I think you are a strong applicant to the reaches on your list, but that doesn’t mean you will get in. Most do not. Apply, and see what happens. I would put a lot of thought into your safety and target schools as well. There are a lot of positives about being in an honors or special program at a lesser ranked school…so do your research. FYI- Pitt is an excellent choice and there is no shortage of highly accomplished students.
It looks like you are going into some kind of neuro or genetics type field…either medicine, research, or something else. A few thoughts:
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Medical or graduate school will be expensive. I would plan for 6-8 years of school, not 4. PhD programs are funded…and long.
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You have a long road ahead of you…and right now you don’t know what you don’t know…as the saying goes. For example- writing children’s books are one way to break complex scientific information down to levels that are easy to understand….but so is teaching! And teaching is looked at very highly for the types of programs/careers you are interested in- tutoring, being an SI for a prof, teaching in underserved communities etc.
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I would put the words “dream school” away, as you can accomplish your career goals from almost any school in the country.
And lastly…
- Congrats on your accomplishments and good luck!