Type of high school (current college for transfers): Public High School (But very academically rigorous, top 10 public schools in state), Currently at Trinity College in Hartford CT (Safety School from first year application)
Gender/Race/Ethnicity (optional): Female, White
Other special factors (first generation to college, legacy, athlete, etc.): NESCAC level cross country and track and field (not quite recruit level probably, but definitely walk on to all nescac teams
Intended Major(s)
Currently a biology and mathematics double major, but would be interested in biomedical engineering at the Tufts school of arts and sciences if accepted.
Hoping to pursue research as a career, and eventually attend grad school to become a professor
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.82
Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): 4.82 (5.0=A in honors classes, 4.5=A in ACP classes, 4.0=A in CP Classes) (took all honors)
College GPA (for transfers): 4.0
Class Rank: not ranked
ACT/SAT Scores: 780 Reading, 760 Math (would be willing to take again if you think it would increase my chances of acceptance due to the lower math score)
Coursework
AP Physics C: Mechanics: 5
AP Biology: 5
AP Calculus AB: 5
Poorest Grades in History classes, took a US History Course at local community College and got an A+
Two years of intensive metalworking, silver key award for portfolio (not something I’m looking to pursue in college, but a potential essay topic). work focused on fantasy life (really big fan of LOTR and the Hobbit), dragons, etc.
College Courses: Inventing English Literature (Medieval Literature class), Calculus II, Calculus III, Introduction to Evolution (biology), Cellular basis of Life (biology), Interdisciplinary Science Program (first year seminar designed to prepare students for research), Abstraction and Argument (proof based mathematics class)
Spent second semester doing research with biology professor, no published work but presented research at symposium and continuing to do research over the summer, going on a trip to Trinidad to look at brain evolution of fish
Awards
Excellence in Science Award: awarded to one senior each year for excellence in science (High School award, chosen out of class of 400 students) Extracurriculars
Varsity Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field (4 years, captain for 2 years) (didn’t leave a lot of time for clubs outside of sports)
Current College Athlete on Trinity College Varsity XCTF
Volunteer tutor in physics (High School)
Teacher’s assistant for Algebra in high school
Currently working as a mathematics tutor (paid)
Working at a Panini Food Truck for multiple years (Manager)
Spent a year in a female advocacy group that went to capitol building at presented to representative
Did Girl Scouts for 12 years, Earned Bronze award and Silver Award (addressing food insecurity in college students and aiming to decrease education inaccessibility, which is a political issue I’m passionate about and increases my drive to become a fair tutor and teacher)
15 years competitive sailing, 3 years instructing sailing
Essays/LORs/Other
Really bad at writing essays, wish I could have the help of a college counselor because I get the sense that I’m a strong applicant, but I have no idea how to represent myself through an essay, any advice is much appreciated!!
Hoping to make my interests in teaching and making education accessible come across, as well as how I enjoy combining fantasy with my scientific interests
I expect letters of recommendation to be very strong, planning on asking professor that I’ve done research with for a letter of recommendation. I’ve shown to him that I am very committed to going above and beyond my expected role (proposing experiments, working individually, quick learner, open to having scientific discussions, spending multiple all-nighters in the lab per week)
I plan to use the additional information section for the following details:
Undiagnosed and Unmedicated anxiety and depression until junior year of high school
Suicide attempt in junior year of high school, committed to psych ward for a week, took a while to get back to full pace in school (not allowed to go back into classes immediately legally)
Undiagnosed and Unmedicated ADHD until senior year (upon medication, I instantly saw improvement in my grades, got a 5.0 GPA my senior year due to finally being able to do work)
Mild hearing loss in left ear
Cost Constraints / Budget
Definitely a financial aid student, not able to pay for a college counselor or any tutors, currently have several scholarships along with a fair portion of aid from college, qualify for FAFSA.
Schools
Tufts University (dream school, despite poor academic profile, was very surprised to not get in first year acceptance due to interest and really good fit, guidance counselor also surprised I didn’t get in)
Boston University
Georgetown University
Brown University
Duke University
Columbia University
Middlebury College
Stanford University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
**I know these are super hard schools to get into, these are only my (HARD) reach schools. I would really appreciate some humbling and some suggestions for schools that I’m more likely to get into but that still are in the 1,000-10,000 undergrad student range and have really strong biology programs
Other
I’m about to end my freshman year, and I am thinking about taking a gap year, where I would hopefully take on a tutoring position (wanted to do research but unable to find any research positions in the Boston area that don’t require a Bachelors and also aren’t through a university) and take some courses at a community college. I would prefer this to taking a second year at my current university (although I love the friends I’ve made here), as it would mean I would have more time to establish myself at my (hopefully) future school. Any advice on this, or any suggestions on whether or not to take a gap year is super helpful!!!
To me this sounds like an interesting and valuable opportunity.
It sounds like you are doing well in college.
