Match me?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Welp, it seems that I can't stall this out any longer. Summer ends in 3 weeks for me, and college app's are closing in fast. Ugh.... here we go. I know I want to enter a scientific field, I literally cannot see myself doing anything else as an occupation. Given that information, I plan to major in Organic Chemistry, for three reasons. It ties in well with a potential future at Med School in terms of prep for MCAT and fulfilling prereq's, it's possible to go through and get a PhD in that field and find a well paid job, and finally, Chemistry is the central science, so it should be fairly easy to do Grad School in another related scientific field.</p>

<p>First Question: Is that a viable plan of action?
Second Question: Would I be able to enter a related Engineering Field easily with that degree? What might work better?</p>

<p>Assuming that it is a decent plan of action, the next step would be colleges. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Home State: Indiana</p>

<p>Unweighted Cumulative GPA: 3.6/3.7 (I honestly don't remember this one) taking as many Honors/AP/IB as possible
SAT Superscore: Math: 760 Writing: 720 CR: 670 Overall: 2150
SAT 2: Math 1: 780 Math 2: 760
ACT w/ Writing: 34/34/36/31 + 11 Overall: 34</p>

<p>AP Scores: </p>

<p>World 4
Euro 4
Comp Sci 4
Chem 4
Macro 4
Calc AB 4
I didn't take Physics B score</p>

<p>IB Scores: English and History won't come in until 2nd semester senior year</p>

<p>EC's: </p>

<p>Robotics Team Programming Co-Lead
Politics Club Board Member
NHS Member
Bioinformatics Research through SEED (we built a database which would be published before applications go out)
Job Experience in Website Design as a Developer
200+ Hours Volunteering at St. Vincents Physical Therapy</p>

<p>Letters of Rec: Can get from Doctors (probably), Professors, and Teachers (both definitely)</p>

<p>Finances: My parents are offering to foot the whole bill, but... aid would be much appreciated.</p>

<p>Third Question: Does me not taking the Physics B Exam hurt me and to what extent and I getting screwed over?
Fourth Question: Where should I apply for Organic Chemistry given those stats? Safeties, Matches, and Reaches?
Fifth Question: If Organic Chemistry isn't the best major for the plan I listed above, what should I do and where?
Sixth Question: Colleges really like published research, or so I'm told. Would my database qualify in that?</p>

<p>Thanks for your time! I'd be more than willing to offer any input in return for your advice here, feel free to ask! Also, sorry if I posted this in the wrong section of the forum.</p>

2

<p>If you’re truly interested in engineering you can major in ChemE and still go to medical school. As far as I know organic chemistry isn’t a major, it’s a class.</p>

<p>What is your income and how much do your parents want to pay?</p>

3

<p>I could technically major in anything and do med school, but ChemE is an incredibly difficult major as it is, I’m not sure the additional classes are feasible. My parents make 200k combined </p>

4

<p>Your parents probably make too much money to get you any need-based aid anywhere. If you’re asking schools for FA, then you need to plan on merit aid. If you’re not applying FA and you’ll be full pay, money shouldn’t enter into the search and you’ll possibly have a leg up on other applicants. So you need to ask your parents for their commitment to a firm amount each year and direct your search accordingly.</p>

<p>First Question: There is no major in organic chemistry of which I am aware. Your assurance that a PhD in OC or another science will get you a good salary for the rest of your life could be mistaken, especially if you enter industry rather than the academic track (where salaries will be a bit lower than industry’s). If Microsoft can lay off 16% of its workforce, everyone in industry ought to have an up-to-date resumé prepared tonight. OC jobs in the US are becoming more contractor-based. I know of an OC with 25 years of experience who was asked to work the midnight shift on the shop floor. Don’t rely on my anecdote: do some research into the changes in the industries that scientists work for.</p>

<p>Second Question: I don’t think so and I cannot think why a science degree would preclude you from an advanced engineering degree. Check the prerequisites graduate engineering programs desire.</p>

<p>Third Question: No, high school is not a preparatory school for any career.</p>

<p>Fourth Question: Lose or raise the SAT. The ACT is the stat you want. The GPA is low for the best colleges and unis but it doesn’t by itself exclude you necessarily. The ECs are fine but not stellar. I’d suggest that whatever you major in, you toss in a couple ivies/near ivies if you feel the need; your better chances are in sub-near ivy territory: that could be (I’ll name some schools I know, okay?): UMD-CP Honors, UPitt Honors, Tulane Honors, Lafayette, Rochester, RPI, Lehigh, Bucknell, Ohio State Honors, Penn State Honors, Case Western. Academic safeties: Colorado, RIT, UAlabama Honors, Arizona State Honors. If your parents agree to the whole enchilada, you reach for the sub-ivies: UMich, UCLA, UCB, Vandy, WashU.</p>

<p>Fifth Question: If you’re intent on med school rather than industry, choose a school with no grade deflation, major in whatever you want, but get a high GPA and take the med school req’d courses. Engineering is never a first choice for an easy path to a high GPA, and you don’t seem today so committed to engg that you’re very likely to score a 3.5+. Can you get a 3.5 in a field that doesn’t hold any interest for you? will you want to work in that field for the rest of your life (or until you can re-apply to med school successfully)?</p>

