Current Junior Match Me!/Searching For School Suggestions [IL resident, 3.7 UW, 1450 SAT, 33 ACT, pre-med path, $0-20k (uncertain) parent contribution]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Female C/O 2026
US Citizen
Top Ranked Public High School (According to USNews)
No Hooks

Cost Constraints / Budget
I plan to attend a school that will offer me a full ride, full tuition, or an annual scholarship. Parents don’t intend to pay for undergrad education as I plan to attend med school for MD or graduate school for a PhD. I want to do biomedical research. Don’t want to drown in student loans and debt. Can probably afford school with tuition under $25K maybe before aid if that works.

Intended Major(s)
Psychology, Human Biology, Cellular/Molecular Biology, Cognitive Science, Global Health

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.7 (Trend is like a “U”)
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.9
  • Class Rank: N/A
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1450/33 (Will try again for higher scores)

(might be a common thing but learning how to get through anxiety disorder, depression, family issues/deaths, ADHD)

List your HS coursework

R - Regular
H - Honors
AP - Advanced Placement

FR SO JR SR (Plan)
Math H Geometry H Advanced Algebra + Trigonometry II H Pre-Calculus AP Calculus AB
English H English 9 H English 10 AP English Language & Composition AP English Literature & Composition
Science H Physics AP Chemistry AP Biology H Human Anatomy & Physiology
Social Studies AP Human Geography H United States History AP Microeconomics AP Psychology
Language H Spanish II H Spanish III H Spanish IV AP Spanish Language & Culture
Elective H Advanced Band AP Chemistry Lab AP Biology Lab H Biotechnology
Elective R PE 9 R PE 10 AP Computer Science Principles AP 2D Art & Design

Honors/Awards

  • National Scholastic Writing Silver Key
  • Science Fair State Gold In Category
  • National Business Competition Team Finalist
  • HOSA State 2nd in Category/Intl Qualifier
  • National Honor Society

(I will work on trying to win awards with more ‘prestige’)

Extracurriculars

  1. varsity sport (went to & placed for cities & conference) (3 yrs)

  2. honors band first chair for instrument (also competitions, camp intensives, recitals, masterclasses, chamber group, mentor for younger musicians in bands, volunteer, etc) (4 yrs- part of music school for over 10 years)

  3. hospital volunteer (oncology center & helps organizing events) (2 yrs)

  4. published research with professor mentor (summer)

  5. cultural & religious youth group (learn about faith, culture, and volunteering at organizations to help less fortunate) (12 years)

  6. part time job music instrument teacher (private & small group lessons/preparing for recitals/juries) (3 years & summers)

  7. student mentor for female-identifying elementary students in underrepresented communities (1 year)

  8. co-editor-in-chief school medical research journal (1 year)

  9. founder/leader of school crochet club (projects are donated to children’s hospital to raise money for kids with cancer & for holiday drives) (2 years)

  10. ethnic club member (part of dance group) (3 years)

Essays/LORs/Other
Will write essays in the summer and get checked by English teachers. Essay writing is okay and can improve.

LORs should probably be okay maybe not great because not super strong relationships with teachers.

Looking for better, more affordable fits/realistic suggestions:

  • Strong preferences (don’t need to have all): High Safety, Not too humid or very cold or in the middle of nowhere, Nice Campus, Strong & Happy Student Life (variety of clubs, activities, traditions, party life), Urban with lots of places to go (restaurants, beach, entertainment, etc.), lots of research/internships opportunities, Strong Pre-Med pathways, open curriculum (like Brown but I won’t apply there because not very realistic)
  • Also preferred but not as much: Diversity, Study abroad opportunities, Med/Grad School Feeder, California, NE Schools, Midwest Schools, no all-female institutions

Schools (Based on school’s college preparation website)
Schools listed as (ED) are possible EDs and doesn’t mean I’ll ED to all as that’s not it works. I also don’t plan to apply to all schools and will keep as options.

  • Reach: Northwestern (ED), Emory (ED), BU (ED), UPenn, NYU, USC (the one in Cal), UMich (EA)
  • Target: Santa Clara (EA), Fordham, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Pitt, UMiami (EA), UT-Austin, LMU
  • Safeties: IU-Bloomington (EA), UMass-Amherst (EA), UIUC (EA), UMN-Twin Cities (EA), SDSU

  • I really like USC, NYU, Northwestern, UMich and they’re definitely reaches and expensive but I’d still like to apply to the schools.

