Reverse chance me!

College Search & Selection
1

Planned Major: neuroscience

I don’t have a T-10 or bust mentality. I just want some ideas of good schools for reaches, matches, and safeties.

Grades/test scores:

GPA: 3.9/4.0 unweighted - One B in Calculus BC sophomore year. I made up for it with a solid A second semester and a 5 on the AP test. My first semester in 10th grade was a bit rocky with several A minuses and the one B in AP Calc BC but going from there, I had very solid grades with A’s and A pluses

SAT: 1580
ACT: 35
SAT II Math 2 - 790
SAT II Biology - 800

AP Classes: I have consistently taken the most rigorous courses available to me (our school is pretty weak when it comes to AP course selection). My AP classes and scores are: AP Biology (5), AP Calculus BC (5), AP Chemistry (5), AP Physics 1 (4), AP US History (5), AP English Lang (5), AP Government (TBD), AP English 4 (TBD), AP Statistics (5), AP Physics 2 (TBD)

Extracurriculars: I have good ones that mesh well with my career goal of med school and neuroscience. I also have some others that will stand out from other premed kids.

  • Leading member and captain of our school's high powered rocketry team - we compete in Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), and placed 16th in the nation at Washington DC last year. We have also been invited to Huntsville Alabama by NASA to participate in the Student Launch Initiative to launch a huge rocket with an experimental payload. It's normally for college students but we are a pretty accomplished team netting about 20k in scholarships from Boeing, Aerovironment, Aerojet Rocketdyne, etc.
  • Over the summer - I did the Research Mentorship Program (RMP) at UCSB. I did neuroscience research one on one with a postdoc and got a lot from the experience.
  • The next summer I did RISE at Boston University. It's another month-plus long program in computational neurobiology. Did research and presented it. I also may be accepted to SIMR at stanford which is a cost free research internship for medicine over the summer and you actually get a stipend for working there.
  • Academic Decathlon Captain winning several medals over the years.
  • I've worked at Kumon all my years in high school. In addition to Kumon tutoring I tutor on the side at school.
  • I finished Calculus BC in 10th grade and went on to take classes at community college like multivariable and diffeq's
  • UCLA Math Circle, a pretty selective program where you attend math seminars and learn about higher math topics with graduate student mentors.
  • I have been teaching high level math classes at my local Math Circle for a couple years now.
  • I've shown a lot of personality in my essays, and I love skiing with my family in my free time. I play Tabla, an eastern percussion instrument and as an Afghan American it is a way for me to express my culture and heritage.
  • I have worked at a free clinic in my area providing free medical care to disadvantaged people and have learned a lot about the struggles people face to obtain quality medical care through my 3 years at the program. I have spent 4 hours every week throughout my 3 years working here and it has made a huge impact on me personally.
  • Finally, I think I will be able to seal the deal with neuroscience research with a professor from Caltech that I know personally. However it may not work out so just like the SIMR please judge me without this additional experience and with it too.

Recommendations: I have recommendations from my AP Biology teacher, AP English lang teacher, and superintendent. My Superintendent who is the organizer of our Rocketry team. He and I are very close and his letter is very meaningful as are the other previous teachers who I am also favorites of.

2

What can your family afford to pay each year? Do they have any restrictions (you must finish in four years, you must attend a certain kind of college/university) on the places they would help you pay for?

Are you likely to be pre-Med, or are you likely to be pre-PhD? This will affect recommendations because Med school is expensive, but a PhD program should come with full support.

3

@happymomof1 I’m lucky enough to not have any financial restrictions nor do my parents require me to attend a specific school. They just want me to work hard and go somewhere that will help with my premed goals. (I want to go into surgery)

4

You need at least one safety that will guarantee you admission for your stats in case all else goes wrong. In CA that often is the local CC, but then you still need to apply for transfer. Your stats are good, so there are a number of auto admits for you. Look at the University of Alabama.

In your other thread you mention a number of institutions that would be in the match to reach range. Your own guidance counselor should be able to tell you which of those are match-y (rarely reject students with your stats from your HS), and if none are, should be able to help you find some match-y places in the UC/CSU system.

5

For reaches, Brown or Rice seem to fit you. Not sure about matches and safeties. It appears you are in California, so some of the less competitive UCs could be safeties. Both Brown and Rice supposedly are great for pre-med. Maybe some LACs too – not sure which ones are strong in neuroscience. Probably would steer clear of any undergrad school that is known for having a stress culture or really tough grading.

6

Brown has a new brain science center.

7

@shredboi I looked into your stats, and I believe it would be an insult for you to end up at a lower UC. Because of yield protection, many of these schools may not even accept you. I would look into great undergrad teaching schools (Princeton, Johns Hopkins) that would prepare you well for medical school. U Mich has the #1 neuroscience/neurobiology program in the nation if you are interested. Obviously, apply to safeties and target schools, but I truly believe you are T-10 material. Do great things in the future!