Coursework
ap calc, regents science, honors science (so dual science)
Awards
none… : (
Extracurriculars
robotics captain, science olympiad member, pursuing outside of school research. My outside of school research has a very linear trend and is aligned with my interests strongly.
Essays/LORs/Other
my writing is pretty good- 8/10
LORs 1- 7/10 2- 7/10 3- 8/10
Cost Constraints / Budget
since I am international, under 25k per year. I would not be eligible for scholarships too
Schools
I am thinking purdue, BU, UIUC
those may be reach…
Thoughts
I know my gpa is very bad… and because of my intl status, I’m limited to the things I can apply and do as well. my financial status is also not very good right now. I am thinking I will go somewhere with a great program for the majors I like, and either transfer, or apply somewhere good after undergrad, as I want to go to medical school after. I really feel like I messed up with my gpa… I was always a good student, but covid and undiagnosed adhd hit hard enough, along with lots of familial issues barring me from performing at school. I’m very frustrated and I want to do all I can before senior year rolls around.
I can’t speak to BU but Purdue and UIUC are both reaches for engineering and won’t come in close to your budget.
Generally speaking it’s extremely unlikely for an international student needing financial aid to find safety and match schools in the US, even with much higher stats.
Hopefully another poster will chime in with suggestions.
I agree with others that BU, Purdue, and UIUC are not feasible.
Staying in-state probably makes the most sense. I encourage you to consider attending Community College for two years and then transfer to a CUNY or SUNY. Is there a CC close enough to your home where you could commute?
You said your budget is $25k, but then also said your financial status is not good right now…have your parents said the $25k per year is doable?
I really want to attend some sort of university where I can find opportunity to conduct research and have a diverse variety of classes that interest me… is that not feasible with my gpa?
yes, the financial status is just for right now, but we can do 25k a year
You are so, so lucky to qualify for in-state tuition at SUNY & CUNY, with so many ABET certified campus options! I seriously doubt that you will find a better bargain with your status and stats. The thing about engineering is that you don’t need a fancy label- ABET will open all the doors.
That said, an engineering UG is arguably the hardest path to medical school:
the first cuts are done on straight numbers (GPA & MCAT) and getting a super high GPA in engineering is very challenging;
and
getting all of the pre-reqs done (including both the coursework and the hands-on experience time) is harder, because engineering courses tend to be highly structured, with not a lot of open time in the schedule to fit in the pre-med elements. It can be done! but it is a very demanding path.
eta: an engineering degree does not lend itself to taking “a diverse variety of classes” for the same reasons noted above!
thanks for letting me know!
I think I want to go to a suny. how about bing?
hmm thats good to consider, however, what other major would I pursue? it is what I like and I really want to apply biomed engineering to medicine. do you have other suggestions?
I see what you mean- what exact pre-med elements do you think med schools look for?
I see what you mean with diverse variety of classes. I think I was looking for a bunch of good engineering and pre-med programs that would allow me to learn and explore in a wide variety of feilds but now I see the time constraints. However, I still really like the majors I listed… : (
Both schools admit by division and entry to engineering is much, much more competitive than the overall university admission rates. And, neither give much in terms of financial aid to out of state applicants so both will be $40K+/year.
OP- you need to sit down with your guidance counselor and get some advice from someone who has seen kids from your school with profiles like yours. In a NYC public school, it won’t be hard to get help re: SUNY’s and CUNY.
do you guys think that I can do something with my extracurriculars during the summer? currently I do have research I will conduct during the summer and I really am genuinely passionate about it… I’m just worried about my gpa being the factor colleges are confused about.
I understand though, if my gpa is a red flag for colleges.
Do you think I could possibly attend a suny and then transfer out to another colleges after 2 years? is that feasible?
You can take the required courses for medical school applicants with just about any major, and at just about any college.
What do medical schools look for? Well…you are sort of putting the cart before the horse, because medical schools look at things you have done during college not high school. You will need:
High college GPA and sGPA.
