Chance/match an Asian girl in the Bay Area! (4.0 UW, 1540 SAT, likely NMSF, for biology or animal science)

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US citizen
  • State/Location of residency: California
  • Type of high school: large competitive public school
  • Gender/Race/Ethnicity: asian female

Intended Major(s): biology or animal science

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0
  • Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): 4.41 (acc to gpa calculator, school doesn’t do weighted)
  • Class Rank: no class rank
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1540 SAT (retaking for school proctored one later)

Coursework
1 dual enrollment, 10 APs (8 + 2 self study) by end of senior year (currently 11th)

Awards
British Biology Olympiad Gold Medal (top 5%)
PVSA
National Spanish Exam Silver Medal
probably NMSF
1st, 2nd, and 3rd in some regional competitions, not really relevant to app
(ik this is a weak point, doing more bio/research competitions this year but results haven’t come out yet)

Extracurriculars
Personal Research (9-11): published review paper on adolescent vaping in journal with impact factor ~5, currently researching carcinogenicity of e-cigs (kind of a new field of research) + manuscript in progress (also submitting to science fairs), in progress cancer tumor microarray for dogs

nonprofit founder (11): using recycled clothes to make dog toys, selling and donating dog toys with total ~$2500 sold and donated to charity, 50 ish toys donated to shelters and stuff, organized 3 donation drives (my friend and i literally went door to door at some point), organized volunteer events with 20+ volunteers, manage team of 15ish ppl, 3 chapters across US in diff states

Student intern at stanford lab (11): basically in charge of organizing focus groups, newsletters, infographics for a new program; just started but will have impact and stuff later

president/kinda founded schools bio club (10-11): basically revived the bio club, elected idk if it matters, increased participation in bio competitions like usabo by around x5, biweekly meetings doing experiments/movies/guest speakers, next summer gonna be doing a group project about our local area, really focusing on including people w/o biology background and just having fun

volunteer at local cat rescue shelter (9-11): shift lead, like hundreds of hours idek at this point

volunteer at super duper doxxable nonprofit (9-11): helping children with special needs through horseback riding, aid during equine therapy, take care of horses

intern at local vet (11): 8hrs/week for 16 weeks, shadowed and learned skills, organized inventory and did end of year inventory check

horseback riding (9-11) horse girl haha ik

Next summer: part time job at science museum, research at local university lab (continue during school year too)

Essays/LORs/Other
Essays probably will be mid, actually looking forward to writing the why us and roommate essays tho

LORs: AP stem teacher 9.5/10, reg english 9/10, optional mentor 9.5/10

Cost Constraints / Budget
no budget

Schools
for chancing, please give real advice tysm!
for matching, needs to be within ~5hrs of nyc (preferably w/ amtrak nearby), i like both large and small schools, not really interested in greek life or sports or partying, no “middle of nowhere” schools, i like campuses with a lot of nature and greenery and brick/stone buildings

current list:
Bryn Mawr RD
UMaryland College Park EA
UMass Amherst EA
Wesleyan RD
Vassar college RD
Villanova EA
Brown ED1
Barnard RD
Amherst RD
Swarthmore ED2
NYU RD
Cornell RD
Wellesley RD
Northeastern EA

also lmk where i fall on the spectrum of where i should apply (which school are safeties, likelies, targets, reaches for me)

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Means that your parents have said that they will pay private college list price, or that they have not told you the budget?

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yes, they will pay any price

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Are you thinking of veterinary medicine as a possible option for you down the road? I have a daughter who is currently in her third year of a DVM program, so we have some experience in this area. There are also a few other people active on this web site who have some experience with veterinary medicine.

If you might be at some point potentially interested in veterinary medicine then let us know and a few of us (me included) might have some additional suggestions.

If you are a US citizen and a resident of California, why are there no universities in California on your list, and no west coast universities in general?

If you are interested in either human medicine or veterinary medicine, will your parents be fine paying the full cost for a full 8 years with no debt? This might add up to well over $700,000 (or maybe $800,000) over 8 years.