<p>Sixth Question: I cannot tell.</p>

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<p>Is that a major? or a tract?? I dont think it is a major.</p>

<p>Anyway…my son majored in Chemical Engineering and is now in med school…he did get a minor in Chem, but that wasnt necessary… It is a much more flexible major than Chemistry or Orgo (if that is a major???) </p>

<p>Advanced Ochem (such as Ochem III) is not necessary for the MCAT.</p>

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<p>If parents are offering, then likely you wont qualify for need based aid. But, with your stats, at SOME schools (not top schools), you could get some merit money. </p>

<p>will your parents pay for med school, too (another $200-300k) on top of paying that much for undergrad? </p>

<p>talk to your parents. Do they know that privates are costing over $60k per year now? That is a lot, even for their 200k income. They may not know that privates cost that much now.</p>

<p>Ask them about funding med school.</p>

<p>What state are you in?</p>

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<p>@jkeil911‌ </p>

<p>Would I be competitive for merit-based aid at the safeties you listed? Also, for the sub-ivies you listed, to what extent are they reaches for me? </p>

<p>@mom2collegekids‌ </p>

<p>OChem is more than just a weedout for Med School students. If it’s not offered directly as a major in a college, then it’s typically part of a “Biochemisty and Organic Chemistry” degree or some variation of that. I meant that the requirements for an OChem major, such as biology, genetics, etc overlap with the MCAT. How is ChemE more flexible than OChem? And, was it extremely difficult for him to get that high of a GPA in ChemE, which like it’s counterparts, is known for it’s difficulty? Also, my parents will go to any extreme in for funding. Finally, my home state is Indiana. </p>

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<p>OP, you will probably want to look at the net price calculators for schools you are interested in. It tells you what your likely cost of attendance is (although not so accurate if your parents are divorced, own a small business, or own rental property). Even if you don’t expect aid, it gives your parents a REAL number to look at. Lots of parents say they will pay, then sing a different tune in April when they see the actual cost of places where their kid was admitted. Much better to have that conversation this summer than after applications have gone in.</p>

8

<p>I think you can get into Purdue. It is affordable and offers good sciences and engineering programs. Many students pay more to get the same education. Save the money for graduate or medical school.</p>

9

<p>OP, you could probably get merit at schools like Grinnell. Maybe Purdue too, if you decide to stay in-state. If your parents want to help with med school as well, you NEED a cheap undergrad (otherwise they might have to dip into their retirement fund).</p>

<p>ChemE is more employable if you decide against med school—pays better than the traditional life sciences, too.</p>

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<p>@intparent‌ </p>

<p>We went through the price calculators a few times at some colleges, they didn’t back down. I don’t expect them too, but in the worst case scenario, having that financial aid would be useful. </p>

11

<p>@Bamboolong‌ </p>

<p>Purdue and IU were my safety schools, though I’m not sure which one to pick between the two.</p>

<p>@loquatical‌ </p>

<p>But is ChemE -> Med School a viable option, giving most engineering majors average ~3.1?</p>

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<p>“My parents make 200k combined”</p>

<p>Little chance to get FA. You should look for merit scholarships. Consider what jkeil911 said.</p>

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<p>UMD-CP Honors, UPitt Honors, Tulane Honors, Lafayette, Rochester, RPI, Lehigh, Bucknell, Ohio State Honors, Penn State Honors, Case Western. Academic safeties: Colorado, RIT, UAlabama Honors, Arizona State Honors. If your parents agree to the whole enchilada, you reach for the sub-ivies: UMich, UCLA, UCB, Vandy, WashU.</p>

<p>All of these schools offer merit to (OOS) students except perhaps Penn State, and the UCs.</p>

<p>Whether you would automatically qualify or have to compete with other applicants, and what your chances are, you’ll have to figure out. Here are a couple urls to help you decide:</p>

<p><a href=“Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

<p><a href=“Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

<p>For the latter one, go to the last page.</p>

14

<p>@jkeil911‌ </p>

<p>Thanks for the links, looking into it now. </p>

<p>Ignoring the financial part, what schools should I apply to with my stats? I’m making two separate lists, the other factoring in merit aid.</p>

15

<p>OP, you should run the NPCs at all schools… just saying, you will see a wide range in prices (up to $65K/year).</p>

16

<p>@intparent‌ </p>

<p>My parents have plans to sell their house and move back to India if that’s what it takes to get me through med school. To them, life is education. </p>

17

<p>Parents are ponying up the burrito supreme and you are majoring in ChemE:</p>

<p>Reach: UCB, UMich, UCLA, Vandy, WashU (more or less in that order)</p>

<p>Match: Penn State Honors, UMD-CP Honors, Ohio State Honors, Case Western, RPI, Lehigh, UPitt Honors (more or less in that order) </p>

<p>Safety: PSU Lite, UMN-TC (having these two as safeties? are you kidding me?)</p>

<p>The needs-merit list depends on how much you need and your likelihood of getting it.</p>

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<p>@jkeil911‌ </p>

<p>Is it necessarily bad to have those two as safeties on that list?</p>

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<p>come again?</p>

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<p>Have you talked to your parents about this? Do they expect you to pay part of the possible $400k+ towards your undergrad and grad schooling? Because that plan sounds utterly ridiculous.</p>