Please chance me for top schools!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi there!</p>

<p>In this post I'm asking for advice as much as for my chances. I know this is a long post but please bear with me. I really appreciate it, thank you very much!</p>

<p>I'm currently a grade 11 student at a very gifted high school in Toronto, Canada, though I'm originally from Texas. I have aspirations for medical research and will be applying to accelerated med programs in the States such as PLME (Program in Liberal Medical Education at Brown) and HPME (Honours Program in Medical Education at Northwestern) as well as a program of similar prestige and caliber in Canada (the QuARMS program at Queen's). I may also apply to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland as students are also directly accepted from high school and complete a six-year program which grants them an M.D. However, this is obviously not my top choice.</p>

<p>I'd also like to apply to some top schools for purely undergraduate studies if I decide that it might be better for me to take the traditional path to med school instead of trying to save a few years. I spent a summer at Stanford University taking classes in Debating, Chinese Culture and Language, and others, between grades 9 and 10 as I used to be enrolled in their EPGY Online High School program, and absolutely loved it. I ended up dropping out of the EPGY with 65-80 averages because I was taking 3/4 of a courseload with them, and 3/4 of a courseload at my regular school. Those grades don't show up on my current Canadian transcript but I'm worried that Stanford will have record of it if I try to apply there. I've had a great "rebound" so I don't know if my history with Stanford will work to my advantage or not. Another reason I really want to apply to Stanford is their option to create your own major. I want to go into astrochemistry and do medical research in space. My initial goal was to double major in both astronomy and chemistry but it would be great if I were able to combine those into a single major. I don't know if this is a possibility at any other schools, I have only heard of it for Stanford. </p>

<p>I am also really interested to applying to Cambridge University and the Imperial College of London in England. Cambridge was my dream school all through elementary and middle school until I actually started doing some research and found out you could only study one subject there. I decided not to apply but am now rethinking that decision because I'm wondering if I could possibly create my own astronomy/chemistry major there. Same goes for Imperial College. </p>

<p>So, therefore, I would appreciate it so much if anyone could chance me with these:
Stanford University
Brown University (PLME)
Northwestern University (HPME)
Cambridge University
Oxford University
Imperial College of London
Maybe Caltech, MIT, or Yale?
Any other top schools/accelerated med programs that you think might be a good match for me.
Safeties:
University of Toronto
University of Texas at Austin
McGill University (Montreal)
Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland)</p>

<p>Classes:
We don't really do GPA in Ontario but I have approx. between a 95-97% average. There aren't specific 'AP' or 'Honours' classes but at my gifted high school all grade 12 classes are taught at an AP level (even if it isn't in the name) so I would assume all grade 11 classes are at Honours level.</p>

<p>All high school credits (the number after shows the corresponding grade level for the class, some with no numbers have all levels of high schoolers taking them, some with 1-4 show difficulty level, not for grade level).
Grade 8 - French 11, Intro to Communications Technology 9, French 11, Intro to Business 10
Grade 9 - Honours Chem and Mandarin 1 (both at Stanford OHS), Math 9 and 10 (I took one per semester), English 9 and 10 (again, one per semester), Foundations Science 9 and 10 (one per term, in Canada sciences are only specialized starting from 11th grade).
Grade 10 - Mandarin 2 (Stanford OHS), Biology 12 - AP level (I started the year with AP Bio at Stanford OHS. My marks were down to a 65-70 in the middle of the year so I switched to my regular high school and finished the credit there with high grades, still at AP level), French 12, Latin 1, Drama 10, Civics and Careers 10, Advanced Functions 12. (I also started the year taking Honours Physics through Stanford OHS, but my grades were so low in the course halfway through the year I started having emotional breakdowns and being severely depressed so I was advised to just drop the course.)
Grade 11 (Current Year) - Mandarin 11 (no longer at Stanford OHS, my school hired a new Mandarin teacher to come into my high school to teach), Physics 11, English 11, Chemistry 12, Challenge and Change 12 (equivalent to Psych, Socio, and Anthropology), Latin 2, French Civilization 12, Calculus 12.</p>

