Refining my college list: Vanderbilt, Rice, WashU, Vassar …

College Search & Selection
1

Dear all: I’m hoping to draft a balanced college list before senior fall, but at the moment it seems top-heavy so it would be helpful if you could suggest one or two target schools.

Current List:
Vanderbilt
Rice
WashU
Vassar
Emory
SUNY Stony Brook

Objective:
ACT: 36
SAT: Not sending
SAT II: Biology M (800) Math II (800)
UW GPA: 4.0
Rank: My school does not rank
AP: World (5), US (5), Lang (5), Bio (4), Physics 1 (4), Stat (4)
Senior Year Course Load: 4 APs, 2 SUPAs
Major Awards: national neuroscience competition, state history competition, published in a scientific journal
Common Awards: state violin awards, 2nd place at regional level ISEF, Scholastic Art & Writing Regional Silver Key, AP Scholar with Distinction, likely National Merit Semifinalist

Subjective:
Extracurriculars in order of commitment:
○ Cancer research intern
○ Neuroscience research intern
○ Science Honor Society (Secretary)
○ Relay for Life (Co-Captain)
○ National Honor Society (President)
○ Youth to Youth (Co-Leader)
○ Town’s Youth Drug & Alcohol Abuse Prevention team member
○ Art & Lit Magazine (Editor-in-Chief)
○ Model UN (Undersecretary)
○ Volunteer music instructor
○ Tri-M (President)
○ English, Math, History, & Language honor societies

Job/Work Experience: Paid research internship
Volunteer/Community Service: Music tutoring, mainly
Summer Experience: Research internships x3 years

Writing:
Essays: Not yet finalized; my Common App essay is neuroscience-themed and takes creative liberties, but it’s a good reflection of who I am and I can only hope that it comes across as heartfelt once I’m through editing it.
My recommendations haven’t yet been written but I have spent some time discussing them with the writers and they should, hopefully, not be a weak link in my application.

Other:
State: NY
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian (Chinese)
Gender: Female
Income Bracket Range: 100k
Prospective major: Neuroscience

Looking for…

ACADEMICS My game plan is to major in neuroscience and enroll in medical school after completing a four-year BA. As it follows, my criteria for undergrad includes cutting-edge research opportunities and strong health career counseling. Although I do favor private research universities, I am wholly open to exploring strong liberal arts colleges so long as they have the resources and are not rural. I would also appreciate a school where premed competition is not a zero-sum game because while I can thrive off of healthy competition, I want to be a part of a collaborative premed community.

ENVIRONMENT A low-stress academic environment and a hard-working but fun-loving coed student body are much preferred; size and brand-name matter little although the location should not be rural. I’m a sucker for beautiful campuses peppered with out-of-the-way study niches, well-funded labs, and big, breathtaking libraries. A diverse student population is also a must-have because, as they say, variety is the spice of life. And, to note, I have no strong opinions either way on the subject of Greek life.

COSTS Affordability is key. I don’t want my parents to pay over 25k/year for my undergraduate education, which is roughly what they’re shelling out for my brother at the moment. Big Brother’s in his junior year of university and my parents are already feeling overwhelmed despite his school’s generous FA package and the fact that his fees are expected to be halved next year when I start college. That being said, I’m looking for schools that meet 100% of need-based financial aid without loans, or schools that dole out generous merit-based aid. Regarding my current list of six schools, half are reaches but all are financially possible if their Net Price Calculators are more or less accurate. Vandy is very special to me and I would apply ED in a heartbeat if financial aid wasn’t a concern.

Target schools? Please and thank you.

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Hey there! A year ago I was in your position and had a top-heavy list of schools as well. In the end, I’m really glad that I added a few more target and safety schools because I didn’t do so well in terms of financial aid at a lot of the top schools I got accepted into.

Here are my recommendations for you:

University of Connecticut (UConn): Okay - I’m a little biased because this is the university I decided to attend in the fall. They offered me REALLY good financial aid and scholarships as an out-of-state student as well as loans with low interest rates (I’m from NJ). Also, I’m not a STEM major but I can say that UConn has amazing facilities for you. The campus is absolutely gorgeous although it’s rural (look it up on youtube!) and the student body is extremely passionate. Every single college I applied to was urban EXCEPT UConn – I realized that it was perfect for me because there aren’t too many distractions in town. Hartford, the capital city of CT, is easily accessible through a free bus service offered (about a 25 min ride). There are tons of clubs and activities on campus. The student body is definitely very hard-working, as I know that that is important to you. I have friends that currently attend – UConn students truly care about learning. I know this isn’t a private school, but it is a very diverse public research university that has so much to offer. I used to think all I wanted was a prestigious private school, but I realized that UConn has so many opportunities to thrive! You’re also a great candidate for the Honors Program which is an awesome program. Please give it a chance, it’s not an urban wonderland but it has so many great aspects!!

University of Pittsburgh: Not private but a well known research university with a diverse population. My best friend attends and she is majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. She is in the honors program and she loves the community of hard-working students. The campus is pretty urban but has some really pretty quads.

