Chance and Match me plz (rewritten) [PA, pre-med, 3.8UW/4.2W, 1510, PSAT 1490 possible NMSF, <$60k]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Hi Im a male, highschool Junior and have a 4.2 weighted gpa on a 4.0 weighted scale (my school doesnt do unweighted but in a calculator its a little over 3.8), a 1510 SAT, a 1490 PSAT (im hoping to get national merit semi finalist or even finalist), 5 AP classes including this year so far and am planning on taking 5 AP classes next year for 10 total. (I’ve gotten 4s on the three AP tests that I have taken so far), mostly honors classes for the rest), and I have pretty good extracurriculars: AP Scholar, NHS, 3 years of 2 JV sports that i play for fun, I was accepted and i plan on going to a summer program at a prestigious medical center that used to be a governors school and it only accepts 100 kids between 15-18 years old), and I have around 150-200 hours of volunteer work at a summer camp for the disabled as well as with the children at a church, and I will also be shadowing 4-5 physicians)

What are some schools that you recommend and what are some majors that you recommend (I want to go into med but do not want to take biology, chem or physics as my major).

What are my matches for some schools I have been looking at are: BU, BC, UPitt, Penn State, UMich, UVA, UF, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Cornell, Dartmouth, USC, WashU, Tufts, and Emory. (I know many of these are reaches) Im looking for medium to large schools around the same size as Pitt or BU. My budget is around 50-60k a year and I do not qualify for need based financial aid. (Im hoping to get merit based scholarships/aid)

Thanks!

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I meant chances for the last paragraph

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Could you please do the chance me/match me template completion. It will be much easier to read than your lengthy first paragraph.

Please complete the whole chance me/match me. Answer every question, and folks here will be very happy to help you.

I will add…from the little I read, you sound like a strong student.

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Congratulations on the great PSAT score. What state do you live in? That would help predict whether you are likely to be NMSF.

Please check out this thread. Big merit NMF/NMSF schools and their specialties

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A major like Biology, Society and the Environment at UMN would be a good major for “pre-med”. There are a handful of other schools with similar majors, but all different names. UMN would be a safety/match for you (safety for a CLA major, which BSE is) and is in a great city for internships.

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Pennsylvania

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yea sry i copy pasted from somewhere i wrote it all down

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No need to apologize. It’s just easier to read.

I’ll give you a couple of free tips…

  1. I would suggest you take premed out of your equation now. Your goal now is to find an undergrad school where you will be happy and thrive…and do well. This will help you IF you do end up applying to medical school down the road.
  2. You can major in anything you like…just make sure you take the required courses for medical school applicants.
  3. If you do make NMF status, you might want to check out University of Tulsa and University of Alabama as you will get either a full free ride or close to it.
  4. Apply to Pitt as soon as their application goes live this summer. You will have your admission result very quickly. I think you have a very good chance of acceptance there.
  5. I also think Penn State is a match for you.
  6. If you can save money on your undergrad education, perhaps some of that can be used for medical school should you be accepted.
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Are you able to fund med school

  • another $400k?

I ask because if you get NMSF, you can go to outstanding Tulsa, and join the other 25% of the class attending for free.

A school like Alabama (vs the flagships you mentioned) for $5k or so a year all in or others at no tuition. That’s much better value than if and it’s a pure sub. There are others that will provide free tuition. Even without NMSF, Y
You can go for $30k or less - if that helps.

You can major in anything for pre med but you need to do the pre reqs. Want to be a history major ? Go ahead.

If you want schools the size of Pitt, then BU, PSU, U Mich, and UF would not work - at the public level but a Miami Ohio as an example. Or Binghamton, Delaware, or URI.

Michigan has zero chance of budget. Nor does UVA (unless you get the Jefferson), Gtown, Cornell, Dartmouth, or Tufts. You can sub in schools like Rice and Miami. These are unlikely to hit budget but are top schools that offer merit aid, in addition to Emoty and Vandy etc.

So step back and talk to your folks. Med school plus colleges you list will be $700-800k.

Did they give you a firm budget ? If so you need schools that will 100% hit - but then others that give you a chance. Most of your list has no merit aid.

Good luck

Ps - if you will truly be a Dr, the where you undergrad likely doesn’t matter.

Costs do.

Here’s an example why I say that.

I wrote this yesterday.

One other thing you might do - pick a specialty and look at residents. Where did they come from? I was at Vanderbilt so I was curious and looked at the residents in radiology since it was why I went there. The residents in that specialty (first two years of residency) went to the following as undergrads with one school having two as noted. You could look that way too. This is a top teaching hospital btw so perhaps this is a way to validate or invalidate some arguments by doing similar for areas of your interest.

Auburn
CWRU
Florida A&M
Florida State
Fordham
Lipscomb
Luther
Murray State
Northern Illinois
Pitt
Princeton
Tulane
Tuskegee
U North Carolina
U Puerto Rico
U Tennessee
Vandy (2)

Good luck

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Demographics

  • US Citizen
  • Pennsylvania resident
  • Public (pretty rich area) high school
  • no special stuff

Cost Constraints / Budget

  • about 50-60k (looking to get merit scholarships bc i dont qualify for need based aid)

Intended Major(s)

  • please help match me to a major (I am trying to do med eventually) i do not want to major in bio, chem, physics. I will take premed prerequisites
  • Thinking about public health maybe?

