Need some help as a Junior in HS...

[amd123]

I took my SAT I test for the 1st time in March and I got a 1790. I've been studying and the highest I've gotten so far is 1890 with a 700 in writing, low 600s in reading and math. What are some good books I can study from? I've been using Kaplan's SAT Program along with Princeton Review's book and a packet I've gotten from an SAT Workshop.

I want to try the ACT, but will I need to learn a new set of skills/tricks for it or will the same techniques I use for math/reading/writing work on the ACT?

My GPA in HS is a flat 90 and I don't know what this is converted to the 4.0 scale.

What are my chances for getting into schools like:
Penn State (University Park)
University of Pittsburg (Main Campus)
Gettysburg College
American University
Johns Hopkins

Should I be looking at state universities or private ones?
What are some other colleges I should look at?
What are my chances for scholarships/financial aid? My parents are immigrants and have a low income and I've 4 other siblings who will go to college each after 3-4 years.

I see that many colleges offer majors in Biology/Biochemistry/Chemistry/Pre-Med. What's the difference? Which is the best to major in?

Lastly, for my last year of High School I'm taking:
Calculus I
AP Biology
AP Psychology
Organic Chemistry
AP Spanish V

Should I take Calc I or Probability and Statistics?
Should I take both AP Bio and Organic Chem, or AP Bio and AP Chem, or AP Chem and Organic Chem, or just one of those three??? Which is going to best prepare me for college?

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[amd123]

anyone?

 

[Gallix23]

I took my SAT I test for the 1st time in March and I got a 1790. I've been studying and the highest I've gotten so far is 1890 with a 700 in writing, low 600s in reading and math. What are some good books I can study from? I've been using Kaplan's SAT Program along with Princeton Review's book and a packet I've gotten from an SAT Workshop.

I want to try the ACT, but will I need to learn a new set of skills/tricks for it or will the same techniques I use for math/reading/writing work on the ACT?

My GPA in HS is a flat 90 and I don't know what this is converted to the 4.0 scale.

What are my chances for getting into schools like:
Penn State (University Park)
University of Pittsburg (Main Campus)
Gettysburg College
American University
Johns Hopkins

Should I be looking at state universities or private ones?
What are some other colleges I should look at?
What are my chances for scholarships/financial aid? My parents are immigrants and have a low income and I've 4 other siblings who will go to college each after 3-4 years.

I see that many colleges offer majors in Biology/Biochemistry/Chemistry/Pre-Med. What's the difference? Which is the best to major in?

Lastly, for my last year of High School I'm taking:
Calculus I
AP Biology
AP Psychology
Organic Chemistry
AP Spanish V

Should I take Calc I or Probability and Statistics?
Should I take both AP Bio and Organic Chem, or AP Bio and AP Chem, or AP Chem and Organic Chem, or just one of those three??? Which is going to best prepare me for college?

It's hard to tell without knowing your GPA on a 4.0, but I'm assuming 90 is high?

Go to www.collegeboard.com make an account; it will be your best friend. Just type a college in there, and it'll tell you everything including the grades and scores you need to get in. From the looks of your SATs, you're well on your way to getting into some good schools and getting good money.

You can major in anything you'd like, it doesn't even have to be science. As long as you take the medical school pre-req classes and the MCAT, you're all set as far as those things go. However, if you are a major outside of science, you will need to make time for the pre-reqs since they won't be included in your major like they would be in a science major.

Take Calc 1, it looks better, and it'll help you more. As for the sciences, I'd saying having a background in Oganic chem can't hurt, as most people find that class challenging from what I've heard. Don't overwhelm yourself with APs, it's better to do better with one or two than take four and struggle.

 

[Terpskins99]

My GPA in HS is a flat 90 and I don't know what this is converted to the 4.0 scale.

What are my chances for getting into schools like:
Penn State (University Park)
University of Pittsburgh (Main Campus)
Gettysburg College
American University
Johns Hopkins

Should I be looking at state universities or private ones?
What are some other colleges I should look at?
What are my chances for scholarships/financial aid? My parents are immigrants and have a low income and I've 4 other siblings who will go to college each after 3-4 years.

I see that many colleges offer majors in Biology/Biochemistry/Chemistry/Pre-Med. What's the difference? Which is the best to major in?

Should I take Calc I or Probability and Statistics?
Should I take both AP Bio and Organic Chem, or AP Bio and AP Chem, or AP Chem and Organic Chem, or just one of those three??? Which is going to best prepare me for college?

