Chance me + Match me for ED2 - Hopkins, Emory, WashU, and others [FL resident, 3.65 GPA (4.15 UF/FSU weighted), 35 ACT superstore, global health]

Chance Me / Match Me
, , , , , ,
1

Demographics
Born in the US, 2nd gen Chinese immigrant on both sides of the family, female, income ~200k
9th grade in highly ranked New England public high school (class size ~250)
10th-12th in small Florida parochial school (class size ~100)
Neither school published rank
Family is able and willing to support the cost of attendance for private colleges

UW GPA: 3.65
Weighted GPA: 4.3
UF/FSU weighted GPA: 4.15
ACT 35 Superscore

Coursework:
Senior: 5.0 weighted for 1st semester, all AP/DE.
7 AP + 2 DE prior to 12th grade. C+ in AP CSP (9th grade) and multiple B’s, my GPA would be 3.95/4.65 without 9th grade, so I have strong upwards trend.

5: AP English Language, AP Spanish Language, AP Calculus AB, AP Research, AP Seminar, AP Biology
4: APUSH (self studied), AP Env Sci (self studied)
3: AP World History (self studied), AP CSP

Awards

  1. National Speech and Debate Association Academic All American (11th, National)
  2. USA Biology Olympiad Semifinalist (11th, National)
  3. Florida Science Olympiad Regional Medal (11th, Regional/State)
  4. Board Nominee and Member in a National Debate Nonprofit (12th, National)
  5. Mock Trial Circuit Top 10 Teams Statewide (9th, State)
    National Merit Semifinalist stated in additional information section.

Extracurriculars

  1. Speech and Debate (schoolwide leadership 10th-12th): NSDA Member Database top 80 USA and top 10 FL in my event, National quarterfinalist, 2x national qualifier, 2x state qualifier.

  2. Speech and Debate nonprofit (leadership, 10th-12th): redacted details for privacy, but pretty impressive sounding achievements.

  3. Global Health Summer Non-Credit Courses and Conferences: Brown Public Health Leadership Institute (9th), Johns Hopkins Global Health Leaders Conference (11th).

  4. Scientific Research and Peer Reviewing (12th): Conducted literature review for the soil and gut microbiology portion of a paper submitted to [redacted conference], peer-reviewer and editor for submissions.

  5. National Spanish Honor Society (Leadership, 10-12): Organized tutoring and cultural festival, initiated new donation drive reaching 100+ youth and annual school-wide toy drives raising 250 toys.

  6. Science Olympiad Competition (Leadership, 11-12): 1. President, recruitment director and head of school resources for USABO/SciOly, recruited 30 new HOSA members, managed team preparation for competition.

  7. Volunteering at Hospital and School Ambassador (10-12): 250 service hours, onboarded and trained 20+ new volunteers in hospital ethics and tasks, led tours and question & answer sessions for families.

  8. Figure skating and gymnastics online blogging/commentary (9, 10, 12): Posts advocating for [redacted topics] were shared by Olympic athletes, coaches, and mainstream media.

  9. Part time employment at tutoring center (10, 11, 12): Assisted operations in a center with 200 students of diverse backgrounds, greeted families and introduced the learning program, trained new employees.

  10. Track and Field (9, 10): 1. High jump top 10 freshmen statewide 2021, state qualifier 2021, left due to health struggles.

Personal Statement is a bit of a “trauma dump” but I’ve had over half dozen people read it and say it sounds more like a resilient redemption story than a trauma dump. It is metaphorical and “beautiful” in a sense, but probably 8/10.
LoR’s should be ok, Spanish teacher said it was one of the most glowing recs she ever wrote.

Intended major: global health or public health wherever possible, also put public policy/environmental science/human biology for some. Intended career path in global health policy or environmental health. I could see myself as a researcher, analyst, or professor, but will go to graduate school either way. Open to changing career paths, but would like to remain in health sciences. Not interested in engineering.

Schools
USF and FSU (accepted)
University of Florida (reach based on GPA)
Duke ED (rejected)
RD/EA list is pretty balanced, more concerned with ED2 now.

My dilemma is ED2. My two dream schools are Johns Hopkins and Duke, and I would like to stay in the south where it is warm - yes I know this may be vain. I visited campuses of Duke, Emory, and Hopkins, and everyone in my family agreed that money was no object if I got into Duke or Hopkins. My parents did not let me ED1 to Emory, but begrudgingly told me I can ED2 if I really want.

