<p>I'm an incoming senior this year in a high school in California and I've made a list of colleges that I initially thought was well planned out but now I'm starting to have second thoughts due to my sketchy academic record. I intend on majoring in biology and possibly computer science. Biology is a serious passion to me and I want to attend a school where I can get very in depth with learning it, but I've for the most part picked big name schools and I'm having a hard time finding small private colleges that are pertinent to my interest and possibly better. I'm just looking for colleges right near the coastlines (west coast or new england area) or possibly abroad. </p>
<p>Colleges of choice
1. CSULB
2. Boston University
3. Boston College (according to cappex and parchment I have a really low chance of getting in here)
4. Trinity College
5. University of La Verne
6. Pitzer
7. Amherst
8. Howard University
9. Claremont McKenna
10. Brown
11. Syracuse
12. Cornell University
13. Swathmore
14. Northern Arizona University
15. Lewis and Clark College
16. Northeastern University
17. UC Santa Cruz
18. UC Santa Barbara</p>
<p>Academic stats:
3.0 GPA unweighted
Unknown academic rank in class (presuming it's top half atleast)
ACT score of 26 (28 if superscored?)
- Math - 22
- English - 34
- Reading - 24 (30 on the first try)
- Science - 25
- Combined English/Writing - 33
Extracurriculars include volunteering at a marine research lab, membership of Sierra Club's chapter in my city, (among other small environmental groups) track for 4 years, nomination for study abroad program in Japan during freshman year, and possibly others. (these are all I can think of at the moment!)</p>
<p>At the moment, I need assistance in picking out the more practical colleges in the list for me to apply to and cutting the list down to 5-10 choices max. I'd ask to be chanced as well but if I can get the list finalized here I'll save that for the other forum. Thank you all very much in advance. :)</p>
<p>Would it be correct that Howard and NAU are your admission safeties (and Howard may be a financial safety with an automatic full tuition scholarship if you apply early enough)? NAU is not on the coast, though.</p>
<p>Most of your schools are likely reaches or out of reach with a 3.0 HS GPA and 26 ACT score.</p>
<p>CSU Monterey Bay is a non-impacted CSU, so you should get in easily, and it is on the coast. CSU Channel Islands is also non-impacted. Humboldt State is also on the coast, but biology majors are impacted, so standards are higher than the CSU minimum. However, CS may be somewhat limited at CSU Monterey Bay and Humboldt State.</p>
<p>Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC San Diego are stronger for CS, but would be reaches at best for you.</p>
<p>My parents and I have discussed that if I can (miraculously) get into one of the far reach schools, they’ll be more than willing to pay. I’m definitely using CSULB, Howard, and NAU as safety nets (CSULB is in my town) but my parents have a lot of hope for my college options because of my high english and writing scores on the ACT. :-S We’ve also all thought of the possibility of taking and passing many AP’s (I got 3’s on AP Bio and English Language last year but may retake the exams next May for a 4 or higher) to cut costs for college and to possibly finish college a little earlier, but one of my friends has warned me that as a bio major, it’ll take me 4-5 years minimum to go through college even with passing AP’s. As of late, my parents haven’t really said anything about money being an issue and are okay with me applying to all colleges on the list, but I still want to thin it down to make things less complicated. </p>
<p>For college choices, while I’d be content with going to any of the UC’s mentioned, my parents have personally indoctrinated me into being hesitant to apply to public schools and in addition the smaller class sizes of private schools appeal to me so that’s also another thing I’m looking for.</p>
<p>According to cappex and parchment, I have a fairly high (30-65%) chance of getting into colleges like NU and BU but I still personally think it’s a little sketchy to risk rejection and I’ve also never visited the campuses personally so I wouldn’t know what I’d be getting into even if I did get accepted somehow. However, I’m looking at the link ormdad posted and that is helping quite a bit.</p>
<p>The CTCL link eventually led me to this website which I find really helpful. It doesn’t really thin out the choices, but instead adds more specificity to them.</p>
<p>I’ll try to sort through these lists on my own sometime before I start applying but I’m still more than open to any input and advice from you guys and it would definitely help. Thank you all in advance.</p>
<p>With a 3.0 GPA, CSULB is not a safety for you. There is a decent chance you will not get admitted. </p>
<p>Over 80% of Long Beach’s students have a higher GPA than you have. I dont think you understand that your GPA will hurt your chances at many better schools. </p>
<p>If NAU is acceptable for you, then it would likely be your safety as long as your parents will pay. </p>
<p>Math - 22
What level of math are you taking senior year. Do you understand that CS majors have to take a lot of math? You dont seem to have the foundation for the math required.</p>
<p>Last year I took intermediate algebra and passed with an A both semesters (very contradictory to my test scores, I know) but this year I’m taking AP statistics because I was recommended for it last year. For a while I’ve been considering switching into honors pre-calculus because I was also recommended for that and it’d probably look better on my applications. Also the teachers at my school for both subjects teach very well and gently. AP Computer Science and AP Physics 1-2 are also on my schedule for this year.</p>
<p>As my GPA is subpar but my English/Writing scores on the ACT are good, my parents have been considering that I apply to colleges as an English major and then switch to be a biology major once I enter whichever college. They’re also the ones who convinced me to double major in computer science and biology and minor in business, so I could have more employment options after college, even though I originally was just going to take biology. They also recommended NAU and after all of your posts advising towards it, I’ll apply there because I also heard they have a good biology program.</p>