If your GPA is 90 out of 100, then that should translate into roughly a 3.5-3.7 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale. Thats pretty good.

If you can reach that new target score on the SAT, I think that would help tremendously. Its very difficult to improve upon reading comprehension in a short period, but I am convinced that anyone can score at least a 700 on Math with enough practice. Keep drilling with lots of timed SAT math questions and I'm sure you'll reach your goal.

I'm assuming you're a PA resident? Hopkins is going to be a reach as it is a very competitive school I consider just shy of Ivy League caliber. Its equivalent to Cal/UC Berkeley or Georgetown. Penn State and Pitt are definitely more realistic. I've been around Pitt campus, and it is awesome. Its a little annoying having so much local traffic going through the middle of the school though. It reminds me of Boston University in that way. But I think you'd have a wonderful time there. Pitt is a terrific college town.

My cousin went to Penn State, and he loves it there. Personally, I like being in/around big cities so I would prefer Pitt.

I consider American U to be just underneath Pitt/Penn State. It is located in a VERY expensive suburb of DC, so cost of living is going to be high. Students I've met at American U seem to be happy with the school though. And Washington DC is absolutely a lot of fun to be in as a student. Tremendous extracurricular activity potential.

Have you considered applying to Franklin and Marshall College? I almost went there. Definitely one of the most underrated liberal arts schools in the country. Their graduates do very well and have among the highest satisfaction rates of any other college in the country. I think you would be able to get into here as well, if you're looking at Penn State or Pitt.

 

[amd123]

Actually my SEMESTER gpa is like 90 or a 92 but I just checked my OVERALL gpa is I have a 86.88907 (unweighted GPA) and 88.576 (weighted) and my rank is 131 out of 432. Wow I guess im gonna have to take some easy level classes and boost it T_T.

Another thing I come from a background where both of my parents are foreign high school dropouts out of 10th? grade. I have 4 other siblings going to college (ages 2,8,11,14) the older 3 will all be going to college 3 years after the each other. So cost of tuition is A BIG factor and pursuing a medical degree is not helping. On a serious note would you guys recommend me even considering a medical degree or would you guys recommend some business major? Also I'll be in college before i turn 18 and i was wondering is it possible for me to take out loans without my parents' signing due to my parent's horrible credit. Or would you guys recommend going to a community college first and then transferring?

 

[Gallix23]

Actually my SEMESTER gpa is like 90 or a 92 but I just checked my OVERALL gpa is I have a 86.88907 (unweighted GPA) and 88.576 (weighted) and my rank is 131 out of 432. Wow I guess im gonna have to take some easy level classes and boost it T_T.

Another thing I come from a background where both of my parents are foreign high school dropouts out of 10th? grade. I have 4 other siblings going to college (ages 2,8,11,14) the older 3 will all be going to college 3 years after the each other. So cost of tuition is A BIG factor and pursuing a medical degree is not helping. On a serious note would you guys recommend me even considering a medical degree or would you guys recommend some business major? Also I'll be in college before i turn 18 and i was wondering is it possible for me to take out loans without my parents' signing due to my parent's horrible credit. Or would you guys recommend going to a community college first and then transferring?

Don't worry or stress; I just committed to Northeastern U which is pretty expensive, and I'm just gonna take it as it comes. There is always financial aid and scholarships available while you're in school to make it affordable.

The loan thing is something that you'd have to talk to a financial advisor about, or maybe your guidance counselor, so I'm not really sure. However, since you have 3 older siblings in college/went to college, your family's EFC (Expected Family Contribution) when you fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) should be pretty low, which will make you very likely to get a good amount of Financial Aid.

I would say do the CC route only if it is your only option. Don't stress about these things now though; you have one more quarter to keep doing well and another year to kick ass in. If you do this, you're even more likely to not even need to worry about money when it comes time to apply for schools and things.

 

[amd123]

Don't worry or stress; I just committed to Northeastern U which is pretty expensive, and I'm just gonna take it as it comes. There is always financial aid and scholarships available while you're in school to make it affordable.

The loan thing is something that you'd have to talk to a financial advisor about, or maybe your guidance counselor, so I'm not really sure. However, since you have 3 older siblings in college/went to college, your family's EFC (Expected Family Contribution) when you fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) should be pretty low, which will make you very likely to get a good amount of Financial Aid.

