Chance me for Ivys, BS/MD Programs, NYU, and Swarthmore

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics

  • Status: US domestic (US citizen)
  • State/Residency: New Jersey, very close to Rutgers
  • Type of high school: Public high school, doesn’t send many kids to T20 Schools.
  • Other special factors:
    • First-generation college student (I have a single mom that did not complete her bachelors degree.)
    • Low-income / high financial need
    • Not a legacy, not a recruited athlete

Cost Constraints / Budget
High need. Can only realistically attend schools that:

  • Meet full demonstrated need (QuestBridge / Ivy / Swarthmore)
  • Or offer guaranteed aid (Rutgers Scarlet Guarantee, NYU Promise.)

Sticker price schools without strong aid are not affordable.

Intended Major(s)

  • Biology (primary)
  • Public Health / Global Health (where available)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Weighted GPA: 4.1 (school does not report unweighted)
  • Class Rank: Top ~12% (working on getting it to 10% by the end of the year)
  • PSAT: 1270 PSAT, I’m taking the SAT in the Spring
  • AP Exams: 5 on APUSH

List your HS coursework
My school does not allow freshmen to take AP courses, and the only course sophmores can take are APUSH.

  • English: Honors English 9–10, AP Language, AP Literature (planned)
  • Math: Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus (Dual Enrollment), Calculus Dual Enrollment (planned)
  • Science: Honors Biology, Chemistry, Honors Bio-Informatics, Physics, Anatomy and Physiology, AP Biology (planned), AP Psychology (Planned)
  • History and social studies: Honors US History, APUSH, AP World History, AP Gov, AP Human Geo (Planned)
  • Language other than English: Spanish 1, Spanish 2 Honors, Spanish 3 Honors (Planned as due to scheduling conflicts, I could not take Spanish 3 Honors my junior year)
  • Visual or performing arts: Graphic Arts, Art Exploration
  • Other academic courses: AP Research (Planned)

Next year, I plan on taking: AP Biology, AP Research, AP Lit, AP Human Geo, Calculus (dual enrollment), Spanish 3 Honors, and AP Psychology.

Honors

  • Carson Scholar
  • Published in the Oxford University Press Nicotine & Tobacco Research Journal.
  • Published in the British Medical Journal
  • If I get into the Questbridge College Prep Scholars and become a National Match Finalist, I intend to list both awards.

Extracurriculars
1. Founder & Director – Nonprofit
Founded and led a nonprofit providing mobile medical clinics for Native American communities; built partnerships, organized outreach, and helped deliver healthcare services to 200+ patients.
2. Public Health Research Intern – Stanford University
Conducted public health research on the impact of tobacco on underserved communities; co-authored a study published in the British Medical Journal and Oxford University Press Nicotine & Tobacco Research with professor.
3. Founder & President – My towns Muslim Student Association
Founded the MSA as my city is the only in the county to not have a community for Muslim students; organized Eid events, led MIST participation, raised funds for Africa relief, and helped establish the school’s first prayer room.
4. Cadet – My town’s Rescue Squad (EMS)
Volunteered in emergency medical services; assisted with first aid at events and participated in 12-hour ambulance shifts supporting emergency response.
5. Family Caregiver
Helped care for grandfather by transporting him to dialysis and managing household responsibilities while my mother worked.
6. Buddy Ball Basketball Coach
Coached children with disabilities in adaptive basketball; provided one-on-one support to ensure safe, inclusive participation.
7. Sales Associate / Donation Assistant – Thrift Store
Working part-time assisting customers, organizing donations, pricing items, and supporting affordable access for local families.

Essays/LORs/Other
Haven’t asked for LORs yet.

Schools
(List of colleges by your initial chance estimate; designate if applying ED/EA/RD; if unsure, leave them unclassified)

If a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below; also, for colleges that admit by major or division, consider that in chance estimate.

  • Extremely Likely: Rutgers University, Montclair University (Undergrad), Rowan University (Undergrad), NYIT (Undergrad)
  • Likely: Penn State (Undergrad), NYIT BS/DO
  • Lower Probability: NYU, Swarthmore, Montclair University BS/MD, Rowan BS/MD
  • Low Probability: Harvard, UPenn, Princeton, Columbia, Sophie Davis BS/MD, Penn State BS/MD

I am heavily considering applying to either Swarthmore or NYU ED, but I would also like to participate in the National College Match. I appreciate all forms of guidance and advice. Thank you!

