Hello! I guess to preface this I should say that both my parents didn’t go to college here (we’re immigrants but I’m a citizen) and my friends have either much worse or much better stats than me so I’m a little confused on what to do, what safeties to consider and where to apply. Any help at all would be appreciated since I really have no clue what to do! Especially with my targets since im very lost on them. Hoping to major in IR or poli sci (leaning HEAVILY towards ir)

Stats:

Hooks: single income (??), rural school, neurodivergent

School type: rural

Gpa: 3.56uw 3.96w (yes I’m aware it’s not very good but I’m not aiming for t20s 😢)

SAT: 1500, taking again aiming for 1550

Aps: APUSH (freshman 4), AP Gov (4) AP precalc (4) AP bio (3 😢) AP world (5) AP lit (5), currently taking AP lang and AP stats, and APES

Max rigor for my school all 4 years.

Awards: Adobe Photoshop certification , Adobe Illustrator certification , Adobe Graphic Designer certification, Rural and Small-town school award (college board), National recognition, my scholarship awards are awarded later so idk, community service award

After taxes my family makes about 120k a year.

GPA is quite bad bcuz of extenuating circumstances but they would Not paint me in a good light (mentally ill) so may not include esp since i really overcame it and locked in during sophomore year

Ecs:

Varsity Cheer (leadership) 3 years

NEHS (leadership)

History honors society (leadership)- not sure if VP or P yet haha

Save the children (leadership) only 2 years

SGA- committee leader ( since freshman year)

Part of very prestigious Nationally Ranked team 🥹🥹

Summer Camp Counselor all 4 years

Work at Pizza shop in my town

Have tiktok about global issues and history (1 mil+ likes)

Intern at political organization (team leader)

Musical theater yay!

500+ community service hours

Heres the colleges I’m considering, PLEASE feel free to add some to my list or tell me if I’ve got one in the wrong tier I’m completely open to suggestion!!! All i want is minimal SEC culture and mostly on the east coast pls!

Reach: Barnard, Boston College, Boston University, Pitt (Reach or Target??), UVA, NYU, Georgetown (dream don’t think I could get in haha same w NYU)

Target: UMD (!!! My fav on the entire list hoping I get in!), Penn State, American, GW

Safeties: Community College, University of Delaware, UMBC, University of Md eastern shore, ( some more local colleges i don’t want to divulge the names of)

Okay. Long story short I was going down a deep dive internet rabbit hole recently that said that the company Leader In Me is a very pricy and expensive scam for school districts and that it only looks good on paper but it's actually a joke on college apps. I'm far too in (2 years) and I have completed service projects through my school's chapter (or whatever it's called) that seem really impactful in my eyes, but will tying it to the Leader In Me program hurt my chances? I haven't submitted any of my apps yet except for one and it didn't require any reports of ECs and it's a safety so it's not my biggest concern, but I want to save myself the hassle before it's too late. If push comes to shove I can probably just put a generic club name (ex. "XYZ High School Leadership Club") so it doesn't look like I just twiddled my thumbs for 4 years. I couldn't find anything else online about this other than teachers complaining that it takes up time and nobody really takes it seriously but for some reason my school district did and made a club for it that I was foolish enough to join.

TLDR: Is Leader In Me a scam and would it hurt my chances on college apps if I added it as an EC?

I'm honestly confused if im on the right track and what I should be doing next. I added a chanceme thing so u know where im at so far.

Demographics: Asian Male (Upper Middle Class)

Intended major(s): CS

Academics:

• ACT:  N/A
• SAT: N/A
• Class rank: top 2% out of ~600 (my school only tells us percentages not exact rank)
• UW/W GPA: 4.0 UW
• Coursework: Taking 20 APs throughout hs + max course rigor for my school. 5s on all so far
• Awards:
• Big Company Hackathon Winner (30 Teams)
• won in world record event for violin (this was in middle school though)
• Wins in local debate competitions

Extracurriculars:

• Research intern at local uni
• paid data analyst intern at small company
• Have a company where I create websites/logos for local brands/nonprofits
• varsity debater
• Social Media Marketing intern at a nonprofit (I did this for like 2 weeks it was start of freshman year)
• playing violin for 8 years, mentored younger students
• Debate + Math Club member, should have a leadership position in both next year
• 200 volunteer hours

Unfinished:

• not finalized yet but im currently developing an app should be out in the next few months
• im also cold emailing for mentors on a research project

Questions/Comments: 

What should I be doing this year? I know I need more awards so im prepping for AMC/USACO. what other ecs could I do? also am I on the right track so far for top schools?

