Hey all,

I'm applying and I'm still having some trouble picking long-shot and safety schools, so I'm going to put most of my stats up and ask people to throw out some schools:

-NY resident
-Undergrad: SUNY Stony Brook
-GPA: 3.87
-BCMP: ~3.8+ (I haven't factored in this semester, which is 15 credits of A)
-Lots of work experience (catering and personal training)
-3 semesters TA'ing for a 300-level anatomy course
-TA'ing for Orgo lab (next semester)
-Summer shadowing program at a local hospital (last year)
-Clinical research intern @ North Shore University Hospital (this summer)
-MCAT: 34R (11/10/13) - fire alarm incident during verbal reasoning resulting in time lost; I have a written explanation from the AAMC.

I have applied to:
Albany
Buffalo
Albert Einstein
Mount Sinai
New York Medical College
NYU
SUNY Downstate
Stony Brook
SUNY Upstate
University of Rochester
Cornell

edit: updated MCAT score and schools

Hey I go to stony too. Does local hospital shadowing mean at Stony Brook Hospital? If so, how did you like it and what did you do?

Hey I go to stony too. Does local hospital shadowing mean at Stony Brook Hospital? If so, how did you like it and what did you do?

Nope, it was actually a sort of summer internship program at NSLIJ Franklin Hospital. We rotated through all of the departments and got lectures from physicians.

Stony has good opportunities though, I just haven't taken advantage of any.

Id focus on your mcat

study study study

but see if you can get a little more medical experience under your belt - all looks great though

bump - whatchya think?

Seems like you really do not want to leave New York. I would add some more schools from other states (Penn State, Maryland, UMDNJ, BostonU, etc.) Just my opinion.

Seems like you really do not want to leave New York. I would add some more schools from other states (Penn State, Maryland, UMDNJ, BostonU, etc.) Just my opinion.

I really don't :laugh:

Of course, I will if I have to. I'll probably apply to Drexel and Penn State, maybe BU as well. Ideally I'll get into Stony Brook - how can you go wrong with that tuition? I'm not looking to pay out of state at all.

Also, California is an option - my pops lives in the San Jose area so I would have support out there.

I'm also looking for opinions on my NY choices (basically all buy Columbia) - enough safeties? Too many long shots?

I really don't :laugh:

Of course, I will if I have to. I'll probably apply to Drexel and Penn State, maybe BU as well. Ideally I'll get into Stony Brook - how can you go wrong with that tuition? I'm not looking to pay out of state at all.

Also, California is an option - my pops lives in the San Jose area so I would have support out there.

I'm also looking for opinions on my NY choices (basically all buy Columbia) - enough safeties? Too many long shots?

You may not have enough clinical experience for some schools. I cannot say for sure how much each school requires so I may be incorrectly making this assertion. You've applied to almost every school in NY so I think you have all of your bases covered. There is not much else you can do besides apply to out of states schools. Your GPA/MCAT scores are competitive . . . everywhere . . . so there is nothing for you to worry about in that regard.

Honestly with your GPA and scores you'll be fine. You EC's are average but adequate for your numbers. I think you'll get in just fine at one of the NY schools. But if your intent on staying in NY and you want a real safety school, you should apply to Touro in NYC. Everyone shies away from DO schools, but seriously, DO's can do everything an MD does. Some surgical specialties have institutional bias, but medical specialties are fine with DO's.

You may not have enough clinical experience for some schools. I cannot say for sure how much each school requires so I may be incorrectly making this assertion. You've applied to almost every school in NY so I think you have all of your bases covered. There is not much else you can do besides apply to out of states schools. Your GPA/MCAT scores are competitive . . . everywhere . . . so there is nothing for you to worry about in that regard.
Thanks.

I agree; the only thing I can say in my defense is that the program I did last year was very intensive (and competitive) and I feel it was more than enough to help someone decide whether or not a career in medicine is right.

If I have the time, I'll be volunteering at Stony Brook this semester, possibly continuing to help with the research at North Shore, and plan to return to help them in the winter if they'll have me again. If I can make it to the interview stage, I think schools will be able to see that I have or am getting adequate experience.

I'll probably just hit up a few east coast schools. You can just re-submit AMCAS with the new schools and it won't screw anything up, right?