High MCAT score
Completion of all prerequisite courses with high grades.
Significant volunteer time with underprivileged populations.
Shadowing doctor(s)
Some kind of volunteer or paid work with direct patient contact.
Great LOR.
Great interview should you get that far!
I’m sure I’ve left something out…so I’ll flag @WayOutWestMom to add.
My free advice…find an affordable undergrad school with a variety of majors from which to choose. Many many folks starting as premed never even apply. And of those who do apply, only 40% get even 1 acceptance.
And if you are planning medical school…think about why! If it’s to “help people” you need to have a plan B as does every other potential premed. There are tons of other health related careers you should look at. Some require only a two year degree, or a certification course…and some compensate very well! They also don’t take over 10 years to complete.
Bing will be tough with a 3.0, last year’s incoming class mid 50% GPA was 3.7-3.9. Does your HS use Naviance or Scoir? If so, that will be your best source for categorizing schools.
The good news is there are many good SUNYs and CUNYs that will accept you. I second speaking with your HS GC, and sybbie719 will help when she gets here.
You could definitely transfer if you do well at a SUNY/CUNY, but as others have said, you probably won’t find a better price. You can achieve all of your goals from SUNYs/CUNYs, including going to med school.
But, as an international student, med school in the US is highly unlikely…many med schools don’t accept international students, and those that do mostly accept Canadians. Is a green card/permanent residency in your future? @wayoutwestmom can share more.
I want to be able to stand out to potential medical schools. I am not very familiar with the process- but I find your advice in the post above is accurate. Also, does the college you attend for undergrad matter for medical schools? Is that something they look at, to determine your capability? I know I can do very well at a SUNY and I realize there are way more opportunities at colleges than at high school, so I can build up my knowledge more. I’ve been hearing that it doesn’t matter where you complete your undergrad, though.
What advice do you have for me now? I still want to build up before college apps. That gpa is not representative of me and my counselor and I have made some changes. Other than that, what else should I be doing?
My school does use naviance. Most of the schools that have great engineering/tech programs are all reaches/high reaches due to my gpa. the SAT I am retaking 1-2 more times to improve that score- my english is 710 and my math is 610.
I am not sure… green cards are increasingly rare/difficult. I face self-deportation at age 21 if I do not recieve some sot of work visa, student visa, or green card. I am probably going to get a student visa, and then apply for a work visa so I can support myself and pay for tuition.
I am thinking of applying to med school overseas, instead of just the US too. Is that a good idea?
What math will you have senior year? What have your math grades been?
I ask because as a prospective engineer have a solid math foundation is critical to success.
Your visa situation will impact med school possibilities…so yes, applying overseas makes sense. It’s likely your visa situation will also impact your undergrad years as you may be 21 during your junior/senior years correct?
Just know getting a student visa when you turn 21 often requires returning to your home country to make that happen…and depending on the country that can come with it’s own set of risks. I encourage you to figure this out sooner rather than later. Maybe someone who is more knowledgeable in this area can chime in.
As noted…international students really don’t get accepted to medical schools here. Plus there is the issue of paying for medical school her as an international. By the time you get there, many med schools will be $100,000 a year. International students are not eligible for U.S. federally funded loans. So…where will that money come from?
If you go to medical school in another country, choose a country where you actually want to practice medicine. It is increasingly harder and harder for international students to get residencies here.
And adding…if you take your undergrad degree in another country, medical schools here will NOT accept those courses.
for senior year I will have multivariable calc
my math grades have been improving. I really like math, however, the format of my classes (random unit to unit, no explanation of formulas) has been hard. I am however helping myself and improving my math grades immensely from when I was not able to give school my entire attention.
I really like math when it’s applied to some real-life concept and can be explained- like in robotics and statistics.
Yes, I would be 21 during my undergrad years. My parents have been telling me that it is possible to actually finish the process of gaining a student visa in the US itself.
Another thing to consider is whether I should apply for undergrad in another country like canada, but I really doubt that I would be accepted considering my gpa…