Slightly Updated Ideas & New Stats - DD Bio/Premed

College Search & Selection
1

Posted before but changed some info and thought it might be easier to start a new thread.

MAJOR: Biology/PreMed
FROM: Texas
HOOKS: none (but people keep telling us fullpay/no aid is definitely a hook)
GEO PREF: Prefers out of state-likes CA & NY, must be near larger city as she doesn’t want to be in the middle of nothing, less than hour from airport, nonstop flights from DFW
WEATHER: OK with snow/cold, loves outdoors and beach
MONEY: Fully funded 529 for undergrad and grad
HS: Current junior at large (3500 students) suburban, very competitive
SPORTS: Plays lacrosse, club sport at her HS
GPA: 5.3 weighted/4.0 unweighted, Also 4.0 on college transcript
APs: HuG/4, Psych/5, WorH/4, currently in Span, EnvSci, Phys1, Eng, US Hist
COLL: 22 college credits w/ 4.0 GPA (dualE), ColAlg, PlaTrig, EnvBio, EarSci, PhyFit, Photog
PSAT/NMSQT: 1370 (700RW/670M) on 10/15/19 test (207 NMSC)
SAT: 1530 (780RW/750M) on 12/6/19 test
ACT: taking 2/8/20
GREEK: not interested
VISITED: Tulane, Rice, USCal, UCLA, CalTech (Women in STEM), U of Colo, will visit Vanderbilt 2/17/20

-Would Tulane and U of Colo be match/safety? She really likes both campuses
-Need ideas for safety schools.
-She is interested in USC, UCLA, UC-Berkely, NYU, Tufts, WUSL. Rice is OK even though it’s in Texas.

MAYBE OTHER SCHOOLS? - U of Chicago, Columbia, Emory, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Johns Hopkins, U of Miami, U of Michigan, NYU, Northwestern, Stanford, Tulane, Vanderbilt

How do people do this? There’s too many choices. I think we might need to hire someone to help out.

3

Nail down your safeties first-- take a look at Case, Pitt, Fordham… all urban, easy to get back and forth. Have your D make an appointment with her guidance counselor to work through the Naviance data- if nobody from her HS with stats like hers has been rejected from a college (and you guys aren’t looking for money) that makes it pretty close to a safety in my book.

You don’t need to hire someone, unless you and your D have issues with communications, or unless you and the other parents don’t see eye to eye on college.

Once you’ve got a strategy for your safeties, you can look at the more competitive colleges.

4

If she likes Colorado, then Utah is another good safety worth considering, with a great outdoor lifestyle and skiing. Its more convenient for the airport, in a bigger city (Salt Lake) and has much better merit. Grading for pre-meds is also very favorable (many STEM courses are 50-60% A/A-) and there is a medical school on campus.

I think you may need a bigger list of safety and match schools, as most of your list seems quite reachy and Tulane may not like being treated as a safety. How unhappy would she be to end up at UT Austin?

5

As the parent have you determined how much money you are able and willing to contribute?

Not wanting to stay in Texas could be costly. Her rank could make some Texas public universities into safeties for admission. Also Texas medical schools for Texas residents will be much less expensive than almost all other medical schools.

7

Colorado is definitely a safety. As long as she doesn’t go Engineering (still competitive for that school) she’s as close to a lock as can be. I think transpo to the airport came up in your previous thread, but if not it’s VERY easy to get from CU to Denver Airport.

Check out Loyola Marymount for another safety. They have excellent pre med advising and it’s close to the beach.

8

It looks like you have this part thought out, but make sure you have added the total cost of private undergrad and private med school. It could be as much as $700k.

10

I wouldn’t include Cal/UCLA as potential premed schools since some UCs are noted for grade deflation and GPA is a key factor in medical school admissions.

I would consider URochester as a school to target since it has a highly rated medical school. Also look into LACs with good premed/prehealth programs.

11

This is definitely conventional wisdom, but do they give out A’s in Organic Chem and other premed courses. Using UMich as an example, since I’m more familiar with it.

GradeGuide has Chem 210 where 29% get A’s and Chem 215 where 35% get A’s. I think if you’re a top student, then you’re a top student anywhere.

15

lol. My D is the same! My D didn’t think it was religious from the tour at all and my neighbor loves it there and he is definitely not religious. Maybe check it out if you’re in LA.

Good luck!

16

Some of the other B1G schools (e.g. Wisconsin, tOSU) could be close to a safety. They have direct flights to DWF. If she is looking for the big college experience.

17

I can understand the not wanting to stay in Texas for undergrad. But I might consider Baylor and TCU for premed. Both have medical schools although Baylor’s isn’t in Waco.

Also I believe Texas A&M now has a medical school as well.

Some of the Midwestern/East Coast private schools with top ranked medical schools are weeders for premed.

And many students with perfect GPA/SAT scores don’t adjust well to how lower division science classes are taught. Learning to apply concepts instead of pure plug and chug is an important lesson to learn.

19

@Hamurtle there is no longer an affiliation between Baylor University and Baylor College of Medicine

20

What about Rhodes College as a safety? Lots of research hospitals nearby, including St. Jude if she’s interested in pediatrics. Direct flights from DFW, too, and merit money.

21

Hello, fellow Texan. Isn’t that top 10/6% deal a drag.

Definitely check admission rates for Vanderbilt on Naviance. Vandy seems very popular among Texans which may make is a more difficult admit than expected. Our high school had more admits to MIT than Vandy. Rice is also a tougher admit for Texans but you likely knew that already.

My son is loving Boston, cold and all (Northeastern engineering). I gather a Tufts is a great pre-med school.

I’m not seeing small towns or LACs on her list. I’m assuming there is a reason for this. Maybe look at more state schools as safeties if she doesn’t want small.