<p>If I get more evidence that my ACT score won’t help my college apps, I’ll retake it in September.</p>
<p>I think you have to forget Cornell, Swarthmore, Amherst and Brown. BC will be a reach, BU and Trinity high matches. Northeastern is to me the best bet on your east coast list. I’m not sure about Syracuse. </p>
<p>You might look at Colby, Skidmore, Conn College, Hampshire, Dickenson plus some of the small liberal arts colleges in the South. Have you looked at the College of the Atlantic in Maine? The curriculum may be too quirky for you or you might be interested. </p>
<p>I’ve pretty much established with myself that while Cornell, Brown and others keep sending me stuff in the mail, there’s still a very low chance I’ll get into those schools due to my GPA. My parents still have hope and want me to apply to them but before I start anything with colleges I’ll fix the list with more practical and less big name-y choices.</p>
<p>While Howard is a back up school, I’ve heard a few really cool things about it, such as how scientists there have discovered ways of capturing CO2 and possibly slowing down climate change from there, and how it’s a school where most doctors went to. The first thing is also extremely relevant to part of what I want to study in college. I’ve been definitely considering NU and students review has suggested that it’s a better pick than BU but I haven’t heard anything about their biology department (students review gives it an A while BU’s bio dept. gets a B) so I’m also questioning that. Also I question the accuracy of students review in general but I might still lean towards NU.</p>
<p>Honestly, you should remove schools like Cornell from your list. They actually read your application, you know, and there is no app they look at and say, hey, I’m bored, let’s accept this person! It just doesn’t happen. Grades/GPA are the most important part of your application and without those, you really don’t have any chance at Cornell, Amherst, etc. You could apply to 1 or 2 for vanity, but applying to several reaches would be an exercise in futility, not to mention a waste of money.</p>
<p>Look into Lewis & Clark College, maybe? There are several schools you could possibly get into and from where you could get a great education. Howard is great but it is struggling financially and its sciences facilities are run-down, according to what I’ve read about it. You should look into this before you apply to Howard.</p>
<p>The schools I’m most interested at this point if anything are NU, BU, Trinity, UCSC, and the safety nets, but I really wanna still search for some colleges that may have waaaay stronger biology programs than those listed. If NU’s bio program I hear is very strong, I’ll apply there for sure.</p>
<p>Also, would just a general biology major at any of these schools be appropriate if I’m trying to get VERY in depth with the following? Should I choose a major or majors that are more specific?</p>
<p>Can you fill in some information that might help? It is kind of strange and interesting list you started with and I’m trying to understand it. But I have a feeling you might be an interesting person. </p>
<ol>
<li>Have you calculated your UC weighted gpa?</li>
<li>Why do you think your gpa isn’t better?</li>
<li>Do you happen to be a URM?</li>
</ol>
<p>While it is a bit late in the day (but not too late!), for searching, searching is what you do before selecting. I’m afraid your parents are putting a bit too much expectation on your test and not looking at the combination. I also feel quite a few of those school are really far out of range to even call reaches, but there are certainly good options for you. Have you or your parents actually ran a NPC to see what a few of these would acutally cost or are you saying that 60k a year would not be a problem?</p>
<p>To pick a sub major you have to give some ideas of what you want to do with the bio degree.</p>
<p>Doing bio plus CS plus minor is really not realistic, it is find to keep options open, but not to live in lala land entirely. If you are really considering any CS, you need to do precalc or you will be hopelessly behind in CS math requirements.</p>
<p>It sounds like your parents are pushing you to do a lot of things you’re not really interested in. You need to remember that in the end, this is your college experience and it’s not likely you’ll carry through in a major you’re not interested in. I agree with the others that a lot of the schools on your list are not realistic options for you. Also, this talk of entering as an English major and then switching to biology may not work at many colleges.</p>
<p>If bio is what you’re passionate about, stick to that. Your parents’ idea of double majoring in bio and CS and minoring in business sounds kind of loopy to me.</p>
<p>I don’t think you or your parents understand how time-consuming (and costly) applying to a bunch of schools is. </p>
<p>If you WASTE your time applying to a bunch of super-duper high reaches (ivies, Swat, etc) then you will RUN OUT OF TIME to apply to more realistic choices. </p>
<p>First apply to your reasonable choices and safeties…then if you have time to waste, work on apps for the schools that will not likely accept a 3.0 GPA student with good-but-not-good-enough ACT without being the star quarterback.</p>
<p>Your parents’ advice about majors/minors makes me think that they either don’t have university degrees or they are out of touch with what you are capable of achieving. CS is a very challenging major and you have to be strong in math. Adding Bio (tons of memorization) and business (another skill-set), just seem way out of your wheelhouse. </p>
<p>What is your career goal? What are your strengths? Even bio isnt a true strength because you only got a 3 on the AP exam. </p>
<p>You need to really understand that while you may have liked your AP Bio class, majoring in Bio is something very different. </p>
<p>Right now, it seems that you only have one safety…NAU. If you have visited and really like it, then fine. If you want other REAL safeties, then we can provide some. As mentioned, the lower CSUs would likely accept you, but it sounds like you want research univs. If so, then there are other schools that will accept you.</p>
<p>Howard is another safety, with an automatic full tuition scholarship for 3.0 HS GPA and 26 ACT (scholarship is first come first served, so apply early).</p>
Thank you all in advance.</p>