Hey guys, I am currently a junior in HS. I wanted to ask what I can do to boost my chances at sub 20% acceptance rate schools. I would like to do premed in college. My only achievements so far are being a part of my city’s math team and qualifying for the AIME.
It would be helpful to have your unweighted grades and stats
SAT: Yet to take, I expect 1550+
Unweighted: 96.5 (Stuyvesant)
Senior year schedule (expected)
Math Team
Multivariable calc
Complex calc
Organic Chemistry or AP Physics C or Quantum Mechanics
AP Macro and US Gov integrated
System-Level Programming or Software Dev (post AP)
Regular English
Maybe AP Spanish
Current (Junior Year schedule)
AP Calc BC
Math Team
English
USH
AP CS A
AP Chem
Spanish III
Stuy is a great HS and college admission offices do know. You should take SAT2 chem at end of your AP chem.
Your ECs are kind of weak (no sports or leadership?). For pre-Med, if you shoot for Ivies, Brown is top choice; LACs are another great option (less cut-throat, more support); public schools such as Bing or Hunter are good.
I think you are asking the wrong question. Sub 20% acceptance rate schools are reaches for all students.
Spend time identifying what you want out of your undergrad experience, talking to your parents about your budget, and finding the right fits across all categories - safety, match, and reaches; spending the most time on safeties and matches.
Start with at least one safety (you can definitely get into, can definitely afford, and would be HAPPY to attend) and build from there.
I’m always intrigued on when kids expect 1550+ on the SAT. Based on what? I can see the 800 in Math based on Math/Science. But the regular English/History would not suggest a 750+ on the reading/English part.
Well, I’m first-gen and I barely know anything about good colleges, the impact of college name on one’s success, etc. How can I improve in my junior year to shine in college admissions?
Additionally, what are some good colleges for premed?
@WannabeWannabe For Pre-Med, it matters not the school but the tier.
LAC are great for Pre-Med like Brown, Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, and Hamilton just to name a few.
This isn’t to say a research school like UPenn, Northwestern, Emory, and WASHU, for example, are bad, but a LAC education has a plethora of benefits (one on one meetings, smaller, more intimate class size, and serious clinical opportunities just like those research schools.
How can you shine? Get your testing all done Junior year - that’s what I did, and it will make Senior year much easier and allows you to focus on some other things like building up a clear interest in something, extracurriculars, and etc.
Ah ok. But I still dont know how to improve my ECs
@Wannabeewannabee Since you are a junior, look up Questbridge and see if you are eligible to apply for their programs. They are a nonprofit organization helping first gen students such as yourself apply to colleges.
NY has good in-state public universities with a generous financial aid program. Start there to build your safeties.
Did you take the PSAT as a sophomore? Do you have those scores?
If premed is your goal, then you need an undergrad university where you can get a good GPA, and a good background to score well on MCATs, and one where you don’t need a lot of debt. Also, be aware that lots of students start with premed ideas and then change their minds once in college.
About the reach schools -many fill about 50% of their spots through ED, with extra “lift” for legacy, athletes and URM’s. So the acceptance rate for a student such as yourself (assuming non-URM) during RD is really even less than the advertised percentage. As someone who’s qualified for AIME, it should be fairly easy for you to estimate your overall probability for regular decision from published stats.
kk. I didn’t do all that well on the PSAT last year (low 1400s), but I think I did really well this year. I dont think I qualify for Questbrige though… 
Also, does being a member of the NYC Math Team help? Additionally, I will be the first person in my family to go college in the US and the second person to go to college overall
@WannabeWannabe First: please, for your own safety, never list your personal information online. (Ok, mom nag is over ?) I will defer the pre-med school question to those who have experience with that specific major, as mine is with biomedical engineering. As far as EC’s go, your school has more clubs than most colleges, so there are a plethora of opportunities. To boost your EC’s you could join one of your school’s premed or stem clubs. You can try to run for an officer position of a club. You could spearhead a fundraising campaign for a club. You could look for hospital/research shadowing or internship opportunities in your area for the summer. You can start with the hospitals, Google and make some calls. Yes, I said actual phone calls. Practice first if you need to; I know it can be intimidating, especially for teens. It would show a passion for your intended major. You could add a volunteer EC; it should be something you like doing, not something you are doing just to add to your resume. Since you have a strong math background, maybe join and tutor for Mu Alpha Theta, or maybe join the Red Cross club. My personal favorite EC that is often overlooked is a part-time job. It has been hard in our region to find teens willing to work; sadly most require an overabundance of direction and hand holding, try to stay on their phones the whole time, or are just too busy with other ECs or sports to get a job. It could be an easy way to standout to a company if you’re willing to show up on time and work hard. I’ve written LOR’s for outstanding summer employees who were pred-med and applying for internships. I will give you the same advice I gave my own DD: “It is better to have 2 or 3 EC’s you are truly passionate about, than 6 mediocre ones that you just show up for. It will be obvious on your apps and when you write your essays.” EC’s are meant to be fun; it’s a perfect time to practice your people skills and should be an outlet for the stress of your coursework. For your test prep: focus on practicing for the sat/act between now and February. You can use Khan Academy, collegeboard.com or prepscholar; check out an ACT practice book from the library or get one on Amazon (try 15-30 minutes, 2-3x/ week, so it’s not too overwhelming). Take a couple of practice tests to get you used to the pacing. I know all of these suggestions sound like a lot of time, and I’m not saying to do all of them; these are just examples of how to find EC’s you love that will add to your overall app. Mom nag alert: Your school work should always come first. Try adding one EC and see how you handle balancing the added commitment with school and sat/act prep, if all goes well, then you could try adding something else, or focus on arranging EC’s for the summer. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
@Tigerwife92 Thank you so much for your advice! I’m probably going to volunteer for a clinic or hospital over the summer. Again, thanks!
@WannabeWannabe you’re welcome; good luck!