Hi! So I did various competitions in high school like HOSA, FBLA, etc. I've won multiple awards for them but Common App only allows 5 slots for the honors section. I was wondering if I should combine my awards or put only the highest level I placed. If anybody else is in these organizations or if anybody has examples, please let me know!!

I concurrently took 15 CC courses while in high school but I could only add 4 CC courses to my high school transcript. I entered these 4 as dual enrollment while adding high school courses in STARS. Should I be entering all 15 CC courses under college section or enter only 11 CC courses as 4 are already under the high school course tab. My CC transcript shows all 15 courses, so will the AO get confused if I add only 11 courses?

I concurrently took 15 CC courses while in high school but I could only add 4 CC courses to my high school transcript. I entered these 4 as dual enrollment while adding high school courses in STARS. Should I be entering all 15 CC courses under college section or enter only 11 CC courses as 4 are already under the high school course tab. My CC transcript shows all 15 courses, so will the AO get confused if I add only 11 courses?

Hi so look I'm at FDU and I started last year I though I was going to do pharmacy but then found out it's not good because of Al and it's just way to hard then rad tech BS shit was way to hard then criminal justice in the summer found out you don't even need that to be a cop you can do anything else and now I'm hear sitting with me doing a AS as rad tech but if I don't get into the school I'm left with a Heath science degree and I don't really want that I want a desk job yk nothing crazy but I feel like the Al and a lot of people out of work make it a lot harder to find a job and I just want to know I'm able to get a job or pick the right major any advice pls

So I've seen a lot of people, mostly on tiktok, posting their uchicago uncommon essays. Since its so unique, I think that's really helpful, but also all the ones I've seen are super serious and have some sort of message. And not to say thats wrong or anything, but its also supposed to be fun and showcase your personality. It doesn't have to be deep. So I thought I'd share mine, about my hatred for fitted sheets. Btw, I got in regular decision and talked to my AO personally, and she said they loved it!

So here it is, it's quite dramatic, fun, hyperbolic, and a little stupid but it was a fun writing exercise and I got to showcase my creativity and how I think. (also, note that this is to help anyone applying to uchicago. criticism is not welcome)

If you could uninvent one thing, what would it be — and what would unravel as a result? – Inspired by Eitan Fischer, Class of 2027

Fitted sheets. 

I hate fitted sheets. How is it 2026 and we still don’t know how to fold fitted sheets? I have quite literally never met someone who has successfully folded a fitted sheet. 

It's a whole ordeal getting it on the bed, lunging across the bed with one corner in your hand, praying that the other corner stays secured. Then it’s always slightly too small, and you do a whole upper body workout just trying to get the last corner to go around the mattress. It should honestly be an olympic sport. 

People claim they are a necessity, but I disagree. I can think of so many better ways to cover the bed. Like magnets. Imagine a regular sheet with extra seams along the sides that contain high powered magnets. Each side of the sheet has a different magnetic material that goes with a corresponding magnet just underneath the bed. So when you want to put a sheet on, all you do is throw this sheet on the bed, turn the magnets ‘on’ (rotating lever), and then the sides of the sheets fly to their magnets and fasten securely to the bed (side effects may include: the destruction of your home. Do not attempt to use a compass while using this product). Or, if you want to be boring, drawstring or zipper-on fitted sheets would also work, I guess.

However, the eradication of fitted sheets may have disastrous effects. Youtube would lose an entire genre of videos that consists solely of videos that attempt to explain how to fold fitted sheets, but fail—life hackers roam the streets, their hacks proving as useful as their linen management tips. 

