As stated, it’s been a bit of a rocky road for me. I was a 3.8 unweighted AP student until 2nd sem. jr year of high school, where unchecked mental health issues led to me failing two classes, dropping my GPA to a 3.2. Understandably, this led to rejections from every U.S. College I applied to (eight), mostly mid-tier public schools. My ACT is a 32, SAT 1370, 5.5,4,4 on AP exams. My grades are back up to mostly A’s and some B’s after my first semester senior year.
I considered going to UK schools- I got accepted to UCL and the University of Glasgow. But I want to be a doctor, and I want to go to US med school. Most, if not all US med schools require at least a year of undergrad in the US, on top of US clinical volunteer hours, which would be very hard to achieve in the UK.
My issue is this: as someone who wants to major in neuroscience, or at least biology, and go to a school that has a decent program for that, and eventually go to a good med school, what are my options now? I don’t want to stay in the city I’m in for a number of personal reasons, many to do with my mental health. None of the lib-arts colleges I’ve been looking into that still accept applications really appeal to me, but maybe I’m not looking hard enough, or my standards are just too high. But an at least semi-decent science program would be nice. I could potentially take a gap year, but it feels late in the year to be finding productive ways to spend it that would make me a competitive 2020 applicant. The majority of my rejection letters came in the last two or so weeks, and since then I’ve been struggling to figure out what to do.
Any options for getting me back on track are greatly appreciated!
What’s your budget? What kinds of schools are you looking for? What types of schools are you willing to go to, even if they’re not your favorites (community colleges, large public schools, commuter schools, etc. are more likely to be accepting applications)? There’s a list released after May 1st of colleges with open spots, too.
You can go to most schools for biology and/or premed, and you could always transfer later.
I don’t know much about gap years, but it might be right for you. Not to pry, but do you have your mental health under control? If not, college might add extra stress that you could avoid by waiting. Take time for your health first!
I think you should take a gap year and shadow some physicians; maybe volunteer in a community clinic.
Then, I would apply to your state schools and do well there.
If you try to get into a “top tier” school, the added pressure of getting perfect grades will be difficult. I agree with @supersenior19, re your history or mental health, you need your support system within a reachable distance.
Everyone wants to do “premed”(just check the posts on this website), so those courses are often full and competitive.
Take a gap year and work to save for your college discretionary funds.
Re a gap year, It isn't that you are going to become a more competitive applicant, but that you can apply to appropriate schools and get accepted. What is your home state?
I am no expert on medical schools . Not sure where you live in the United States. You can stil apply to West Virginia University undergrad. They have scholarships for GPA and test scores but not sure if it is too late . Medical school is ranked nicely. Wvu also just started a physican assistant program in case that is an option later. Good luck .
I would question what your definition of “mid-tier” is. Your stats are relatively solid for many state schools where you could get a quality biology degree at a minimum. My guess is that your list was not appropriate for the stats.
I would agree that a gap year is likely a good idea, both for mental health reasons and to craft a more appropriate list. Lots of good questions above, if you reply many folks here will be able to offer more helpful suggestions and input. I would not suggest any UK schools if there are possible mental health concerns, it’s a difficult transition for many without that and added stress/strain and distance would not be advisable.
@badtodd : Which colleges are you considering ? Which schools rejected you ? Which area of the US do you prefer ?
How do you feel about schools with a moderate religious campus culture ?
Pretty sure that we can get you a decent merit award based on your current numbers. If you prefer to discuss via private message, just post here to my attention & I will PM you.
@badtodd Did you explain the junior year drop in grades on your apps? Did you apply to schools with “holistic” apps process? Just wondering if it would make sense to reach out again. If not, I agree with the other posters about doing a gap year and reapplying.
