3.42 cGPA, 36 MCAT

[dtc29]

• 3.417 cGPA
• 3.34-3.40 sGPA depending on whether or not they accept Bioinformatics Programming (maybe?), Shaping National Science Policy (probably not), and Molecular Gastronomy (lol) as BCPM classes. --they're all listed as either BIOL or CHEM classes on my transcript so idk.
• ASIAN
• 36 MCAT Score
• Currently worked 1 year at the NIH w/ a publication in a high level journal in the works (possibly Nature)
• Summer of research at Columiba
• Semester of research at Georgetown
• TA'd two different Genetics classes for two years, and TA'd a Biochem class for two years
• NJ resident

Is there any chance I could get into Sinai, Maryland, NYU, Einstein?

List of other schools:
Georgetown
Jefferson
UMDNJ-NJMS
UMDNJ-RWJ
Uniformed Services
Cincinnati
Temple
Loyola
Drexel

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[askamsky51]

Add CMSRU (NJ) if you're looking into underserved populations (also since it's new and you have a low GPA).

If you have any great research aspirations though it may not fit you. Awesome south Jersey school I would have happily attended if I didn't get into OHSU (my first choice). Rough area though, but they make up for it by giving their students some serious hands-on experience early.

 

[Alejandro]

Well, yeah the GPA seems like a red flag, but do you have other ECs involved? like shadowing and volunteering? I think that might be the breaking point for whether or not you have strong chance at this.

Given that you have those parts in your app, then I'd apply broadly. I applied to 30ish schools with similar stats and found some love in various institutions.

 

[plumhill]

• 3.417 cGPA
• 3.34-3.40 sGPA depending on whether or not they accept Bioinformatics Programming (maybe?), Shaping National Science Policy (probably not), and Molecular Gastronomy (lol) as BCPM classes. --they're all listed as either BIOL or CHEM classes on my transcript so idk.
• ASIAN
• 36 MCAT Score
• Currently worked 1 year at the NIH w/ a publication in a high level journal in the works (possibly Nature)
• Summer of research at Columiba
• Semester of research at Georgetown
• TA'd two different Genetics classes for two years, and TA'd a Biochem class for two years
• NJ resident

Is there any chance I could get into Sinai, Maryland, NYU, Einstein?

List of other schools:
Georgetown
Jefferson
UMDNJ-NJMS
UMDNJ-RWJ
Uniformed Services
Cincinnati
Temple
Loyola
Drexel

Your MCAT score isn't bad, so I'd say go ahead and apply to those schools. I'd look at a few more mid/low-tier schools, too. What sticks out at me more than your GPA is your lack of non-research ECs. Did you volunteer/shadow in any clinical settings? As your profile stands, I feel like a lot more adcoms will wonder "why isn't dtc29 getting his PhD?" rather than "why is dtc29's GPA so low?"

 

[WilsonFan]

Agree with all said about non-research ECs. Any way to explain you GPA? like upwards trends, one bad semester having to do with an emotional difficulty/etc? If not, I'd apply to more schools on the level of georgetown. The less uniform your app is (disproportionately great research and MCAT), the more schools you should apply to - I'd suggest 20-25 to start. Good luck!

 

[sjrobinson]

Similar question here:

36R (12,12,12)
3.93 cGPA
3.82 sGPA

Vice President of a student organization, some research (nothing published though), weekly volunteering with autistic kids, 100+ hrs of shadowing.

I'm an Alabama resident and definitely applying to UAB, USA, and Vanderbilt. How many schools should I apply to and where else should I apply to be competetive? Birmingham and Nashville are big cities to me and about as big as I'd like to get probably.

 

[dtc29]

Add CMSRU (NJ) if you're looking into underserved populations (also since it's new and you have a low GPA).

If you have any great research aspirations though it may not fit you. Awesome south Jersey school I would have happily attended if I didn't get into OHSU (my first choice). Rough area though, but they make up for it by giving their students some serious hands-on experience early.

thanks! i'll definitely add that to the list

Well, yeah the GPA seems like a red flag, but do you have other ECs involved? like shadowing and volunteering? I think that might be the breaking point for whether or not you have strong chance at this.

Given that you have those parts in your app, then I'd apply broadly. I applied to 30ish schools with similar stats and found some love in various institutions.

Your MCAT score isn't bad, so I'd say go ahead and apply to those schools. I'd look at a few more mid/low-tier schools, too. What sticks out at me more than your GPA is your lack of non-research ECs. Did you volunteer/shadow in any clinical settings? As your profile stands, I feel like a lot more adcoms will wonder "why isn't dtc29 getting his PhD?" rather than "why is dtc29's GPA so low?"

Hmm, I have ~80 hours volunteering at the hospital, was captain of an intramural basketball team, participated actively in a professional fraternity and club filipino, and I've also been an alumni interviewer for my undergrad. Is that enough?

Agree with all said about non-research ECs. Any way to explain you GPA? like upwards trends, one bad semester having to do with an emotional difficulty/etc? If not, I'd apply to more schools on the level of georgetown. The less uniform your app is (disproportionately great research and MCAT), the more schools you should apply to - I'd suggest 20-25 to start. Good luck!

As for my GPA, there is a relative upward trend from about a 3.2 --> 3.5ish

Early on, I just never understood time management and I never really knew how to study. Didn't really click until the second semester of junior year lol.

Summer before junior year I spent a lot of time fixing myself up. Lost almost 60 pounds. Could that be considered an extracurricular? Haha that summer all I did was take physics and work out.


Thanks for all your input and help!