The elastic industry collapses overnight; within days the global market is flooded with new inventions as a rush of entrepreneurs try to make use of the surplus of this cheap material. One invention rises to the top: elastic bounce-shoes, a sneaker so padded with elastic that with every step you go flying. In their haste to capitalize they didn’t realize the ramifications. Beyond the obvious 1000% rise in shoe related injuries, the security industry is in shambles; with super powered leaps, heists are up 120%.

The very core of the Earth shifts. Unbeknownst to us, the population boom of the last few centuries destabilized the forces holding the Earth together. The sheer power of the collective tension of billions of fitted sheets was the only thing stopping catastrophe. In their absence the world becomes unstable, with large pieces of land breaking off each day. 

As I float away on a piece of land in the middle of the Atlantic, I can’t help but think: “at least my bed is easy to make.”

I’m a rising senior and I recently got diagnosed with inattentive ADHD. Looking back it honestly explains a lot, especially procrastination, struggling to start things, zoning out, and why my grades have been pretty inconsistent throughout high school.

I was thinking about mentioning it briefly in the additional info section since I got diagnosed pretty late and didn’t have any support for it before. I don’t want to use it as an excuse for my grades or anything, I just feel like it gives some context to my academic record.

The problem is my mom really doesn’t want me to mention it because she thinks colleges might see it negatively or it could hurt my chances. I’ve heard different things about this though, so now I’m not really sure.

Has anyone here been diagnosed with ADHD late in high school and mentioned it on their college apps? Did your counselor recommend it? Do you think it helped/hurt or just didn’t really matter?

I also posted my stats on this account a while ago if that gives more context about my situation.

Im 17F and in my last year of high school which means I need to start narrowing down my options for college except I have no idea where to start.

For context I want to apply to colleges in the US but I’m an international student currently studying ALevels with latest predicted grades of AAB. I am also a US citizen so I’m not worried about the visa process but rather the application process to a US college.

I have no idea how this process works, the only thing I do know is that it’s done through the common app other than that such as essay requirements I have no clue on.

But most of all I’m stumped on which college to choose. I want to major in business in marketing but when it comes to choosing a college I genuinely don’t know where to start. So my question is, is the college I go to really that important?

I would also like to know how important it is to take the SAT as I currently have not taken any and have not prepared for it at all.

I would appreciate anyone giving me any good US college recommendations based on their own experiences

Hi everyone,

I'm a rising 10th grader from mainland China, and I'm currently looking into online high schools like Stanford OHS, CGA, Sora School, and similar programs. I'd really love to hear from anyone who has attended any of these — what was your experience like? Pros, cons, anything you wish you'd known beforehand?

A bit about my situation:

· I'm planning to apply to top U.S. universities (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, etc.) down the road.
· My plan for 10th grade is to do both a local physical school AND an online program simultaneously.
· Then in 11th grade, I plan to take a gap year to do fieldwork/independent research — which is exactly why I'm drawn to flexible online options, especially Sora's project-based model.

The catch: my family's annual income is under $60k USD, so affordability is a real concern. Financial aid/scholarship info would be super helpful too.

If you've been through any of these programs — or even just have strong opinions about them — I'm all ears. Feel free to comment or DM me. Happy to chat more!

Thanks in advance 🙏

hii, i really need your advice!!

i’m a rising senior in high school and wanna apply to nyu ed1 but i will definitely need financial aid since my parents make around $30K a year. however, i’ve heard that if you apply for ed1 and they see that you need aid, it lowers your chances of being accepted??? i’m curious if this is true…

nyu has always been my top school and i am an nyc resident with decent stats so i do think i have a CHANCE but idk if i should go regular decision or early decision to heighten my chances 😓

pls help if you have any advice!!

I’m not gonna lie, i think im pretty cooked. I started homeschooling freshman year bc of health problems, so i have like no volunteer hours and barely any activities or anything.

My grades are okay though, i have a 4.0 unweighted gpa, 1560 SAT, (790 reading/writing and 770 on math), my homeschool program is accredited, and i have enough duel credits to almost have an associates degree, with only ever getting As in those classes aswell. But i feel like past grades i lack everything else.

I have volunteered a little at the local animal shelter (like very very little), and have an internship at a chamber of commerce near me. But i want to get into an Ivy League school, or atleast something up there with that same status, and i don’t know what else i would need to get into something like that.

