Chance a Homeschooler with 2 final reach schools! [FL Resident, 3.92 UW, 1430 SAT, Computer Engineering w/ AI Interest & premed track (want to become doctor)

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US domestic African American male
  • State/Location of residency: Florida (formerly Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Type of high school: Homeschool w/ Classical Conversations Curriculum + Dual Enrollment at Palm Beach State College
  • Other special factors: For homeschool, I meet weekly with other homeschoolers for discussions and academic groups for week of coursework

Intended Major(s)

I want to major in Computer Engineering potentially in a focus of Artificial Intelligence. Additionally, I want to be a doctor to apply AI in the medical field, so premed track.

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.92
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.28
  • College GPA: For DE, 4.0
  • Class Rank: N/A since homeschooled
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1430 SAT [700 R/W & 730 M]; improved from 1290

List your HS coursework

  • English: Honors American Literature & English Composition I (9th), Honors British Literature & English Composition II (10th), Honors Shakespeare/Poetry (11th), Honors Ancient Literature (12th)
  • Math: Honors Algebra I and II w/ Geometry (9th); Honors Algebra III/Geometry/Trigonometry (10th); DE College Algebra & DE Precalculus (11th); DE Calculus w/ Analytic Geometry I (12th)
  • Science: Honors Physical Science & Lab (9th); Honors Biology & Lab (10th); Honors Chemistry & Lab (11th); Honors Physics (12th)
  • History and social studies: Honors American Government & Honors Economics (9th); Honors Western Cultural History (10th); Honors American History (11th); Honors World History (12th)
  • Language other than English: Latin I (9th); Latin II (10th); Caesar & Cicero Translations (Latin III & 11th); Latin Language & Literature (Latin IV & 12th)
  • Visual or performing arts: Piano Lessons for Beginners & Drama (9th); Speech & Debate I (10th); Music Theory and Speech & Debate II (11th); Speech (12th)
  • Electives: Driver Education/Traffic Safety FLVS Course, Policy Debate, & Traditional Logic I (9th); Traditional Logic II & Socratic Dialogue and DE Introduction to the College Experience (10th); DE Microcomputer Applications, Philosophy, and DE Introduction to Programming (11th); Theology, Senior Thesis , and DE Honors True Calling: Community-based Learning (12th)

Awards

Only 3 (not a lot, dont know if that would hinder chances):

  • College Board National African American Recognition Program
  • Part Time President’s List Candidate (PBSC): Awarded at Palm Beach State College, this honor is given to part-time students who complete 12
    or more semester credits in the combined fall and spring terms, earning a GPA of 3.8 or higher.
  • Dr. Floyd F Kock Honors College Scholar (PBSC): As a Dr. Floyd F. Koch Honors College Scholar at Palm Beach State College, I am recognized as a
    dedicated student committed to academic excellence, leadership, and community service. Honors
    Scholars excel in rigorous coursework, show intellectual curiosity, and engage actively in service
    and leadership roles within their communities.

Extracurriculars (mostly derived from Common App & extra info sent to colleges)

  • FIRST Robotics: Had several roles- Spokesperson & Head Social Media Manager for Business/Management/Entrepreneurship Team (led team presentations & managed media channels by publishing team videos and posts), Software Team Member & Electrical Work (coded & programmed for competition robots along with assisting with circuit design) (10-12)
  • Rowing: Led team warm-ups; fostered camaraderie through pre-race strategies
    and rowing vlogs; won 2 state titles & “Most Improved Rower” Award
    Award. (9-12)
  • Self Published Author: Wrote “The Five-Course Journey” cookbook, raising $200+ for charity; conducted a live TV interview to promote marketing skills & creativity. (11)
  • National Student Leadership Summer Programs: UMiami Medicine Summer 2023 (Explored leadership in public health & clinical diagnostics; co-led group
    project on community awareness for malaria.) & Johns Hopkins AI Summer 2024 (Collaborated with 50+ peers in AI labs, coding with Python; led group
    project on analyzing data & writing AI algorithms for prediction
    accuracy)
  • Audio/Visual Technician @ Church: Designed worship visuals and operated A/V systems for services; trained 10+ volunteers, creating a cohesive and skilled tech team. (9-12)
  • Vlogger: Created high-quality vlogs, growing an engaged audience of 1000+
    views, learning storytelling techniques & video-editing skills to promote
    innovation. (10-12)
  • Debate Captain: Initiated workshops to train 15+ members in argument construction and
    delivery; managed debates to boost critical thinking and communication
    skills (9)
  • SAT Tutor: Hosted study sessions for 7-10 students; taught numerous SAT reading
    strategies to boost aptitude & confidence, improving test scores by
    +100 points. (11th)
  • Cloth Organizer & Outreach Manager: Organized clothing donations for underprivileged students; collaborated with peers for outreach events, raising almost $1,000 for student
    initiatives.
  • Internship: As a FIRST LEGO League mentor for Innovations at HEED, a homeschool organization, I work with young students (ages 9-12) who have little to no experience in STEM. In this role, I guide them through problem-solving, programming, and teamwork, which has allowed me to not only apply what I’ve learned but also share that knowledge with others.

