I stand by my recommendations from #15 for schools from the midwestern part of the U.S. so consider those additions to this list. You’re so lucky that you’re in North Carolina and have such amazing public schools available to you.
The schools below are in urban/suburban locations with a mix of medium and larger schools. They would be very good options for pre-med, and there was a particular focus on being near hospitals, preferably multiple ones, with a variety of different experiences for shadowing and volunteering. Emory would be the least likely to meet budget, followed by Case Western, but they do offer some merit aid.
Guaranteed (100%)
- U. of Iowa
Extremely Likely (80-99%)
- U. of South Carolina (with a very well-reputed honors college)
- U. of Alabama – Birmingham
- Thomas Jefferson (PA )
Likely (60-79%)
- NC State
- College of New Jersey
- SUNY Binghamton (NY)
- U. of Washington
- U. of Pittsburgh (PA )
Toss-Up (40-59%)
- UNC-Chapel Hill
- U. of Florida
- Southern Methodist (TX)
- Rhodes (TN)…if you’re willing to go for a smaller school
Possible (20-39%)
- Case Western (OH)
- Georgia Tech
- William & Mary (VA)
- U. of Richmond (VA)
Less Likely (20% or less)
- Emory (GA)