It sounds like this is quite helpful also.
Which leads to:
Which I am also wondering. To me it sounds like you are going very well where you are.
It is possible and perhaps even reasonably common to get a bachelor’s degree at a very good liberal arts college (such as where you are right now) and then go on to do graduate work at a university that is on the level of your various reach schools.
I feel like the alumni network at my current school is not very strong for the subjects I’m interested in. It’s a really good school for economics and finance, but the alumni connections in my hopeful line of work are not great
I’ve talked with my academic advisor, and I feel like the course load is a little bit too easy for me. That sounds so pretentious to say, but I came from an extremely academically intense high school, so it messes with me to not feel as challenged. My advisor said that she thinks it will only get easier going forward with the course load, so it makes me nervous to feel this unchallenged thus far
I’ve been very lucky to get the research opportunities into evolution that I’ve been given, but I’m more interested in biomedical engineering, genetics, endocrinology, and molecular biology, and there are no labs researching the things I’m interested in here
Although I agree that the research opportunites I’ve been given here are amazing, they aren’t quite in the subjects that I’m passionate about, and the research I want to work on isn’t offered here, while at a school like Tufts, not only are they offered, but they are also in combination with the biomedical hub that is Boston
I also agree that I’m doing well in college, I’d much rather have a lower GPA and feel challenged.
No one can predict a Tufts acceptance - but you had me right here - that they’re unlikely to accept you - especially if Caucasian. It’s a rich kid’s school - far less than half get aid - less than 40% in fact. It’s a need aware school and you are white with need. They’re likely (my hypothesis) not looking to give caucasians money.
Why do you need to leave Trinity?
Is it because it’s not a good fit - or because you think it’s beneath pedigree wise. It’s a fine school and they have engineering.
If you want biomedical engineering, what’s your safety school? Why not UMASS ?
At many schools, aid will be worse as a transfer.
In the CDS two years ago, they (Tufts) accepted about 10% of applicants.
Continuing - you also noted this: I’ve talked with my academic advisor, and I feel like the course load is a little bit too easy for me. Funny, a few months back a student was looking to leave Tufts for the exact same reason.
Make no mistake - nobody knows “rigor”. Everyone assumes it - usually based on rank. But many top schools may not prove challenging while at the same time, many lesser pedigree schools may kick kid’s a$$es?
You don’t know that these other schools will challenge you more - and you’re concerned with the alumni network, but stats show at schools that publish the source of jobs (including Cornell) that alumni contacts infrequently are involved in job placement. They may be there for support and guidance - but one shouldn’t assume any school’s alumni is the key to them finding a job.
I think your expectations are likely not realistic.
My research has indicated that tufts is need-blind for domestic students, and I think that the financial aid is comparable to my current institute. Trinity has an engineering major and a biomed engineering major, but i’m finding issue with the lack of research opportunities that align with my interests, and I’ve been looking at Tufts undergrad labs that are of much more interest to me.
I actually did get into UMass initially, but I’m trying to avoid a super large school.
I understand what you’re saying about Tufts being a rich school, but I think that Trinity is also a very rich school, but just one that isn’t challenging me like I need. Additionally, Trinity is a lot less socially and politically aware, and not very welcoming to LGBTQ+ students and lower income students (coming from a member of both groups). I’m going into this process having no idea how rigorous Tufts is academically aside from its reputation, but I know that the rigor of a Trinity is not enough for me, and hoping that Tufts is more rigorous, or at least allows me to explore things that I have a genuine interest in.
Would you have any suggestions similar to UMasss that are slightly smaller?
I think my community service was okay. I did girl scouts for a while, and got a silver award (second highest honor, awarded after taking on an independent project requiring sustainable change). I think a lot of my volunteer work comes from wanting to make education accessible, and if I do take a gap year, I hope to continue volunteering as a tutor. Not having access to the same educational opportunities has definitely been a big part of my background and motivation, especially in both a rich high school and rich college.
Thanks for the advice!! You really helped me think about how I can portray at least one part of my identity and connect in my volunteer work in the essay portion (just writing this reply was like a whole journal exercise)
What i’d read is they are aware but need blind til the end - but I call bs - when less than 40% of your kids get aid - but perhaps you’re right. Transfers might be different.
Rigor: It’s funny because my kid did engineering at Bama, was a near stud in HS and got his a$$ handed to him, especially the first two years.
Engineering should be hard - everywhere. And yes, I think people wrongly correlate rigor with reputation. My kid’s school is 3rd tier and it’s been very rigorous for her - although she’s in special honors programs.
if you use ABET as a filter, there’s 166 accredited Biomedical Engineering Schools in the country.
Obviously, I don’t know which schools are LGBTQ friendly - for example, Alabama has a sparkling reputation with Campus Pride and great reviews from LGBTQ parents/students on this website but most kids seem to apply red/blue state in the determinant of where will be great.
