African American
Female
Public HS
Upcoming Senior
Rank: 6
Class size: around 400
GPA: Unweighted 3.99
Testing:
PSATqualify: Idk yet but councelor hinted that I qualified to some level (hasn’t been released yet to students)
SAT: 2200 Reading: 780 Math: 670 Writing: 750
ACT Comp: 32 Reading: 36 English: 34 Science: 28 Math: 31
SAT II: Chem 700; US 760 (plan to take math 2 + lit next fall)
AP: Chem 4; Worldhist: 5, Lang: 5, USHist: 5
Senior year course load: almost all AP
ECs:
founded club at school
NHS
Newspaper editor
Academic Decathalon (well awarded)
Student ambassador (volunteer work around school)
Yearound volunteer at local hospital
Summer volunteer a big name hospital (wont elaborate for privacy)
Sunday school volunteer at local religious center
Job at a local pharmacy
Other:
Speaks 3 languages
Family income bracket: 100,000 - 150, 000
Hooks?
Im an immigrant (lol immigrated when I was like 2 but does it count)
I plan to apply to JHU, Rice, Uchicago, Duke
Visited Uchicago; Got into JHU H.O.M.E program; applied for RICE S.O.A.R (we’ll see)
What are my chances? Also someone pls suggest safety schools for me. (I live in NJ)
I would really appreciate replies thankss!!!
Those are reaches. Nothing else to say about that part.
As for safeties - what do you like (besides prestige) about the schools that are currently in your list? What’s your intended major? Do you need help finding matches as well?
@usualhopeful i plan to major in chemistry. I love it!! I also plan to follow a pre med track. About the schools:
- Rice is excellent in helping students find careers especially in STEM. I love the diversity there and the inclusive environment. Also looking to get away from the east coast weather lol. ALso proximity to Texas Medical Center means lotsof med opportunities
- Uchicago represents to me a passion for learning. Although i plan in pursuing science, I really have an interest in English and History (as evidenced by my aps).
- Duke honestly just seemed like a school where i would be surrounded by a lot of intelligent people but it wouldn’t feel snobbish; hope to learn more about the school
- JHU: again lots of oppurtunities for pre med education and experience
I think the reason that I’m looking at these reach schools is not for the prestige (although thats definitely a benefit), its more bc I want to be surrounded by stimulating conversation and people and not the ignorance that I (and probably many others) have to endure at high schools (I thnk that sounded a little elitist oops). These schools have a reputation for the best and brightest.
As for safeties, I dont really like big schools. I want a place that balances work and fun. Great academics etc. Matches would be great.
I think you’ll get into at least a couple of your reaches. Be sure to have your parents run the NPC if they’re expecting or needing financial aid.
Do you have a non custodial parent? Do your parents own a business or take business deductions?
As for safeties…They must be affordable and they often don’t give much need based aid.
So…how much will your family pay?
@mom2collegekids Financial Aid!!! The more the merrier. My local state school costs like 24K. so i think my parents are willing to pay around that much.
Reed could be a very intellectual match/low reach (self selected pool but average UW GPA 3.9).
Some of the CTCL schools are known for intellectualism and could be low matches/safeties - look at Earlham, New College of Florida, Knox (or maybe it’s Hendrix, or maybe both).
What have your parents say they will pay?
Also, consider that any school will have opportunities for pre med volunteering, and your current list (as well as Reed, which has lots of grade deflation) will make it very tough to maintain a med school worthy GPA. Med schools don’t care about undergrad name. They do care about a high GPA. At Rice or JHU, you’ll be a pretty average student. That means it will be more difficult to stay near the top of the curves in premed prerequisite courses. JHU may have fine pre med course teaching, but it will also have many top students making the curves tough.