Mod note: see post #6 for full chance/match template info from the OP.
ECs include-
List item
Attended COSMOS program sophomore year in Microbiology Cluster
Additional research done with local research org - worked through 3 labs, 2 publications, several posters
President of a club
VA volunteering, shadowed physicians in summer before Junior year
JV swim and water polo
Interning for district supervisor on health issues
Can you please chance me for me chance of ED to the following colleges -
Rice University
WashU
Tufts
Emory
Dartmouth
Coursework
*High School does not allow AP classes before Junior Year, just finished Junior year
Spanish 3, Chemistry Honors, Engligh Honors, AP Calc BC (5), AP Biology (5), AP Psych - self studied (4)
Enrolled in AP Stats, AP Literature, AP Chemistry, Linear Alg/Multi Calc in Senior year
Awards
Girl Scout Silver Award
PVSA Bronze awards
Minor district level awards
Extracurriculars
President on 1 Club
Lead Curriculum Developer for Health/Med Non Profit - ran multiple outreach programs thru this
Attended UC COSMOS research program in Microbiology summer before Sophomore year
3 years of research experience in material science, microbiology, neuroscience in local lab - 2 publications
VA volunteer
Shadowed physicians thru Stanford summer before Junior Year
Volunteering for local organization for children with special needs
JV swim and JV water polo
Interning for district superintendent on new health-ed program for high schools
Essays/LORs/Other
Reasonably decent essays leaning into culture & community engagement
Also tapping into sports
LORs from Math and History teachers
Cost Constraints / Budget
Not eligible for Aid, will pay out of pocket
Schools
ED options include Rice, Tufts, Emory, WashU
Safety UMass Amherst, U Mad-Wisconsin
Likely (would be possible, but very unlikely or surprising, for it not to admit or be affordable)
Match - Case Western, Northeastern, University of Washington
Reach - Rice, Tufts, Emory, WashU
Can you please CHANCE ME for ED to Rice, Tufts, Emory, WashU?
It would be helpful for you to share your rigor ( proportion AP and/or honor courses), whether u will have 4 years of each of the 5 core subject areas, senior year math class and approximate class rank.
Does your school’s profile list an average GPA? While your SAT score is excellent, your GPA is very much on the low side for most, if not all, of the schools on your list. Is there some context for it? Such as likely approximate class rank (or decile?) or average GPA at your school?
I think I am in the top 40% of my class. I have a 4.0 in freshman year, I had a tough sophomore year and ended with a 3.1 GPA, now in Junior year it’s rising at 3.67. Hope to take it up in Senior Year.
I agree that most, if not all, of these are reaches - including your safeties. U Mass Amherst reports the weighted GPA of its admitted students as 3.93 (25 percentile) to 4.38 (75 percentile). U Wisconsin reports unweighted GPA of 3.5-3.9 (25-75%); U Washington reports 3.75-3.98 (25-75%). I didn’t look at all of the schools on your list, but encourage you to do so, and to expand your list. For a school to be a safety, you likely want your GPA to be at or above the 75th percentile, although you obviously don’t need to be that high to get admitted.
For a student with high SAT and relatively lower GPA, UW might be a tougher admit. They do accept SAT but according to admissions, they only look at it in rare cases (if a student is truly on the edge of being admitted).
In general it can be a good strategy for CA students with strong SAT to choose some OOS flagships to fill out their lists (since CA publics are test blind), but you’re unlikely to get a benefit from your SAT at UW in particular. Maybe there are some other OOS flagships that you might like.
Other than Dartmouth, the others are known for their pre-med which is the track I want to pursue. I was considering EDing to Emory since I have visited the campus. I loved that they have a hospital on campus and it’s next door to the CDC. The campus is beatiful. I like that Atlanta is a metro and has 5-6 direct flights to the bay area each day. The other school I loved is Boston University.
If you are making your undergrad choices based on where you can satisfy the prerequisites for medical school applicants…be assured…you can do these at just about any four year college in this country, arts conservatories excluded.
Not sure why you are “excluding” Dartmouth…which has the hospital and medical school very nearby…and is a fine place for a premed undergrad education.
So…is Emory your tippy top choice?
Your SAT score is fine…your GPA seems low for these colleges to me…but I’m not an adcom. Perhaps others will chime in.
Why do you need to apply ED to any of these? Apply regular decision, or EA to schools that have that option. Then you can make up your mind in late April sometime.
I worry about not having a shot at all at some of these colleges I visited and liked. Also with my GPA I don’t think I stand a chance for other UCs I like such as UCSD & UCSB