Concerns:
What are the chances for me getting into an accelerated Physician Assistant program?
If I do internships (for physician assistant), what kind of place should I go?
Advice to improve myself for colleges?
My parents really want me to get into those top 50 colleges (Especially the UCs).
I’m thinking of majoring in Physician Assistant or a major where I can travel (but it’s expensive) .
Honestly, I’m really confused about what majors there are , how to apply and stuff since there isn’t really a guide at my school and my parents are just about getting into the top colleges. I’m worried because I’m very average (don’t stand out at all) and at my school even super qualified people were rejected.
Academic Info:
My total GPA is 3.8, 10-12 GPA is 3.6 (got B’s in cp classes 
) . My school is extremely academically competitive. I’ve taken/currently taken 4 aps. My grades consists of A’s to B’s (B- lowest), I’m currently taking 7 courses ( 2 aren’t really academic). I got a 30 on the ACT. (Hoping to get better when I retake) Honestly, I’m very bad at memorization and studying, but I try hard.
Extracurriculars:
I play piano, viola and do archery. I’ve never gotten an award or something so I think those are useless when applying :(.
I enjoy lots of hobbies too (craft related), but I’ve never gotten any awards.
Thank you so much if you read all this. And please give me advice!
There is no Physician Assistant’s major. You would take the classes that are required to apply to a PA program and since they are mainly science based, most students major in Biology/Chemistry/Biochemistry etc… but you can select any major as long as you meet the PA school requirements. Here are couple of links for what is required: http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/physician-assistant/
https://www.aapa.org/twocolumnmain.aspx?id=288
Top 50 colleges will be tough with a GPA of 3.6 (unweighted or weighted?). If you are a California resident, then some of the UC’s may be an option. Here is the UC GPA calculator: http://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
If you have a UC GPA of 3.9+ along with your ACT score of 30, you have a decent chance at UCI/UCSC/UCR/UCM/UCD and UCSB. Much will depend upon your EC’s and essays along with your GPA/Test scores.
Right now you need to find schools that match your Stats and have a good chance for an acceptance. PA school comes after you get your BA/BS degree, so you have plenty of time to figure out how to get your healthcare related experience. You need to talk to your parents, ask them how much they are willing to spend and explain to them that a Top 50 school may be out of reach. Good Luck.
You can easily get into a top 50 school with those stats. For UCs I’d aim for all except Cal which is very prestigious. Depending on the majors they offer of course
Opps I meant only accelerated Physician Assistant Program.
Thank you!! Your advice is very helpful ! I feel that a biology major is very competitive, and I’d have an even lower chance of getting into any UCs.
Do you know any majors that would allow me to study culture/travel something like that? I’m hoping to get a school below 20k tuition , because I don’t think I qualify for any aid.
And Thank you for the encouragement :D!!
International Business may be a possibility and several Cal States such as SDSU require a semester or two of Study abroad to complete the degree. This is completely opposite of the PA programs you were inquiring about in your original post. Cal States are around $20K which includes tuition/room/board.
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~ib/
Link for accelerated PA programs:http://www.midlevelu.com/blog/10-accelerated-physician-assistant-programs-high-school-students
http://directory.paeaonline.org/programs?utf8=%E2%9C%93&state=CA°ree=&caspa=&gre=&health_xp=&bach_required=&min_gpa=&start_month=
Thank you!! You always give many resources 
Yeah, PA is because its a wonderful job (good hours, and pay) , it’s easier to find jobs, and my parents would be content. The problem is I felt maybe the 6 years of school might be long (cost wise, and I would feel guilty to make my parents pay for 6 years of schooling (there’s no way they would want me to be in student debt, but they’re coming to retiring age) . I feel there’s a low chance that I’d be able to get into an accelerated program though. (since there’s so limited number of programs)
I love bio, but I’m just so bad at memorization and getting things quickly.
Traveling is because I never had the chance to go outside of my state, so I want to experience the world and learning about cultures is interesting. I agree with the abroad studying during college. (just hard to do it, if you’re bio major?)
I’m sorta interested in Drexel because of its co op program (and it’s also accelerated) , but my parents said no way. (unless I get some huge scholarship or financial aid)
@ConfusedRamen: Since you are limiting your budget to around $20K, OOS programs will be very expensive. A highly ranked Cal State such as SLO/CSULB/SDSU/CPP would be an option to do your undergrad at a lower cost and then apply to the PA program. If you have a good Cal State near you, where you could commute, then you would only need to pay about $7000K/year for tuition which would save alot of money to put towards a PA program. There are many different ways to get to your ultimate goal. Remember you only need to take the required classes for a PA program so if you can major in anything you want. You still could do some study abroad with any major, so if you have the travel bug, combine your travel with some classes towards your major. Good Luck.
I looked up required courses for PA school: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/school-of-health-professions/programs/masters-programs/physician-assistant-studies/admissions/requirements.html
There’s alot of the prerequisite courses at my school, but I think the website says it won’t count? (only for undergrad credits)
[I’m currently taking AP Psychology, My school offers Human Anatomy and Physiology (might be AP?) , there’s an ROP class on medical terminology, and I think I’ll be able to take AP statistics next year. ]
I would also have to get a ton of clinical experience.(Just wondering, If I do an internship in the summer would that also count?) I’m interested in dermatology and pediatrics (clinical) (not really emergency/surgical) , so would internships in those fields count?
With all this in mind, I was wondering if it’s possible to go for a different major?? Since these courses seem that they take up 2 years, and PA schools are very competitive (so they would not like it, if I was in a non-healthcare related /science major?)
gahh I think I’m complicating things. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me.