Just had my junior meeting, is my GC crazy?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I perused this board back when I was a freshman, but now that it's <em>whoa</em> almost the end of junior year, I think that my stats are basically filled in. I just had my junior meeting at school, where you meet with you guidance counselor who tells you where she thinks you should apply. I think she has some very outdated perceptions of college admissions, but you tell me what you think:</p>

<p>Female from Long Island, public school. I want to be a psychiatrist, so I'm looking for premed with a french major. I didn't take the toughest possible program at my school. All the honors classes possible, but not all the APs possible. (As in history)</p>

<p>9th grade:
Global Honors (92?)
French 2R (98)
Earth Science R (92?)
Math AB Honors (89)
Choir (97?)
English 9H (95)
Orchestra (97) third chair cellist, but no NYSSMA or All County or anything
Independent Research H (100)</p>

<p>Participated in LISEF with "A Comparison of the Beta Adrenergic Receptor Among Chordates" basically, it was just punching numbers into a computer, I was a freshman, so nothing too fancy. Was asked to participate in the AMC, got the highest mark in my grade (which was an 89, nothing too exciting, but I still thought it was cool) Participated in the National French Contest, placed 4th regionally and nationally (yay!) Participated in Metmunc (model UN), Matheletes, and Winter and Spring Track, receiving Varsity letters for both, as well as scholar athlete honors. Participated in level 6 NYSSMA for voice, received a 96, no All County. Received best in class awards in English and French. Selected to be a Peer Mediator and a member of Peer Leadership.
Spent the summer working at Touro College doing a research project that I didn't end up completing.</p>

<p>10th grade:
French 3R (there's no honors) (96?)
Math B Honors (91)
English 10H (94)
Bio Honors (95)
Chemistry Honors (87)
Global 10H (94)
Orchestra (97) third chair again
Independent Research (100)</p>

<p>Took PSATs, honestly don't remember my scores. Inducted in to French Honor Society, participated in National French Contest, didn't place, tutored science through Science Honor Society (wasn't actually inducted because I didn't hand in my tutoring sheets), and later tutored math, participated in Science Olympiads (we went to states!!!) Member of Peer Mediation and Peer Leadership. Participated in Cross Country, Winter Track and Spring Track, captain for Winter and Spring seasons, scholar athlete honors again. spent the summer working at Stony Brook University on a research project, which I entered in LISEF in 11th grade. </p>

<p>11th grade: (these are current quarter grades)
French 4H (97)
English AP (93)
US Honors (91)
Precalculus Honors (92)
AP Bio (85)
Health (92)
Orchestra (99)
Independent Research (100)</p>

<p>SATs 690 CR 630 M 590 W
(first time, I'm taking them again in April, I’ve been taking practice tests from the blue book getting ~700, on math, so if that happened on the real test, that’d be really cool.)
PSATs 710 CR 600 M 650 W
Top 5% of my graduating class.</p>

<p>Just recently participated in National French exam, participated in LISEF with "The Effects of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide on Polyimides and Polypropylene," didn't get to the second round, selected to apply for a Simons Fellowship at Stony Brook University, received a mentor placement at Stony Brook for this summer after a competitive interview (yay!), Peer Mediator, tutoring math and french through french honor society, Participated in Winter Track (captain, scholar athlete), participated in science olympiads, captain of JV team for sciolymp, so I participated in those board meetings, selected to tutor cello through music honor society, even though I'm not in it (because you have to do NYSSMA)</p>

<p>Regents Grades:
French (94)
Global (96)
Earth Science (92)
Bio (95)
Chem (94)
Math A (90)
Math B (95)</p>

<p>Expected 12th Grade Schedule and EC stuff
French AP
English AP
Physics AP
Calc AB AP
AP Eco
Something in place of AP Gov
Health
Orchestra
Independent Research
Entering Intel and Siemens Westinghouse Competitions. President of Science Olympiad, officer of French Honor Society. Will take National French Exam, run winter/spring track (captain, scholar athlete), peer mediator, will continue to tutor, etc?</p>

<p>I definitely feel like there’s more, I guess it’s hard to put your entire high school experience on a message board. Anyway…</p>

<p>I’m planning to apply ED to the University of Rochester. My guidance counselor suggested these schools, and I think she’s crazy, but maybe I’m underestimating myself?</p>

<p>Rice
Vanderbilt
Carnegie Mellon
Lafayette
Tufts
UVa
Case Western Reserve
Brandeis
Middlebury</p>