I am trying to follow my brain rather than my heart, and tell myself that I should optimize my chances and find opportunities at whichever school I go to, rather than being fixated with Johns Hopkins and wasting my ED2 on a school that I don’t have a chance at. I am looking for somewhere warm, mid-sized student body, resourceful location, good research and graduate school placement opportunities.

I am struggling if I should ED2 to Emory, Johns Hopkins, or WashU. I guess the question is: Emory is my best chance of acceptance, but do I have a better chance at WashU than Hopkins? My guidance counselor says I am likely to get into UF, but is this true and what would I do if I got rejected? Is Emory really worth 300k more than UF? Which is more likely to help me get into graduate school? If it is of any relevance, there is another Asian female in my class applying RD to Emory as a triple legacy/uber rich donor, which may vaporize my chances RD.

Thank you for your time and any insight you can offer! I know there isn’t much about my application that I can change at this point, but any advice is appreciated in that regard too.

2

I think you should talk to your counselor about where students with your stats from that school get into.

As for which of the 3 and you don’t need to ED anywhere - but which of the three - it sounds like Emory.

And will be easiest - especially if you add Oxford.

Why Emory?

You want to be warm and in the South - WUSTL, DUKE, Hopkins don’t fit. I guess you can argue Duke does.

Duke/JHU are your dreams - in this case, then choose one of those or choose none.

You don’t have to ED. I didn’t let my kids. Most don’t. It’s a choice. Some want or need to compare offers, etc.

When you write this below - I assume you applied right at home - Miami - which I can’t say is safe with your GPA but you’re at a private school and that’s why you have to ask.

I am looking for somewhere warm, mid-sized student body, resourceful location, good research and graduate school placement opportunities.

There are many schools, big names and not big names, that place well in grad school.

Have you looked at Wilkes Honors at FAU? Or schools like UT Chatt, Charleston, Elon, Mercer as safeties?

It doesn’t sound like UF/FSU are for you.

Is Emory worth $300K more? That depends on the family and how they value it - but if you ED and get in, you can’t ask anymore.

Don’t forget, it’s not just four years but grad school which is more $$.

Outcome wise is it $300K better? No. It may not be a dollar better - but you seek mid size and UF is anything but.

If you’re unsure, don’t ED. But if you want to ED, Emory is your best odds.

Again, talk to your counselor but given your stats, I’m not sure you get into any of the three and I’d add a Miami type school (which is a match, not a safety based on the #s although your score may punch above its weight as a private).

Good luck.

3 Likes
3

Obviously anything can happen depending on the needs of a particular school to fill out their class, but I think the outright rejection in Duke ED (as opposed to a deferral) is a strong indication that an ED2 acceptance at JHU is very unlikely.

WashU and Emory ED2 are both reaches but probably less so than Hopkins if you’re playing the odds. Just make sure that you’d be happy to attend where ever you pick.

3 Likes
4

I’m kind of concerned about the essay. You should be conveying strength and selling yourself (certainly to this brand of schools), not risking venting your problems. You should get an admissions advisor to help brainstorm ASAP. Just my 2 cents.

5

I can’t tell whether you already know this (and that’s why you assess your chances more favorably at Emory), but Emory is the only one of these schools that omits 9th grade from their recalculated GPA. It sounds as if this would put you in a stronger position as an applicant.

Adding to this that it fits your criteria the best (Southern/warm, engineering not needed, top-notch public policy and life sciences, & great for public health because of CDC connections) and favors ED applicants… I’m not clear what would make Hopkins or WashU a better choice for you. What is it about JHU that has made it more of a Dream School than Emory for you? Does it have anything at all to do with fit and the experience you think you’d have there, or is it just about what’s better known in your parents’ circles?

I wouldn’t suggest “settling” on an ED2 choice if you’ll always wonder if you should have taken your shot at your true first choice. But reassessing the real reasons why you’ve been fixated (your word!) on a “dream school” and acknowledging that something else might be a better fit is not the same thing as settling.

As for “Is Emory really worth 300K more than UF?”… well, I don’t know. Only you and your family can answer that. But IMHO, if it isn’t, then JHU and WashU aren’t either.

