Applying to:
Johns Hopkins University (ED) Biomedical Engineering/Public Health
USC Biomedical Engineering
UC Berkeley Public Health
UC Davis Biomedical Engineering/Biochemical Engineering
UC Irvine Biomedical Engineering/Public Health
UC Riverside Bioengineering (BS+ MS0/Bioengineering
UCLA Bioengineering/pre-psychobiology
UCSD Biomedical engineering/Public Health
Cal Poly SLO Biomedical Engineering
CSULB Bioengineering
SDSU Public Health
GPA: 3.55 UW 3.69 W
ACT: 30 Super-scored 32 (plan on retaking it two more times)
SAT 2: Math2C 610 Chem 500
AP Courses:
AP Environmental Science
AP Psychology
AP Calculus AB
AP Government
AP Macroeconomics
AP Biology
Extracurriculars:
Completed Community Service all four years
First-year wrestler and made Varsity wrestling sophomore year
President of Jewish Student Union (part of club 4 years, president 2 years)
Secretary for Med Club (Part of club 4 years, Secretary 3 years)
Outreach Manager for Business club (started club)
Secretary for Spanish Club (Part of club for two years, secretary for 2)
Publicity for CSF (Part of organization for 4 years)
Internship for medicine summer entering senior year
Shadowed Doctors all four years
Tutoring
I also have work experience
I plan on majoring in Biomedical Engineering and move on to medical school. Since the majors I have applied for are competitive and my profile isn’t as competitive, please let me know of any alternative majors I should apply as (less competitive) so I have a chance of getting in and transferring majors to BME. Despite sounding bad, I want to go to a school where this is grade inflation. I hear UCLA, Davis, CSULB, and SDSU are known to do so and JHU, USC, Cal tend to deflate your GPA.
Please let me know of which schools I will definitely get into. Moreover, if I don’t get into the schools I want (UCLA, SD, USC, JHU) I plan on going to my community college and transferring. Is that wise? Also, if I were to do that, is cc easy? (can I get a 3.7-4.0 at cc)
I am also looking at schools that do no deflate GPAs, lol. It is so I can get into law school, and my undergrad learning does not matter nearly as much. I’m guessing you have been to gradeinflation.com?
Berkeley, UCLA, and USC are reaches. You have a decent shot at the other UC’s. Cal poly and SDSU are matches.
Your profile: unhooked applicant with a 3.55 UW, a 32 ACT (30 for schools that don’t superscore), and bad scores on the SAT II (610 on Math II is below the 25th percentile IIRC).
JHU? No.
UC Berkeley? No.
UCLA? Unlikely.
UCs in general: dicey unless you’re a resident.
Don’t know enough about the rest to chance you properly.
There are thousands of universities in the US. You should look at some alternatives to the 4 you list as “schools you want,” because there is a wide range between JHU and community colleges. For a majority of majors - and BME is one of them - it matters little where you go for undergrad.
I do not think you have any realistic chance to get into the schools which you mentioned were most interested (UCLA, SD, USC, JHU). Going to CC and then transferring, is a better option. But to be successful in transferring, needs a lot of hard work and commitment! Are you ready for that?
In addition to what everyone else has said, you’re applying to bioengineering majors and you received a 620 on Math II and a 500 in Chem? You really need to think more realistically and look at other majors.
Cal Poly SLO is a Reach with a less than 10% acceptance rate for BME. Your best chances are UCR/CSULB/SDSU. UCI/UCD are Low Reach due to lower than average GPA and UC’s do not superscore the ACT.
USC/UCSD/UCLA and UCB are also Reach schools. Not sure about JHU.
Going the CCC route is fine if you are not happy with your acceptances, but if you are in need of financial aid, the best aid will come as a Freshman.
I understand that my chances for acceptance at most of the schools I am applying to is slim, but do you know an alternative major that may improve my chances and is easy to transfer back into BME once accepted?