Yes, another rch/mch/sfty thread

<p>About me:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.9/4.0 (.35 points away with my percentage grade from a 4.0)
Class Rank: 45/514</p>

<p>I expect both the GPA and class rank to go up slightly this year, as they haven't been calculated after second semester Junior Year, and that has been my strongest semester thus far.</p>

<p>ACT: 32 (28 Eng, 29 Rdg, 34 Sci, 36 Mth)
SAT: 700 Math, 600 Reading, 640 Writing I will be taking again this fall, and I'm expecting improvement over last fall when I got these scores.</p>

<p>SAT 2: 740 Math 2, 700 Chemistry, 640 Literature
AP Tests:
World History- 3
Chemistry- 3
Physics B- 3
Computer Science A- 4
English Language/Composition- 4</p>

<p>My Senior Schedule:
AP Biology
AP Calculus AB
Dual Credit English 4
Student Council Officer
Professional Internship Program (20+ hr/wk internship at a local hospital)
AP Psychology</p>

<p>EC's
Boy Scouts- Eagle Scout
Baseball- School and EC
Work: Little League Baseball Umpire since '05, PetSmart Cashier (about 25-30 hrs/wk, slightly less during school year)
Student Council- I will be the Secretary this year
National Honor Society
Mu Alpha Theta
Senior Interact
Computer Club
Chess Club
I attended a summer program called NNAYI, 65 natives from across the US who are interested in health professions, and it was basically 9 days of seminar from 6 AM to 8 PM
Hospital Internship this Fall</p>

<p>Basically, I've taken all of the hardest courses offerred at my school, all of them are PreAP/Honors/AP if possible. I'm a registered Native American, Cherokee tribe, yay minority status. I'm planning on being a Cognitive Neuroscience major, PreMed as well. I suppose it will probably have to be Neuroscience with a minor in cognitive sciences, but close enough. I'm also working very very hard on my applications, I already have almost all of it done, and I'm going to refine my essays for the next couple months.</p>

<p>Schools:
Brown University
Dartmouth College
Vanderbilt University
Northwestern University
Boston University
University of Michigan- Ann Arbor
University of Wisconsin- Madison
Washington University in St. Louis
McGill University (Montreal, QC)
University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC)</p>

<p>I'm curious to see what you guys say. I"d like some objective opinions as opposed to my mother who keeps telling me "you'll get in to all these amazing schools, don't worry!" I am pretty sure that's not the case, but I'd like to see what you guys say. I know that most of these schools are reach schools, some more than others, but I"m fairly confident I"ll get in to at least a couple, if not more. I figure why not go for some good schools, you never know, and it doesn't hurt to try as long as it's reasonable.</p>

<p>All of these schools listed are of somewhat, if not highly prestigious status; it might be helpful to know what schools you're applying from in state to. However, my main point is this: are these schools chosen on the basis of the school's academic stature or the neuroscience programs? I personally know absolutely nothing about specific neuroscience programs, and this might influence your decision. You have a good shot at all the schools, with slightly lesser chances for the first five schools listed. You probably should throw in some safeties, unless one of the already prestigious public universities is in state. </p>

<p>Overall, you're a very desirable candidate for any university. Of course, you already know this. My only piece of advice is to look into lesser known schools with impressive neuroscience programs. If all else fails, you're passion for this specific science should override your possible lack of an Ivy League school.</p>

<p>I am from Texas. What my plan was, is that I'm going to apply to Michigan ASAP, because they accept apps starting in September and send out Admission letters not too long after. If you submit by Nov 1, you are guaranteed to be sent a letter by christmas. And then I figure since that is one of the schools on the lower end of my list (academics wise), if I dont get in there, and I recieve my letter before I have applied to the other schools, then I will probably drop the best best ones on the list, and replace them with some lower caliber schools. Then I will apply to University of Texas, which I am guaranteed admission because of my class rank. That's my safety/backup school for sure. Still a good school, I just am pretty set on heading up north, with the exception of Vanderbilt, which I just seem to like. And Nashville should be just a touch better than Dallas. Not much, but a bit.</p>

<p>As far as if they admit based on neuroscience standards, I believe that most, if not all of these schools, admit based on standards for all science programs, or college of arts/sciences requirements, and I've checked all of the schools, and most of them I meet or exceed the reqs (like mid ACT/SAT score range, recommended high school courses, etc) and then a few like Dartmouth and Brown, the top schools on my list, are a bit of a stretch. But I didn't select any school that I felt I was towards the bottom end of.</p>

