<p>Howdy!
I've been a bit concerned lately about where my undergrad major will lead me. What I mean is that at my college, my declared major is something that prepares me for many different things (everything and anything in the world of Bio) instead of specifically for one focus-- which is generally good if one wants college to be a place to experiment, etc., but I know fairly well what I want to do in life.</p>
<p>I'm very interested in Harvard, UPENN, and Yale's Occupational and Environmental Health and School of Public Health graduate programs, and Dartmouth and Stanford's Environmental Science program+Med School combinations. I feel that if I were to enroll in undergrad at any of these schools, that I would be able to take grad courses from this program, further my knowledge of this subject before grad school (helping me in grad school), and increase my chances of getting into one of these programs. Moreover, Environmental Science majors at these schools are offered a much greater array of courses that interest me to take.</p>
<p>Anyhue ,I was just wondering what you all think my chances of acceptance might be at Stanford, Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, and UPENN since they're all way up there:</p>
<p>Some (small) connections at Harvard through my dad and a research position I have, and legacy at Stanford:</p>
<p>Sophomore
College: Colby College (20th LAC in U.S. News and World Report)</p>
<p>GPA: 3.31 ( 3.5 first semester with a dismal 2.87 second semester due to me not really knowing how to cope with college, but then brought back up to a high 3.4 fall of sophomore year as I learned to study, etc.) and I've been putting some emphasis on environmental and pre-medish courses (Calc, Chem, Environmental Chem, Ecology, etc.) with an increasing trend in GPA</p>
<p>College ECs:
Voluntarily taught impoverished children at a Ghandi Ashram in India
Research Assistant for head of Env. Sciences Dept. at Colby
Air quality research last summer on mt. washington and taught visitors about air pollution and its effects on human health and the environment and will return
Active member of Colby Christian Fellowship
Colby Freshman Christian Fellowship leader (as a sophomore)
IM Soccer sophomore year
Club Water Polo Freshman year
Varsity Swimming freshman year (most improved award)
A Capella group
Theater and Wig Production Co. (in a one act play)
Worked for campus security as a dispatcher for a year</p>
<p>SATs: 1420 (740V, 680M, and 650 writing SATII)</p>
<p>High School GPA (public school in upstate NY): 92.7 (unweighted) 94.59 (weighted)</p>
<p>High School ECs:
Medical Internship for a year
Varsity Track (captain), Cross Country (captain), Swimming (captain), and Ski Team
Some NY State testing awards
Several community service projects</p>
<p>My essay skills are strong and I could muster some stellar recommendations.</p>
<p>What do you all think?</p>
<p>Happy Holidays!</p>
<p>werd814</p>