Chance me please/ add to my college list [NY resident, 4.0 UW, 1520 SAT, Rank #1, for premed related major, no parent contribution]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US domestic (US citizen or permanent resident)
  • State/Location of residency: NY
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Small private

Cost Constraints / Budget: All out of pocket form me so would like as cheap as possible (parents do not want to pay)

Intended Major(s): Premed so biology, bioengineering, biochem

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0
  • Class Rank: 1
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1520 SAT

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: AP lang (5)
  • Math: (including highest level course(s) completed) AP Calc AB (5)
  • Science: (including which ones, such as biology, chemistry, physics) AP Bio (5), AP chem (5)
  • History and social studies: AP World (5), AP Psych (5), APUSH (5)
  • Language other than English: (including highest level completed)
  • Other academic courses: Engineering, Coding

Awards

  • National Merit Scholar
  • AP Scholar with Distinction
  • Principal’s Honor Roll (Grades 9- current)

Extracurriculars
(Include leadership, summer activities, competitions, volunteering, and work experience)

Placed third place at science olympiad in 2 categories (medalist)

Won first place in engineering competition

Summer job for 3 years consecutively at accounting office

Shadowed a Radiologist

Captain of science Olympiad team (2 years)

Captain of STEM competition team

Head of Yearbook committee

Head of journalism club

Volunteer at school events (open house, during the summer)

Leader of Volunteer group at school (nursing homes, special needs children)

Volunteer at nursing home 100+ hours

Tutor for all subjects high school and AP level

Singer at community gatherings for charity causes

Essays/LORs/Other
Essay is good I think, LORs I hope will be really good since the teachers know me really well.

Schools
Reaches: Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Cornell

Safeties: Hofstra (may apply for BS/MD)
For Hofstra I really want to get the Trustee Scholarship in order to attend realistically

NYIT, URochester - again would really want Handler Scholarship
Stony Brook, CUNY (and Sophie Davis BS/MD) and Macaulay Honors

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This student also has a great essay or two. :wink:… I couldn’t offer more help with my limited knowledge of NY schools with Cuny etc and asked the student to make this post. Please help out. I know many of you have the knowledge. Super kid!

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Do you live near a SUNY or a CUNY? Do you meet the income requirement for free tuition at SUNY?

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If you run the NPC on each reach with your parents’ data, does it return something like 8k or less? If not, you must cross them all out.:sob:
Are you applying to a lot of SUNYs and the STEM scholarship?

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I live next to SUNYs, but I do not qualify for the free tuition from them

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I’m more focused on CUNYs, do you think I should add more SUNYs? Also, I am considering the STEM scholarship depending on what I get into and how much it costs to attend

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You didn’t list a foreign language - you have one??

So U Alabama is free tuition 5 years, 4 years housing, and an annual stipend if you get NMF. Bama also has the Mccullough Pre Medical Scholars. If you are NMSF, then Tulsa is free.

Troy will be free I believe - even without NMF

Are you paying because your family has no money - ie they’ll qualify for aid? Or they just aren’t willing to fund?

You can also try schools like W&L (Johsnon) and SMU (Presidential).

Your issue is money - if your family qualifies for full aid (but doesn’t sound like it), then you can hit your reaches.

If they don’t, you have a money issue.

It’s nice you have a list - but you can’t pay for the list.

If you are NMSF or higher, you are golden. Even at Bama where you have to pay for food, you get an annual stipend.

You need a safe landing, not a desired school.

If you apply to the safe landing, then you can take your shots at the desired schools. But I don’t see any safe landing listed and that’s far more important than any on your list - unless you get a full ride somewhere. Not only do you need to cover four years - but room and board…and then $400K for med school.

Sorry to be blunt but it’s a reality here.

National Merit Semifinalist Package - The University of Tulsa

National Merit Scholars | Afford

Scholars PLUS Award - Troy University Scholarships

Program Description – McCollough Scholars

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I took beginners French and beginners Spanish but I’m not really proficient in either. I can also speak some Arabic as well.

My parents are not willing to fund, even though they can.

Do you know any safe landings in NY? I thought the CUNYs or SUNYs would be but I guess not

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How many years did you formally take in high school? Most of your reaches require or recommend 3-4 years of (the same) foreign language in high school. Not sure about the other colleges you listed but many colleges require at least 2 years.

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I took 2 years of Spanish and 1 of french

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Ok, so most colleges will consider this to be 2 years. The only college I am aware of that counts years of different languages is cal poly slo, which won’t be on your list. Maybe others here will know of other colleges that do that.

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The student needs the help with which schools are soft landings. Thx.

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I don’t know if any full rides at SUNY or CUNY. I imagine you’ll have to go away. Perhaps there’s a community college option.

You need a full ride.

NY is a big state. Some SUNY are far away.

I hope you find one but if you want to pursue your educational dream, then you might have to be very flexible.

Hopefully another poster is aware of a local full ride for a non need student.

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It sounds like you don’t qualify for much (or any) need based aid. Unfortunately that means you have to cross off all your reach schools, because none of them offer merit scholarships.

Please consider the other suggestions offered here, including the southern big merit schools.

Good luck!

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The STEM scholarship covers tuition. If you live near a SUNY or CUNY this could work. Are you in the top 10% of your class?

Without the STEM scholarship:

SUNY Oneonta’s tuition is about $7100 (just using for an example). CUNY is about the same. If you commute from home (is that ok?), take out the allowed student loan, and work part time this could be doable.

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It looks like it.

That’s good news for OP.

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I am in the top 10% and this is realistically what I planned to do.

Is anyone familiar with Macaulay Honors College at CUNY? I was really aiming for that since its free tuition and I wanted to know the chances that I get in?

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I think you should definitely apply!!!

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You can apply anywhere but you need plan B if you don’t get in. Can you go to CUNY and live at home ? If not, how will you pay ?

You may not want it but if you are NMSF, Tulsa, a great school, is plan B. And Alabama and perhaps others come in if NMF.

And Troy is an option anytime.

I’m not aware of any northeast schools that provide that good an NMF.

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I think Fordham has the possibility of a full ride with their competitive merit scholarships. They also have some amount of money for National Merit Finalists.

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