So I’ll give you smaller schools and blue states - as a starting point - if this helps.
U of the Pacific in CA - more a regional school, so likely not for you. It’s a sort by state (CA, then CT, etc).
U Hartford
U Delaware - bigger - but great rep and not as big as other publics
The student’s ethnicity is no longer reported on the application forms. I’m not sure how Tufts or any other college would know this.
My concern with Tufts is you already applied there once and were not accepted. I’m not sure applying again will get you an acceptance.
As you know…your list is very top heavy. Very. What sure things are you planning to apply to that will be affordable. Or would you stay at Trinity if not acceoted elsewhere with sufficient aid to attend!
Yes and no. It can be brought out in other ways (if you were a minority). That’s fair game.
Again, it’s a hypothesis. I’m not Tufts admission.
Agreed the list is top heavy.
But Tufts is far less than 50% caucasian - so you can read into that what you want - and that’s not going to put OP in a great situation, especially needing aid.
This makes it sound like Tufts is indeed need aware for transfer students.
From the Tufts website:
Tufts does offer need-based financial aid to its students. While the financial aid budget at Tufts is substantial,it is a finite resource that is available on a limited basis to transfer students. If you are admitted, we meet 100% of demonstrated need.
The list in the original post is indeed full of reaches.
@zomacaroni if you continue studying at your current college for another year, and if none of your transfer applications come through, then I do not see a problem with your list being full of reaches. If you do not get in anywhere, then you continue where you are, graduate, and look for either a job or apply to graduate programs (or first work for a year or two and then apply to graduate programs).
However, if you take a gap year, then what happens if you do not get in anywhere? You are already involved in interesting research where you are. If you walk away for a year, do you lose this opportunity? I think that it could be frustrating to take a gap year, end up back where you are now, and yet not have the research opportunities that you already have now. I think that if you do take a gap year, then you should be applying to some schools where acceptance is relatively more likely.
On the other hand, I also see some downside to transferring as a junior. This would leave relatively little time to first get to know professors and then get involved in helping them with their research.
Do your current professors have contacts at other research facilities where they could try to set you up to participate in research that would be more interesting to you? For example you could be looking for opportunities that would occur during the summer, or even take a semester or a year off to participate in a research opportunity (sort of similar to what coop students will sometimes do). You could ask around to see if something is possible.
1-- The alumni network is irrelevant in your field of interest. You will go to grad school at some point and the only network that will matter is the faculty/researchers and their colleagues at other institutions. Nobody with any authority at a research lab is going to pick up the phone and call someone at another lab to say “You have to meet this kid- we both went to the same undergrad”.
2-If your course load is too easy, take harder courses. You mention that you struggle writing essays- easy fix- take more writing intensive classes. Being a strong writer is going to help you at every stage of your career-- up to and including the need for you to be able to write concise and compelling grant proposals, summarize your research for non-technical audiences (i.e. identify the narrative/points of interest and then develop them without resorting to jargon), etc. Every college has the “easy track” and the harder track- this is your chance to pursue the harder track.
3- It is WAY too early for you to even care about the TYPE of research opportunities you’ve been given. Undergrad is for you to learn enough content, technique and analytical skills to be useful in a lab. Period. You can’t possibly be helpful in genetics without MORE math and CS. You can’t be useful in endocrinology without more chemistry. You won’t contribute to the research in virtually any related field without cog sci or psychology. Take the classes you need to develop as a scientist- more and harder physics. More and harder math. More and harder CS, psych, chem. The most advanced statistics sequence the college offers. Your ace in the hole in any research opportunity is going to be your ability to interpret data-- so get yourself there.
You might already be at your dream school and don’t even know it.
I agree that your list is top heavy. You may be accepted to some of these, but I’m not sure about how financial aid might work. Please do not share your mental health struggles as part of your application - schools are, by their very nature, extremely risk averse and I think explaining your grades by sharing your past mental health issues will only hurt you and not help.
Definitely leave out mental health -if necessary, you may mention “health related issues” (of, if applicable, “covid related issues”) but nothing more. Colleges are loath to admit students they consider a risk.
You’re welcome! DS was accepted so I have a bit of insight into what they are looking for (he’s going to a school where he got a substantial merit scholarship bc he’s premed).
Here’s the some wording that I saw over and over again in the T communication:
“When you applied, the Admissions Committee saw a great fit for our kind, collaborative and intellectually playful community. Now that you’re admitted, we want you to connect with T as much as we connected with you through your application.”
Can you find some volunteer work this summer? It doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment to have impact-just be consistent. When you are working on your essays, really lean into this theme.
I just wonder if you would be in a better position if you applied as an enrolled student versus taking a gap year. Can you reconnect with your hs guidance counselor and ask?
ETA: you are getting a lot of good advice on this thread.
Here is the US News rankings for graduate biomedical engineering programs (you can check if these schools offer undergrad major in Biomedical engineering):