Will have at the time of application:
Academic
GPA: ~3.6c, ~3.5s
MCAT: (took August 2015): 128/130/128/130 = 516. 95th percentile. Apparently ~34-35 on the old scale.
Currently a senior, will be taking one gap year
Activities
~150 hours clinical volunteering (ED and hospice)
~40 hours nonclinical volunteering
~50 hours shadowing
1 summer of research through REU (300 hours), no pubs or legitimate presentations
Extra-curriculars: Edited for privacy.
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Extracurriculars don't seem that impressive on paper but they are interesting and somewhat unique. I think my application is average (with a low GPA), so I am planing on retaking in January. I am considering MD/MBA. If anyone has other ideas about how to improve my application, I would really appreciate it. Gap year aspirations as of now include landing a consulting-esque job, ideally related to healthcare; there are a lot in my area. Alternatively, finding a research position.
Thank you for your help!
Edit: I understand retaking a high score is really risky. I don't want to seem prideful or anything, I don't think I'm owed a better score. But since my GPA is low, I feel like I can improve my chances by getting a higher MCAT. Is it really a dead end? Am I really not broadly competitive for the mid-tier schools? That is what my goal is.
Academic
GPA: ~3.6c, ~3.5s
MCAT: (took August 2015): 128/130/128/130 = 516. 95th percentile. Apparently ~34-35 on the old scale.
Currently a senior, will be taking one gap year
Activities
~150 hours clinical volunteering (ED and hospice)
~40 hours nonclinical volunteering
~50 hours shadowing
1 summer of research through REU (300 hours), no pubs or legitimate presentations
Extra-curriculars: Edited for privacy.
---
Extracurriculars don't seem that impressive on paper but they are interesting and somewhat unique. I think my application is average (with a low GPA), so I am planing on retaking in January. I am considering MD/MBA. If anyone has other ideas about how to improve my application, I would really appreciate it. Gap year aspirations as of now include landing a consulting-esque job, ideally related to healthcare; there are a lot in my area. Alternatively, finding a research position.
Thank you for your help!
Edit: I understand retaking a high score is really risky. I don't want to seem prideful or anything, I don't think I'm owed a better score. But since my GPA is low, I feel like I can improve my chances by getting a higher MCAT. Is it really a dead end? Am I really not broadly competitive for the mid-tier schools? That is what my goal is.
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