I know it’s a bit early to ask since I’m still in 11th grade and I haven’t taken the SAT and AP exams yet, but I want to start thinking early since I have very little knowledge about colleges in general.
I want to major in a biology-related field (and minor in music theory/music history if possible).
I can’t afford a college that’s too expensive, and I don’t want to go to a college with a very small number of students.
Which colleges should I apply to?
Also, I am concerned because my extracurriculars are very very weak, and I don’t have anything that makes me stand out among other students… Do you have any advice for me?
Thanks in advance!
Grade: 11
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Asian (moved to America in 4th grade)
School Type: Public (nationally ranked science and technology school)
SAT: I have not taken it yet, but I got a 232 on the PSAT
Chemistry SAT II: 780
Math 2 SAT II: 800
Current GPA: 3.95 (UW); 4.32 (W)
Courses (current grade):
I didn’t take any AP’s 9th and 10th grade
AP Calc BC (A)
AP US History (A)
AP Physics C (B+)
post-AP DNA science (A)
Next year I’m planning to take: AP Gov, AP Literature, AP Japanese, and a post-AP math course.
Extracurriculars/Community Service:
Concertmaster of District Orchestra for a year (played violin since 4th grade)
Policy Debate (JV)
2nd Degree Black belt in Taekwondo
Attended governor’s academy for Japanese
Manager of a branch of a free tutoring program for local elementary school students (2hrs every week)
Volunteer at taekwondo summer camp (80 hours)
It looks like there’s a good chance you can score 2250+ so you should have some good options. U Virginia and William & Mary are obvious candidates. As a general rule, forget about out-of-state publics when finances are an issue. You could also look at U Richmond, which is a private Liberal Arts College (LAC), but it’s one of the larger (and wealthier) LACs.
It’s important to get a better handle on what your family can afford per year. Talk it over with your parents and run a few Net Price Calculators (NPCs) on school websites, with your folks. You could come up with a list of 10 safeties/matches/reaches right now without understanding what you can afford, then once the finances become clearer, you might have to scratch many of those and start the hunt again. No sense in that.
You have impressive grades and if your SAT I is in line with the rest of your standardized testing history, you should be in line for some fine institutions. Plus, if my intuition is correct, and you happen to go to the Thomas Jefferson School of Science and Technology, you should be fine when applying to schools. My main advice is to get recommendations from teachers that know you well and write rocking essays, which really do make a difference.
I happen to be a student at the College of William and Mary this year, so feel free to direct any questions about the school over here, but I am not a pre-med student, so I can’t elaborate on that. I’d also start off with visiting the schools in your local area to see what type of school you are interested in and what type of student body might appeal to you. There are many other factors to consider in a college.
UVA and William and Mary would both be great options. Of course, you could apply to other schools and see what kind of scholarships/merit aid you might get. Take a look at Emory, for example, in Atlanta or Wash U in St. Louis. Pick a few reaches that appeal to you and see what they offer, with the understanding that you aren’t going if the money isn’t there. Richmond would be a good safety.
Why no LACs? They can have significant advantages for the right student.