I am an asian american high schooler going to a top 20 high school in silicon valley and a junior and I am wondering what schools I should aim to apply for. I talked to a college counselor who told me UCR was the most likely and UCSC is a reach and recommended applying humanities if I wanted to go higher but I don’t think my stats are that bad and I was wondering what UC’s/Privates I should realistically apply too. I was crushed after the meeting and I still can’t wrap my mind around the counselors words as I felt I was more qualified.
GPA: UW: 3.66 | UC GPA: 3.83
SAT: 1520
SAT Subject tests: Biology E: 800 | Physics: 780 | Math II: 800
APs: AP Physics 1 5 | AP Biology 5 | AP Psychology 5 | (Took these courses in school)
Self Studied: AP Microeconomics 5 | AP Macroeconomics 5
Future APs: AP Chemistry | AP Calculus AB | AP Eng/Literature| (Planning to take these courses at school senior year)
To add further: I have also taken English Honors at my school which is weighted so I have 8 weighted semesters junior year and 6 senior year and I have always taken the honors level classes in previous grades to junior year so rigorous course load.
ECS:
Officer of Neurology Club
Officer of Medscience Club
Chair member of internation medical relief of children’s club
Relay for Life Team Captain
Logistical Director of School Board member’s campaign
Neuroscience Internship @ UCSD
Bioinformatics Internship @ UCB (under same professor as ^^)
Certified RCM Level 7 singer
Certified RCM Level 7 theoriest
Martial Arts 5 Years Aikido
Part time Job as Soccer Coach for kids
Part of Concert choir w/ 10+ Performance experiences
Presidential Medal of Service Award (Bronze)
200+ hours volunteering at Senior Care center
Part of kitchen detail at homeless shelter (100 hours)
Organized Lifeguard/WSI training at school where we helped 50+ kids get certified
Organized event where students helped restock emergency supplies within classes
Please let me know what schools I should aim to apply for because the counselor is telling my parents not even to consider applying for T50 schools due to my gpa and to think of applying as a humanities major and I feel so crushed that my dreams of becoming a doctor might not even happen. Also, my dream school is attending the BS/MD program at CNU so do I even have a chance at that?
With a UC weighted capped GPA of 3.83 (close to the border of the second and third columns above), UCM is looks likely, UCR looks like a match, UCSC looks like a high match, and the other UCs look like low reach to high reach.
Your essays do matter significantly at UCs.
Note that UCs do lean on HS GPA relatively more than test scores compared to many other colleges. Because your profile is test score heavy, you may have better luck at some privates that lean on test scores more relative to HS GPA (e.g. you probably have a better chance at USC than UCLA, although USC would still be a difficult admit).
In terms of major, apply with the major you want to do. Note that pre-meds can do any major, though they need to take the pre-med courses alongside if they do not overlap with the major.
So does going to a top 20 high school where grade deflation is prevalent make a difference at all? Getting A’s in my school is significantly harder than other schools which is why I find it surprising that UCs dont even seem to consider that.
Are you only interested in UCs? Or other private schools elsewhere? Your GPA might hinder you at the tippy top schools, but if you are thinking T50, there are several where I expect you’d be competitive so they’re worth trying IMO.
The worst hurdle you’re likely to have to overcome is your GC needs to add their part to your app and if they don’t write a good report…
Are you looking for need or merit based aid if heading elsewhere?
For pre-med, humanities majors (or any major) is perfectly fine. Also, if thinking about pre-med, the most successful students I’ve seen have gone to colleges where both their SAT/ACT and GPA are in the Top 25% of incoming students. It doesn’t really matter which undergrad (or major) they choose. It matters that they do very well there (GPA/MCAT/ECs med schools want to see).
Head over to the pre-med forum on this site and start reading about the process:
Your guidance counselor wasn’t “mean” but realistic. The UCs take the best students from each high school, as does Cal Poly SLO. Your GC knows what UCs look got and which students for in the previous years.
An issue, if you want to be pre-med as a Humanities major at UCs is that you won’t have priority to register for the pre-med core.
Apply to UCR in July and look up their pre-med programs to see if you qualify. This way you’d lock a UC with excellent pre-med preparation.
Your strength, reflecting curriculum rigor, is your test scores. Your ECs are excellent also. A private university with holistic criteria would likely admit you. The issue is costs so you need to know whether your parents 1) could pay for UCs full pay 2) have a budget for your college.
My advice, if you want to be pre-med is to apply as a Humanities major at a “whole college”* where you can easily change majors if you wish and have no difficulty registering for the premed core classes.
