Students Stressed About College Applications

“Do y'all know which universities in the US or Canada I should apply to for a good biotech program prospect (lab experience, internship, etc.)? submitted by /u/Decent-Newt4293 [link] [comments]”

“Hey everyone, I’m currently in 10th grade and facing the classic stream-selection crossroads, and I'm honestly finding it really hard to choose. I could really use some perspective from seniors or professionals who have been through this. Here is a bit about where I stand academically: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology: I find these relatively easy and intuitive. Maths: It's a bit tough for me right now, but I know I can nail it and get good grades if I put in the extra effort and practice”

“Hi, I'm a grade 12 student, I'm currently taking all STEM classes (Chem, Bio, Physics, Vectors package), and I'm applying to psychology basically everywhere in the GTA... and from what I've seen none of the prerequisites require or even recommend physics. I'm going into psychology with the end goal of law school. My parents are really against me dropping it, saying they never know when I'll need it. I have a 92 in the course right now but it's GOING to go down a ton.”

“If you went to a top school or just know of anything related, feel free to share. submitted by /u/WhackyWhale1 [link] [comments]”

“Can someone let me know what undergrad and grad school applications look like for a career like PA, NP, CAA, or CRNA? I'm debating between community college chemistry or AP chemistry. I read online (yes AI obvi) that I should take community college chemistry because if I get a good grade it goes onto my undergraduate GPA and transcript when applying for grad school, but if I take AP it counts as a high school class and doesn't matter when applying for grad I'm a sophmore right now, a”

“Hey everyone! I’m a senior majoring in Biology-Chemistry, and I’m planning to apply to Chemistry PhD programs this fall. I’ve just been super busy with research and school, but I’m definitely planning to get started on my applications this month. I’ve already let my professors know that I’ll be needing letters of recommendation (LORs). Am I behind on the application process? Most of the programs I’m applying to have deadlines in December, so I’m wondering if I’m still on track or if I should be”

“Hi, so I'm a uk student in year 11 which i believe is the same as sophomore year for you guys over there. Anyways I just wanted to get some feedback on my EC's I'm part of my local towns youth council in don't know what the equivalent of this is over there but I'm young carers rep there and we campaign for change in our local area I'm deputy head boy at school and hea dof student voice for the school Ive volunteered for the past 2 years at my local leisure centre Ive been”

“I’m thinking of applying ED to Duke since its my dream school but idk if it would just be a waste of time bc its not like I’m a crazy applicant or anything. My stats: 3.83/4 uw gpa 4.45/5 w gpa my rank is <40% bc i go to a rlly competitive school Test optional unless my oct sat comes back 1500+ or i retest for RD 17 honors 3 APs 18 DE classes, 51 credits so far — Graduating with my Associates in Science in May. I’m cpr certified and getting me emt certification in the spring. I’m also on trac”

“Pretty much the title. I receive a lot of mail from Embry-Riddle, and they look like a great school. Just asking for public opinion and whether anyone has any experience. I saw a couple of posts saying that financial aid and safety are bad at the Florida Campus; is that true? submitted by /u/Mr_Mowgli_26 [link] [comments]”

“I'm just wondering which ones are good for chemistry. They can range from slightly selective to extremely selective, I'm considering the idea of going to a LAC, and I want to major in chem no matter what. submitted by /u/terracon_necrolord [link] [comments]”

“Hey everyone, I’m trying to decide between SL Biology and SL Sports Science and would lovesome advice. I’m strating grade 11 and planning to apply to highly selective USuniversities (Ivy/T20) with Economics as myintended major , while also actively pursuing athletic recruitment for my sport . My IB subjects are: HL Music HL English HL Economics HL Math (my school does SL in Grade 11 → HL in Grade 12) SL Spanish SL Biology or SL Sports Science Since I’ll have a pretty heavy training + competition”

“I'm trying to decide between Cornell and Duke to ED. Idk what type of engineering I wanna do yet but def on the ECE or mechanical side. I know Cornell is ranked much higher for engineering but both are amazing schools. I always hear people talking about how Cornell is too rigorous and has depressing environment but this actually true because I don't wanna be in a cutthroat environment. I don't mind the cold tho. Duke campus is so nice but their engineering school is much smaller, is”

“Tittle I just thinking about applying to Engineering here, so idk if even with ABET it's still good submitted by /u/QuailMiserable [link] [comments]”

“I'm currently in grade 12 and have been thinking about doing early application for universities in Canada. Throughout highschool my family and people around me have all told me to go into biochemistry- and I thought it was a good pick! Except I hate labs-- anything to do with dead animals make me sick and I DONT want to go to med school And now I have no idea what to do. I've taken chemistry and loved it, I'm alright with Bio, and I have not taken physics. I like math, and english, b”

