Maybe ask the Calc AB teacher for guidance.
Understand your reasoning but a D and B in a make up give me pause.
If you get a D in Calc AB, it will be worse.
But just some thoughts - I’d be cautious and seek guidance but you can certainly do you.
3 Likes
Vandy believe is a big one on displaying interest so be sure to visit, stay in contact with your AO, go to HS meeting with AO if they have them at your school, view all website videos available on their site etc.
If you have a clear top choice and it is affordable- then go ahead and ED.
However…your list seems to consist of a bunch of reach schools, and imo you need to work on a list that is more realistic.
2 Likes
I understand that you’re planning on retaking the SAT this month and are anticipating a much higher score. But right now I would be planning your list around your current SAT score for a couple of reasons.
-
If your score jumps 200 points, you’ve already got a list of schools under consideration (i.e. your current list).
-
If your score doesn’t have a big jump, then all you have is a list of big reaches. Better to plan for the worst case scenario (and a 1300 is at the 91st percentile…better than 91% of others!).
- Consider what kind of college experience you want. For the schools on your current list, most of the students will have higher SATs than you, will have had more 5s on their APs, and were unlikely to have had a D in precalc with a B replacement grade. Many of the students in the college’s freshman class will have taken calculus as juniors and may be in multivariable calculus or higher as seniors.
None of this is saying that you can’t get into these schools, but once you get in, the classes are going to be moving fast and deep. Many of the professors will speed through topics since many of your peers will have already been exposed (and done well) with those topics in high school. And you will be playing lots of catch up.
It’s possible to do, but it will be extremely hard, and your GPA may take some hits as you catch up. And although many (most?) premed students change their minds, one of the most crucial factors for admission to med school is your GPA. Same thing for law school.
Alternatively, if you select schools where your background preparation is more aligned with the majority of the students (or better than most other students), then you are likelier to find a more doable pace and more success academically. You will likely have more time to enjoy your time in college and to delve into research opportunities and such, rather than spending all of your time studying and trying to catch up with your peers.
College, and life, is not a race. When you graduate from college, whether at Vanderbilt or U. of Tennessee or Maryville College, you will have learned the skills you need for grad school. The students at Vanderbilt might get there faster, but the students at UTK and Maryville will get there, too. It’s more important to really have mastery of the information rather than a shaky grasp of the material, and I’m concerned that if you’re just trying to keep up that it may not be the ideal environment to really learn and master the material, which is what you will need to do if you want to go on to graduate school or use those skills in the workplace.
2 Likes
Really? I looked on their website and it says that they do not consider demonstrated interest. Please give more details
Do you have any safety, likely, target schools on your list?
My last post may have been a bit dispiriting. That said, there are lots of colleges that would love to have you and that I think could be a good fit for you. As your own list of schools primarily included schools in urban locations, I took that as one of your preferences. Additionally, some of the schools listed here are part of consortiums with your reach colleges that would allow you to take classes at those schools. These schools are sorted based on my guesses as to what your chances for admission might be.
Extremely Likely (80-99+%)
-
Emmanuel (MA): About 1900 undergrads at this Boston school that is part of the Colleges of the Fenway consortium that allows students to take classes, participate in extracurriculars, and do sports together. Emmanuel has many strengths in your area of interest, but the MA College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is also part of the consortium. You can read about its neuroscience major.
-
Loyola Chicago (IL): About 12k undergrads and has multiple tracks within its neuroscience major, including a cognitive/behavioral one and a molecular/cellular one.
-
Saint Louis (MO): About 11k undergrads with lots of health/science opportunities. You can read about its neuroscience major here.
-
U. of Alabama – Birmingham: About 13k undergrads and is very well-reputed for its health sciences. You can read more about its neuroscience major.
-
U. of St. Thomas (MN): About 5900 undergrads at this Saint Paul school. You can read more about its neuroscience major here.
Likely (60-79%)
-
Agnes Scott (GA): There are about 1k undergrads at this women’s college in one of the most walkable parts of Atlanta. It’s part of the ARCHE consortium with other Atlanta area schools like Emory whereby students can take classes at other universities. Here’s the link to its neuroscience major.
-
Creighton (NE): About 4300 undergrads at this Omaha school. Its website is having some issues, so I can’t link to its major, but there are a lot of science/health opportunities here.
-
Loyola Maryland: About 4k undergrads at this Baltimore school that is also part of the Baltimore Collegetown consortium where students can take clases at other area universities, including Johns Hopkins which is just about a mile away. Although there is no “neuroscience” major, per se, there is an interdisciplinary major with biology and psychology that would likely suit. Additionally, Loyola Maryland has interdepartmental majors available combinging two fields of student within one major. Here are the links to the bio and psych departments.
-
Lake Forest (IL): About 1700 undergrads in the suburb of Chicago. You can read about its neuroscience major.
-
Mercer (GA): About 4900 undergrads at this school with a strong reputation for health sciences. You can read more about its neuroscience major.
Toss-Up (40-59%)
- Rhodes (TN): About 2k undergrads at this Memphis school. You can read about its neuroscience major and the school also has a lot of ties to St. Jude’s Hospital and other research facilities.
Lower Probability (20-39%)
- Trinity U. (TX): About 2500 undergrads at this San Antonio school. You can read about its neuroscience major and the related opportunities.
Low Probability (less than 20%)
-
UF
-
UT-Austin
-
Emory
-
Johns Hopkins
-
Northwestern
1 Like
Vandy’s CDS says they do not track demonstrated interest and their website says this:
One thing we do not consider in the application review process is demonstrated interest. While we welcome students to visit campus, participate in virtual visit programs, and contact their admissions officers with any questions, we do not track these interactions for the purpose of the admissions review.
That said, if the student is applying ED, that’s demonstrated interest all in one nice, tightly presented package. Nothing says demonstrated interest such as - you admit me - I’ve signed a contract binding me to come.
I think you can get to PhD from numerous places.
I’m using psych as it has a feeder list (not sure neuro has one - not that I could find) and neuro will involve math and science - and it may be that unless the math “strengthens” the OP might need to pivot - but nonetheless, it’s what I have to work with.
The top feeders per capita in psych:
#1 Hampshire College
#2 New College of Florida
#7 Hendrix College
#13 Ripon
#17 Whitman
#19 Kalamazoo
#20 Agnes Scott (on your list)
Vandy is not even top 50 on the “volume” list…and thus also not on the per capita list.
You can get to grad school from most anywhere. I’m not familiar with Ripon (very small) but the others are all excellent schools - although obviously OP will know about New College (and yes, I know there’s been changes the past year or two.
Agreed 100% to plan with the 1300 SAT - so that’s where schools like Charleston, Denver, Elon, Miami Ohio (if not too big), Pitt (same), UT Chattanooga, Florida Tech can come into play.
1 Like
Sorry I back in 2017 when my daughter applied my recollection id that they considered it. Maybe they changed, maybe I misremembered. Sorry about that.
1 Like
No worries - I think WUSTL changed. So likely Vandy too - hence WUSTL did and followed.
WUSTL hounded my son (and I) about ED…I mean hounded 
Schools were definitely using ED as a strong arm tactic. Many likely still do.
Closing per OP. If the OP wishes to reopen, just message a mod. Best of luck.