<p>SAT - Will be writing in January but I am aiming for a 2100 or higher.
APs: Bio - 3 (planning to retake this year, might get 4 or maybe 5 at best)
I am planning to take French and Mandarin either AP or SAT subject tests, and expect to get very high results in both as I am fluent in French and I'm not quite fluent in Mandarin, but my teacher thought I was at a second or third-year university level.
I may or may not take the Chemistry AP or SAT subject tests next year in the fall (I would probably do well in that as Chemistry is my best and most favourite subject).</p>

<p>ECs:
Black belt in taekwondo by age 11
Currently a yellow-badge level in Foil Fencing
Just started a mentorship with a chemistry professor at the University of Toronto where I will help her in the lab with her research, will last until the end of this school year.
Regular volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society.
Co-Editor in Chief of my school newspaper
Will be performing at my school Annual Fundraiser, I have taken singing lessons for 2 years but stopped last year.
I lived on the island of St. Martin in the Caribbean all through middle school, and now speak fluent French.
I travel almost every school break and have been all over the world, the notable trips being to Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Central America, Tunisia, all through Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Alaska, and others.</p>

<p>Awards:
Don't know if this would really count but in Grade 7 I won a provincial spelling competition for French as a second language.
Grade 8 Valedictorian Award
Grade 8 English Award
Grade 8 Principal's Award
I have three or four math competition medals and certificates as I have been writing math competitions every year since Grade 8 (Pascal, Fermat, etc).
NaNoWriMo winner 2012</p>

<p>Summer Volunteering:
-This past summer I was in Israel in the NFTY-EIE Summer High School program where I took classes on Jewish Culture and History (98), and Hebrew Language (100). I also got the opportunity to volunteer and rebuild the playground of an elementary school. I actually arrived in Israel a week before the war began and still stayed the entire length of the program. I went home a few weeks before the end of the war. I had a few scary experiences with missiles and will possibly incorporate that into some of my essays.
-This coming summer I have signed up for a 2-week volunteer program in China where for the first week I take Mandarin lessons and the other week I teach English to elementary students.
-This coming summer I am also going to volunteer at a hospital in Nepal for 4 weeks. It will be as much a volunteer opportunity as it will be to shadow actual doctors and figure out what areas of medicine I am interested in (we will be able to pick a few specialities and do rotations to work with doctors in each one).
-Before last summer, I earned volunteer hours every summer at my sleepover camp for helping with the younger campers.</p>

<p>Post continued in next comment.</p>

2

<p>All this being said, I would appreciate it so much if anyone could give me advice for what to do with my senior year. I have two options:
-I can continue at my current high school. The only compulsory credit I need to graduate right now is English 12. So next year I would probably take: English 12, Physics 12, Drama 12, Latin 3, and possibly another elective or two such as World Religions 12 or Philosophy 12. My guidance counselor is trying to arrange for me to take a few classes at the University of Toronto next year through contacts at the university, and if that works out I would take first-year Calculus, Chemistry, possibly French, Mandarin, or Astronomy. I would likely continue with my chemistry mentorship next year as well.
-My family has the option of moving to Shanghai next year. My parents put a huge importance on languages and, like when we lived in the Caribbean and I learned French, immersing myself in Chinese culture for a year will give me a high proficiency in Mandarin. I would attend the American School of Shanghai (which is semestered) and take Physics 12, either Stats 12 or some other fun math course, Mandarin Immersion, English 12, possibly one or two electives. At that point I could stay in Shanghai the whole year and take another math course and other electives the second term OR I may be able to take Class Afloat (a school on a boat!) for the second term and take some university courses such as Astronomy, Psychology, and others. Whether I would go on Class Afloat or not would depend on my Mandarin proficiency at the end of the first term. </p>

<p>Basically I feel as though the first option would look better for college applications but the second is what I really want to do. I’m quite conflicted.</p>

3

<p>I see you are interested in the PLME program at Brown. So was I…I would also suggest looking at Georgetown. It has a very similar program but you don’t have to apply until your sophomore year, giving you a bit more time to figure out if that is really what you want to do!</p>

