weighted GPA : 4.1 -but it’s been going up over the years
I don’t know unweighted
class rank: 50/360
sat:1390
AP Euro: 4
APUSH: 5
AP Bio-taking this year
AP Calc AB-taking this year
AP French-taking this year
Honors for all classes that aren’t AP
I think my recs will be good
My extracurriculars suck oops
JV track freshman and sophomore year
Environmental club- grade 11 and 12
Volunteering at an ecology summer camp for 6-11 year olds this summer
I took a summer ecology/geology class in Yellowstone, but it was technically a class so idk if that counts as an extracurricular
I do a lot of art on my own but idk if that counts
I did take an art class at the MFA last year for 10 weeks if that counts for anything
Piano-freshman and sophomore year
tennis outside of school freshman year
job: junior year I worked as an assistant teacher at a daycare
The colleges I plan on applying to are
Umass Amherst
URI
CU Boulder
current reach schools:
Northeastern- worried about if I would like the whole co-op thing
BU-i keep hearing bad things about it from people I know so idk if I want to even apply
My first choice in honestly UMass (I’m also in state so it’s cheaper) but my mom thinks I can do better
I just don’t think there are any schools I can get into that are so much better than UMass that it would be worth the extra cost.
I want to major in Biology and want a large campus / student population. I would prefer schools in the northeast.
Northeastern student here: If your only worry about Northeastern is co-op, you will like BU. While there are some big differences, they are quite similar in the end.
As far as Northeastern, co-op is one of the main reasons most end up choosing the school. If you are unsure, I would think about / look into it further, and if you’re still unsure, focus on BU. Both schools are great, it’s just a matter of fit 
What are your test scores? That will make a big difference regarding what is within reach.
You should put the Yellowstone activity on your app for sure, it is interesting and different. And the MFA art class, too.
What is your budget? Breakdown of the SAT scores? What do you plan to do with the bio degree?
My SAT is 1390 with 700 for English and 690 for math.
I honestly don’t know what exactly I want to do with the bio degree. I just like the subject.
Sorry, missed the original scores but appreciate the breakdown.
I think that schools like BU and Northeastern will be reaches but not by a huge margin. If you can afford it (and the schools if admitted), applying to a few more reaches can’t hurt. It’s great that you would be happy with your in-state options, but applying to many schools could give you more options when it comes time to select a school, even if you do still select UMass, which is a great school in the end. You may be right that many won’t be worth the cost, but scholarships and financial aid can change that, so it’s likely worth a shot.
Good luck!
Your mom may be judging UMass from her college days. It has gotten a lot more selective, (as have BU and Northeastern). Give some thought to Bioinformatics. I believe all three schools have good programs. Using your interest (Biology) as a means to learn some Computer Science or Statistics will broaden your career opportunities upon graduation.
“My first choice in honestly UMass”
It is a good school.
“I just don’t think there are any schools I can get into that are so much better than UMass that it would be worth the extra cost.”
Exactly. UMass Amherst, and the honors college at UMass Amherst, has been getting more selective over the years. Part of the reason is the difference in cost for Massachusetts residents versus schools like BU and Northeastern. Over time an increasing number of strong students who can get into any of these decide to go the “less expensive but still very good” route.
My impression is that for a Biology major there are many options, but most of them require graduate school. You will want to save some $$, or at least avoid debt, in order to be able to afford graduate school.
@rachel97437 From your post it sounds like you are being very sensible and are on track to do well.