Chance Me: 3.94 UW, 34 ACT, UNC Chapel Hill/FSU for Biology Pre-Med [MN resident, NMSF, <$50k, no need based FA]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

-Female from Minnesota
-High income (not applying for financial aid)
-Attend a well-regarded private Catholic high school

Cost Constraints / Budget
~$50,000/year (up to ~$60,000/year if I get into a selective school that I adore)

Intended Major(s)
-Biology

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

-3.94 UW GPA/4.19 W GPA (~4.25 weighted maximum)
-Ranked 5/149
-10 APs + 6 Honors Classes (one off of the maximum possible for my school)
-34 ACT (possibly 35 w/ retake)

List your HS coursework

-English: Advanced classes freshman/sophomore year, AP Lang, AP Lit
-Math: Advanced classes freshman/sophomore year, AP Calc AB/BC
-Science: Advanced classes freshman/sophomore year, AP Chem, AP Phys
-History and social studies: Regular class freshman year (no advanced available), AP Psych, APUSH, AP Gov
-Language other than English: AP Spanish
-Other academic courses: I am required to take religion so I can’t take other AP classes

Awards
-National Merit Semifinalist (almost guaranteed Finalist standing)
-NHS (2 years)
-AP Scholar w/ Honor Award
-All Conference Track and Field

Extracurriculars
-Varsity Math Team (4 years)
-Varsity Track and Field (3 years)
-Varsity Knowledge Bowl Team (2 years)
-Club/School-Sponsored Soccer Team (2 years)
-School Newspaper (1 year)
-Knitting (I create my own projects (freestyle), but unfortunately, they are not very good)
-Reading (not for school!)
-Middle-school math tutor (~70 hours of this/other miscellaneous volunteering)

Essays/LORs/Other
-Light-hearted/funny essay (not as deep as some)
-One really good and one decent LOR

Schools
(my guesses)

UNC Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, Notre Dame, UF, FSU, UW-Madison, Fordham, Miami Oxford, Alabama

I am applying EA to all of them (if possible).

Thank you so much!

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I like your list…except for your costs… You have some sure things on there (with your NMF status for sure). Alabama for sure and it will be affordable.

If you can only pay $60,000 a year, I think you need to apply for aid at Notre Dame which is more costly. UNC CH is just a tad over $60,000 a year, and prices will likely increase over your time in college. So is University of Wisconsin (do you get a break because you are from Minnesota?). You will get half tuition at USC but the COA is $95,000 so even that will leave a balance over $60,000. Fordham isn’t a slam dunk either cost wise.

How will you pay the costs above $60,000 a year if you don’t plan to apply for financial aid? Or don’t qualify for it?

Have you run the Net Price Calculators for these schools? Are your parents divorced? Do they own a business or are they self employed? Do they own real estate other than your primary residence? If NO to those questions, the NPC should give you a decent estimate of your net costs at these colleges.

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I don’t qualify for financial aid anywhere, unfortunately. I did a couple of NPCs and gave up after I kept getting full COA everywhere. I do have a pressure to go to college for kind of cheap, as my two younger brothers’ schooling will be much more expensive than mine. Notre Dame is kind of my “fun” school-I honestly just want to see if I can get in. University of Wisconsin is $35,000/year for Minnesota residents, but I am worried because two years ago our school valedictorian didn’t get in. Fordham has a full tuition waiver for NMF (but I think only 70% get it), so I’m kind of banking on that. I did the math and it will end up around $32,000/year for me. I think if I get into USC (and receive the half tuition scholarship)/UNC Chapel Hill I will have to talk with my parents about getting a summer job to pay back the costs that are over what they’re willing to pay for me.

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Shouldn’t you only be applying to schools you like a lot?

UNC is right at $60K now - that includes some extras. Tuition, room and board are about $55k ish but there are books, travel, meals and fun out, etc.

USC - if you get a half NMF scholarship, is still $60K - again, there’s inflation.

Notre Dame - another - not going to get there - very little merit. Tuition, room and board (no extras) is $83K.

UF - great choice.

FSU - great choice.

Miami - great choice

Bama - great choice.

Fordham - not quite sure.

Wisconsin - great choice.

So your list works because you have sure fire affordability that you’ll get into - Miami and Alabama. You’re likely at UW and FSU and have a good shot at UF.

So you can take your shots - but know the likelihood of going to UND or SC, etc. is very low even if you get in if you hold to your budget. Again, next year will be more.

So I would work on the sure fire apps first - plus they’re easier.

Here’s one other thing - with National Merit at Bama, you’re earning a kings ransom - including a 5th year free so if you wanted a grad degree.

My question would be - if UNC is $60K and Bama is - you’re paying for food - but they are giving you a $4K a year scholarship in addition to free tuition and housing - so it’s a wash - would you attend UNC at a $250K cost more? Or UF at $180K more, etc.

You can look at each school on your list and ask the same. If the answer is no, I wouldn’t spend $60K to go to USC (and it will be more, even with half merit) over a free Alabama, then you can save your hard work and take the sure thing - or apply to other sure things NMF wise.