<p>Thoughts? Thanks.</p>

2

<p>I think that is a good list for you, I agree with your GC. You might want to add a couple safeties/ safe matches but some of those will work out.</p>

3

<p>I think it is a somewhat reachy list given your SATs, but your grades and ECs might very well make up some of the difference. UVa is very numbers driven for out of state, and I would not think it is a very viable option unless your SATs go up to at least 2100. Similarly, Middlebury can be pretty demanding, though I think SATs are optional there. I would think Brandeis is a match or almost-match, and that Lafayette would be a comfortable match or semisafety. (I am basing my opinions on results that students at my children's school have had with these specific schools.) Also, though, why do you say you honestly do not remember your PSAT scores when you list them just under your SAT scores?</p>

4

<p>I think she meant that she couldn't remember her PSAT scores from 10th grade and the scores she listed are from 11th grade</p>

5

<p>Honestly, if you have a good feeling about any of the schools your GC suggested, who cares about whether or not you think you can get in? Just give it a shot and fill out their application. You never really know with colleges, those adcoms can be a bit kooky sometimes and you might just be what they're looking for. </p>

<p>You never know until you try. I say go for it.</p>

6

<p>Do you need merit money? If so, reconsider using Rochester as an ED. I think it's a very good school for you, but they tend not to give scholarship money to those who are accepted ED. Just take a look at the current Rochester listings, and you'll see that this is true.</p>

7

<p>it never hurts to try, but make sure you have some safety schools. and try to improve that SAT score. also, don't just go by the list your GC gave you. i suggest that you also research colleges on your own...figure out where you would feel comfortable, etc.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the replies! </p>

<p>No, I don't need merit money, although of course it'd be nice. And yes, the PSATs were from 11th grade. </p>

<p>I have researched schools on my own, and my list consists of Rochester, Dickinson, College Park, Tufts and Lafayette. I liked what I read about Rice, but I thought it was an unrealistic reach. (although I've never visited any of the schools. My sister's a senior, so she just finished the process herself, and my parents want to take a little break before we delve into it for me.)</p>

<p>My guidance counselor also suggested Wellesley. I'm not sure if I want to go the women's college path, but Wellesley's reputation as a science school, a language school, and a school in general, and (percieved by me from what I've read) more low-keyed social life are definite points of interest. This would be a crazy reach also, right?</p>

<p>I thought all the schools were reaches with the exception of Case, with Lafayette and Tufts being at least realistic. Is this the correct opinion? </p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

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<p>I love Wellesley with a passion. So, basically.. I'm going to pimp it no matter what, lol.</p>

<p>I think if you just up your SAT scores, you might actually have a shot.</p>

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<p>A friend of mine just got in to Lafayette, but waitlisted at Boston University. Since there's a discrepancy in their admissions percentages, and the kid was basically your everyday senior, it makes me think that college admissions is a lot more of a crapshoot than I thought it was. As a result, I ask, does anyone have any suggestions of random schools (preferbly in the northeast) that I may have overlooked? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

11

<p>Since you're quite certain you want to go to med school, you need to weigh the relative merits of having probably a lower GPA at a super-serious place like Rice vs. probably having a higher GPA at a place like Lafayette (fine school, but without the academic meat grinder atmosphere).</p>

<p>Usually Lafayette is lumped in with Bucknell, Colgate, and Lehigh, so those might be worth a look. If you are interested in all-female schools, Smith is good and significantly easier to get into than Wellesley. Bates and Colby in Maine are worth a look, as is Connecticut College. There are so many good colleges in the Northeast that you shouldn't settle for places that are only a so-so fit. You need to decide what your sincere preferences are regarding big or small, more urban or more rural, type of students you prefer to be around (more liberal or more conservative; prevalence of drug use; jockish/bookwormish, etc.). People on this site are eager to point you in the right direction, but you need to provide them with a little more info as to exactly what you have in mind.</p>

