Searching for a College!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have a college list of my own, but I think my standards are a bit high since my SATs are low... Suggestions are much appreciated! (Preferably with a strong pre-med program)</p>

<p>SAT I: CR - 510, M - 610, W - 600
SAT II: Biology M - 760, Math II - 610, Korean - 790 (not my first language)</p>

<p>Full IB student
Unweighted GPA: 3.86
Class Rank: Top 10%</p>

<p>National Honor Society (9, 10, 11, 12)
Key Club (9, 10, 11, 12): K-Family Committee Member, Social Committee Head, Bulletin Editor, President
Hip Hop Club (10, 11): Founding member
FBLA (10, 11, 12)
Japanese Club (IB Prep) (12): Founder, President</p>

<p>Martial arts (9, 10, 11, 12)
Art (9, 10, 11, 12)</p>

<p>Volunteered with over 100 various activities
Currently have over 500 hours of community service (Key Club and outside)
Volunteers at an adult family home</p>

<p>Academic Excellence, Student of the Month, Active member of Key Club recognitions, Outstanding Community Service (39 hours), Outstanding Community Service (138 hours), Certificate of Achievement for the outstanding accomplishment and contributions to Lions Club, Certificate of Completion at Microsoft Corporation</p>

<p>Worked as a private tutor 2 hours/week (11)</p>

2

<p>Most schools have good basic sciences. We need more info: size of school (large public, LAC, private university), geographic constraints (urban/suburban/rural, part of the country, weather, etc…), financial need (lots? none?), culture (all girls/no frats/religious identify/artsy/jock/quirky/granola and political orientation), any unusual ECs or interests that need to be accomodated </p>

<p>If you know who you are, we can help you find potential matches. “Pre-med” with grades and test scores is only the first piece of the puzzle.</p>

3

<p>Preferably around the east coast. The location and the size of the school actually doesn’t matter much to me though. It’s the education and the environment that I consider the most. I’m not really picky, but I do care about whether or not the school is competitive and if it prepares you well for medical school in the future. Also, the ratio between student and teacher seems significant as well. As for financial aid… I do need it, but if it increases my chances of getting into a more competitive school… I think I would be fine either way.</p>

4

<p>I went to Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. I had many friends in the nursing program, and they’ve all done very well in terms of getting jobs after college. You shouldn’t have a problem getting in with your stats (your SAT is probably the least important stat, by the way. A number of colleges don’t even require your score anymore).</p>

<p>Fairfield is a very expensive school, but they do offer a good amount of financial aid. Feel free to check out their site: [Fairfield</a> University](<a href=“http://www.fairfield.edu%5DFairfield”>http://www.fairfield.edu)</p>

<p>Let us know what your thoughts are on Fairfield, if it’s right up your alley or not even close to what your looking for. The more feedback you give, the more helpful our future suggestions can be. Good luck in your search!</p>

5

<p>Rhodes is a college not entirely dissimilar to Fairfield, though in the South vs. east coast. Teacher:Student ratio is 10:1, very strong pre-med offerings primarily in bio and chem. Wonderful collegiate environment; if you visit you’ll be hooked. SATs are low, but GPA and class rank make up for it, so I imagine it would be a match stats-wise.</p>

6

<p>Any decently ranked school that is strong in Bio, Chem, Math, and Physics can prepare you for Med School. As long as you do well and get a strong MCAT, you can go to med school.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that students often have to borrow a lot of money for med school, so you won’t want to borrow too much for undergrad. Med school can cost well over $200k.</p>

7

<p>This might sound really shallow, but my family members wish for me to get into a school that is actually well-known. Is it even possible for me to get in though? They wanted me to choose from at least tier 2, 3 colleges. Tier 1 is nearly impossible.</p>

<p>Here’s the list I’ve created so far:
New York University
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Drexel University
University of Southern California
George Washington University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Rochester
Boston University
Syracuse University</p>

<p>Fairfield University and Rhodes College both seem like a really nice place, but I don’t think my parents would approve and let me apply there…</p>

8

<p>You might want to look into colleges that don’t require the SAT, as it seems to be the only thing holding you back. There are some very good ones (very good for pre-med also) that do not, such as Bowdoin, Middlebury, Wake Forest, Franklin and Marshall, and Union. Some of them require SAT II scores if you do not submit an SAT I score, in which case you can give them your Bio and Korean scores, which are excellent. It’s mostly liberal arts colleges that do this, so if you’re not into the small school atmosphere this option might not be for you. Additionally, you can try the ACT.</p>

9

<p>***As for financial aid… I do need it, but if it increases my chances of getting into a more competitive school… I think I would be fine either way. **</p>

<p>This might sound really shallow, but my family members wish for me to get into a school that is actually well-known. Is it even possible for me to get in though? They wanted me to choose from at least tier 2, 3 colleges. Tier 1 is nearly impossible.</p>

<p>Here’s the list I’ve created so far:
New York University
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Drexel University
University of Southern California
George Washington University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Rochester
Boston University
Syracuse University</p>

<p>Fairfield University and Rhodes College both seem like a really nice place, but I don’t think my parents would approve and let me apply there… </p>

<h2>*</h2>

<p>When I mentioned that any decently ranked school can prepare you for med school - I meant tier 2 or 3 - so that is fine! :slight_smile: However, your list is all Tier 1.</p>

<p>Why would your parents not “allow” you to apply to Rhodes?</p>

<p>At this point in the admissions season, you need to get a firm commitment from your parents as to how much they’ll pay each year. If they can pay $50k+ per year, then you’ll be fine. :slight_smile: However, if they can’t, then you can’t really consider yourself “fine either way.” There’s no point in applying to or getting accepted to schools where you won’t be fully funded. :)</p>