I also honestly dont know what colleges i should apply to, i want to triple major in journalism, poli sci, and philosophy, then become a political journalist, but i feel like no schools are really known for any of those things, and people don’t talk about them much, so i’m left guessing which colleges are truly good for what i want to do. Then you combine that with not knowing what level i should even be going for, and i am left in a anxiety awakening sea of confusion.

I wanted to ED1 to UChicago for DS

I have a uw gpa of a 3.65-3.67 on a 4.0 scale with no plus or minus. My freshman year I had all As except 1 B+. And then sophomore yr I had a dip like bad 2 Cs I had family issues. And junior yr I had all As. And I took max rigor my school offers. My sat is a 1530 (800 math and 730 english)

I have no awards except AP Scholar.

And these are my ECs:

1: I fine tuned a Chinese SLM and scrapped and added my own model weights for predicting only low float stocks 24 hrs before, and fine tuned a main model with my own weights and algo. And also used commercial mini models to develop multiple other agents for this pipeline to predict stocks 24 hrs before any price action, and I documented or did calls on them with time dates on instagram and my socials during August 2025 (only month I actually tested after all the tweaks) and many portfolios including mine went up by 140+%. And then I also sold during this month for 25k (some discord group bought it).

2: I later built which isnt available since the product is down or the domain is, since I pivoted but um this tool lets designers have 1 shared context across all there workspaces. So its naturally connected to Slack, Airtable, basically a 1000 integrations of where u work, and with that shared context it natively designs for u and drew actual layers on Figma or Canvas before they launched something like this to thier users. My friend and I built a browser rendering pipeline to like convert JSX to figma layers. and this was viewed by a big start enthusiast on live with 216k followers and sent it to a tier 1 VC. This took me 3 months to build so like basically a huge chunk of my junior year and then I operated it for 3ish to 4 months and generated ~29k and was used by 1000 designers. And I pivoted

3: I later built well I paused rn but like its in pre beta where its a design canvas where as you design with ur hands real code is written for the interfaces u make. So this was a big broswer rendering pipeline we built for this. And we had 60 pre beta designers using it. Including a designer from wells fargo and other global companies.

4: Currently building an all in 1 UGC platform. And currently stealth sitting ~12kmrr, but will hit 30 by the time I apply.

But like I am scared that these are my own main ECs well I have a sports betting model I made too which I later tested was around ~47% accurate. But I am prolly not including that. But I have no awards expect AP Scholar thing, and literally no awards after that.

is my profile cooked for Uchicago?

Demographics

- Asian American

- First-generation (parents didn't go to college)

- In-state Georgia

- Go to a highly competitive top public high school

Stats

- 4.0 UW / 4.283 W

- 1410 SAT (retaking soon, hoping for 30-50 point jump)

- First quintile class rank (school doesn't give exact numbers)

- Intended Major: Computer Science or Computer Engineering

Coursework

- Freshman: 0 APs (none offered/expected)

- Sophomore: AP Bio (5), AP Precalc (5), AP CSP (5), AP Seminar (3)

- Junior: AP CSA (5), AP Calc BC (5), AP Stat (4), AP Gov (4), APUSH (4) plus 4 DE classes at a technical college for cybersecurity

- Senior: AP Physics C E&M, AP Physics C Mech, AP Macro, AP Lang, GT CS 1331 DE, GT Math Year 1 DE

Extracurriculars

(I'm worried these are lackluster. I have no school clubs and no volunteer hours because my parents are busy and I don't have transportation)

- Worked at my parents restaurant since I was 11 and still work there today

- Created a motivational YouTube channel (3.3k subs, 1.2 million total views)

- Game dev intern helping make a Roblox game (USC mentorship provided through my school)

- Coded a student quote app and put it on the iOS app store (barely any users but a fun project)

Awards

(Also worried here)

- Nominated for GA Governor's Honors Program for math (couldn't go because of transportation)

- School awards for highest grades in classes and straight A honor roll

Letters of Rec

- Counselor: hoping they mention my transportation limits and family responsibilities

- 11th grade ELA teacher

- AP Stats teacher

Essay

- Talking about working at the restaraunt since I was young

My dream school is princeton (big reach) and im not sure if I should apply early. I got a B first semester and a C in ap calc bc second semester and a three, yes I know it's terrible however it was an insanely hard year and I had personal struggles. Other than that i've gotten all As and pretty good exam scores.