<p>I would recommend you consider Johns Hopkins for premed and neuroscience. neuroscience is among the best here and you know premed is pretty good here as well. (neuroscience prolly the best in the nation with premed round up the top 1, 2, or 3. :))</p>

<p>EDIT: Btw, I will come back to this at a later time. What was the methology that you used to decide on your schools. Just based on my limited glimpse, not many of those schools are strong in or reputable in neurosci (srry :)) and some may not even offer the major itself. I was just curious because this seems like a kinda randomly assorted list, did you pick and choose which colleges you liked? Certaintly you can change that list up more, add and remove some schools.</p>

<p>I was actually in MD over the summer (Bethesda mostly) and I couldn't stand the weather at all... the humidity was worse than Texas... something I never thought I'd say. I looked into it and it just didn't do much for me either. So with both of those reasons, I decided it wasn't the school for me. I know for a fact that it's a top notch school, it just isn't what I'm looking for.</p>

<p>If humidity is a problem, then why Brown or Dartmouth ? :-p</p>

<p>CAn you stand the cold? I've lived in the northeast my entire life, humidity has never been a problem for me. in fact, if MD is considered humid, i wouldn't dare apply anywhere north of MD, because the humidity up here is probably much more than you can take :) lol I live near Boston btw. Its also cold too. do you mind the cold?</p>

<p>EDIT: OOOOHH, Yes, Baltimore, MD in the summer is INCREDIBLY hot. I would not recommend to think that the entire MD area is like that because in the summer time, its more like the exception than the norm. It does get hot up here but during the fall, its much less humid than what you've experienced. Its much more different in the fall and spring than in the summer. MD Summer is like unbearable. lol</p>

<p>oh yes, I dearly love the cold.</p>

<p>On the occasion when it gets down in the teens here, I walk around outside in boxers and a t shirt, and I'm comfortable. Granted, I can't stay out for hours, but I enjoy it very much.</p>

<p>Humidity only bothers me when combined with heat. Humidity+Heat=Sweat+Stink</p>

<p>Bad for impressing the ladies.</p>

<p>But I've been to both Boston and Montreal. Montreal in October, and it got down into the forties at night and I was comfortable in flip flops. Boston in November, and it was about the same temps, except rainy, and I loved that as well. My friends have nicknamed me polar bear and eskimo, if that helps. haha.</p>

<p>But the main reason I'm headed up north, is to escape the heat. Not so much the humidity, but the heat. I despise showering, and then being sweaty by the time I pick up a girl for a date, or get to work. Gross.</p>

<p>^ LOL Thats the first time I've heard someone from Texas loving the cold. I would have thought you would love the heat, dry heat that is.</p>

<p>meh, dry heat isn't all that bad... but I still prefer the cold. IDK, just feels better to me. If I had to choose, I'd definitely choose my toes falling off due to frostbite, over getting heat exhaustion during baseball practice in the middle of summer.</p>

<p>I'm tempted to say you're into Wisconsin for sure.</p>

<p>Yeah, I was thinking that Wisconsin, Michigan, and UBC are at the bottom end of that list, and those are the ones I feel confident in.</p>

<p>If I don't get into those, well... I'll just crawl under my bed and die. haha</p>

<p>
[quote]
in fact, if MD is considered humid, i wouldn't dare apply anywhere north of MD, because the humidity up here is probably much more than you can take...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Um...the Southeast is definitely more humid than the Northeast. I've lived in both, I know the difference. :P</p>

<p>OP: Being Cherokee will help you at Dartmouth, since it is explicitly part of its mission statement to educate Native Americans. So it might not be as much of a stretch as you think.</p>

<p>You like neuroscience, and, apparently the Northeast...look at Tufts and Brandeis in addition to what you've got.</p>

<p>I'm not from Maryland, but if the weather there is anything like the weather in the midwest or the northeast, the heat and humidity only lasts for the summer. For almost all the academic year it shouldn't be a problem.</p>

<p>I didn't much like Tufts and Brandeis... just not my cup of tea. That list of schools up top is pretty much my final list, unless something drastic happens, like I get offered a full ride somewhere out of the blue, which, is extremely unlikely, and about as drastic as it would take to change that list. Probably took me about a year and a half to make that dang list. haha</p>