As someone that just looked at sequencing when we were looking at curriculum, this is it. Freshman come into high school with no math skills and have trouble with complex concepts. They…

“18F looking into careers currently and chemistry has piqued my interest. I know there’s not much you can do with a bachelors though. What are the best options? submitted by /u/JoshHutchersishot12 [link] [comments]”

“Im doing it and am just wondering if I should put it down as someone who wants to major in biology submitted by /u/Which-Highway-9358 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone, I am in my senior year of high school and I have taken pretty rigorous math courses. I have also self studied AP Physics C Mech (5) and AP Physics 1 (5). I am thinking of self studying AP Physics C EM this year, as I meant to last year but didn't really manage my time all that well. I understood that most engineering majors have to taken a chemistry class, so I opted to take an AP Physics Chemistry course this year instead of the "Advanced Physics" class offered in my”

“nd I’m trying to figure out what fields I can go into with these subjects. I’d really appreciate it if the seniors could share some advice or let me know what degrees/career paths would suit these subjects. submitted by /u/Then-Candidate-7829 [link] [comments]”

“And I’m trying to figure out what fields I can go into with these subjects. I’d really appreciate it if the seniors could share some advice or let me know what degrees/career paths would suit these subjects. 🥹 submitted by /u/Then-Candidate-7829 [link] [comments]”

“So for most T20s you can list upto 3 intended majors. What are your 3? Mine are: Government, Philosophy & Statistics. submitted by /u/user2039381 [link] [comments]”

“hellooo so i have two quick questions & i would love any help! i was wondering if i retaking biochemistry would look bad. i took it during the summer of 2025 and i earned a C+. since it was during the summer and i was juggling a job & three other courses, i don’t think i truly understood biochemistry. i was hoping to retake it so i could better understand it for the MCAT as well as be able to put in 100% of my effort. i just don’t know if i should retake it because its not a c- or lower.”

“Hi, what's the peer group/student quality like for each of those three schools? Are they all pretty much the same specifically for math? Many olympiad kids go to select ones of those? submitted by /u/Financial-Draw3208 [link] [comments]”

“2x 1550 sat freshman year 1560 ss with 780/780 split wondering if I should retake now as a junior aiming for top physics schools submitted by /u/LawLiving4037 [link] [comments]”

“ai and health informatics biomedical informatics biotechnology biomedical engineering digital health bioengineering ai for biomedical and healthcare applications submitted by /u/iamfailingalevels [link] [comments]”

“currently in the process of picking schools, debating between EDing cornell CALS (lots of friends there, close to home) for bioE, but its 70k a year!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! lately, purdue has seemed pretty sexy (only 50k a year and possibly less w/ the possibility of merit aid, less friends but i know some people there, #1 for bioE), but im also worried about how I would get a job back home if im going to school in indiana. thoughts? submitted by /u/Upstairs-Basis-8877 [link] [comments]”

“I want to preface by saying that I originally signed up for AP chemistry because I wanted to prepare for college. I'm planning on doing a biology, pharmacy, or biochemistry, major (AKA science) and so I thought taking AP Chem would prepare me for Chem 101 courses and of course, it increases my academic rigor for college apps. My dilemma is that even after doing summer homework and having taken a regular chemistry course in my sophomore year of high school, I'm still not prepared for AP c”

“I’ve finally decided that I want neuroscience to be my major in college. I’m currently taking APES and I realize that taking a physics class would look better and set me up for greater success than environmental science. However, if I switch I won’t be able to take human anatomy and physiology second semester. Would dropping from 3 aps and an honors class to 2 aps and 2 honors (honors physics now included) look bad? If so, would taking a dual enrollment human anatomy class if possible and self s”

“Hi, I'm (17F) really into science (bio relatively more, but STEM nonetheless) have no idea what course to take up for my further education. It'd be nice to know what the STEM scene is like right now to figure that out. So to all the STEM workers, what are you doing right now? What did you do to get here? Is it something viable for a fresher like me? I don't mind going abroad to learn or to get a job, I just want to be stable first, and then look about increasing my salary. Any advice”

“Hello, I’m planning on taking physics 1 over the summer so that I can take physics 2 the fall during my junior year before I take the mcat. Usually my degree has us take physics our junior year. However, will me taking physics at a cc negatively impact my med school admission chances? I’m planning on taking it in person but if that’s not possible I would probably have to take it online. I’m not sure if the school would report it as being online. Could that as well hurt my application? Lastly, I’”

“i want to major in either molecular cellular biology or biochem. my top choice rn is ucsd which other schools should i apply to? submitted by /u/Little_Wish_4402 [link] [comments]”