Honestly with your GPA and scores you'll be fine. You EC's are average but adequate for your numbers. I think you'll get in just fine at one of the NY schools. But if your intent on staying in NY and you want a real safety school, you should apply to Touro in NYC. Everyone shies away from DO schools, but seriously, DO's can do everything an MD does. Some surgical specialties have institutional bias, but medical specialties are fine with DO's.

I'm not afraid of D.O. at all - in fact I originally wanted to go D.O. after learning about the philosophy and history of the degree. I have a partially-completed AACOMAS application but have been to lazy to finish and submit (and I wanted to get my MCAT results before submitting).

Thanks a lot guys, more input would be awesome :thumbup:

Final (?) School List:
Albany
Buffalo
Albert Einstein
Mount Sinai
New York Medical College
NYU
SUNY Downstate
Stony Brook
SUNY Upstate
University of Rochester
Cornell
Tufts
Temple
UNC
UConn.

Stats are in first post... Is there a decent balance here or am I applying to too many reaches? :confused:

Good luck to everyone else filling out secondaries right now :luck:

I think that's a pretty good list given your stats. You might throw in Jefferson and Drexel.

Your numbers and experiences are all solid. I'm assuming you're a normal person, so interviews should be no problem. Unless there's some unforeseen problem, you should have no problem getting into most of the schools on the list.

I think that's a pretty good list given your stats. You might throw in Jefferson and Drexel.
Agreed. Philly is a decent city with some great schools. Temple is in a pretty piss poor neighborhood, if that bothers you. The campus itself is safe, but the surrounding area is not.

Congrats on your great stats and good luck. :)

If you're going to apply in Philly, I'd add Jefferson as well. My postbacc adviser is very enthusiastic about the three mid-tier Philly schools (Drexel, Temple and Jefferson), and they should be pretty safe for you. And if you want a "reach" in Philly, you could add Penn as well.

I noticed you haven't applied to the 2 NJ schools--why not? Pretty close to home, and your stats look great for them.

I'd forget UConn, though. They hardly ever admit OOS students, so you'd be wasting your time.

Good luck.

Your numbers and experiences are all solid. I'm assuming you're a normal person, so interviews should be no problem. Unless there's some unforeseen problem, you should have no problem getting into most of the schools on the list.

Pretty normal :D

Agreed. Philly is a decent city with some great schools. Temple is in a pretty piss poor neighborhood, if that bothers you. The campus itself is safe, but the surrounding area is not.

Congrats on your great stats and good luck. :)

Nope, I could care less about the neighborhood. Temple looks like a great school, it was very attractive to me.

If you're going to apply in Philly, I'd add Jefferson as well. My postbacc adviser is very enthusiastic about the three mid-tier Philly schools (Drexel, Temple and Jefferson), and they should be pretty safe for you. And if you want a "reach" in Philly, you could add Penn as well.

I noticed you haven't applied to the 2 NJ schools--why not? Pretty close to home, and your stats look great for them.

I'd forget UConn, though. They hardly ever admit OOS students, so you'd be wasting your time.

Good luck.
I don't know why I didn't apply to Drexel; just wasn't very interested in the NJ schools and don't really see myself going there. I know my chances are good, but I feel like I should be able to get into at least a couple of the above schools.

I probably should have done Drexel and maybe a CA school (my dad lives out there). I applied to Boston and UConn but will most likely not complete their secondaries (Boston for personal reasons and UConn because everyone has been discouraging me). That leaves me with 14 schools; just have to complete the secondaries for Tufts and UNC.

Hello all,

I've gotten my first two interviews (Rochester & AECOM). I have a question and I'd be really grateful if someone who stumbles upon it would answer it tonight (I'd like to send an email out).

I think this is a fairly common question, and I've seen it before, but I'm having trouble finding threads on this topic:

I haven't heard from Buffalo yet, but will be at Rochester in early October. I'd like to explain to them that I'll be in the area and (tactfully) insinuate that I'd like to interview with them at that time so I won't have to fly out there twice. I'm not exactly sure how to word this; do you just straight out tell them you're being interviewed (I mean, if they're serious about you as an applicant, they won't care, right?) or is it more professional to obscure that information and ask for a tour or ask that they review your application before that time?

Thanks to any advice or links anyone can supply!

i read a few threads on this. I think a good method is to e-mail the school and let them know you'll be in the area at that time (you can say you're interviewing at another school), and if you are being considered for an interview, could they try to accommodate your schedule?