have a 4.74 weighted and 3.95 unweighted (1 B in Freshmen year spanish), completed 80 hours community service at the HCGH NICU, held an internship junior year at a local Pediatrics Office and did a research project through the Intern/Mentor program my county has, will (hopefully) be doing another internship next year in genetics and lateral gene transfer (I'm waiting on the response atm). </p>
<p>Main extracurriculars- I've been playing violin in the Baltimore Symphony Youth for two years (this is my second year... been playing violin for 9 years), also part of my school orchestra, Public Relations officer of my schools chapter of FBLA, Ambassador of Hawk Solutions (a group at my school who handles funding for student projects) and VP of the Intern/Mentor Program Leadership Team.</p>
<p>My high school is extremely competitive so I don't think I'll be too high up on class rank- maybe around 20? Results will be out I think beginning of Senior Year.</p>
<p>ATM my biggest problem is my SAT score... I got a 1930 my first try but I'd never studied for it a day in my life... I'm taking it again in October and I think I'll avg a 2100 or 2200 (depending on how hard I work this summer). I will be taking Math 2 and Bio subject tests in November.</p>
<p>I'm interested in applying to some accelerated medical programs (Penn State in particular) because I'd really like to get into the real world of medicine as soon as I can... But, I'd like to hear from people who have had experience in these programs. How are my chances of getting accepted and is the program worth it? </p>
<p>My other top choice has been Cornell because they are top in bio and stem cell research and have a pretty cool Honors program. Would it be a better experience to do a normal med-track (4 years undergrad, 4 med school) or do an accelerated? I'm really set on specializing in surgical and I don't want to be 40 by the time I start actually doing surgery...</p>
<p>Thanks for reading this far and I hope you guys can help me out because this whole college thing is freaking me out! </p>
<p>SAT/ACT grades have little to do with studying, although test familiarization will help your score sometimes. 1930 to 2200 would be a rare achievement, not unheard of, but rare.</p>
<p>Given your likely score (2050 would be a good guess for a maximum), not your desired one, BS/MD programs and maybe even Cornell are long shots. You’re welcome to try, and good luck, but have a Plan B.</p>
<p>From talking to colleges, you need around 750’s on your SAT scores to be competitive.</p>
<p>BUT, in the mean time, make sure you volunteer in a medical setting and possibly shadow some doctors. Even if you don’t make it in an accelerated program you can go the “normal” way.</p>
<p>Billions are spent each year by those who believe it, but the data says that great increases are rare. And I say this as a parent of a kid who went through tutoring for the ACT and managed to squeeze out another 2.5 points on her cumulative. She’s got testing issues, which is a different problem, but after correcting the initial strategy problems, there just wasn’t any more to be had. It wasn’t a matter of knowing the material, it was a matter of spitting it out fast enough correctly, which is difficult to develop except over very long time horizons.</p>
<p>I had one of those rare children. maybe it was just that I’m such a skillful teacher with a wonderful rapport with high schoolers, even my own. doesn’t seem likely. I know SAT prep people who have had similar success with students, and I have learned from them. If the student is not committed, however, the results will not be what you want. I don’t know that I could do it again with someone else’s committed kid, so I hear what you’re saying about averages and outliers. congratulations on the +2.5, @MrMom62.</p>
<p>Thanks, but we were actually hoping for 5, that would put her test score even with what I know her IQ to be, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Worked out okay though, the 2.5 still got her into where she wanted to go.</p>
<p>I hear what you’re saying as well - it does happen, but it’s rare. I know a family who recent got their kid to improve by 4 pts on the ACT, but that was a case of test anxiety. I just think if you’re testing skills are adequate, big gains, particularly at the top end, are just very, very tough and students shouldn’t plan on it. I think it’s much more common for high GPA kids to be shocked by how inflated their GPA really is when they take the SAT/ACT for the first time.</p>
<p>I’ve been doing SAT work everyday now and I’m already becoming more familiar with the test… I am averaging 2100 on the practice tests and it will most likely be steadily increasing. I think it was unfimiliarity with the test questions that caused me to do poorly… I’m a calc student so I forgot everything that was on the math section but I’m working on it! </p>
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