Essays/LORs/Other

I believe my essays are strong. For my personal statement, I focused on breaking the stereotypes of homeschooling—such as being sheltered—and how my experience defied those expectations. I used the metaphor of homeschooling as my “canvas,” illustrating how it allowed me to explore my passion for math and technology while also giving me the flexibility to pursue unique extracurricular opportunities.
For my recommendation letters, I had a strong mix of perspectives. My college math professor highlighted my analytical skills and academic dedication, while my longtime homeschool tutors provided insight into my growth and character. Additionally, a mentor from my robotics team spoke about my contributions, leadership, and teamwork.
Finally, for a few extras, I had my rowing coach write one along with 2 letters from the summer programs that I attended. Each recommender emphasized different aspects of my abilities and character, painting a well-rounded picture of who I am.

Results so Far

  • Accepted: FAU, SUNY Binghamton, WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), Northeastern, University of Michigan, University of Central Florida, and University of Miami
  • Rejected: Georgia Tech & Johns Hopkins University
  • Pending: Northwestern & University of Pennsylvania

So, from reading all of this, what are my chances? I lowkey think I might get rejected bc of my SAT, but decisions are completely random.

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You got into Michigan so anything is possible.

Can you afford all these ?

Med school is pricey - and that’s a tough major to keep grades.

Med school won’t care if you go to Michigan or UCF.

Best of luck. Congrats on all you’ve gotten so far.

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for the most part, yes. but, some financial aid would be nice to not pay as much

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That’s not a good answer.

What is your budget ? Have you run the net price calculators to assure you can afford ?

Michigan will average over $80k a year. The last two years rise $4k.

That and $100k a year for med school. Do you have $750k for school ?

You need a budget, first and foremost. What # did your parents say you can spend ?

If they haven’t, that’s step one.

You may not be able to afford schools on your list.

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It is impossible to chance for the hyper-competitive colleges. There are many more well qualified applicants than spots available. You will know soon enough.

Fortunately you already have some excellent acceptances in hand so congrats.

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In my experience with NW and Penn, I think you may get into both. Your cv is impressive and unlike a lot of laundry lists, it rings authentic to me. In both know that you will be educated in an echo chamber. That doesn’t take away from what’s great there, but it is a fact. Why do I think both will take you? BC you cant fake authenticity. However, note FAU has Wilkes Honors College and a conditional Med School acceptance if you can get your score up to 1520 or ACT 33 which I bet you can, or you can earn it and slide in while there (FAU).You would graduate with conditional med school acceptance and have no debt. However, would you go there over UMich? Actually maybe. Are you aware they have a BioMed/Pharma lab on campus with major Corporate players? And, have just added a Neurological institute on campus as well. I believe their model will become a model for the future. As a HomeSchool person, ask yourself are you ready to bust out and be in a big environment with tons of people? Or is boutique learning (with the option to enjoy extracurriculars at FAU main) still your preferred learning environment. I don’t know who counseled you but a very interesting list. Keep us posted I’m rooting for you. Most important, if you don’t get the warm fuzzies anywhere, make a business decision! God bless.

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You have 4 schools that will let you use your bright futures money, and thus you’ll pay much less for undergrad and have it for Med school. They are excellent schools. I urge you to consider saving that money, which might be $400k over 4 years.

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What were your results at NU and Penn?

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so results are that i got waitlisted by NU but rejected at penn. leaning towards michigan because it is one of my top choices. but will give updates in future

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