4

<p>Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind, but it wouldn’t be my top choice.</p>

5

<p>Bump</p>

6

<p>Bump. I’ll chance back anyone who wants!!</p>

7

<p>Without SAT scores, it will be hard to chance you.</p>

8

<p>Well I’m only in grade 11 so I won’t be writing them until the spring. I put down my minimum score, 2100. You can’t chance me with that score, or just disregarding SATs?</p>

9

<p>I’ll start off by saying that your post really shows how little research on colleges in general you’ve done.</p>

<p>Anyway, some things you need to know:

  • Many LACs allow you to design your own major and even more allow you to combine two into one major. Are you disregarding LACs?
  • You’re not allowed to apply to both Oxford and Cambridge at the same time, and applying for Medicine is incredibly hard in the UK, at all universities for local students, let alone at the top universities for a foreign student. I would suggest some other course in the UK, or just stick to America and Canada.
  • Awards and ECs before 9th grade do not count.
  • If you’re set on applying to UK universities, you should choose 5 because you will be paying for the application for 5 universities, even if you’re only applying to two or three.
  • While your school choices do reflect your desire to study at a top school, it reflects very little else about what you’re looking for. Don’t just apply to the famous universities; there are amazing ones that aren’t as well known, most notably the top 20 LACs. </p>

<p>On to chances and related info.</p>

<p>SAT scores of 2100 (assuming you do attain that goal) is a little below the norm for a top school hopeful. If you could get 2250, you’d be fine with SATs. </p>

<p>GPA is great.</p>

<p>ECs are pretty good, but they don’t reflect your desire to study medicine. </p>

<p>About your essays, write about something that reflects a part of your identity. I agree an essay about being in the middle of a warzone would be pretty cool, but if it doesn’t say anything about you, it’s a waste of space.</p>

<p>All that said, you’ve picked top schools, and they’re reaches for everyone, but you are definitely in the running for all of them. I’m confused about why you put Toronto and McGill as safeties, although understandably, you know more about them than I do. Otherwise, anything with a below 20% acceptance rate is a reach for everyone.</p>

<p>UT Austin is more of a match than a safety, unless you have auto-admit.</p>

<p>If the above list is your entire college list at the moment, I would encourage you to choose some good matches, so that if you do get rejected to all your reaches, you won’t be stuck with safeties, that are likely to be of much less quality than some matches out there. I would also suggest you have a look at some LACs, if you haven’t yet, although they would fit you less if you’re set on an accelerated medical program. Harvey Mudd is a well known science-y LAC. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>Chance me? <a href=“Claremont Mckenna, Duke, Bucknell, Grinnell, UofR chances! - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1690007-claremont-mckenna-duke-bucknell-grinnell-uofr-chances-p1.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>Hey buddy thanks for the chance! I think you rain great shape as long as your essays are good and you hit 2100-2200 on your SAT.
Stanford University- Reach (Stanford is ridiculous)
Brown University (PLME)- High match
Northwestern University (HPME)- High match
Cambridge University- Ive heard that British schools really focus on SATs so try to get 2200+
Oxford University- Reach
Imperial College of London- High match
Maybe Caltech, MIT, or Yale?- All three are reaches, but Yale is probably your best bet (high match?)
Any other top schools/accelerated med programs that you think might be a good match for me.
Safeties:
University of Toronto- Match
University of Texas at Austin- Low match/ high safety
McGill University (Montreal)- High match (Maybe your underselling mcgill a little)
Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland)- (Safety) </p>

11

<p>The most important factor that is missing in your application is your SAT score. It is really really important for Brown, Northwestern, and Stanford. Since you are doing accelerated med, you also have to have stellar SAT II’s in Bio and probably Chem. I would say reach for everything except your safeties. Chance me please? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1705305-harvard-upenn-georgetown-uc-berkeley.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1705305-harvard-upenn-georgetown-uc-berkeley.html#latest&lt;/a&gt; :slight_smile: :slight_smile: </p>