Look into Occidental, Pitzer as reaches; Whitman would be a terrific match and if you apply ED you’re sure to get in, likely with merit. It’s very strong for the sciences and your odds of getting into med school from Whitman are higher than from a UC.
Lewis and Clark, UPuget Sound, as safeties (EA). Show interest right now and consistently (fill out Request information form, click on emails they send you, etc).
You're admitted to the whole college not to a specific major so switching is easy.
For the UCs, Davis and Irvine might be a good candidate for pre-med.
Your GPA/test scores are similar to my son’s-he graduated from one of the top high schools in Silicon Valley (think on the lines of Gunn, Saratoga, Lynbrook, Monta Vista, or Paly). Nobody expected him to go to a Top 30 school (got multiple B+ grades with the occasional B- with his A’s mainly in History).
He ended up at WashU as a dual Biology/History major as a pre-med and is doing pretty well as a sophomore-he claims that his college GPA is way higher than his high school GPA.
Depending on whether you are willing to EA/ED to a school, BU, Case, Tulane, and Rochester could be targets. I might even look at Vanderbilt as a reach that can be targeted-not that many Bay Area kids, especially Asians think of it.
Remember your mileage may vary but you have decent extracurriculars. Do your best on your essays as well and start making a list of schools that you’re interested in.
First, you can major in anything and go to med school. Pre-med is not a major, its a set of required and recommended classes. Med schools take humanities majors all the time. Personally, I think its a mistake to choose your major based on how you think it will affect your chances of getting into college. You should try to find a college that will let you major in what you are passionate about.
Please let the group know about your options when choosing a college - especially your geographic and financial constraints. If you are able and willing to leave CA, you have many more choices.
Finally, there is no need to go to a top 20 or top 50 school to eventually go to med school. Many high stat kids choose places like Alabama because they have excellent scholarships. If those kids keep their grades up and do well on the MCAT, they have no problem getting into medical school.
UC’s tend to be very GPA focused so below a 4.0 UC GPA will be a tough admit, even though your SAT score is well within the ranges for the top UC’s and above the ranges for the rest. As stated above, your GC is being realistic. The UC’s have all become highly competitive. Overall you are a competitive applicant and the rigor of your HS will be considered but you should first identify 2 solid safety schools that you are willing to attend and then build your list from that point.
Many “pre-meds” in California schools and not enough spots for them. @ucbalbumnus has posted the UC admit rates for 2018 based on capped UC GPA so I will post further UC stats. Your whole application will be considered but UC’s tend to be very unpredictable so explore other schools beyond the UC’s where you can still get an excellent education. SJSU would make a great Safety school.
@gimmecollege Great. Tell us more. Can you afford full pay at a private - about 72k per year or will you need financial or merit aid? Do you have any geographic constraints – do you want or need to stay in or near CA? What would you ideally like to major in? Do you prefer small or large? City or country? Big football school or small liberal arts? The more you give us, the better this board can help you.
Some CA privates: Santa Clara, Occidental, University of San Diego, University of San Francisco, St. Mary’s, Chapman, Loyola Marymount. Some Reachier schools: Claremont Consortium (Scripps, Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, HMC) and USC.
Even if you can afford a private, I would save the money for med school unless your family is rolling in dough (8 figures liquid net worth, in which case, NM).
But a lot of decent schools all around the country that would take you and many would give you a lot of money. Also, for pre-med, so long as you are at an average state school or above, prestige doesn’t really matter and neither does major.
@merc81 I agree with looking at some Nescac schools. Conn Coll Trinity and Bates (maybe). The others are as high a reach or higher than UCs. A gpa will matter a lot and test optional like Bowdoin will be a high reach. Williams Amherst are ivy level profiles too.
Colby is common app and no fee. So definitely worth a try If you like. But acceptance rates are below 15 %.
If your ecs recs and writing are exceptional. More wonderful LACs would be available. Holy Cross Richmond etc Great flagship Publics are already in your range and merit is possible too.
Mid size private’s like Santa Clara Fordham GW American Tulane U Miami are good schools to look at as well. These are high match and low reach types with your profile.
So many out there. Good luck and keep up the great work.
high schooler going to a top 20 high school in silicon valley and a junior and I am wondering what schools I should aim to apply for. I talked to a college counselor who told me UCR was the most likely and UCSC is a reach and recommended applying humanities if I wanted to go higher but I don’t think my stats are that bad and I was wondering what UC’s/Privates I should realistically apply too. I was crushed after the meeting and I still can’t wrap my mind around the counselors words as I felt I was more qualified.