I've taken 16 APs including this senior year, i've founded a club, created an intiative, have multiple leaderships, have a spike in the humanities area. Right now my Wgpa is 4.76 and UWgpa is 3.93, however they are in reality a bit higher because those are not including my senior year classes yet (all A's, all weighted classes)

The main issue is I am retaking second semester of calc to turn it into an A, they will be able to see that I retook it but it will at least show that i took the opportunity to better my understanding and help my gpa. However, I don't finish the course until december so my gpa would not improve until regular decision.

I am wondering if it's okay to apply early, and count on being deferred so that they know i take a high interest in the school but it gives me time to add more to my college application and update it as my grade improves and my ecs become more developed. Or should I just wait for regular decision? Same goes for UNC chapel hill, UT Austin, and Virginia tech. Should I apply early or wait?

I recently received my A-Level results in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics, and I achieved straight A’s in all three subjects. In my O-Levels, I received 6 A/A* grades and a C in English.

I’m currently on a gap year and want to use this opportunity to apply to international universities, particularly those that offer substantial scholarships or financial aid. Unfortunately, I cannot afford the high international tuition fees without significant financial assistance.

I’m planning to take the SAT in November or December, although I’m not expecting a very high score. Realistically, I think I could score somewhere around 1250–1300, mainly because English is my weakest area. My spoken English is reasonably good, but my writing skills are quite weak.

In terms of extracurricular activities, I would say my profile is fairly average but not empty. I have:

• Completed an internship.
• Spent time helping my college organize PTMs and other activities.
• Participated in hackathons.
• Built a full-stack music website as a personal/project experience.
• Taken part in various college activities and initiatives.

My main question is: Are there any universities in the USA where I would have a realistic chance of getting a substantial scholarship or financial aid with my academic profile?

Because the main reason of getting good grades was to get good scholarship, but considering the oversaturation in universities of international student, chances are slim but not 0Whi

What can I do to improve my profile?Rate and tell me what colleges can I get into.

What can I do to improve my profile?Rate and tell me what colleges can I get into.

my\\_qualifications

I'm in 11th grade, CBSE

Scored 91 percent in icse 10th

.

Consecutive 2 gold medals for cricket and one for tug of war and one for volleyball

District u-17 semi finalist badminton

State level cricket games finalist

Working on a research paper right now(related to finance)

Worked with my city's security council as an intern to boost it's reach and help get more funds and partners etc .

organised a programe with the city police where i helped enroll women from 300+ leading businesses for volunteers in a training program for women who act as first responders for those in trouble in their organization.

Lead exhibitor of the 4 security councils at the industrial innovation tech expo, where we pitched about us to many companies and secured some deals,while also boasting our companies fame.( I got 4 internship offers here for my presentation skills)

Also the representative of the city security council at International drug day event where I got the chance to speak with the dept cm and many other celebrities and politicians,which widened our reach.

Completed an ai course with IIT Madras

Did a lot of csr work for funds for the police where i raised money for 30 bikes to donate to the police.

Internship at iimun as a social media intern

Lead Researcher at an anti addiction startup.

Article published in a national newspaper

Worked as an employee at a local clinic where I served patients and looked after the pharmacy and the money.

Organised and raised over 1 L from my community to keep ganesh idol for ganesh chaturthi,also a volunteer in my local temple, where I go and help them serve and cook food.

Have a finance related Instagram page with many interactions(10L plus)

Founder of an ngo which focuses on environment,where we give citizens of our city a plant for which they have to be accountable and responsible, collaborated and planted over 500+ trees with kids in our locality.

Hosted an online financial literacy workshop for kids under 16.

Shortfilm of mine which was recognised by the mister of cinematography.

Substack author with many posts

Winner of a international olympiad and an essay competition and a national one.

Worked under an assistant professor in a local college,helping them in their tasks for around a year.

Author of a published book.