Boston University or Northeastern University : Two great schools in Boston. Full of hard-working students. I know they both have great programs for science majors. In my experience, I’ve found that Northeastern tends to give better merit scholarships to students and offers them spots in the honors program. A top student in my graduating class turned down more prestigious private schools for NU’s honors program – she’s majoring in engineering I believe. I’ve visited both schools and they have great facilities.

Best of luck to you! Enjoy senior year :slight_smile:

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@Marjolia
Vanderbilt- Low Reach
Rice- Low Reach
WashU- High Match
Vassar- Match
Emory- High Match
SUNY Stony Brook- Safety

I would add BU, BU, Tulane, U Rochester, Brandies

Because of your high stats you are at Risk for being yeild protected at schools that are considered Safeties. What will help is apply ED to one of these schools.
Also Emory and Wash U have the best Neuroscience majors on your list so far.

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Only on CC would a 36 and 4.0 UW with decent EC’s be considered “meh”. I would bet every person in this thread you get into Rice and Vandy.

**edit not sending implies you took the SAT did you take it? If so, YOU HAVE TO SEND ALL SCORES TO MANY OF THE SCHOOLS YOU CHOSE.

5

Look at Case Western Reserve and Tulane for Neuroscience. You may want to check out a fairly detailed discussion on this topic, although it is a year and a half old at this point. (http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/19325951#Comment_19325951)

1 Like
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@hannuhylu Perhaps someone can chime in to correct me – but I understood that schools which require all test scores only require to all test scores for that test, either ACT or SAT, not both.

Say a student took the ACT 3 times and the SAT twice – they would have to either send in all 3 ACT scores or both SAT scores – but not all 5 test results. Students can still choose whether to submit either ACT or SAT, simply sitting for both tests does not require the student to submit scores from both tests.

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I would second many of the great suggestions above - I don’t have any that come to mind but just want to compliment you and others here on great formatting. This thread is beautiful both aesthetically and informationally.

@Midwestmomofboys I can’t name one in particular, but there are some that require any tests you took, not just of one type, but of all. It varies by school. Generally, the schools that require that are high-end privates, though the UC’s require all of the one you choose between the ACT/SAT.

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@VANDEMORY1342 applying ED to a safety/target school unless you really want to go there and are confident in financial aid, etc. is a bad idea if you are trying to demonstrate interest because then you get locked into the school (which likely isn’t your first choice if it’s a safety) if you get accepted. Perhaps you meant early action (EA), which is non-binding, but a great way to demonstrate interest.

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**@kellymc25 **I may look more into BU but applying to most out-of-state public universities like UConn and Pitt might not make much sense financially. No matter how inconsequential the interest rate and no matter if it is subsidized, undergraduate debt hanging over my head, accruing alongside med school debt, will quickly turn into a nightmarish scenario. Of course there’s always the possibility that four years from now I won’t end up going to medical school, but as of right now I am dead set on it and graduating college with loans totaling 20k+ is decidedly out of the question. That rules out a good many OOS public schools. And quite a few private universities. So we circle back to the crux of my problem: are there any solid target schools that will meet my financial requisites? I should note that I am well prepared to attend Stony Brook in the event that the other five don’t work out. While Stony is not quite at the caliber of UConn, it is at least geared more towards STEM students and I can cover the expenses without loans not to mention that I did enjoy my campus visit. Excuse my hypersensitivity towards money and congrats I hope you enjoy your freshman year.

**@VANDEMORY1342 **I may look more into Tulane. Unfortunately there is no cure for Tufts Syndrome. I wish I could convey my sincerity to Vandy but they have no supplements and I cannot apply ED for many reasons (some of which are mentioned by @Jonathan0) so I’ll have to demonstrate interest in other ways. Side note: is a high match the same as a low reach?

**@hannuhylu **Your vote of confidence is much appreciated. Holistically, I imagine myself to be a solid if forgettable type of applicant but dear god I should hope I am not meh. Yes I have been grinding these past few years. Also please clarify your last statement if you would. Out of my current six, Rice is the only school that does not accept Score Choice.

**@NJDad68 **Interesting thread. Bookmarked. Thank you.

**@Midwestmomofboys @PengsPhils **To my knowledge, Stanford and Georgetown are the only schools that require all scores sent while the others have varying but less stringent testing policies. Oh how much easier life would be if all schools had a uniform score-sending policy.

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Edit: Ignore, misread.

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@Marjolia, this just came out on the Tulane president’s web page. It describes the TURN (Tulane Undergraduate Research in Neuroscience) program: http://news.tulane.edu/news/neuroscience-majors-turn-research?utm_source=nwemail.

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Tulane would be good to look into, also check out schools with fullrides available - I work in the admissions office of smu and have a few brilliant premed friends who are fullride kids and did it for a number of reasons. Vandy has a fullride but more difficult to get. I know ohio state has one too. Thats off the top of my head - med school is expensive so look for ways to cut down the bill!