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<p>thanks for your comments TourGuide. I have looked at colleges since freshman year (!) and I've been fairly set on Rochester for a while. I'm just trying to keep my options open. I looked at Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh in the beginning (of course, this was all only based on websites, with my sister's college search, we couldn't visit schools for me) I think I'm rethinking the all female path. I talked it over with my mom, who said that an all female atmosphere probably wouldn't be the best path for me because I'm not really a party person, and that seems to be one of the only places for a student at a women's college to meet a guy. Of course, I'm not looking to find a future husband in college, but it would be nice to have some guy friends. It would probably be better for me to meet them in classes and discuss the subject matter of the class, and the professor etc. I looked at Bates and Colby both, Colby especially for the languages, but I read that there is a large drinking culture at Colby, and I definitely do not want to go to a school where there is a lot of drinking (of course, I know, a little drinking cannot be completely avoided, but I don't want it to be one of the centers of campus life.) Connecticut College just never grabbed me for some reason. Since I'm looking to apply to med school, I want the opportunity to get to know my professors. Therefore, I would lean towards a smaller school. Yet, I don't want such a small school that I would feel suffocated. I don't care at all about the urban/rural distinction. I think I can easily occupy myself in any environment, as long as I have friends. That'll happen at any school that's right for me, regardless of where it is in relation to a city. I'm definitely liberal myself, so I'd probably enjoy other liberals at school. As I said before, I don't want drug use or alcohol to be overly prevalent. I'm not really into sports too much myself, I run, that's about it, so I'd probably fit more into a "bookwormish" school. Yet, I'd probably want more of a preprofessional school as opposed to a real "intellectual" institution (like Chicago) because I'm looking to go to med school right after college, and I'm definitely not the kind of person that learns things just to learn. I like to be able to use what I've learned. </p>

<p>I hope that helps a little in terms of helping me find a fit in a college. My original intent in reposting on this thread though, was to bring up Brandeis University. I've started looking at it, and I think it might be a good fit for me (it's a medium sized science-y school with a good reputation, liberal students, not largely focused on drinking/drugs, it's near Boston, which can never hurt, I'd have the opportunity to do research as an undergrad...)
Does anyone have thoughts on Brandeis? Maybe my points on why it would fit for me are misconceptions? Based on my resume, goals and personality profile (lol) above, does anyone think it would be a good fit as well?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>Edit: wow, I just read on my original post that apparently Brandeis was in my original junior meeting packet for what my guidance counselor suggested. I didn't even realize. So maybe it would be a good option? I'm really not sure. Thanks for the help.</p>

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<p>My DD is at Rice, and it's not "super serious". Kids have a lot of fun and are very involved in club/intermural sports, creating plays, etc. Acceptance rates are much higher for non-Texans....</p>

14

<p>Anyone know anything about the languages at Brandeis? I like the fact that they have a really strong neuroscience program, and a popular psychology program as well as the strong sciences, and especially research opportunities! I have perused their website, and I even saw one professor who is doing work that is very similar to the work that I'm doing at SUNY Stonybrook for my research class this summer, so that's really cool that I could concievably continue that in college if Brandeis turns out to be the place for me.</p>

<p>But, I have thought for a while that I might want to major in French to compliment my premed studies. I haven't seen much on Brandeis with regards to languages, and I'm not sure if it's the best place for it. Does anyone know about their language department? I know it has a study abroad program, I don't though, know if it's a good one (i.e. some study abroad programs don't have much of a history, students aren't happy, sometimes it's even hard to get placement, idk.) it's a little hard to get all the info from the website, so if anyone could offer some information that'd be great. Thanks!</p>

15

<p>I think that you will be accepted at Rochester. Someone posted here with weak, borderline stats, and he got in. I was surprised. You seem to be in the middle of their range- should not have a problem. You are very consistent and not borderline. You have no weaknesses. I assume that you have a couple of safeties, maybe a SUNY? I think that you will be accepted at Brandeis, also.</p>

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<p>As it stands now, and of course, being a junior, I have time to revise it, my list is as follows:</p>

<p>Brandeis
Rochester
Dickinson
University of Maryland College Park</p>

<p>I know I have to expand it, and probably add safeties. I was looking into Rochester for so long that I didn't really build much of a list. I'm looking forward to visiting so that I can get the full picture.</p>

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<p>Have you looked at Goucher? Should be a safety for you. You can take courses at Johns Hopkins. Goucher also has an outstanding 18 month premed program for college graduates, so is probably good for undergrad premed. It is good for languages, too. It is located just outside of Baltimore, in Towson, a smaller city with a nice mall, etc.</p>

18

<p>All that independent research would, I think, look great to colleges. I wish my high school had a program like that; it would be a lot more interesting than the classes I'm taking now!</p>

19

<p>Just increase your SAT scores.</p>

20

<p>Definitely go for schools that you would love to go to, but aren't sure if you could get in. Just make sure you have back-up schools as well.</p>