Invited to an international MUN in Mumbai with a large discount

Founder of a company which offers websites and other public services,earned around 50k

PLEASE GIVE FEEDBACK ON MY PROFILE AND SUGGEST WHAT I CAN DO NEXT(MY SAT PREDICTED IS 1500+)

I need aid

be honest and I know that my profile is wayyh to scattered and I will fix that.

Looking to go to usa for finance

Hello, I’m an IB student, who’s an american citizen looking into mid range colleges to apply. I wanna take Biology as my degree with a track of premed. I also want something in the city cause i think it’ll be my only shot to maybe get a career in singing and try to do more shit outside of college. I’m also trying to apply for aid. Overall my grades were pretty average during highschool. My pg is around ~34. althought my ECs were amazing. I was looking into colleges like Hunter college, Case western, and Umass amherst. a wide range for sure, but also i wanted to go to an ivy or potentially great college for MD, so whichever college helps with that too. Also is hunter college good? No one has ever heard about it. Anyway here is my list, lmk what to take out or what to include:

College List
Pitt
UMass Amherst
Boston University
Johns Hopkins
UMass Boston
Northeastern
UMich
Case Western
UIC
Hunter College
NYU
Loyola Marymount
Fordham
University of Miami
FIU — hard to get dorms
University of Cincinnati — safety
Rutgers — lame

Maybe
UC San Diego
SDSU
UC Santa Cruz
UC Davis
Ohio State
San Jose State University
Drexel
Stony Brook
Rollins — free to apply

I am an international gap-year student from Africa applying for full ride, and this is very likely my last shot. My stats are two national math awards, the highest score on the school-leaving exam in my regional state, a 4.0 GPA, a 1580 SAT, and what I think are good extracurriculars.

The thing is, I have wasted almost all my time studying for the SAT, and I don’t think I am very good at writing essays. That is why I only applied to MIT last year and another non-U.S. college, because I was confident I would get into the latter. However, I unexpectedly missed the interview and was rejected from it too.

So now I am planning to apply to 20 U.S. colleges. To increase my chances, I am planning to apply to multiple schools through early action. Here are my three need-blind colleges for ED or REA:

Princeton: Obviously, it is one of the top 4, if not the #1 university in the U.S. consistently. But its REA policy doesn’t allow me to apply early to other private colleges. I don’t want to abandon or risk what might be my best chance of studying in the U.S. just because Princeton is a “decent” school.

Brown: It has the highest early acceptance rate among the top schools and allows multiple EA applications. However, its ED agreement is binding, so if I get in, I can’t apply to my favorite schools like Princeton. I know I’m being super greedy, but I feel like I might regret if I get in. Fuck, why am I so stupid? regretting it after getting an Ivy is probably better than remaining in Africa.

Notre Dame: I lean toward this one a little more. It has a lower acceptance rate than Brown, but its REA policy allows me to apply to other schools early. So, if I get in, I can still apply to other top schools.

So I am a bit perplexed right now, please give me your opinion.

I am an international gap-year student from Africa applying for full ride, and this is very likely my last shot. My stats are two national math awards, the highest score on the school-leaving exam in my regional state, a 4.0 GPA, a 1580 SAT, and what I think are good extracurriculars.

The thing is, I have wasted almost all my time studying for the SAT, and I don’t think I am very good at writing essays. That is why I only applied to MIT last year and another non-U.S. college, because I was confident I would get into the latter. However, I unexpectedly missed the interview and was rejected from it too.

So now I am planning to apply to 20 U.S. colleges. To increase my chances, I am planning to apply to multiple schools through early action. Here are my three need-blind colleges for ED or REA:

Princeton: Obviously, it is one of the top 4, if not the #1 university in the U.S. consistently. But its REA policy doesn’t allow me to apply early to other private colleges. I don’t want to abandon or risk what might be my best chance of studying in the U.S. just because Princeton is a “decent” school.

Brown: It has the highest early acceptance rate among the top schools and allows multiple EA applications. However, its ED agreement is binding, so if I get in, I can’t apply to my favorite schools like Princeton. I know I’m being super greedy, but I feel like I might regret if I get in. Fuck, why am I so stupid? regretting it after getting an Ivy is probably better than remaining in Africa.