I would say do the CC route only if it is your only option. Don't stress about these things now though; you have one more quarter to keep doing well and another year to kick ass in. If you do this, you're even more likely to not even need to worry about money when it comes time to apply for schools and things.

No, I meant I'm the oldest and I have 4 younger siblings.

 

[Gallix23]

No, I meant I'm the oldest and I have 4 younger siblings.

Ohh, sorry read that wrong. It's still ok; the financial forms require you to fill out that information, and they'll see that eventually your parents will be swamped with your siblings going to school as well and you'll get money.

 

[Terpskins99]

So cost of tuition is A BIG factor and pursuing a medical degree is not helping. On a serious note would you guys recommend me even considering a medical degree or would you guys recommend some business major? Also I'll be in college before i turn 18 and i was wondering is it possible for me to take out loans without my parents' signing due to my parent's horrible credit. Or would you guys recommend going to a community college first and then transferring?

If cost of tuition is an issue, then in-state public school is a no-brainer. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Go to Pitt ($13,642/yr) or Penn State ($13,706/yr). Can't go wrong either way! I imagine that University Park would be considerably cheaper to live compared to Pittsburgh though. There are grants and scholarships out there, unfortunately I know almost nothing about them. You'll have to keep looking into them.

I think going to a local community college for 1 semester-1 year would be a decent option. Way back in the '90s when I went to college I knew of several people that did this before transferring to a bigger school. They did this more because they couldn't get in the first time, but it makes sense from a financial point of view (especially if you have difficulty landing scholarships). Its a little bit of a gamble, but I'm sure you'd do fine. I can see it being a good experience to have the extra-pressure to do well early.

As for whether or not to pursue medicine... that is entirely up to you. My PERSONAL opinion: don't let money dictate what you decide to do with your career. You can't put a $$$ on happiness. If you feel that medicine is your calling, then it behooves you to put yourself in a position to make that happen.

Regardless of what direction you decide to go, my best advice is make sure to excel at it. It sounds obvious, but lets say you choose business now. No offense to the business major-guys, but a lot of those students simply won't have the same drive to push to be at the top of the class compared to pre-meds. Don't fall into that trap. Don't just be satisfied with getting by. Ace every class you can, and at least leave yourself that option to possibly go back to being pre-med at some future date. If you don't end up being a doctor... then hey, you'll finish that business degree at the top of your class and eventually get an MBA from Harvard.

 

[amd123]

ugh, guys what are some good ways to find out what a real day in the medical field is like? I personally know NO DOCTORS in my family/friends. I do know they have long hours + on call + HUGE DEBT + lack of social lives + lack of hobby time/free time + and tons of stress. Now I'm seriously doubting it and I've been told Dentistry is a good alternative job in the medical field. What are your opinions on this?

 

[EyEnStein 07]

With your 1790, given that you have great essays, rec's and EC's....you should be able to get into American and Upark (idk much about Gettys)

With your practice test score, you can pretty much secure Upark and American.

Pit you probably will be safe with high 1900's , low 2000's.

Hopkins...no way to be safe...best chances if you have over like 2100.

 

[Gallix23]

ugh, guys what are some good ways to find out what a real day in the medical field is like? I personally know NO DOCTORS in my family/friends. I do know they have long hours + on call + HUGE DEBT + lack of social lives + lack of hobby time/free time + and tons of stress. Now I'm seriously doubting it and I've been told Dentistry is a good alternative job in the medical field. What are your opinions on this?

Although that holds true for some docs, that is a very common misconception. For example, my mom is a nurse, and the doctor she works with probably rakes in over 300 grand a year, has 13 weeks vacation a year, has a family with two little kids, and works 9-4:30. He is in a "ROADS" specialty (interventional radiology) but he has a pretty sweet gig if you ask me.

As for shadowing, just call a local hospital and tell them that you'd like to shadow and are interested in the field. You may need to tell them what branch of medicine you'd like to shadow, and they'll hook you up.

Dentistry is just as costly for the most part, and the salaries are good but Dentists don't put up the numbers that physicians do salary wise. Granted, they work whatever hours they want and have pretty nice lives.

 

[amd123]

you serious hospitals allow shadowing? I thought they wouldnt let non med students do any kind of shadowing/residency i mean they'd be taking on a liability and risking patient confidentiality?

 

[Terpskins99]

ugh, guys what are some good ways to find out what a real day in the medical field is like? I personally know NO DOCTORS in my family/friends. I do know they have long hours + on call + HUGE DEBT + lack of social lives + lack of hobby time/free time + and tons of stress. Now I'm seriously doubting it and I've been told Dentistry is a good alternative job in the medical field. What are your opinions on this?