“Which schools seem to have the happiest students, lighter atmospheres, or just generally seem like they’re laid back? submitted by /u/Aech_sh [link] [comments]”

“I’m applying as an EE major but i was wondering if i should take a ap chem or take my fourth year of chinese; it would be ap chinese. submitted by /u/SingleSweet2703 [link] [comments]”

“Hi, I’m a high school sophomore who often lurks around this sub, and I’ve been really curious about this question since a lot of students here think it's HYPSM or nothing. What are the actual short-term and long-term differences between attending a HYPSM school (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT) versus other Ivy+ schools such as Penn, Columbia, Duke, Northwestern, etc.? Obviously, I understand that the individual student matters much more than the school in many cases. I’m just wonder”

“Hey,I'm Hannah and I'm an international student who will do IB. I wanna study biochemistry and my dream schools are Harvard and Yale. I have no idea what I can do that is related to my major like a project (I have some stuff that aren't related to my major and wanna add stuff that are). I would love some advice,thanks for listening! submitted by /u/DinoRing175c [link] [comments]”

“hey yall i’m a junior right now but allot of my ecs are split between finance/business and engineering. i’m wondering how this will come across in college apps, as i still don’t know what i want to do and almost all my awards are business/finance related? was thinking about industrial engineering as i heard it also places in investment banking submitted by /u/aqualzfr [link] [comments]”

“hii, as a person aiming for T10 i'm wondering whether or not to drop a certain class (neuroscience) for a study hall. here's my current schedule: ap bio, ap lit, ap spanish, ap physics c, ap econ, differential equations (online course, basically a study hall), neuroscience honors i just dont rlly know how much having that extra class will affect/help me. thanks!! submitted by /u/TreacleDefiant1761 [link] [comments]”

“I’m a rising senior trying to decide between two schools for ED. I really like both because they have strong campus life, vibrant social scenes, and solid engineering programs. I’m planning to study electrical or mech engineering, although I’m not completely sure which one yet. For those familiar with both schools, which would you choose specifically for engineering ? I’d especially appreciate insight into the strength of the EE/ME programs, hands-on opportunities, research, recruiting, and over”

“Our School Offers a class where for 1 school year they fit both Physics-Cs. I was wondering if I was applying STEM would not takes these courses weaken my application even if I'm taking as hard STEM Courses: BC, Bio, Chem. submitted by /u/Spiritual_Poem4172 [link] [comments]”

“Hiii senior in high school heavily considering applying to UVA oos!! Does anyone have any tips for applying to UVA oos / advice for me?? I am also stressed because I am not taking a science class as a senior and UVA says they like 4 years of the core classes in high school, but I want nothing to do with science as my major, and I already took chem, bio, and APES. Is that enough? Also feel free to say any pros/cons of UVA as well, everything helps!! submitted by /u/Fearless-Plane-2335”

“My daughter's school is not offering Physics this year, and she's a senior. She is planning on majoring in Aerospace Engineering and was definitely planning on taking it this year. Her schedule is also somewhat impacted in availability because they have only six periods, and she has to use one of them to drive to another school to take Calc BC and fit her other AP classes wherever they are offered. She could take another science, but it wouldn't be something super rigorous, just what”

“Hey guys, I’m planning on taking Physics I online, including both lecture and lab, and I’m wondering if this could hurt me when applying to med school. I don't really have the option of taking lecture online and lab in person i literally would've done that, but I do plan on taking physics II in person. Would taking this prerequisite online make me less competitive or limit the schools I can apply to? Or do schools care more about things like GPA and MCAT score and etc? Also, when applyin”

“any tips for supplementals/essays for duke ED? submitted by /u/happybirthday2_ [link] [comments]”

“Hello, I am a Junior this year and the school year has already started. I am currently in AP Chem, where 90% of students get a B and it is likely I will too. I'd rather this not happen, and since I intend to apply Econ, this class wouldn't do too much for me. I was wondering if it is a good idea to do AP Physics 1 instead where probably 75% of students get an A (I did Calculus AB last year and am doing BC this year). Since I would still want to have Chem on my transcript, I'd do it o”

“I’m a current senior wondering how selective colleges would look at my science progression as an engineering applicant. My current track: 9th: Honors Bio 10th: Honors Chem 11th: AP Physics 1 (got a 5 here) 12th: AP Physics C But my school offers this as the most rigorous track: 9th: Honors Chem 10th: AP Bio 11th: AP Chem 12th: AP Physics C Freshman year, my counselor recommended Honors Bio. I didn’t understand at first how my school’s course sequencing worked or how much it would matter for coll”