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You sound like a perfect fit for Rice. My daughter applied to many of the schools on your list but chose Rice. Rice does not have a neuroscience major but has a minor. However, they have many strong STEM areas to pursue. Rice does not take as large a percentage of its class ED as Vandy, Wash U, and Emory do. Rice was voted number 1 in the Princeton Review for race class interaction and number 2 for happiest students and is extremely diverse. About 1/3 of the student body is Asian. My daughter has a suite mate from Beijing. Vanderbilt was number 1 for happiest students this year. It is important to demonstrate interest at Wash U and Emory to avoid being yield protect waitlisted. Emory has the Emory Scholars full ride program, but it has an early application deadline in November. Get your app done and turned into Emory early. You do not have to go ED to be considered for the Rice, Emory, Vandy, or Wash U full ride merit scholarships. Some of the Vanderbilt and Wash U big scholarships have a separate application. It is important to separately apply for the merit scholarships a Wash U to demonstrate interest as Wash U does not have any separate essays. You might also like Duke, U Chicago and Northwestern. If you are not opposed to a woman’s college, Barnard might be a good addition to your list. The Ivys claim to meet full need, and with your stats they might be worth a look.

14

I second Case Western. Merit awards up to low 30s and with a separate application there are a few full tuition awards. I think they have a BS/MD program as well. While I have no data to back this up, I believe that an EA application does convey some interest and might be beneficial.

As I’m sure you know, Wash U also has a few half and full tuition merit awards through separate application. They like high stats/test scores as well as demonstrated interest. Worth a try!

Best of luck to you.

15

I highly recommend looking into Smith College. It has a free application, great med school success, a supportive environment, and gives great merit scholarships (including STRIDE, which includes a a paid research position for the first two years)

16

You’ve done a good job of picking schools based on your fit preferences. I think of Wash U, Vandy, Rice and Emory as academic peers in big cities, albeit with different academic strengths and enough cultural differences to keep them from feeling like clones of one another. For instance, Rice is thought to be a bit “nerdier” than the other three, given the popularity of STEM programs; Wash U and Emory seem fairly academically balanced; and Vandy is probably the most non-STEM-heavy of the four and has the biggest party vibe (based on rep).

In terms of admissions, Vandy, Wash U and Rice are a bit harder to get into than Emory overall… but Wash U and Vandy seem to favor high stats a bit more than Rice and Emory do. So applying RD, I actually think your chances at all four are probably quite close – probably on the border between low reach and high match, shading a bit heavier into high match territory.

I offer two suggestions to look into:

  1. If you like the residential college systems of Rice and Vandy (well, VU is trying apparently...), you might consider Yale. I know you're asking for matches, not another reachy school, but assuming Yale has neuroscience, it might be a good fit for you.
  2. UPenn might also be a decent fit: urban, good social scene, not the most rigorous academic vibe (like Yale...), etc.

You certainly have the resume to compete for a spot at schools like Yale and Penn.

Regarding true matches, a bunch of great options have been offered already. You could pick a couple/three of them and be in excellent shape in terms of having virtually zero chance of being shut out. And your safety should take care of any remaining risk/doubt.

I think you’re smart to stay away from OOS publics, unless you can get some automatic merit bringing cost back down to your limit. Stony Brook is just fine. I think for most kids, it only really makes sense to go to an OOS public if 1) It offers preferred programs the in-state school doesn’t and/or 2) Costs are competitive with the in-state school.

Best wishes!

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Some great advice! Given your stats and key activities focused on/around science, I am with @prezbucky that you should look at Yale. These days Yale tends to be a little aggressive at admitting STEM students, rather than humanities, especially in the SCEA cycle. It could be just that they get a lot of strong humanities applicants.

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First off let me qualify this by saying pre-med programs at top schools are tough with a bunch of weed out courses strewn about. A friend of mine whose daughter got into Yale was not happy if you will that the pre-med program there is even more competitive. He said if you do make the cut though, you’ll get a lot of resources to help with med school application. He got the sense that a lot of people started with biology then switched to humanities/social science.

I’d recommend MIT, you have a hook as female for STEM, good FA, superb science programs (prob an understatement lol). I wouldn’t apply ED anywhere, you’re too good an applicant to be locked in.

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I would say you are a very strong candidate and would encourage you to seriously consider applying to University of Rochester as well as Case, Pitt, Brandeis, the state parts of Cornell and what about the women’s colleges such as Wellesley and Smith? Another school I would encourage you to look at is Franklin and Marshall. A sister of one of my d’s friends who chose a combined program at Brown was given a full ride at Frankin and Marshall. I have a d who graduated from Rochester and one from Brandeis. Both are absolutely top notch in neuroscience with opportunities for undergraduate research. Both schools have merit money for students with demonstrated interest and strong essays. Although Stony Brook is the probably the strongest of the SUNY schools in this area, don’t overlook Geneseo, it is high profile school and I understand that they have very strong science programs as well.