Which College should I ED to?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi guys. I wanted to ask all of you to please weigh in on which school you think I should Early Decision to. My top 3 choices are Duke University, Cornell University and Johns Hopkins University. I want to major in a biology related major (pre-med if the school offers it) and go on to apply to Med School. Here are my stats/ info</p>

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>General Info:
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Home State: NJ
Intended Major: Biology, Pre-med</p>

<p>Test Scores:
GPA: 3.68 UW/ 4.32 W
PSAT: 227
SAT I: 2260 (790 M, 750 W, 720 R)
SAT II: Biology: 800, Math II: 800, Chemistry: 800
AP's: Biology: 5, Chemistry: 5, AP Calculus AB: 5, AP Statistics: 5, AP US History: 4, AP Spanish: 4
Rank: N/A (School doesn't rank)</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars:
1) Research with Professor at Princeton University: This is definitely my hook. This professor at PU took me on as an aid in her lab. I work with her and her graduate students on multiple projects.
2) A2Z Mentoring Program (100 Hours): This is a local mentoring program. I both mentor and am in the Teen Committee.
3) Volunteering at the Franklin Institute (300 Hours): The Franklin Institute is a museum located in Philadelphia and is one of the best known museums on the East Coast. I work on the floor and interact with the visitors.
4) Volunteering at the University Medical Center at Princeton (80 Hours): I started volunteering here at the start of my junior year. I am very involved in my department and all the nurses there love me!
5) Baseball: I played baseball at my school for 3 years. I was on JV for my sophomore and junior years. (No letter)</p>

<p>Leadership:
1) Program Manager on the Teen Committee in the A2Z Mentoring Program.</p>

<p>Awards:
1) A2Z Presidential Award for Mentoring
2) Silver Level Presidential Volunteer Service Award at the Franklin Institute
3) NMSQT Semifinalist</p>

<p>Essays:
Both my teachers really liked me but my AP Calculus AB teacher told me several times that I am his favorite student :). I have already written my college essay and I really like it. I have gone in to talk to my guidance counselor several times and she loves me.</p>

<p>Also, I would truly appreciate it if you guys could inform me of my chances to get in at each school.</p>

<p>As for my preferences, I really like the Duke and Cornell Campuses. Just for student life, however, I am leaning more toward Duke. I love the sports atmosphere there and I definitely want to go to a school with a lot of school spirit. The price ranges on all three colleges are the same, so that is not as big a factor. I also know that JHU is more known for its pre-med, so that is also pretty high on the list.</p>

<p>Considering all this, which university do you guys think I should ED to and what are my chances of getting in? </p>

<p>THANK YOU EVERYONE IN ADVANCE AND I TRULY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR HELP</p>

2

<p>First off I just want to point out your GPA is on the low end for all three that you are looking at. They are all about equally difficult to get into. That being said ED is binding (and you can only apply to one school) and because of that you should be picking the school you want to attend most. Is there a specific school on that list that has stood out to you? Is there one you are applying to only because it is an ivy/well-known. These are the types of things you should think about and then decide according.</p>

3

<p>ArtsyGril13- considering that his GPA is not referenced with class rank or a note regarding the weighting, I don’t think it is fair to point out his GPA as a “first off” issue. Also, with said weighting, his GPA is above the average for Cornell (4.15 ED 2016), Duke (4.18 ED 2016), and Johns Hopkins (at 4.21). Lastly, all of those schools are renowned for their programs in the fields he has mentioned, so it is not as if he is blindly picking off the top 20 list. </p>

<p>With that said, I think you have a decent shot compared to the majority of applicants, and your ECs seem (to me, at least) exemplary. However, most people (myself included) posting on these threads are probably not the best to ask about chances. The information I have put here can be gleaned from a simple Google search. Guidance Counselors and College Websites containing data are probably the most reliable, least biased ways of referencing one’s academic profile for a given college.
Good Luck!</p>

4

<p>Honestly, I think your GPA is a bit low for Cornell and Duke, but I think your chances are best if you ED John’s Hopkins. Good luck with everything!</p>

5

<p>THANKS GUYS</p>

<p>Collegebound - I have looked at the average GPA’s and mine do seem a little low. I was hoping that my EC’s and test scores would make my application look better. Do you think this is the case?</p>

6

<p>Personally I don’t believe your ECs/test scores compensate for your grades, but I also believe that for almost everybody. Top schools expect strong ECs/test scores, so while many schools may view your ECs/test scores as compensating that (from my understanding) tends to not be the case for top schools. So yes your ECs and test scores are very strong, but they are not very uncommon for top schools. Also I have heard of cases where if you have high test scores and a lower GPA they assume it implies you are lazy. What is your class rank?</p>

7

<p>Unfortunately, our school does not rank. They said it is because they are too many qualified individuals that receive low ranks because our school is so competitive.</p>