^^ @raclut same question for you please
NYU CAS would be a safety (assuming they don’t get “Tufts’ Syndrome” with you). I would add a UC (not Berkeley, LA, or San Diego) as a full safety.
If you are asking for some safeties look at local instate schools.
Safety schools are ones that you can afford, get accepted too, and would be ready to attend if you don’t get into your other choices. A school that you can get accepted to but have no desire to attend would not be a safety school for you.
This statement concerns me.
" I just don’t want to live here anymore because the competitive nature has been very damaging to my self esteem and I don’ t want to go to a school where everyone is basically asian."
In a lot of premed programs all over the U.S. and here on the east coast you will meet similar students with very strong academic records. Just FYI the schools you have mentioned are very competitive in nature and premed is very cut throat. Your first year and 2nd year classes are weed out classes. If you are having self esteem issues due to competition then that is not something you can not run away from in the career path you have chosen.
I am not trying to offend you but to forewarn you. I know two many parents that have sent their kids to very expensive private schools to have no acceptances to med school after graduation. It can be frustrating and heartbreaking.
Be prepared to face any obstacles you come across because there will be many road bumps along the way.
Relfect on your personality and think where you would most fit in. At a big school or a small school. What personal characteristics in a college are you looking for?
Is there any school that you are considering apply early action or early decision to? If you could specify what characteristics you are looking for in a school or give an example of a school you visited that you liked we can offer similar suggestions. There is also a possibility you might change your major so I would suggest a school that offers a variety of majors that you can explore.
From what you have mentioned so far I would say apply to University of Michigan, George Washington University, UNC, UVA and the College of William & Mary. These schools have a diverse population.
I would also recommend applying to some public schools where you stats are in the top 25% of those admitted.
Are you open to schools that are not necessarily top tier but where you would be eligible for merit scholarships based on your grades and test scores? Would you consider a place like University of Alabama?
There are many schools you can consider. It is a matter of what geographical preference you have and what majors you are exploring. Also on paper a college may seem good and a good match for you but when you visit the school it might not be a good fit for you as you might not see yourself spending four years of college there.
@raclut I really want to go to a top tier schools because I have worked so hard all my life. I don’t have a preference for big or small school but I want to be successful there and I want that school to be really good for the degree I want (biochem). I know Umich or Upenn might be the best for me because I also really love the campus and we have a lot friends there so I’d be in a good environment. For safeties, I will apply to lower tier UCs and some other schools as well.
http://www.upenn.edu/about/facts
If this is your top choice I would recommend applying Early Decision.
Many students work very hard in high school just like you have but not everyone will get into their top choice schools. Just realize that these top tier schools have more qualified applicants than they can accept.
The information in the following thread will be helpful to you.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pennsylvania/1940225-university-of-pennsylvania-ed-class-of-2021-results.html#latest
Penn
Overall Accept. Rate 9.2%
Regular Decision Accept. Rate 6.8%
Regular Decision Apps Accepted 2,345
Regular Decision Apps Received 34,266
Early Decision Accept. Rate 22%
% of Class Filled by Early Apps 55.4%
Early Decision Apps Rcvd 6,147
Early Decision Apps Accepted 1,354
Expected Number of Students to Enroll 2,445
Total Apps Received 40,413
Continued
Total apps accepted 3,699.
If your UC weighted capped GPA is over 4.2, then all UCs other than UCB, UCLA, and UCSD had admission rates over 90% for applicants in that GPA range for 2016. So if you apply to several of UCSB, UCD, UCI, UCSC, UCR, UCM, it is unlikely to that you will get shut out unless you write really poor essays or miss one of the specific requirements.
If you are worried about the intense level of competition in your high school, be aware that, at any school in your reachy school list, you will be competing with an even stronger level of competition than in your high school (if you go to a “top 20” college, then all of the students there will be in a “top 20” college, not just 30-40% of them), in the more intensely competitive weed-out environment of pre-med.
The Arizona public universities are relatively easy to get admitted to (e.g. https://students.asu.edu/freshman/requirements and https://admissions.arizona.edu/how-to-apply/freshmen/application-review-process ), so if you really want to leave California and not be surrounded by high achieving competition, they may be more suitable.
If you and your parents do decide that cost matters, you may want to see if any large automatic scholarship schools are suitable: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/2006094-2017-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html .
@raclut I also have legacy at Upenn
Okay thanks for all the help @ucbalumnus
Will that help? @raclut
I have about 6 family members that are alumni at Penn. (multiple generations) Fourth generation will be applying in the near future.
It depends on how you look at it. If you get accepted you will think it helped. If you get rejected then you will think it didn’t Are you applying ED or Regular Decision?
I would think if that is your first choice you would apply Early Decision.
Penn does explicitly state that legacy preference is stronger for early decision applicants.
http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/freshman-admission/early-and-regular-decision
@ucbalumnus That’s why I asked her if she was considering Early Decision. It is just a preference not a guarantee.
I am going to do Early Decision definitely and I am also a legacy, so I am hoping with the things I have on my resume and my stats, I will get in @ucbalumnus @raclut no guarantees though 
" As part of our Early Decision program, you are committed to accepting our offer of admission. You must withdraw any active applications you have to other colleges/universities. The only instance in which a student can request to be released from our Early Decision binding contract is if the applicant’s financial need cannot be met, which would be determined only after consulting with Penn’s Student Financial Services."
Have other applications ready as a backup in case you are not accepted.
http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/freshman-admission/early-and-regular-decision
Did you take the SAT? What were your scores? How about subject tests?
yeah I am planning on taking the SAT. I am only going to be a junior so I have the full year. And I am taking 3 Subject tests this year also.
@raclut ^^
You should investigate whether Penn has a highly competitive atmosphere, particularly in courses and majors frequented by pre-meds. You might not want to go from the frying pan of a competitive environment that is your high school into a college that is the fire.
Can you re-calculate your uwGPA without subgrades? That is the UMich’s way. Assuming it is still 3.89, your GPA and ACT put you right at the 75th percentile of admitted students. So your chance should be much higher than the average for OOS which is around 20%. With a research publication with your name on it, it is a pretty good achievement and that should help your admission.