MY GOD... It's decision time (please help)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I applied, and was accepted to: UGA, Georgia Tech, Duke, MIT, Princeton, Naval Academy, West Point, Johns Hopkins
I applied, and was rejected to: Harvard and Yale (whether this was because I wrote the application while on a trip to the beach or because I really didn't deserve it, my bruised ego won't let me decide)</p>

<p>I am interested in biochemistry or biomedical engineering (or if I went to MIT, course 10-B, Chemical Engineering with Biology emphasis)</p>

<p>I am down to the wire, and I am out on a limb for any and all advice for a possible push in the right direction. I am not afraid to work hard, but I want a well rounded college experience. For what it may concern: 4.0 unweighted GPA, 2 Varsity Sports (All-American in one and National competition in the other), 100+ community service hours</p>

<p>I am possibly looking to premed, and I was recruited for D-1 crew at Harvard, Yale, and MIT (but alas, only MIT remains)</p>

<p>Any and all comments are welcome</p>

2

<p>MIT, that way you can row!</p>

3

<p>Navel Academy…I know a kid who goes there now (currently a sophomore). Absolutely amazing guy. The program is phenomenal. You should definitely go. He also does crew. It is so prestigious. Go and never look back!</p>

4

<p>Unless UGA and GT are much cheaper and finances are an issue, they don’t belong in that list. The USNA is awesome, but it is not for everybody. Duke, JHU, MIT and Princeton are academically excellent, but MIT and Princeton have the edge. I would chose between those two…and that is one tough decision.</p>

5

<p>Finances are sort of an issue, but I have been accepted to NROTC/ROTC at all above colleges and I have the Presidential Scholarship at GT</p>

<p>limabeans: USNA was my top choice for a long time (all of high school). There are amazing men and women who come out of the program, but through my senior year, my zeal of the Academies has been tempered. They are STRICT with capital letters and I don’t know if I want that kind of pressure for 4 years (I am more of a self-motivator).</p>

6

<p>I hear MIT’s ROTC program is excellent. I would go with MIT.</p>

7

<p>The iron man guy went to MIT. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>oneweek, out of curiosity, what was your stdized test results? and was your HS highly rated ?</p>

8

<p>35 superscored ACT (34 x2) with National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar</p>

<p>As for a highly ranked high school… nope. I am 1 of 115 seniors (small) and my school generally hits moderately ranked colleges with very few high tier schools (almost never Ivies).</p>

9

<p>The answer is very simple, you want a top notch, but well rounded school:</p>

<p>Princeton</p>

<p>You will also have the benefit that the crew teams are the best in the bunch that you got accepted at. For instance the lightweight Princeton crew was ranked #1 last year and this year.</p>

<p>This would be your department:</p>

<p>[Princeton</a> University – Chemical Engineering – Department Changes Name to “Chemical and Biological Engineering”](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/che/news/stories/2009/12-08-b/]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/che/news/stories/2009/12-08-b/)</p>

<p>how well do Princeton undergraduates do in Med School applications?</p>

<p>[Princeton</a> University - Dean of the College - FAQ](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/odoc/faculty/grading/faq/#comp000047219e980000000b7278c0]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/odoc/faculty/grading/faq/#comp000047219e980000000b7278c0)</p>

<p>about 91-94% of the Princeton students that apply to med school are accepted to at least one, with about 1/3 of those accepted students attending a top 10 med school.</p>

<p>in addition, this tell you a little about what type of average grades you need to get into med school from these colleges:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/886930-best-premed-schools-higher-acceptance-rates-med-schools-name-top-5-a-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/886930-best-premed-schools-higher-acceptance-rates-med-schools-name-top-5-a-2.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>Not even because I’m biased, but if you want a well-rounded education, I think Princeton is probably your answer.</p>

<p>If you wanted to focus on engineering more completely, or ROTC, or crew, then perhaps one of the other schools would suit you best, but Princeton would combine your interests in a way that other schools probably couldn’t.</p>

<p>You have great choices, though, and regardless of where you go I think you’ll be happy.</p>

11

<p>Princeton. You show no particularly affinity to serve our nation in uniform based on what you posted. You may well have that desire, but it wasnt expressed here. </p>

<p>Serving our nation in uniform with a free education at USNA or West Point is an honor and privilege. I strongly favor them. But since that apparently isnt your thing, then go to Princeton. You can try out for crew.</p>

12

<p>Einstein spent some of his best years at Princeton. :)</p>

<p>Maybe you can finish figuring out his GUT theory - while rowing your boat; think, man, think!</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.galactic-guide.com/articles/6R102.html[/url]”>http://www.galactic-guide.com/articles/6R102.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>seriously,</p>

<p>you said “well rounded college experience.”</p>

<p>Princeton would seem to do that.</p>

13

<p>Never really did get the appeal of Duke, you are above the average academic caliber of UGA and GT, West Point and USNA, besides being absolutely AMAZING schools, are probably not the atmosphere you seem to be looking for. MIT, also insanely amazing may not deliver the well rounded experience due to the super intense work load. I would narrow it to Princeton or Johns Hopkins. From there I would choose Princeton because the resources available there are slightly better than at JHU. They are also slightly better of an Engineering I do believe, I may be wrong, feel free to point it out. All of this from a kid who hates New Jersey too. Best of luck wherever you end up though.</p>

14

<p>If you are serious about Biomedical Engineering, JHU has an amazing program (but I am sure you knew that, they emphasized it on the tour I went on)</p>

15

<p>I seemed to have taken the same progression as the post. I have narrowed it down to Princeton, JHU, Duke, and MIT. From what I have heard, those who attend JHU generally are not happy with the intense workload, the city, the cutthroat attitude, and the professors (granted this is from only posts and a discussion with only one student). I loved MIT, but it was ONLY engineering, there seemed to be room for little else. As a result, I really have fallen between Princeton and Duke. They are both beautiful campuses, excellent schools and have great opportunities. </p>

<p>For clfdwir, the appeal of Duke lies in its “Ivy without the Ivy” attitude, the great southern environment (woods and weather), its Duke hospital research availability and excellent BME (#2 nationally ranked by US News/World Report), and a generally well rounded student population.
On the other hand, Princeton is Princeton, it has the name and the rankings. Additionally it has varsity crew.</p>

16

<p>

completely false.
with that said, I would narrow it down to Princeton, JHU, Duke.
If you want the well-rounded experience, go with Princeton.
If you are serious about BME, go with JHU
If you want a little of both, go with Duke, which I would say is somewhat of a fusion between JHU and Princeton, only with the extra fanatical bat-wing-crazy sports culture.</p>

17

<p>

Stick around these boards long enough and you’ll eventually encounter the Duke attitude. ;)</p>

<p>Why did you go to all the trouble applying for USNA and West Point if you aren’t going to even consider them? Something appealed to you when you applied, correct? Has your motivation changed? EDIT: Just read your post #5. NM</p>

<p>

I would lean to Princeton as well.</p>