Rejected from all 3 summer programs, what do I do?

Hi, incoming senior here, applied to COSMOS at UC Irvine, SSP, and Boston RISE on bio or biochem thinking that I would have a good shot at maybe COSMOS at least, but got rejected from all 3.

My stats arent bad: 4.3 GPA, 35 ACT, last summer interned at a biotech lab that has closed this year (rip), however I am an asian male trying to be a doctor (haha).

I’m also planning to apply to college as pre-med, and the original plan this year was to something more medical or research related, but that got shut down real fast.

Currently I’m thinking of getting like a basic minimum wage job at a fast food place, been writing cold emails to professors near me (so far 17 emails and no responses :((( ), but honestly don’t know what to do from there.

The Pre-College programs seems like just a big waste of money for not much in return in terms of competitiveness for college admissions. Most of the applications I’m pretty sure have closed by now, I just want to do something this summer that look at least okay to admission officers.

Anyone have some ideas?
much appreciated

I’m sure our area is completely different from yours. We don’t have any of the opportunities for cool internships/jobs that you applied for, nor will fast food type places hire college bound kids/HS with lots of ECs. “Why would be train someone to work for 3 months when we have a whole city full of unemployed/uneducated people who can work full time, year round forever?”

The first summer after freshman year of college, my S16 volunteered at our local Adult Ed tutoring people for their GED. He also has a good friend whose Dad owns his own medial practice. He let him informally work in his office in the billing department. He learned how it worked, ran statistical analysis for them, and helped the office troubleshoot their new computer billing software. He is an econ/math major, so it wasn’t direct experience in his desired field, but it was something useful. Learning about the mess that is our healthcare system is never a bad thing IMO. Just an idea…

I would recommend getting a job at a local place which commonly hires high school students and have fun with friends. This looks okay to admission officers. Menial jobs are underrated and teach valuable lessons. And they help get that next job.

Why not spend the summer volunteering in your community? If you want to become a doctor, surely your mindset includes wanting to help others and not just gaining admission to prestigious institutions.

Have a fun summer, see friends, volunteer someplace interesting that will take you, work to make some money for college and spend a lot of time working on your essays - once the common app opens you’ll be happy you have your main essay done. Your ACT is already pretty great so just use the extra time to live life and get a jump start on applications.

Thanks everyone!
@CardinalBobcat I am already volunteer at a senior center and veteran’s hospital performing music every week and just wanted to something different and more med or bio related in the summer

@CaMom13 I’ll for sure be working on my common app essays

@scubadive That’s what I was thinking with the whole getting a summer job idea

@ClassicMom98 Yeah I live in CA Bay Area, lots of competition here, however lots of places are open for a summer job working minimum wage, but a lot of internships and research opportunities get eaten up really fast and by beginning of May basically non are left.

It’s excellent that you regularly perform music in a veteran’s hospital. Since you are already known there, perhaps they would be willing to let you volunteer in another capacity this summer, working more closely with patients. Same goes for the senior center. Worth investigating the possibility…

@CardinalBobcat Good idea! I’ll ask around. Thanks!

Okay, do NOT worry that you didn’t get into some impressive summer science program. Also, know that you can major in ANYTHING in college and as long as your premed courses and MCAT scores are good, you can get into medical school. In fact, they really like people who’ve majored in non-medical subjects. They know that they can teach you in medical school everything you need to know to become a good doctor, but med school is not good at making diverse, ethical, humane, mature human beings. BTW, they also really like Bioengineers, because they rightly think that they will be the medical device inventors of the future, so if bioengineering interests you, go for it!

So… do something this summer that will set you apart. Spend the entire summer in the country whose language you are now studying, and become fluent. Don’t go on a US study abroad program - you’ll just wind up speaking English to the people on your program. Find a family to live with in that country, and spend the entire summer there, living with them. Go to summer school in that language, with native speakers. If you happen to be studying Spanish, and can live in a Spanish speaking country for ten weeks this summer, totally immersed in Spanish, you will become fluent. Volunteer in a medical setting there, and you’ll become fluent in medical Spanish, AND build your application resume not only to college, but also to medical school! US Med schools LOVE people who are fluent in Spanish, because in many areas a lot of the poor people who are seen at their clinics speak only Spanish. If for some reason, doing it abroad is impossible, do it in Puerto Rico. Do the corollary for whatever country seems best for mastery of the language you have studied in high school.

It’s not too late to arrange this. Done right, you will come back a FAR more mature and confident young man. And think, how many Asian male math/science/tech/engineering type applicants can put on their applications, “I spent the summer NOT on a study abroad program with other American kids, but instead living with a family, volunteering in a clinic, becoming fluent in my chosen foreign language and culture.” It will make you stand head and shoulders above the crowd.

Have you checked to see if UCSF AI4All has openings?

Is there a local EMT course you could complete and become certified as an EMT this summer?