I agree with Gallix23. Look into shadowing a doctor. Or volunteer at a hospital as a candystriper (hopefully its a teaching hospital with medical students/residents to bounce questions off of).

As someone that just finished medical school, I can tell you that yes it is stressful, and yes it does take up time. But you absolutely can still have a life outside of medicine. You can totally have a hobby (shucks, why do you think I'm on SDN all the time), most med students/residents still have their favorite TV show they keep up with. And there are many options to dealing with your debt. Every medical school's financial aid office works closely with their students to manage school loans and such.

I think going into dental school as a fall-back option to medical school is an unwise decision. One of my best friends in LA did that, and he regrets it. Every time I call him, he is always bringing up how he should have been a physician. I have another friend who is a clinical pharmacist and he tells me more or less the same thing. Bottom line, don't pursue dentistry or any other profession unless you want it and know that you'll be happy doing it.

 

[Terpskins99]

you serious hospitals allow shadowing? I thought they wouldnt let non med students do any kind of shadowing/residency i mean they'd be taking on a liability and risking patient confidentiality?

Dude... I have been at hospitals that allow shadowing high school students into the operating room and watch surgery live. Seen it first hand.

 

[amd123]

you have NO IDEA, how helpful your advice has been, will call tomorrow asking for shadowing. Now is it best to shadow a general family doctor (the guy who diagnoses my flu, etc) or a doctor at a hospital. I'm interested in brain surgery and anesthesiology (for the money).

 

[Gallix23]

you have NO IDEA, how helpful your advice has been, will call tomorrow asking for shadowing. Now is it best to shadow a general family doctor (the guy who diagnoses my flu, etc) or a doctor at a hospital. I'm interested in brain surgery and anesthesiology (for the money).

Then by all means, shadow a surgeon. Just be warned that it's unknown how you'll cope with the sights of an actual surgery (unless it's like laproscopic or something), so if you are in a procedure and feel faint, don't hesitate to tell someone and leave the room. Shadowing a General Doctor may be a little boring just for the fact that you've BEEN to one before, so you pretty much have a good gist of what they do.

 

[Terpskins99]

you have NO IDEA, how helpful your advice has been, will call tomorrow asking for shadowing. Now is it best to shadow a general family doctor (the guy who diagnoses my flu, etc) or a doctor at a hospital. I'm interested in brain surgery and anesthesiology (for the money).

Well, keep in mind that every doctor is different in terms of what they'll let you see and do. Some hospitals could definitely have a policy of not allowing non-medical personnel to be around patients during history-taking/physical exams/tests... etc. But like I hinted earlier, a teaching hospital is much more likely to give you the opportunity to see more stuff. Just be polite and patient, and be happy with whatever you can see.

If you can shadow a surgeon, that would be awesome. But they're among the busiest folks in the hospital, and a lot of them may turn you down. I think an internal medicine sub-specialist is a good choice (e.g. cardiologist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist... etc).

Shadowing an anesthesiologist would be a fun experience because they see every surgical procedure. Just a recommendation, but I wouldn't bring up money/salary as a reason for being interested in their specialty. Doesn't sound good.

 

[candice351]

I totally agree.
I've wanted to be a doctor since i was 7, im 16 now and this summer i made the thought of financial aid overwhelm me. I told my mom i didnt want to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor and she figured me out on the spot.
She told me that i cant let financial problems kill my dream of 9 years, its just not worth it.
The thing is my family is well off but not to the point where they can pay for 4 years of med school and because they make that amount of money its harder to get scholarships and grants that are going to look at financial stability.
Some way or another things will work out.
You just have to live with it and move and take every opportunity you get.
Theres a scholarship or grant, apply, the worst that can happen is you dont get it.
The last thing you try will always give you a yes.

 

[candice351]

you serious hospitals allow shadowing? I thought they wouldnt let non med students do any kind of shadowing/residency i mean they'd be taking on a liability and risking patient confidentiality?

I see where you're going with that.
But I've volunteered at a hospital for a year now.
12 hours a week.
I interact with patients. I use the computer to check for patient information. You're on the floors and you overhear things.
But the opportunity is there, you just have to ask.
I'm actually going to talk to my volunteer coordinator to find out if she can help with a shadowing opportunity.
Volunteer- it's fun and you get a myriad of opportunities.