3 Likes
6

Thank you for the advice! I was aware of Emory’s 9th grade policy, and I have toured Oxford’s campus (along with Duke and Hopkins campus). Tbh WashU was never really a dream school for me, but it’s one of the only other “elite” schools that has ED2 and I was wondering if my chances would be nonzero, since I do believe my chances at Hopkins ED2/RD are zero. I’m trying to tell myself that there are schools other than my “dream” two that can offer an experience very similar to the dream two.

I prefer the location of Hopkins, and the integration between undergraduate and graduate students there. The lack of greek/party life is appealing, and it is strong in many other health sciences areas whereas Emory loses appeal if I don’t end up pursuing public health. Closer to the federal government, service-based frats. I try not to be influenced by my family of immigrants (none of whom are experienced in the life sciences), but their lack of respect for Emory does get to me. They are prestige obsessed and have their own perceptions. They expressed dissatisfaction that I opted for Duke ED instead of “literally any Ivy.” They believe the prestige and value of Duke/Hopkins to be significantly below Cornell/Dartmouth. They don’t like Atlanta and have stereotypes about “deep south” states having “little ambition or prospect for Asians.” They also said Emory wasn’t hard to get into. I may be a debater but I truly couldn’t come up with a response to that one. Funnily enough they said they’d support CMU ED because of how high it’s ranked, but it is ranked the same for Emory, and much lower for my profession.

Yes, none of my friends outside the Southeast know of Emory, nor did I before I moved to Florida. But in terms of helping me get into grad school, would Emory and Hopkins be about the same? Would either of them provide a notable advantage over UF? Over USF/FSU?

7

So based on your major…did you at all consider American University?

D0 you have mostly A’s that make up for various GPAs because UF doesn’t use +/- so that helps with recalculation on their end for acceptance.

UMiami? They have EDII.
Tulane?

8

You are going to grad school?

Why does it need to be elite?

It doesn’t.

And elite is - well - not a real thing - but something that means different things to different people.

And costs a lot of money as does the schooling after.

Understand about the family…so I get it.

But Miami is worth a look because of you might not be admitted to others and UAB is very well thought of in your areas as well (safety).

1 Like
9

Yeah I thought it would be a good idea to write about my experiences with abuse at home years ago. Out of 650 words, ~100 are talking about the abuse itself (not in very graphic terms) and the rest is a metaphor about finding myself and opportunities in life. Several of the people reading the essay are former admissions counselors. I am completely fine, mentally stable, but I expressed concerns about whether schools would see me as a troubled liability. They shot it down and said nothing about it reflected a “trauma dump.” In fact none of my reviewers have said it was too trauma-based.

I don’t take my Duke rejection to be a red flag of my essay in particular. I messed up my GLIMPSE video and I believe I got myself rejected when I ruined my gpa three years ago. I also think my EC’s, LoR’s, course rigor and ACT, while good, just weren’t impressive enough for such a competitive pool esp when I already have to overcome so many deficits.

10

I did! Actually toured campus while in DC this summer. I was originally going to apply to Public Health Scholars program, but family shot it down and said small mid-tier private schools like AU don’t have respect nor ambitious students (??? their words not mine). Told me to spend my time shooting another dart at an Ivy+. I guess it makes sense financially - even if I got max merit scholarship, it would still cost 35k+cost of living in DC, without the prestige of the other schools. USF/FSU are free.

11

I wouldn’t even begin to analyze why you (and the far majority of all Duke applicants) got rejected.

There’s no way to pinpoint - and when I look at your #s, I don’t believe you’ll get into any ED2 but again, you go to a private school and they’re best to say.

Hence I provided other names including the U (Miami) which I don’t think is better than a low reach.

But you tried and I wouldn’t even begin to try and figure why you didn’t get in.

I’m sure 4.0 and 1550 SAT also didn’t.

Best of luck.

2 Likes
12

American give $ and they love demonstrated interest AND you visited.

Who has the final say here you or your family? How are the college advising resources at your high school? Good I would expect. They should absolutely be guiding you right now and they have the historical data to help you create a plan over the next two weeks to set your sights on schools that you have a fair shot at gaining a seat at.

What is at the top of the pyramid here, prestige/name or the final cost?