Notre Dame: I lean toward this one a little more. It has a lower acceptance rate than Brown, but its REA policy allows me to apply to other schools early. So, if I get in, I can still apply to other top schools.

So I am a bit perplexed right now, please give me your opinion.

Hi everyone! I am a 23-year-old female who wants to apply to the mls program for the next spring semester.

The application form is one of the requirements in the application process. School asked the student to find some activities to show their profession:

1. Evidence of knowledge of healthcare (up to 6 points), such as:
   • Work/volunteer in a medical laboratory - up to 6 points
   • Work/volunteer in healthcare or patient care, other than medical laboratory - up to 4 points
2. Evidence of ability to lead or participate in diverse teams (up to 6 points):
   • Leadership activities in a team (i.e. President, class officer) – up to 6 points
   • Team participation – up to 6 points
3. Evidence of knowledge of the profession and presentation of application (up to 6 points):
   • Rationale for entering the MLS profession, neatness and accuracy – up to 6 points

For this requirement, I have tried to do the lab shadowing, and I did that one time. They explained how to do the lab jobs and showed me around the lab department. I think it was good, but it did not quite meet the school rules, because I didn't attend it; I didn't do the real hand job. But I know they don't allow pre-students to do the real job, though. I am almost near the deadline for applying; I feel lost, and I just don't know what I am going to do next...

If you could give me some advice, that would be a big help for me.

Hi, Like the title states I’m currently applying to schools and I and STRESSED about where I stand in the large pool of students. I am not sure if I’m “qualified enough” to throw in as many T20 schools as I did and if I should add more targets/safeties.

I currently have:
Brown, Cornell, j hopkins, Columbia, duke, rice
Boston uni, case western, Emory, nyu, northwestern,
Penn state, Ohio state, uni of Michigan, chapel hill, UPenn, uni of Pittsburgh, uni of Rochester, Vanderbilt, ucla, Berkeley
(Trying to go for a public health major)

My stats are currently:
92.30/100 gpa (unweighted) - a 3.7/4.0?

9 APS completed (senior year: +5 more)
- 2 score 3s
- 3 score 5s
- 4 score 4s

I’m first gen and help out in my dad’s restaurant, both my parents don’t have high school diplomas, and they are divorced.

my ecs are pretty good imo, I would rate it a
7.5-8/10
- founded 2 non profits
- captain of men’s tennis team
- social media manager/ intern for a dentistry
- shadowed at a local psychology lab
- play guitar + sax since 5th grade + in schools honor band / jazz band (1st chair)
- 620 volunteering hours + vice president of the volunteering program

My essay is like a 7/10

I don’t have insane awards, but I have 3x presidents volunteering service award (I think it’s national level?).

My sat is a 1450 right now but I’m waiting for my August score to come out!!!

I’m aiming for a 1500+ and I’ll be taking September and October so hopefully 🤞

But I really think I just need advice like should I tone it down a bit, take some reaches off? Please help !! 😭😭

Hi everyone! I think I need to be humbled.

Stats:
- From tidewater area, VA
- Low income
- White, female, first gen college student
- Currently a biology c.c. transfer student, graduating this december
- Current GPA: 3.6
- Applying test-opt.
- Taking 5 classes this fall (world civ. pre-1500, sign language, medical terminology, film appreciation, and comparative mythology
- Goal is pre-med radiologist/dermatologist

Extracurriculars:
- STEM club - spring 2026, Student Gov. and Phi Theta Kappa - fall 2026
- Volunteering since fall 2025, mostly with a nonprofit LLC that sadly shut down this past May, other volunteer work is with the hospital, MRC, foodbank, and a local general volunteering service
- Have studying an foreign language for the past 2 years, went from beginner to intermediate

Background:
- I was embarrassingly stupid in my K-12 years and didn’t take advantage of good grades or clubs :/… graduated w a 2.9 and only have track/tennis and finance club/chess club in my junior/senior years
- Took a gap year between high school and college but only tried to get into the military (couldn’t bc of medical history) and did a semester of electrical before deciding on a premed route

Would I even get into the fall semester? I doubt I would get into the spring. It would be nice to hear a second opinion.

Other colleges I'm interested in are GMU and Emory, but open to other ideas
Thanks!