Match Me: Senior aspiring to be a physician, good scores [IL resident, 3.97 GPA, 1560 SAT]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • Rising Senior in Fall 2025
  • Female
  • US Citizen
  • State/Location of residency: IL
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Very Large Public HS in upper-middle class suburbs
  • Other special factors: none, not URM

Cost Constraints / Budget
Do not qualify for need based aid. Very grateful that parents have saved for my college, which opens up the option for most schools - they will pay from savings or support getting a loan for whatever cannot be covered OOP. I also want to maximize the opportunity to get a scholarship for undergrad to potentially leverage the savings and minimize loans for Med/Grad school, if I can get in.

Mostly sure about going into Medicine but also want to explore Business a bit, based on the exposure of doing corporate internships during last 2 summers. I’m into Sciences, and Psych/Neuro, so thinking Psych or Neurobiology. Strongly considering Pre-Med. Parents open to any field.

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.97
  • Weighted HS GPA: ~4.54, with APs on 5-point scale and honors classes/pre-AP on 4.5-point scale
  • Class Rank: School does not provide this, but very likely top 10% and probably top 5%.
  • SAT Score: 1560 composite
  • PSAT: 1470 (Do not believe I will get National Merit)

HS Coursework
Listing important coursework

  • English: Accelerated English 9 and 10, AP Lang (5), enrolled in AP Lit (currently enrolled)
  • Math: up to AP Calc BC (5) also 5 on AP Calc AB
  • Science: AP Bio (5), AP Chem (currently enrolled), AP Physics 1 (5)
  • History and social studies: APUSH (5), AP Psych (currently enrolled), AP Euro (5), AP Gov(currently enrolled), AP Macro (5)
  • Language other than English: up to Spanish 3

Electives: Teaching Young Children (3 years), Human Anatomy & Physiology

Awards

  • FCCLA regional, state placements including a 1st place at state and gold medal at Nationals
  • FBLA Regional, State & Nationals
  • Harvard High School International Debate Championship - Double Octafinalist
  • Awarded the School District’s Distinguished Ambassador Award 2 years in a row
  • Girl Scouts Bronze & Silver Awards, working towards Gold. Highly acclaimed position of Girl Scout Board - Girl Representative
  • Outstanding Student Teacher Award at lab school in HS - 2 years in a row
  • 1st place for Rush University MedStem Explorers Capstone Project

Extracurriculars

*Taekwondo Blackbelt & Instructor

  • Diversity Council President at School
  • eBoard leader for high acclaimed Freshman buddy program
  • FCCLA Club eBoard president
  • Classical dancer since the last decade and did 50+ recitals
  • Preschool teacher in lab school in our HS
  • Selected as an Intern for 2 Summers at one of the largest Bippharma companies in the world in Genomics Research
  • Proficient in 3 languages
  • Shadowing at Senior Center Memory care facility, Surgeons, ObGyn, IM - 60hours

Essays/LORs/Other
Haven’t written essays yet, they’ll probably be decent 8/10? I’m close with my school counselor and multiple teachers, so good LORs 8/10.

Schools
Safe & fun social life and within 30-ish mins of an urban or large suburban city. I love to explore and learn new things. Don’t mind big cities, slight preference for medium-sized colleges. Opportunities to build relationships with Professors. I really like the idea of top private schools Brown, Stanford, Yale where I can explore what I like and declare my major second year but those are far reaches.

I’d greatly appreciate suggestions on majors. I honestly enjoyed most classes in HS if they were stressful at times. Like I said, I’m most passionate about Bio/Physics, Brain Sciences, and Languages. Not open to Engineering. I enjoy working with others. A career with good pay and work-life balance would be nice but don’t mind going through a lot of school first. Thinking of a Psych/Neurobio major with premed track but I’ve heard it’s super stressful.

Unfortunately, with my PSAT score, I do not think I have a good chance at NMF.
I’d love to go to a school with full COA covered, but I am not sure I will get in anywhere. Websites aren’t super clear. I am really struggling to figure out robust safety & target schools that will minimize COA.

Staying Midwest would make traveling home easier but I’m totally open to good colleges elsewhere. I love UCLA, from the tour but not sure if I can get in and also if Premed track will be insanely stressful. I do not know if UC’s in general are worth the cost of attending as an OOS student, if I am going to do premed (which I’m 80% decided, but not a 100). Do they give any aid OOS? I am also debating BS/MD programs to try to somewhat reduce the pressure.