1 Like
13

Generally - yes. Not just for these two, but between most brand-name colleges. Of course, this can depend on the particular grad school program, but there is SOOO many things that go into a successful grad school application – and your undergraduate college will likely be the least of factors, if any.

That’s too generic of a statement to comment on - maybe even too generic to be generically valid?

FWIW, my daughter’s roommate graduated from JHU - and now is starting her PhD at Emory!

You don’t need to debate - just inform them of the facts: Almost 90% of people applying will be rejected - that makes it very hard to get into! Being admitted means you were among the top 10% applicants…

I believe they are grossly misinformed about Atlanta (and this is coming from a New Yorker!)
It is a diverse, lively city. In fact, there is an entire, popular stretch of highway leading to the outskirts that reflect the large number of immigrants:

3 Likes
14

I found Emory to be the only school that very easily made available a brochure entirely in Chinese. No other school, and we visited a lot of that tier school had that offering.

1 Like
15

Thank you! I also don’t find anything wrong with Atlanta as a city. What would you advise as important to consider at this stage for getting graduate school scholarships or placement? Or for a future career potentially in government agencies or academia. I’m probably looking at a PhD or a Master’s in Public Health Sciences, though I can’t be certain yet. Would the potential lack of research opportunities and attention at a large public college put me at a disadvantage? Is the name brand of an undergraduate school important in getting scholarships/admissions (ie, if I am rejected from UF, and my next best options are USF/FSU).

16

Hmmm - there’s only a lack if you don’t seek them. They are there and the name brand of most schools is just fine.

It’s why a Harvard Law has 150 schools in its class, down from 175 last year. Schools that would blow your mind.

You’ll have every opportunity for grad school from a zillion schools. And many chances to do research.

Good luck.

3 Likes
17

Thank you for the advice. My guidance counselor says I have an “excellent” shot based on past history, but based on GPA alone I’d consider myself a likely reject. I have a 4.15 (recalculated according to their system), while their middle 50% is 4.4-4.6, which is likely to increase this year. My 35 ACT is hardly an advantage anymore, with their 75th percentile being 34.

The only reason I considered ED2 to Emory was my fear of being rejected from UF. If USF/FSU are my next best options, well. A large public school isn’t exactly what I’m going for, and you’re right - I probably wouldn’t even consider USF/FSU/UF if they weren’t so financially valuable. But there is a chance I end up in academia, where my educational background is extremely important. My out of state EA schools are UMD College Park, UVA, UW Seattle, CWRU, UMiami. Hoping to bag at least one, though they are all reaches.

18

Attending a large public college will not put you at a disadvantage for grad school. There are plenty of opportunities at these schools if you go after them.

Attending a “name brand” college will not help you get admitted to an MPH program with a scholarship. You will be admitted based on your accomplishments. Scholarships for masters programs are often limited (depending).

I know many students who attended MPH programs from all kinds of colleges.

3 Likes
19

No.
In fact, you probably shouldn’t be counting on getting any/substantial scholarship funds for an MPH.

The underlying assumption doesn’t apply. Whether a small LAC or a large public university - you will be the master of your own fortunes! Nothing will be “delivered” to you in either place.

You will want to be engaged with faculty during college, always make use of office hours to establish a report with professors. Mention your ambitions, and ask for recommendations/referrals. They likely will know about relevant research opportunities in school, or point you to other institutions in town.

My daughter interned at a state research institute one year, a (different!) large private university another year, and an (outside) private clinic. Those relevant internships, and their letters of recommendation, demonstrated her long-term commitment to the field, when she applied to doctoral programs.

She also was able to take advanced-topic/specialized classes in college (a large university, with its bigger course catalogue could be an advantage) - further demonstrating the depth of her interest.

My point is - the multitude of all the above things, plus her overall GPA, her major-related GPA, her GRE,… were likely the deciding factors. Everyone else in her small program of about 20 doctoral candidates came from a broad range of public and private colleges; a preference towards elite colleges was not apparent to me based on her cohorts.

That’s just balderdash.

5 Likes
20

How about Davidson? Of the 3, Emory and apply for merit if not too late based on ECs? You may also want consider Rhodes (right next to St Jude’s and big on mock trial) RD based on health studies interest, ECs and likelihood of strong merit aid.

3 Likes