High stats with great ecs, sports, ap bio, ap chem and ap physics plus bc calc. Volunteered in hospital program and did shadowing
But did not research- will this be detrimental as a bio major getting into a school like uva, unc, Georgetown and the like?
I can tell you our feederish HS sends many kids to colleges like that with absolutely no research experience. I have also seen AOs for highly selective colleges discuss this and they have mentioned that while research is one of many valid options for spending some of your time if you would like, they definitely do not require it.
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Students are accepted all the time without research.
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Just make sure you have likely schools on your list.
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Thank you.
He couldnāt have volunteered at a hospital 15 hours a week this summer and do a research program. I sure was hoping we werenāt being clueless about needing research.
It I also isnāt necessary to volunteer in a hospital, but of course that is a valuable experience/EC.
Bio majors are admitted with a variety of experiences.
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Have auto admit in Texas which takes away that worry.
And three solid safeties to boot.
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Just seemed like a good way to spend summer. Getting to be a volunteer was like applying to college- letters of rec, essays, interview and 15 percent acceptance rate- just to volunteer!
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Yes I agree that it is a valuable way to spend the summer!
Those competitive processes happen in college too. My daughter (bio major) had a highly competitive interview process for hospital volunteering at one of the schools you reference in your original post.
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If you havenāt already, I would recommend checking out this classic advice from MIT:
The whole thing is really, really illuminating, but they specifically address research, and explain if you want to do it, you can do it, but you shouldnāt do it just because you heard it might be helpful.
Of course that is just MIT, but as noted previously, it is consistent with what I have seen many other AOs express as well.
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Love that- great article!
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What is your schoolās history with OOS acceptances to UNC and UVA?
For a valedictorian like him, itās pretty good at UVa. Itās hit or miss with UNC. Worth a shot.
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Given his auto admit in Texas, heās already a winner! Good luck!
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Zero research expected or needed. My son and daughter were in the āsmartā crowd. I donāt know of anyone who did research.
Iām not sure where applicants today get this idea. The stress is nuts.
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I think you are asking a specific question that is best answered by people with specific experience applying to schools like Georgetown and UVA. This doesnāt seem like a āmy kid was smart and it all worked outā post.
My eventual applied math major son (attended a different school) was accepted to McDonough at Georgetown. His application did not include research. It did however highlight and outline a very clear narrative of āreal lifeā experiences that directly related to his academic and post grad career goals juxtaposed against the unique recourses each school offered.
I certainly donāt think you need research experience specifically but for higher end schools you do need to distinguish yourself well beyond the published academic thresholds. You need to create a very clear picture of how your time was spent, your impact, and does it correspond to the schools needs and the students personal and professional ambitions.
I would not worry about a lack of one highly theoretical ticked box as long as the rest of the application successfully makes this type of holistic case.
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My kid (biology major) was accepted to UVA and UNC as an OOS student, without research.
In my opinion there is no box to check. Beyond academics, it is important to be authentic and to distinguish yourself in a way that is genuine and likeable. This can be portrayed through essays and letters of recommendation.
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Thank you. I think the consensus is that research is not expected nor required. Honestly that was my question.
We all think our kids are great- Iām no exception. In his case, it will be interesting to see how it works out. He has academics and sports and a 20 hour per week job and volunteering, plus clubs. He is as good a writer as math student. His math and verbal were the same. He wins at being well- rounded. Only time will tell if he could convince them they want him on campus.
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Heās a winner at sounds like.
Heāll be successful wherever - heās done what he can do. He doesnāt need others to validate his success.
Heāll do so at Gtown, UVA or any other school he ends up.
If heās planning med school as it sounds like, make sure you budget for 8 years, not four.
Other than size and overall experience, thereās likely little discernible outcome wise from a UVA and your in state school for a bio major.
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