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Top 25% (no rank yet)
  • 4.2 weighted gpa on 4.0 weighted scale
  • no unweighted gpa (calculated was a little above 3.8)
  • SAT score was 1510
  • PSAT was 1490 (looking to be national merit semifinalist or finalist)

List your HS coursework

  • 5 AP classes including this year and planning on taking another 5 next year.
  • English: Hnrs, hnrs, AP Lang, (planning on AP Lit next year)
  • Math: Hrs alg 2, hrs precalc, AB Calc, (planning on BC Calc next year)
  • Science: Hrs bio, Hrs chem, AP environmental science, hrs physics, (planning on AP Bio next year)
  • History and social studies: AP human geo, APUSH, hrs gov, (planning on AP Psych next year)
  • Language other than English: Spanish 2, 3, and hrs 4, (planning on AP spanish lang next year but not taking AP test)
  • couple of standard half credit required electives

Awards

  • AP scholar
  • NHS member

Extracurriculars

  • 3 years of 2 JV sports that i play for fun
  • I was accepted and i plan on going to UPHCSA (University of Pittsburgh Health Career Scholars Academy which used to be a PA governors school and it only accepts 100 kids between 15-18 years old)
  • I have around 150-200 hours of volunteer work at a summer camp for the disabled as well as with the children’s ministry at the church I attend.
  • Will gain shadowing experience from 4-5 physicians later this year

Schools I am planning on applying for merit scholarships for BU, BC, UVA, UMich, and other out of state or private schools (i live in PA)

  • Assured/extremely likely: UPitt, Drexel, Penn state
  • Likely: UF, BU
  • Toss-up: BC
  • Lower/low Probability: UVA, UMich, WashU, Tufts, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Cornell, Dartmouth, USC, Emory
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thank you so much. I put premed bc im also thinking about some programs like BS/MD

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I like your assured.

Your likelies are a match plus reach. BU has a very low acceptance rate. You’d be a match if ED and its way larger than Pitt.

BC on down are all reaches.

Most importantly, your list is not built for your budget.

See my response right b4 you reposted.

Thanks

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Thank you!

It looks like you would prefer an urban campus. Is that correct? Penn State isn’t but it seems the rest of your list is.

Would you like some additional suggestions? And is urban your preference?

Also, some of the colleges on your list don’t give merit aid at all (Dartmouth, Cornell, Georgetown). Or it’s highly competitive (UVA, for example).

I do like the variety on your list. And I think you have them categorized correctly.

So…let us know if you want additional suggestions, and if you want urban schools only.

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This student wants medium to large colleges, and the ones he has listed fit that criteria well.

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Said specifically like Pitt or BU. Both are 20k undergrad.

I saw medium or large but I tied to his specifics.

Obviously he has larger and smaller.

What OP truly needs is to work with family on the budget, the budget if NM becomes available - but either way build a list based on whatever the ultimate is.

Budget first ( if OPs is accurate) and then list build around that.

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size of school isnt the biggest factor in my decisions. i rly am leaning towards pitt tho esp if i can get into their guaranteed admission program (their BS/MD) or hnrs college. And its within budget

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Yea leaning toward pitt, drexel, penn state since I think i can get into maybe an accelerated program or hrs. and they are within budget by a lot

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size of school isnt the biggest factor. I would rather go big school than small though

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I think you have a great chance to be accepted at Pitt, Penn State, Drexel…as a regular undergrad applicant.

BS/MD programs are HIGHLY competitive, and you do have a chance, but the acceptance rates are very very low.

As I said earlier, apply to Pitt as soon as the application comes out (regular undergrad). You will have an acceptance decision very quickly and possibly some merit aid as well.

Keep a very close eye on deadlines for the larger merit awards at BU, UVA, etc.

There are net price calculators on all of the college websites, so run each one for your colleges of interest. If your parents aren’t divorced, don’t own a business, are not self employed, don’t own real estate in addition to your primary residence, you will get a decent estimate of your net costs at each of these colleges. BUT currently the NPCs are set up for students starting college fall 2025 and that is NOT you. So…estimate only for now.

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Congratulations on building a strong profile during high school, and thanks for filling out the template to make it easier for us to read!

With respect to your chances at the schools on your current list, below are my guesses:

Extremely Likely (80-99+%)

  • Pitt
  • Drexel
  • Penn State

Likely (60-79%)

Toss-Up (40-59%)

Lower Probability (20-39%)

  • U. of Florida

Low Probability (less than 20%)

  • BU
  • BC
  • UVA
  • UMich
  • WashU
  • Tufts
  • Vanderbilt
  • Georgetown
  • Cornell
  • Dartmouth
  • USC (assuming Southern California)
  • Emory

If you’re certain that your family doesn’t qualify for merit aid (have your family fill out the Net Price Calculator at Princeton to double-check), then the odds of you getting the majority of your low probability schools within budget are extremely slim. Dartmouth, Cornell, and Georgetown don’t offer any merit aid. The other schools in that category offer merit aid to very few students that they accept.

Apart from medium to large schools, what interests you in a school? Why did these make the list? Some questions that might help prompt you thinking include:

  • What size classes do you prefer?
  • What kind of climate do you prefer?
  • Are there area(s) of the country that you prefer or prefer to avoid?
  • How do you feel about significant enthusiasm for intercollegiate sports?
  • How do you feel about Greek life (fraternities/sororities)?
  • Are there any particular interests (outside of being pre-med) that you would like to pursue in college?
  • Do you prefer urban, suburban, college town, or remote locations?

So long as you take the classes required for medical school, you can major in anything your heart desires. So if you want to major in linguistics or history or business, or whatever, it’s totally up to you.

Most students who enter college with pre-med intentions never apply to medical school, and the vast majority of students who apply to medical school aren’t accepted. So the general advice is to make sure you have a strong Plan B. Whether and how to incorporate your major into that Plan B is totally up to you.

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