  • I also like Pitt and Emory but they seem to be secluded/in the middle of nowhere?

  • I find Stanford’s campus appealing so if there are any similar schools, I’d appreciate the suggestions.

  • I think by application season, I will only apply to EA schools (2-3 reaches, 1-2 targets, 2 safeties) and 1 ED (reach) and only apply RD round if I don’t get any good offers.

*Is undergrad school prestige important when applying to top medical schools like Stanford, JHU, or UCSF?

*By the time app season comes, should I include other local/school awards or activities I did outside of school (like FBLA, art club, fitness for women, scattered stuff like that) for only a year or two that aren’t very impactful for the additional info section?

*Do I mention mental health as well? (because I know sometimes it might be better not to)

I didn’t include state of residency because I don’t plan to stay in-state but my state school is included in list above. I’m in the Midwest region if that helps. Might have to stay close to family due to mental health so I have family in SF and SoCal area if there are any suggestions for schools in the area though I don’t live in Cal.

Also I apologize for being very vague with my extracurriculars and awards because I don’t want to risk any chances of being doxxed.

This was a lot so ANY helpful advice/suggestions are very appreciated!! Ask me anything relevant if needed!

Thank you in advance!

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Do your parents have low enough income and assets for you to get need-based financial aid that leaves a ~$10k or lower net price (that can be covered by a stretch budget of federal direct loan and some of your part time work earnings)? Check the net price calculator on the web site of each college on your list.

If not, then you may have to aim for colleges where you are likely to be at the top of the admission class and which offer full ride or close to that merit scholarships.

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It would really be helpful to include your state because many of the public schools will be unaffordable if OOS. For example, if you don’t live in Michigan or Illinois, UMich or UIUC wouldn’t come in at budget as those schools do not give financial aid to OOS students.

Did you take the SAT/NMSQT test in October and what was your score? There can be a lot of schools that will have good NMSF packages, although none on your list. USC gives 20k/year for this, but it still wouldn’t hit your budget.

Frankly speaking, some of your list won’t work from a financial standpoint. The private schools can be generous with financial aid if you qualify. You should spend some time with your parents completing the net price calculators at schools of interest. I’m guessing your list will change based on what you discover.

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These are not safety schools. And I’d suggest eliminating any out of state public schools on your list as they won’t meet your financial need.

This is a very important point. Your financial need will be determined by your family’s ability to pay, not their willingness to pay.

Is your in-state school affordable with aid?

Tagging @AustenNut to get her input.

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Do you have any suggestions for colleges where I am likely to be at the top of the admission class and which offer full ride or close to that merit scholarships? My family is middle class so I’m not sure I’ll receive much aid.

Also, if one of my parents attended a 4 year but one didn’t, I wouldn’t be considered first gen, correct? The parent that did attend college is a refugee so the government covered their college education with a grant and so my parents aren’t sure of how the application process works.

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I’d take UT Austin off your list. OOS and scores make it a HARD Reach, and you won’t get any $.

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I am an IL resident. My school usually sends over 50 students to UIUC each year and many to T20s though my stats aren’t that great for T20s so. I did take the PSAT/NMSQT test but I had no preparation and I don’t think my score would qualify to be a NMF. I only listed the schools because I liked them but I realize that most of these are very expensive/out of reach which is why I’m looking for more realistic and affordable schools.

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Okay I wasn’t really sure but thanks! I just took input from the website my school uses to guide with the college process and based on the scattergrams, the predictions read as “Safety”. I think UIUC could be affordable but not sure. I’m also looking at UIC and LUC as possible options.

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In that case, UIUC can stay on your list, but it is not a safety. Check and see if your family qualifies for Illlinois Committment or Illinois Promise financial aid. You should look at ISU, Eastern Illinois, Northern Illinois, SIU, and UIC for some affordable safety options.

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I don’t see Rutgers, Pitt or UMASS. My kids with high stats got zero merit from Rutgers, $8000 a year from Pitt, $16,000 from UMASS, so still $45,000+ for the oos public’s. Just because you don’t want to have a lot of loans doesn’t mean colleges are going to start giving you money. Financial aid is based on what they think you pay, most oos public’s give FA to their instate public students.

