I am an IB diploma student (hard courses) but I have a 3.5 GPA which is good but not great. However, I have 750+ on Biology, Math, and Chemistry Subject SATs, a 35 composite on ACT, and many great extracurriculars.
Some of my extracurriculars:
Working in a lab at Seattle Children’s Research Institue (I go for about 8 hours a week during the school year and 40 hours a week during the Summer)
Starting my own Non-Profit organization that works to recycle used crayons from restaurants
Creating my own review company and managing people in order to keep a blog and youtube channel
Fixing broken phones/devices and flipping them on eBay
Qualifying for the international health competition: HOSA
Organizing and speaking at a TEDx Event
My top two choices for colleges are John’s Hopkins University and Georgia Tech and I want to major in Bioengineering and minor in business. The only concern I have is my GPA, I’ve just never been interested in my non-science classes which caused this lower average. I know that I can write strong essays and give strong interviews to compensate for this low score but is there anything else I can do? Also, do you believe I have a fighting/competitive application if I apply with the items above?
Is your GPA weighted on unweighted? Your ECs and test scores are good. The schools will be a reach but with compelling essays, I wouldn’t rule them out. (But do find some safeties.) If your grades are strong in STEM classes that can help. I have a son with very strong STEM grades but never excelled in world languages and they always pulled down his GPA. He did get into one of the schools you are looking at.
What is your money situation like? Ask your parents to help you run the Net Price Calculators at those universities’ websites, and talk about your family could make them affordable. Getting in is only part of it.
I wouldn’t bother with GTek or JHU. I think they are out of reach for BioMedEng. If you were going for ElectricalEng perhaps, but their BiomEng is too much of a reach.
Reach - Duke, UPenn
Match - RPI, CaseWestern, Northwestern, Boston U, Rose H, Olin, Bucknell, Cooper. In that order.
Are you from Washington State? If so, wouldn’t the University of Washington be a safety, and Washington State University even safer?
It seems that with two solid and very good safeties, you also apply to GATech and Hopkins as reaches, seek out a couple of matches, and you have your safeties that are very good universities. Obviously if you are in Seattle you also have three very good universities very nearby but on the other side of the border (two of which are particularly affordable).
As others have said, you need to consider financial issues (which are likely to vary widely among the various universities that have been mentioned on this thread).
BME happens to be one of the toughest programs to get into and complete at JHU. This, combined with the fact that they are academic stats-heavy (focus more on grades and test scores when evaluating applicants), renders them a high reach for you. I would not say that it is out of reach and that you shouldn’t apply, since your ECs seem pretty unique, but be sure to apply to some match and safety schools as well in case. Your GPA does not fare too well for JHU, but if you really want to go, you should apply ED (better chances). Good luck! I would appreciate it if you could chance me back here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1995754-chance-me-low-gpa-rank-cornell-rice-wash-u-ucla-etc-p1.html Thanks!
Emory’s has BME program joined with GTech is ranked 2 in the nation. I think GTech’s solo BME program is not top 5. Also Rice, U Miami, University of Washington, and BU are great options for you.
BioEngineering at UW is a high reach. Only a dozen or so get direct to department admission each year. Direct admit to school of engineering (and competing to get into BME later) is a “regular” reach, but then you aren’t guaranteed a slot in your preferred major, just that some department in the school of engineering will take you.
Your GPA is slightly on the low side so I think if it’s possible, you have to try raising your GPA because that’s an integral part of your application. Your standardized test scores are good, though. I think JHU is definitely a reach, and Georgia Tech seems to be a low reach. At this point, it depends on your recs and essay. Also, it seems that you do a lot of EC’s outside of school, but what about leadership in in-school clubs?