I’m a 16 year old guy and I come from a hispanic family and I’m really looking forward on being a Biomedical Engineer or an Orthopedic Surgeon, but my parents do not have a lot of money to pay for college. I take as many challenging classes with heavy workloads, but I really don’t know what my chances at MIT or Columbia are.
Classes:
These are the classes I took as a freshman last year:
French 3 A+
Honors U.S History A-
Honors Algebra 2 A+
Honors English 9 A-
Health 1 A+ / P.E B+
Honors Chemistry A+
AP Environmental Science A-
These are the classes that I completed as a sophomore this year and Grades that I have so Far:
French 4 A+
AP U.S History A+
Honors Precalculus A+
AP English Language and Comp A-
Health 2 and P.E A+
AP Biology A-
Web Design 1 A+
These are the classes I will be taking next year as a junior:
French 5
AP Economics
AP Calculus AB
AP English Literature
Honors Human Anatomy & Physiology
AP Chemistry
Web Design 2
These are the classes that I have in mind for senior year:
AP Statistics
AP Calculus BC
Survey American Lit
AP Physics C
AP Computer Science A
Extracurriculars:
Math team
Physics club
Engineering club
Premed club
Please let me know if I’m on the right track for MIT and/or Columbia. Thank you.
Does your school require that you take AP Calculus AB?
Considering the high level coursework you are capable of doing, and have done, I would recommend that you go into AP Calculus BC, if there is no teacher- or administrator-specific prohibition on doing so.
As to your original question, you sound like a fine candidate - strong academics and consistent EC’s (if you have been involved in some of these activities already). I would recommend a non-STEM EC, though, to make you look less single-minded in your activities.
But, on the whole, I’d say your chances were very strong for admission to either of the universities you listed. Do you test as well as your classroom grades might have one assume?
@whitebird9089:
Look at the acceptance rates for MIT and Columbia. With a strong application, you can assume your chances will follow closely to those acceptance rates.
Don’t hesitate applying, you never know. But always make sure you have your safety school applications in good shape. Each year on CC, there are many who didn’t and find themselves with no acceptances come April decision time.
Another option is to spend a few hours reading through past years “decision threads” for those two schools. You’ll get a sense for how impossible it is for anyone to “chance you” to competitive schools.
@Waiting2exhale I think @bzhang42 was merely commenting that, looking at the OP’s financial status (my parents do not have a lot of money to pay for college), he will most likely qualify for the need-based aid given at these institutions.
Right, got it, @DeeperBlue25, but the message one sends to a kid who is concerned about paying for college must not be “don’t worry about it,” because in the end there are still expenses and fees that can add up to more than a family can reasonably raise.
What a family sees as possible to contribute and what the net price calculators can come up with are often not an even match; sometimes not even close.
There is generous funding out there, and MIT is one of the schools which offer such funding. Still, the message of a “full-ride” can be one which leads a kid to heartbreak.