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My opinion given your current rank and PSAT scores:

–Your “lower probability schools” should be reclassed to “low probability.”

–All BS/MD or BS/DO programs should be classified as “low probability. “ You also need to understand: 1) if these programs will be affordable and 2) what thresholds there are to advance to the medical school part of each of these programs.

–Not sure if Penn State will be affordable.

As many others suggested on your prior post, I would expand your list of Questbridge applications to include some less competitive options. Have you already been accepted to Questbridge or just hoping to be accepted?

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I would suggest you do the Questbridge match. And list 15 colleges…IOW, fill in all the blanks.

Your SAT score will be an important data point at some of the colleges you have listed.

I think your BS MD lower probability schools should be moved to low probability.

Also WRT your non-profit…what adult helped you establish this? You are too young to have done this on your own. And will it be sustainable after you leave.

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Questbridge College Prep Scholar applications open in March, and the National Match opens in July. Montclair State University’s BS/MD is specifically for to low-income students that are leaders, which is why I moved it to lower probability.

5

Congrats on your achievements.

I would apply to the maximum number of QB schools possible, and I would choose them wisely.

Will Penn State be affordable?

I think your lower probability schools should be moved to low probability, and NYIT BS/DO should be removed from likely to low probability.

Regarding your non-profit, I agree with thumper.

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So to confirm you have not yet been accepted into Questbridge?

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Yes I stated this a few times, no Junior has

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NYIT BS/DO has a high acceptance rate due to the fact that it is sort of a scam.

"After completing the baccalaureate preparation of the degree in three years, you may be admitted directly into the D.O. program in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, provided you meet the following standards for acceptance into the College of Osteopathic Medicine. You will also need to pay appropriate tuition costs upon admission to the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

  • Maintain a cumulative and semester GPA of 3.5 in the B.S./D.O. program.
    • If you fall below the cumulative and/or semester GPA of 3.5, you will be placed on probationary status. Only one probation is allowed.
    • If you fall below the cumulative and/or semester GPA of 3.5 an additional time after being placed on probation, you will be automatically dismissed from the program.
  • Achieve an MCAT score at least equal to the mean score of the NYITCOM first-year class the year you begin undergraduate study.
  • Favorable letters of recommendation from New York Tech’s departmental B.S./D.O. committee.
  • Application package submitted by January 1 during your third year of undergraduate study (includes MCAT score).
  • Successfully pass an admissions interview at the College of Osteopathic Medicine."

At most, you are being guaranteed an interview.

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My nonprofit had contacted local nonprofits and other nonprofits that operated in my state and had coordinated them to the reservations to provide these services. I had founded this and established it.

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What do you mean by this?

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It has very stringent requirements to at most get a guaranteed interview and not admission into the medical school.

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They all have stringent requirements, so I am not really sure what you mean.

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My opinion…creating your own non-profit isn’t a big plus when applying to college. There are plenty of established non-profits where you could have made an impact. But that is my opinion.

Once you have an SAT score, it will be easier to chance you. But I agree with those upstream. BSMD programs should all be viewed as reaches as their acceptance rates are as low or lower than elite college acceptances.

And keep in mind…the vast majority of doctors are not from BSMD programs.

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I had read on here that being published to an international peer reviewed journal vastly boosted admissions odds, as well as being a first gen

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I believe that on your other thread you stated that you intend to apply to NYU through Questbridge. I do not see NYU on the list of partner schools.

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I didnt say I plan on applying to NYU through questbridge, I plan on doing that to swarthmore. NYU ED2 if Questbridge NCM fails.

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Vastly is an overstatement….

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Ok then I misunderstood.

I would focus on filling up the entire application with appropriate schools (for you) and focus less right now on Swarthmore and NYU.

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OP is not assured of Questbridge. I would not focus on Questbridge until it is more than a possibility.

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This analysis ranks colleges by medical school placement:

In addition to Swarthmore, QuestBridge partners such as Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, Hamilton, Haverford, Pomona, Grinnell and Davidson place highly in the site.

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