Not sure where to apply anymore.

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Originally MIT was my dream school, however I feel like I am HIGHLY unlikely to gain admission. In addition, one of my teachers kind of turned me off to it as did one of my friends. They both talked about the pressure of being among tons of students who are as smart as me or better than me, the general work of taking MIT classes, and the slim likelihood of being able to do research when both of the above are true (research is my end goal). I was interested in MIT for the the ability to work alongside other intellectuals, alongside people who are at the top of their field, and for their efforts in open education (MIT OCW, Khanacademy created by an alumni, etc). The prestige of MIT is something to consider as well.</p>

<p>The girl that I love is going to apply to Stanford and is likely to get in (valedictorian, 4.0, AP classes, drum major, debate president, etc) so I was considering Berkeley as it is near-ish to Stanford. Berkeley is a great school on its own and has a good bio program and holds many values that I myself hold.</p>

<p>My science research (experimental science) teacher encouraged me to look at the University of South Florida. He said that with his connections and my abilities that I could start doing paid research very early into my academic career. In addition, he stated that I am much more likely to get scholarships and financial aid.</p>

<p>Basically, I don't know where to go. And this is only considering a few Universities... there are many more potential universities that may not have even crossed my mind...</p>

<p>I'd very much appreciate some assistance in the matter of choosing schools to apply to.
Thank you in advance.</p>

<p>Overall these are my priorities for choosing a university:
1. Quality of education and intellectual atmosphere
2. Finances and scholarships
3. Early research opportunity
4. Location (Florida, South California, or New Jersey/New York)
5. Other stuff</p>

<hr>

<p>Personal Info:</p>

<p>Age: 17
Class: Senior
Residency: Florida
Intended Major/Interests: I am interested in getting degrees in biochemistry, neuroscience, and/or other similar majors. I am interested in these majors because I am not only interested in the science of cognition (and modification of cognition) as well as aging and life extension, but because biology as a whole interests me.</p>

<hr>

<p>Family Info:</p>

<p>My family hasn't been incredibly stable. I've lived with my mom since the age of four and she had not ever held a job for more than a few weeks. Our income has been consistently nigh nonexistent. I've moved about half-a-dozen times since I moved to Florida at the age of 11, usually switching between apartments, my Grandma's house, or elsewhere.</p>

<hr>

<p>Statistics and Test Scores</p>

<p>GPA entering senior year: ~3.45 unweighted, ~3.9 weighted.
Unweighted Class Rank entering senior year: 90 of 256 :(</p>

<p>First SAT:
*<em>Total: 2250
*</em>Math: 790
*<em>CR: 750
*</em>Writing: 710 (6/12 essay, -1 MC)</p>

<p>Second SAT:
**Scheduled for October.</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests:
**Biology and Math 2 - Scheduled for November. </p>

<p>First ACT:
**Composite: 33</p>

<p>Second ACT:
**Composite: 36</p>

<p>Advanced Placement:
<strong>Taken as a Sophomore, 2011:
**</strong>WH - 3</p>

<p><strong>Taken as a Junior, 2012:
</strong>USH - 4
<strong><em>English Language - 4
*</em></strong>U.S. Government - 5
*Environmental Science - 5</p>

<p><strong>To be taken as a Senior, 2013:
**</strong>Calculus AB
*<strong><em>Biology
*</em></strong>English Literature
*<strong><em>Psychology
*</em></strong>Statistics</p>

<hr>

<p>Detailed Classes:</p>

<p>Seventh Grade:
**Science Research - No credit afaik</p>

<p>Eighth Grade:
*<em>Science Research - No credit afaik
*</em>Spanish 1
**Algebra 1 Honors</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
*<em>Geometry
*</em>Drafting and Design 1
*<em>English 1 Honors
*</em>World History Honors
*<em>Biology Honors
*</em>ROTC 1
**Career Research and Study Skills (Required Course...)</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
*<em>Algebra 2
*</em>English 2 Honors
*<em>AP World History
*</em>Chemistry Honors - AP not offered
*<em>Communications Technology 1
*</em>ROTC 2
*<em>Driver's Education - 1 semester
*</em>Computer Science - 1 semester
**Spanish 2 Honors</p>

<p>Sophomore/Junior Summer:
*<em>Dual Enrollment 'College Algebra' at a community college.
*</em> Dual Enrollment 'Success Strategies for College and Life' at a community college.</p>

<p>Junior Year:
*<em>AP English Language
*</em>AP U.S. History
*<em>AP U.S. Government
*</em>AP Environmental Science
*<em>Precalculus (Honors)
*</em>ROTC 3
**Physics Honors - AP not offered</p>

<p>Senior Year:
*<em>AP Biology
*</em>AP Statistics
*<em>AP Psychology
*</em>AP English Literature
*<em>AP Calculus AB
*</em>AP Calculus BC - Semester 2
*<em>Experimental Science Honors 1
*</em>Experimental Science Honors 2
**Economics Honors - 1 semester - AP not offered</p>