If the answer is, yes, I’d consider spending the $60K a year and cost your folks a quarter of a mil or so (don’t forget inflation), then you can go ahead as listed but know that UND, for example, would be wasted - but there are other Catholic/jesuit schools that might be more likely to hit the # - any # of Loyola short of Marymount, Creighton, etc.

I’d really focus on the budget aspect - we can afford this but if we can spend x $, it’d be better.

If the answer is free, save your hard work for senior year studying.

Good luck.

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Also, your subject mentions premed. If you end up getting accepted to medical school…who is paying for the likely $100,000 a year costs for that?

You would be wise to save some money on undergrad, and hope your parents will divert that savings toward medical school costs…should that happen.

You have very affordable Wisconsin…a strong flagship university. I’m not sure why you would be looking at other flagships that might not be affordable…but that’s my opinion.

Just make sure you have a firm budget from your parents, and understand any acceptances without sufficient aid to meet their price point will have to be off the table.

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If you are planning to attend medical school then my advice is to consider Alabama, Miami (I think you will get merit) and Wisconsin…unless you qualify for FA or get merit at the others.

Even if you do not attend medical school, a degree in biology will require some type of grad school.

As far as chancing you for the 2 schools mentioned in the title of your post- UNC is a reach and I believe you will be accepted to FSU.

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If pre med is an interest, these programs might interest you and potentially help you learn more to help you further craft your future.

I’m not sure for a bio major a higher profile school stands out - if you don’t go the med route. Cheaper would likely be a better ROI for work, a Masters, or med school. If you said PHD, the answer might be different.

https://mccolloughscholars.as.ua.edu/program-description/

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Thank you for the advice! In all honesty, I’m not very interested in USC. My mom is pushing me to “just apply” because of the half tuition waiver. I brought UNC up to my dad, and he is on board for me at least applying (I do not think I will get in). If I do, I guess my family and I will cross that bridge when we get to it. Notre Dame is also only on the list because my dad got rejected back in the 80s (it was his dream school), and so he wants me to apply, get accepted, and then reject them for revenge (silly, I know). My worry about Alabama is that I don’t feel that I fit into the culture there. From what I’ve heard, anything remotely fun happening down there is run by the sororities, which I am not interested in joining. I’m not a prestige freak, but my mom especially is worried about me going to a “lower ranked” school. Thanks again!

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What about University of New Mexico, University of Arizona, University of Tulsa? All of those would more than come in at your price point.

I’ll also suggest you look at the SUNY schools. You might even get some merit aid and their OOS cost is OK anyway.

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I kind of just assumed that I will have to take out student loans for med school. My parents and I definitely need to talk more about budget, but it’s hard when we don’t even know if I’ll get in. With Wisconsin, I am not a big fan of North Midwest weather. I’ve walked around the U of M campus in January, and it is absolutely freezing and super icy. Dumb reason to be wary, I know, but I think it might get to me after a five month long winter.

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Thank you for the chancing! If I can’t go the med-school route and I get weeded out during undergrad, I’ll probably switch to a history major to go pre-law (I’m honestly better at English/history/literature related things anyway), but going in as a biology major is the plan for now.

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Thank you. I will check these out!

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There is a big Greek scene at Bama but my son and his college gf were total nerds.

Most kids are not Greek and you can easily have a non party, non Greek experience.

Please remind your parents this is your college application and not theirs.

There are other strong national merit schools - from Tulsa (free) to UTD to Houston to some of the Florida schools…if low cost were a top consideration.

But you have Miami as assured. FSU is likely but honestly not very different than Bama in my opinion.

Good luck.

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Likely but if your parents have $200-250k saved for undergrad that you don’t spend, then they can fund a huge chunk of med school. You might have loans. But a lot less in loans. A lot less !!

Ps - if they put that money in a cd, it will grow over the 4 years to give you even more.

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I’ll let others more knowledgeable speak to this sentence, but why wouldn’t you start out as a history, or English, or literature major? My understanding is that you do not need to major in biology, or in fact any science, to be accepted into medical school. You just need to take the requisite pre-med courses.

If you enjoy humanities more than stem, you will likely do better in college with that as your degree choice. So long as you take the pre-med courses, then both medical school and law school would still be viable options (assuming you do well in school).

Good luck to you!

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I had never thought about that. That way I could actually enjoy my undergrad! Thank you!

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If you like history, English etc you could go that route and take the prerequisites for med school.

If you will not enjoy your undergrad experience as a biology major….then I recommend not majoring in biology. It is hard to fully immerse yourself in a major you do not like.

You may continue as a premed…or….you may change your mind as you are exposed to new careers, you realize you want law school, you learn what it is like to actually work with patients…etc.

Regardless…it does not sound like you would be happy as a bio major.

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They MIGHT divert those funds to fund medical. Then again…they might not. This is a conversation for the OP to have with the parents.

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This is very accurate!

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Just out of curiosity: If you are a Minnesota resident, why would you not consider the University of Minnesota? It is a very fine state university.

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