I am looking for any schools from lower-end reaches to safeties. If it’s a low-target or safety, I would hope for enough merit aid so it doesn’t cost significantly more than in-state.

I would appreciate your chancing-me as well.

  • Assured (100% chance of admission and affordability): UIC
  • Safeties UIUC, UPitt?
  • Target: UNC Chapel Hill, CMU?
  • Reach: Yale, Stanford, Brown?

Looking for ED/EA recommendations also.

Thank you!

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First I would like to understand the budget- what you wrote is a little confusing to me.

Will your parents pay full cost at an Ivy League school, if you happen to be accepted? Keep in mind that this could be $90,000 a year. It seems they would…but you would like to receive merit. Is this correct? If you receive merit, would they be able to contribute to medical/grad school?

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Hello, that is correct. They might not be able to cover the complete 360K OOP but will support getting a loan. Yes, I am hoping to get merit, so they can contribute to grad school.

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I would place CMU and UNC in the reach category. From what I understand, you can expect to be full pay at a school such as UCLA (others will comment).

Have you looked into a major such as biostats?

If medical school is a possibility it is wise to attend your state school or seek merit. You can be any major and be premed.

Take a look at schools such as UDel, Pitt (on your list), Ohio State honors, SUNY Buffalo (honors).

@thumper1
@WayOutWestMom
@aunt_bea

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Thank you, appreciate the insights. My school counselor thought that CMU & UNC could be target but I agree that they might be reach also. Will look into the others you noted.

Any recommendations for IL instate?

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Are you now entering your junior year? You wrote rising senior fall 2025.

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I am a Senior now.

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I am not familiar with the Illinois public colleges, but I would keep them on your list.

You are OOS for UNC, which makes it a reach. CMU has an 11% acceptance rate and should be considered a reach.

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Copy paste error. TY for asking.

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In case you’re not aware: CMU, Yale, Stanford and Brown do not offer merit scholarships.

I agree with both sentences. Don’t expect any merit aid from UCLA.

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With this attitude you are already way ahead of the game.

UNC-CH is a hard row to hoe for OOS applicants, as only 18% of OOS applicants can be admitted per state law. Regarding schools in North Carolina, your chances at Wake Forest are a bit better than at UNC-CH, although I don’t know about the likelihood of any merit money there – it’s very competitive. Wake Forest might merit a look, however. Davidson is also an excellent school in North Carolina; it is close to although not in Charlotte; it also has merit scholarships but they are very competitive also.

This.

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Case Western would fit these criteria and they do give merit awards. It would be more of a match for you but they are big on demonstrated interest.

Make sure you get your Pitt application in as soon as possible as they do rolling admission.

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Washington University in St. Louis.

Vanderbilt University should be given consideration as well.

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Thanks so much, this is very helpful. Current thinking is to go the total OOP route if I get into a Reach school or else wherever I can get the most aide. That would be the reason for considering top schools in other states. Does that track?

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Thank you, would this be Reach or Target?

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Our eldest daughter, from California, got into some high reaches and, of course, all the UCs in state, but she chose to go to SUNY Buffalo.

At that time, there was a program at Buffalo where if you could maintain a 3.75 grade point average and took the suggested coursework, she would qualify for upstate medical schools in the SUNY system. At that time she received a full ride so she went to Buffalo.

Within the premed coursework, she was required to take a bio engineering course. She realized that she loved the engineering portion and changed her major to engineering and CS.

Although she didn’t go to medical school, she did become a high-level engineer. She double majored in engineering and computer software to be competitive with the UC EECS graduates in California. She loves her job; she’s become a manager. She’s “head-hunted” and could afford to buy a property, in Southern California!!

The SUNY school system is underrated. They provide an affordable education and their top of the line research studies continue. She was well-prepared for any medical school but she discovered engineering. Yes she made some adjustments for the weather but she came home every break on Southwest.

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WashUStL is a great school. I have not looked at the ED versus RD admit rates. Typically viewed as a reach school.

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Both Vanderbilt and Wash U are reaches.

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Thanks so much, that is very very helpful! Have SUNY Binghampton on my list.

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Any guidance on best way to build a list of ~15 schools to apply to? I am really struggling with what would be good targets & safeties while maximizing aid.

Also, though I love Yale/Stanford/Brown, based on my profile are they in the outer realm - no point in applying at all or do you think there is a chance?