<hr>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Won an 'inventor competition' in an elementary school gifted program competition for designing a futuristic rover that made use of materials such as fullerenes.
Third place in engineering at county science fair in 8th grade. Also won a 500$ savings bond + award certificate from an engineering corporation.</p>

<p>Mu Alpha Theta for 11th and 12th grade. Highest score in school-wide tests. (Not the AMC, just a school-wide thing.)
Member of both Robotics Club and Computer Science Club in 12th grade.
Debate club member in 11th and 12th grade.
Founder and current President of our school's Secular Humanist Society.</p>

<p>24 hours of volunteer service for Relay for Life.
Upwards of 30 volunteer hours from ROTC and tutoring. I'm not sure of the exact number.
"Hey _____... I just want to say thank u for everything u did for me with my Math grade! Ur the best tutor I've ever had! So THANK YOU! " - Email quote from one of my peers.</p>

<p>Was the flight commander of an ROTC class in 9th grade. Flight sergeant for a one or two semesters. Element leader for most of the other semesters. Founder and original team captain of ROTC Academic Team that made it to national, but I wasn't able to go to the finals myself and an alternate took my place.</p>

<p>Not sure how much this counts, but I own a business in a program/game called 'Second Life' selling programs/scripts. I've learned some pretty decent linear algebra through programming as well as critical thinking and computer engineering (from transistors, instruction sets, and assembly to caching and branch prediction). I have written, for example, ray-box, point-sphere, point-box, point-cylinder, point-capsule, point-cone, and other similar intersection algorithms that make heavy use of linear algebra. The scripts I make are actually some of the most efficient on the 'grid' (the world of Second Life), and I take pride in that.</p>

2

<p>

Though your GF may be brilliant it is still unlikely for her to get into Stanford.<br>

It is even more unlikely for you to get into MIT. Your grades and class rank don’t support it.</p>

<p>UC Berkeley would cost you >$50K/year and you have very little chance at any merit aid there. [UC</a> Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships Office Cost of Attendance](<a href=“http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/home/cost.htm]UC”>http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/home/cost.htm)</p>

<p>Your science teacher is correct in encouraging you to look at USF.</p>

<p>You might also want to look at schools in these threads for potential merit aid:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Your GF chances at Stanford are still low.</p>

<p>You will not be able to afford Berkeley. It’s an OOS public and wil not give you aid that covers the OOS portion of tuition. Even if you somehow were given some merit money, it would go towards the instate COA rate…not the OOS rate. </p>

<p>Don’t choose a school based on your GF. The two of you may be split by frosh/soph year. </p>

<p>I see that you have an interest in science/research…what would your major be?</p>

<p>You need to apply to:</p>

<p>1) Schools that meet need…MIT, ivies, Vandy, Duke, etc.</p>

<p>2) Schools that will give you HUGE merit for your stats…at least full tuition. (are you a NMSF??) If you get HUGE merit, then a Pell Grant, work-study, and a Stafford loan will cover the rest of your costs.</p>

<p>3) Florida publics…with Bright Futures, merit scholarships, and federal aid (Pell, etc) you should have costs covered. </p>

<p>I would not suggest going toooooo far from home, unless you get into a full need school like the ivies, Vandy, Duke, etc. Traveling across the country can become VERY expensive for a student who isn’t attending a super generous full need school. </p>

<p>What is your major?</p>

4

<p>Thank you both for the help!</p>

<p>My major will likely be biochemistry or neuroscience, or at the least something along those lines.</p>

<p>I figure a florida public school will probably be for the best, yeah. I’m looking at USF at the moment.</p>

<p>Do you know of any scholarships or anything that I might be particularly eligible for with a 36 composite on the ACT?</p>

5

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>^Here is a thread about automatic scholarships! You should be eligible for some of those with your ACT score, although some require a high GPA and a high ACT/SAT score.</p>

6

<p>Are you a NMSF?</p>

<p>With an ACT 36, there are some schools that would give you substantial merit. </p>

<p>You don’t need to just limit yourself to USF. UMiami might give you huge merit for a 36…and once you add in BF and fed aid, you might have costs covered.</p>

7

<p>Some automatic full rides here that may be worth considering for safety purposes:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>University of Alabama - Huntsville is an example – full ride with GPA of 3.0 and ACT of 34.</p>

<p>The only Florida school on that list is Florida A&M, but your 3.45 GPA misses its 3.50 GPA minimum (ACT 27 needed for the full ride). If the deadline to apply with scholarship consideration is after when you have one more semester to raise your GPA, it may be a possibility (ask them about the deadline if you are interested).</p>

8

<p>Your unweighted GPA and ranking may keep you out of top schools.</p>

<p>If you apply now to Univ of Alabama with an ACT 35 and select biochem or similar (something in Arts and Sciences), then you’ll get free tuition…AND…you may qualify for the bonus scholarship of $4k per year for your ACT score…but apply now for best chances at that bonus.</p>

<p>With those scholarships, a Pell Grant, work study and a small student loan you’d have your costs covered.</p>