I haven’t considered APES or APHUG and won’t do the former. Probably won’t do APHUG because I doubt there’ll be room in my senior year schedule for it—though it does sound interesting.
First semester (everything is honors or AP credit except French and PE):
AP Calc BC (I took a semester of my program’s calc last yr and got a C so I switched out of their sequence and into AP Calc)
Optics
AP World
Engineering
French 1A
AP Lang
Immunology
Neuroscience
Second semester:
AP Lang
PE
Genetics
AP Calc BC
Astronomy
Stats
Research project capstone class
AP World
Lots of science classes because I’m required to take a certain # of stem electives. Also thank you for asking for my schedule because I just noticed an error in the second semester
Senior year (not guaranteed but hopefully):
AP Lit
Research capstone class where we write the paper + presentation + stuff
Creative Writing
Quantum Physics
Origins of science
Origins of math
Forensics
AP psych
Journalism
Video game programming?
1 semester left, tbd
Look into Northeastern (if this were to match your parents’ expectations prestige-wise, you could defend their “practical, co-op based” model - and ofc run the NPC). Boston is good for the publishing world (such as it is).
I did that a while ago for both schools because I really liked Boston, but they were all over $90k sadly
Did your parents run an NPC at Bates? Their fee for tuition, room and board is near $95K…and that’s now. $80K would be a bargain if they make $300K and have average assets.
This is why you need a money discussion. Your family may have no idea what things cost.
Why are you stopping your previous language and starting a new one. You go to a STEM school so I don’t get the curriculum - but things like optics, Immunology, Neuroscience are likely electives where APES, as an example, is a core lab science class (and an easier one) - but you want to ensure you are taking:
English
Math
Lab Science
Social Science
Foreign Language (preferably one that you go deep).
Lots you list - at most schools would be electives - but you go to an unusual school. But in general, they’d be secondary to the core classes.
I wonder if your parents would go for data analytics? Denison has a very interesting data analytics program and students frequently combine data analytics with something else (journalism for example) in a double major. It strikes me that combining your interest in journalism with some STEMish field could be a very good career track and might also help you bring your parents around. Denison is quite generous with merit aid, even if it would not be enough for you to go it on your own.
Washington and Lee University has the only accredited journalism program at a liberal arts college:
It also has a creative writing major:
It is an expensive school, but it does have the Johnson Scholarship where 10% of the class gets an entirely free ride, plus a $10,000 stipend. It is extremely competitive; however although academics are important, so are more intangible things, like leadership.
The school may or may not be a fit for you, but it certainly seems like one to research.
Your ECs in high school don’t necessarily need to align with your college plans. My kid had really only music ECs and this kid was totally a STEM major in undergrad and beyond.
Yes you would for bio - whether you want to or not is different. Hence the beauty of schools where you don’t select a major or can go in unknown.
Yes, you can be pre med. It’s an intention, not a major. If you want to say you are pre-med, then you’ll be pre-med.
Whether you follow the right course structure and if your school requires extras like attending presentations or meeting advisors, that’s another thing. And even if not registered a pre med, if you take required classes, there would be nothing to stop you from applying to med school - although clearly not in your interest - and it’s very far away.
Others who haven’t met the classes will do it after graduation, either on their own or through a package program.
But you have zero issues with bio or pre med, short of you have zero interest - which is a big issue.
But to say no one will accept you for a bio program or allow you to claim a pre-med intention and follow a program - is very false.
Your issue is truly understanding what your family contribution is vs. making assumptions.
And having not saved does not mean they are unable or unwilling to pay. Lots of families haven’t saved and still spend money on their kids college. They do it from cash flow (or loans, etc.). You come from a solid home financially it appears, so hopefully they have the means to contribute significantly for you to attend a school.
If they choose not to, that’s different. But it doesn’t appear that’s been truly investigated.
it can help, though, depending on school, and program, etc etc. If you are applying to Syracuse Newhouse and all your ECs are about biology that is going to be an issue.
I agree if you apply to Bates, and your ECs are all writing and you say you are undecided or want to major in Writing/Bio/Science Comms not a big deal.
Anyway, to OP, I think finding a college you can pay for, where you can switch majors easily and have a LOT of majors will be helpful or easy double majors.. your parents may come around. Also some schools allow modified or combined majors.
There are a LOT of comments here, and haven’t read them all, but maybe something like U of Rochester, SUPER strong in STEM/Bio, but also very flexible curriculum… gives merit too to many kids (despite being highly ranked)…not as known for journalism, to be fair, but have a minor or this: Language, Media, and Communication : Undergraduate Program : Department of English : University of Rochester could also major in Clinical/translational Sciences which may be more interesting than pure bio but may be bio-enough for your parents? (getting to real world solutions?) Great spot and you are ok with cold:) pretty campus - I think a lot of people don’t look at it, and should
This is the crux of the matter. It’s good that you know exactly how you feel about STEM.