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Hi! Thanks for the response. I thought about veterinary medicine for a while but I don’t think 8 years of schooling and the mental toll of being a vet is right for me. I’m thinking more along the lines of animal shelters, veterinary assistant/vet techs, etc. I’m staying near nyc for family reasons.

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Shame to pass up UC Davis in-state, for animal science, but it sounds like you have compelling reasons to be on the east coast.

Your career interests as described are likely to be pretty low-paying, at least at first, so that’s something to consider in terms of whether a super-expensive undergrad degree makes sense. Also, you’re more likely to find a range of interesting animal science related programs at a public land-grant university. UMass-Amherst is a great example. (Whereas NYU, for example, seems like a questionable fit, not to mention $$$$$.)

URI could be worth a look; the direct trains get you there from NYC in 3.5. Great coastal location, pretty close to the city of Pro vidence. https://web.uri.edu/favs/academics/animal-science-and-technology/ It would be an admissions safety, and you’d get into the honors program; a big merit award would definitely be possible.

U of Delaware is another flagship U that’s in geographic range and has an animal science program, without being too rural/remote. The direct train gets to Penn Station in 2.5 hours.

Again, you could expect honors and merit. It’s a charming suburban campus with a similar vibe to many private colleges, and there’s a lot of interesting programming within the Honors College Honors College | University of Delaware

Bryn Mawr shows that you’re open to women’s colleges, so why not Smith and/or Mount Holyoke in addition to Amherst College - all in the consortium with UMass.

Good luck considering your options! It seems as if you’re trying to balance prestige vs. access to the kind of programs you’re really interested in. IMHO, it’s the hands-on stuff that will keep you excited about your education and connect you with interesting career opportunities.

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Thank you so much for the advice!

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The University of Vermont has an animal science major.

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Congratulations on making yourself such a strong candidate! I too am a bit surprised by the combination of schools on your list in combination with your preferences and interests. (I would not describe NYU as having lots of nature and greenery.) I’ve sorted your schools by my guesses as to what your chances might be.

Extremely Likely (80-99+%)

  • U. of Maryland (only if you apply EA)
  • U. of Massachusetts

Likely (60-79%)

Toss-Up (40-59%)

  • Bryn Mawr

Lower Probability (20-39%)

  • Northeastern (they want a lot of demonstrated interest)
  • Vassar
  • Villanova

Low Probability (less than 20%)

  • Amherst
  • Barnard
  • Brown (ED is 15%, and many ED applicants have been pre-approved via recruiting))
  • Cornell
  • NYU
  • Swarthmore (ED is 19%, and many ED applicants have already been pre-approved via recruiting)
  • Wellesley
  • Wesleyan
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So overall you have a really strong profile and I think you can apply freely to the hardest reaches on your list and might get in. I think the fun part will be identifying your favorite likelies and targets–which you might well end up preferring to some more selective colleges.

Animal Sciences near NYC with your other preferences is a kinda interesting combination–that could narrow things a lot. Of course you could do Bio too, and then that superficially doesn’t narrow things much . . . except Bio comes in a lot of flavors, and I think some departments, particularly at smaller colleges, may be more interesting to you than others.

For Animal Sciences, Cornell is an extremely obvious reach academically, but I wonder about your no middle of nowhere preference.

And then I agree about giving Delaware a good look. Sounds like your sort of setting and campus, they have Amtrak, they have an Honors College, they have Animal Science . . . just seems like a solid likely option for you.

For Bio, I didn’t see Haverford on your list. But you just might prefer Bryn Mawr, including because Haverford’s Bio is pretty MCB focused (sometimes known as red biology, and it seems to me maybe you are more a green biology type, with Bryn Mawr doing a lot more of that). Since they are so close, though, you might consider visiting both, indeed if only to get a better sense of how the Bi-Co would look.

I then also agree about looking at both Smith and Mount Holyoke. They both have really well-recognized Bio programs, and Mount Holyoke I would think would be a bit easier admit for you. Both appear to have a lot of “green” and animal-sciencey-stuff in their Bio Departments, and of course they are in Five Colleges too.