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I see you updated that you are an Illinois resident. I think you would meet the cut-off for the UICC Chancellor scholarship if your family meets the financial requirements (6x federal poverty guidelines – depending on what middle class means in your case, that might or might not be the case).

There are a number of state schools, many of them in the South that give automatic merit, including to non-residents, if you meet the GPA and SAT/ACT requirements, you should peruse a list like that on College Vine or any other aggregate website.

Also look at universities in MSEP for affordable safety possibilities in that consortium.

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Good suggestion, but Illinois is not an MSEP state. I do know that some Illinois kids are getting tuition breaks at Mizzou though. Some surrounding states might do the same.

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I think I’ll probably get a decent amount of financial aid assistance. My parents might end up helping out with <$20K/year. I can use $1-3K/yearly from my job savings which is only a portion of what I make a year and get a part-time in college. I’ll also apply for some external scholarships and try to see if I’ll win any.

Does anyone know whether undergrad school prestige is important when applying to top medical schools? I see a lot of different answers when searching online and budget shouldn’t be an issue in this case. Also, does anyone have suggestions for schools that are good for preparation for med school?

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Have you run any NPC’s? Those who consider themselves middle class tend to not have that experience.

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You really need to run the NPCs for a few schools on your list. “Middle class” is a subjective term.

There are privates that guarantee a minimum of full tuition for families earning under $175-200k, for example. There are schools that guarantee to meet financial need, as they define it. The community can be of more help to you if you can check to see if you qualify for need-based aid.

Getting a full ride or full tuition solely as merit is very competitive and typically only realistic for kids above the average academically.

There are many schools that will provide excellent preparation for a med school application. Once you confirm the financials (please run NPCs with your parents) we can suggest schools that will meet your budget.

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You are kidding, right? Pitt is very very close to downtown Pittsburgh, and Emory is close to downtown Atlanta.

No…but I’ll let @WayOutWestMom elaborate on this. Your “top medical school” is the one where you get accepted.

You are looking for merit money at some places, right? If so, make sure your applications to those schools are submitted by the usually early deadlines for merit aid consideration. And this includes RD applications.

Pitt has rolling admissions. Apply as soon as the application is out for submission for the best chance at merit aid.

Please consider your mental health status first and foremost. If it’s important to stay with your current medical providers, you might not be able to go as far. You need to also check the supports you need, plus insurance to cover them, if you go out of state.

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MCAT score is most important when applying to Med School rather than “name” school. Check out Creighton University in Nebraska for pre-med. Your stats would most likely be at the top of their submissions and provide merit. By the way, congrats on an excellent HS career. Your stats are excellent. Well done.

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Unless I’m missing something…in my opinion, the out of state public universities on your list are not going to offer you a full ride or full tuition.

And if you mean a full merit award in “annual scholarship”….its my opinion that isn’t likely either.

I think you need to really get a handle on your finances for college.

You say you can pay $25,000 a year for college. Where is that money coming from!

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As others have said run the NPC for all the schools you are interested in attending. Most of the schools on your list are never going to be zero cost schools or even 25K a year schools. Are you NMF? That can open a few full COA schools like Bama and Tulsa.

I would consider a school like Western Carolina. Public university with a COA around 20k for OOS students. There are lots of smaller schools that you would be at the top of their stats and more opportunities for merit money. Schools like Juniata, Allegheny, and Ursinus. Not sexy prestige names but those are places with your stats you have a chance to be given a good amount of merit money. I’m sure there are others. Those are just a few that come to mind.

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What is your approximate class rank? Do you have any C’s or W’s in core courses?

I echo what others have said that we need to know budget and NPC results. Here’s Northwestern’s, best to run it with your parents: Net Price Calculator

Please also run this FAFSA SAI estimator: 2025-26 FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI) Calculator – College Money Method

You can try for external scholarships, but most money comes directly from the colleges. External scholarships of any significant amount are highly competitive, are sometimes not renewable beyond the first year of college, and some schools will decrease their financial aid dollar for dollar if you did get any of these scholarships.

Do you qualify for UIUC’s Commitment?
https://osfa.illinois.edu/illinois-commitment/

Are there any four year schools where you can live at home and commute? You could also consider two years of community college to save money…what is your local community college?

Without knowing the details, I would say no, especially if you’ve had mental health challenges during HS. Have you talked with your HS counselor about if/how to address mental health challenges as well as the family issues/deaths?

You have all of second semester to work on this. Please do so, LoRs are important at some schools.

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