“I genuinely dont understand why anyone is even applying to CalTech in 2026? First of all its so hard to get in but even if you apply and by some miracle get in, the education for undergrad is not even that good i think. They only care about grad students and research anyway. why would anyone pay all that money just to get taught by a depresed phd dude who only wants to do his research project and whatever And if you want a technology institute why not just go to MIT or Georgia tech? If you can g”

“I have taken honors chem, honors bio, and APES, but did not sign up for physics my senior year because I am a dummy. I will be able to take it as a DE course this spring, but have I screwed myself over for college apps? (For ref, my only other science I'm taking this year is honors robotics). How much will AOs weigh this against me? submitted by /u/Jaihanusthegreat [link] [comments]”

“Hey guys, do you all have an idea how much a C+ in sophmore or freshman year affects acceptance for t20s like MIT? for reference the C+ was not in a course but in a CBE - u take it to skip the course. I took it in freshman summer, but its listed on sophmore yr. Is it worth asking to switch to freshman or does it make no difference in admissions? Thank you for yall's time. submitted by /u/PreparationEast3973 [link] [comments]”

“I’m a senior looking at colleges but I don’t know what I want to major in. I love math and physics and find everything to do with space interesting. So Astrophysics? But my parents worry that won’t lead to a paying job and they want me to consider some type of engineering. Anyone studying either of these fields that could give me some direction? submitted by /u/Specific_Design_1740 [link] [comments]”

“Hello I’m a H4 student who is basically an international student who went to a 4 year us high school—any tips? submitted by /u/Ok_Web2292 [link] [comments]”

“I’m not sure whether to drop physics and focus on these classes or take them all for my senior year. I’m most definitely taking biology, calc, and chemistry, and I love physics so much, but a lot of people keep telling me that it’ll be way too hard and that I shouldn’t push myself for my senior year. I love these subjects though, and some people say this is an average college freshman schedule, so I’m not entirely sure what I should do. submitted by /u/imsodone4050 [link] [comm”

“Hey everybody, hope everyone is good. I will be taking a gap year and my school does not offer a counselor for guidance, so how can I get. I'm international student. submitted by /u/logicsweb [link] [comments]”

“hi, I’m a rising junior and I want to at least make a small list of schools I want to apply to. I’m thinking of majoring in biology or animal science. submitted by /u/Admirable-Finger-581 [link] [comments]”

“hello guys!!! i am currently deciding whether i want to ED to pitzer or wesleyan. i would major in human bio at pitzer or regular bio at wesleyan (cause they don’t have human bio). i want to be pre med / go to med school after undergrad. i am not hippie but i am also not preppy, but i definitely prefer to be around hippie people rather than preppy people. i dont play sports. i am not religious. i am liberal/leftist. i’m not big on partying. i prefer warmer weather, so pitzer gets the point on th”

“I took my daughter to look at it. She’s a fantastic student. Ranked top few in her class in an affluent district, APs, good ECs, etc. She said she liked UofR a lot, but almost immediately dismissed it as too much of a reach. Is it really that competitive? She won’t SAT prep or interview, so is it even worthwhile applying if she’s not that engaged in the process with them? [link] [comments]”

“If you were to take Ochem, Physics and Bio for two semesters, would this be looked upon more favorably than putting off physics until the following year instead? There’s no lab for Bio or Ochem in the first semester, but I’d be taking 3 labs in the spring. Also curious if this could be weighed differently for an applicant from a state school vs especially rigorous schools. submitted by /u/Choice-Shoulder-8582 [link] [comments]”

“Are there any Duke alum or anyone on this that has tips for my Duke application it’s my top choice and dream school I’m early decsioning there I rlly just wanna get in pls submitted by /u/Free_Difference137 [link] [comments]”

“I’m going to either be a chem eng or bme major, with the end goal of working in pharmaceutics r&d, though I’m flexible about that now. Safeties: Ohio state (in-state), UDelaware, UMN Twin Cities Targets: URochester, Purdue, Northeastern, Case Western Reaches: UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, UChicago, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon, Duke, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Brown submitted by /u/Donatella_Ariella [link] [comments]”

“Hey, I’m just gonna put my stats and the list of schools I’m applying to. Any feedback would be awesome! -Interest in Engineering. Likely Mechanical or electrical. Interested in robotics. -PA Resident -3.88 uw GPA -1420 SAT -4 APs: Calc AB/Com Sci Principles Junior year, Calc BC/Com Sci A -Leadership: Head Referee Flag Football -My ECs are pretty weak besides a job and a lot of volunteering Safety: Pitt, Drexel Target: NC State, Penn State, Texas A&M Reach: Purdue, UIUC, Villanova, Georgia T”