As a final thought, have you looked at Rochester? Stretching your distance a bit, but there is a direct Amtrak service. And otherwise, it seems like a fit that for you could be either a likely or at least softer target. I know it isn’t a formal consideration, but they also offer a lot of named merit scholarships, which never hurts. Rochester is a pretty nice city, the university has a nice campus, and they have a very good Bio department. They have lots of tracks within the major, including a “green” track (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology). Again, just a thought for a college that might be an easier admit for you but actually be a really strong fit.

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Wesleyan has a nice advantage as a rather large LAC (~3000 u/g) with decades long lines of research that occasionally cross traditional departmental disciplines, resulting in interesting majors and minors. Its Animal Studies minor is one such example:
Animal Studies Minor < Wesleyan University

I agree with @NiceUnparticularMan: apply everywhere and then examine your options once the fat envelopes arrive.

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I am not sure how close to NYC you want to be. However, another answer I think is right in suggesting UVM. You might want to take a look at the CREAM program at UVM. I am pretty sure that UNH has a similar program. If I am remembering correctly this will include things like drawing blood and administering medications (cows apparently cannot swallow pills so if you need to give a cow a pill you get to put it inside them – probably already enough to explain why I was a math major instead).

All of UVM, UNH, and U.Mass Amherst are quite good for animal science. I think that with your great grades acceptance is very likely for all (I think that they are probably safeties for you), and merit aid is possible. I do not know your chances at the other schools as well but you appear to be a very competitive applicant at any university, even the most selective ones.

Wellesley College is an excellent school with an attractive campus. However, I do not think that it has animal sciences and I do not recall ever seeing large animals or a farm on campus (I took a couple of classes there many years ago as a cross-registered student from MIT).

I think that Cornell is a good choice for a reach. It is of course very strong in many fields including biology and animal science. The winters will be quite different from what you are used to but you should be able to get used to them and appropriate gear will be available in stores nearby.

I do wonder whether you should consider UC Davis in spite of its rather great distance from NYC.

This is a very good point to consider. It takes a lot of determination and time and effort to become a DVM. Reaching inside a cow, being bitten and stepped on and pooped on, and seeing beloved animals die are all part of the job (as is getting a rabies vaccination before you even start). I remember my daughter telling me about a day in the large animal drop in clinic when every patient died except a rat with pink eye. This included two beautiful horses that died of colic. The next day another horse came in with colic and it took them hours to save it. “Mental toll” I think is an accurate description.

It is relatively common for students to get their bachelor’s degree, work for a couple of years, and then decide whether or not they want to go back to university and get a DVM (or some other graduate degree).

These are worthwhile, but do not pay well.

There is a lot to think about here, but you have a lot of time. At the point that I graduated university (with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics) I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. This is quite normal and in general we all figure it out over time with the help of the experience that we get along the way.

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I think some of the state schools you have on your list would be some great sure things, if you would be happy to attend them. Seconding the suggestions of public/land grants schools like Delaware, New Hampshire, etc.

If you decide you end up preferring a small school (or at least having one as a sure thing), below are some other options you may want to consider:

  • Drew (NJ): At this school of about 1500 undergrads, students can reach NYC in about 45-50m, but has its own charming downtown to visit as well as its own arboretum & forest preserve. There are a lot of opportunities for research here as well.

  • Goucher (MD): There are about 1k undergrads here and it has a strong academic program and even has a minor in equine studies, since you’re a horse person :blush:. There is definitely a green, verdant campus here, and students can participate in the Baltimore Collegetown consortium, including taking classes at area schools like Johns Hopkins, Loyola Maryland, etc.

  • Nazareth (NY): If you are thinking about U. of Rochester, I’d also check out Nazareth. There are about 2k undergrads at this green, beautiful campus. Apparently its science labs were rated among the top 20 in the country by Princeton Review (source). There’s also an equestrian team, if that might be something of interest.

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Thank you! About NYU, I know it’s an odd choice haha but I think the ‘college in a city’ idea is interesting. I’ll definitely visit over summer to get a better idea though!

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Thank you for the advice!

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Why? The colleges on your list are either test optional, or your score is in their top 25%. If any of the test optional colleges reinstate the SATs, their mid 50% SAT scores are likely to drop.

You can take it again if you like, but you don’t actually need to do so.

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