But before you completely rule this out, I suggest you look at some specific curricula at various colleges. A “bio major” at one school could mean a very different set of courses than another school. Many liberal arts colleges don’t even let you declare a major until the end of your sophomore year — and — what courses fulfill your bio major requirement could be very broad and inclusive. Especially if you go somewhere where you can design your own major. So I can imagine you going to a school where your officially declared major is “biology”, thereby satisfying your parents, but your courses are mostly topics you enjoy.
Have you heard of Lincoln University? You sound like a strong candidate for President’s scholarship, which covers all expenses. AMOUNT: Will cover Direct Cost including Tuition, Fees, and Room and Board DEADLINE: N/A RENEWABLE: Yes
The President’s Scholarship is awarded exclusively to new incoming first-time freshmen on a competitive basis. Scholarships are awarded based on merit, considering outstanding academic achievement, as well as co-curricular involvement demonstrated in the scholarship application. Students that qualify MUST submit an application for consideration.
To qualify for the President’s Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Minimum GPA: 3.75 cumulative
Academic level: Incoming freshman
Application status: Admitted
Enrollment status: Full-time
Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
This scholarship award can be renewed for up to three additional years (totaling four years) if the scholarship recipient meets the renewable criteria. All criteria are listed on the scholarship award notice.
Note: This scholarship award cannot be combined with the Freshman Merit Scholarships, Need-Based Award, or Alumni discou
APES is an elective, not a core class. I can assure you that I’m taking enough core classes and then some—my courseload is very rigorous and I’m pretty sure the program coordinator sends a letter explaining the program to really put things into perspective for the AOs.
APES is a core lab science…one considered easier but core along with bio, chem, physics, but your high school is specialized as noted so could be different.
I checked out that major and it sounds super interesting. They had been sending me emails before but I thought they were out of budget. I ran the NPC and with an institutional grant of $31k and $15k in merit (automatically gave it–I didn’t input my scores or gpa), it would be $46k. Not ideal but if I end up getting more merit than that, it could become a real possibility. Plus I do love LACs.
OK so… you’re not totally sick of STEM? Or maybe your definition of STEM doesn’t include data/computer science? (If true, that’s good! Gives you more options.)
The entire school isn’t specialized—we have a STEM program within it and we’re given different requirements. Our core sciences are bio, chem, physics, and earth science. After that, it’s just STEM electives. And actually, the first 3 I listed are the cores for every school in my district. I’m not sure about ES but I am for the others.
This pair of sentences caused a wild thought to run into my head. This is something that would put a bit of distance between you and your parents.
There are a few very good and affordable small “primarily undergraduate” universities in Canada. They are basically the Canadian equivalent of what in the US we would call liberal arts colleges. For the ones that I am familiar with, if I am remembering correctly the full cost of attendance for an international student is not all that far from $46,000, except that this is in CANADIAN dollars. The exchange rate is quite favorable right now for us Americans (and has been for quite a few years). Some merit aid is also possible. We are most familiar with the ones in the east (Canada is a big country, and we did not want to travel all the way to the more western ones).
In terms of your lack of ECs, they just will not care at all. At least the ones that one daughter applied to did not even ask about ECs. Applications are quite simple. I have joked that they want a high school transcript, a couple of letters of reference, and contact information so that they can get back to you. Admissions is very stats oriented, and you do not need to be perfect to get in.
Some to look at: Bishops University (in a small nearly fully bilingual town in Quebec). Acadia U. (Nova Scotia, in a beautiful small town right on the Bay of Fundy and one hour from the Halifax airport). St. Francis Xavier (also Nova Scotia, a bit further from the airport). Mount Allison (New Brunswick, near the Moncton airport but this might require two flights for most of us). UPEI (in Charlottetown, the capital of PEI). Mount St. Vincent (in Halifax, unfortunately mostly a commuter school for local students, our daughter was offered an insane amount of merit aid there).
And our daughter, after getting her bachelor’s at one of these schools, did quickly get a job in the US, and then was admitted to a very good PhD program in the US. One issue is that universities in Canada often have fewer “general education” requirements, so she was able to focus a bit more in her major and related classes than might be possible at a school with more general education requirements.
If you end up taking this route, you might want to ask me about some details that we ran into (but none of which were a significant problem).
How are you running the #s? How do you have your parents assets, etc. Do you know what the house is worth after mortgage, how much in stocks, bonds, and other assets, etc.
If they are making $300K a year, I find it hard pressed to believe Denison will give you $46K.
And given you started with - they saved nothing, implying that you had nothing for college and now you’re onto spending money, but you have no idea how much - so how can you?
I’m glad you like the major.
But guess what - it’s at many schools major - so that’s one to talk to them about - but you can find much lower in cost if it’s needed.
They don’t necessarily need to have a major that uses the exact same words as some of the ones described here.
For instance, the health sciences major includes some science but also includes things like planning and evaluating health programs, legal and ethical issues related to healthcare, etc. Or maybe they don’t have an environmental policy major, but they have an environmental science major and a political science major…I suspect that you’d be able to customize your studies to suit your interests. Lincoln may or may not be the right school for you, but I would investigate the actual programs, majors, and courses offered to see if you can get the education you want (from any college of interest) before nixing it because of a particular degree name.
