3.45 gpa, 30 MCAT, need advice!

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ohmedschool

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Hey guys, I'm new to this thing so bare with me.

Undergrad: Stanford University
Science GPA (calculated by TMDSAS): 3.29
Non-science GPA: 3.79
Cumulative GPA: 3.45
MCAT: V09, P10, B11, T (30T)
Waiting for May 24 results.
Home state: Maryland

-3 years of cancer lab research at NIH/Stanford, 1 grant
-2 years of psychiatry clinical research, 4 publications
-shadowing experience at National Naval Medical Center, Stanford ER
-founded two medicine related non-profit organizations, one for-profit start-up, won 3 business awards.
-played in the band, chamber orchestra, club muay thai kickboxer.
-did some EMT work, autopsy, cadaver dissection.

Schools Applying To (I need some advice on this, I have a feeling I am applying too high. If so, which schools should I look at?)

-Stanford
-Johns Hopkins
-Columbia
-UCSF
-UCLA
-Baylor
-UT Southwestern
-UT Houston
-Northwestern
-Maryland
-George Washington
-Case Western
-Oregon
-Michigan
-Pitt

Some other schools I am considering applying to:

-UVA
-VCU
-Penn State
-Ohio State

Schools that I want to apply to but have really low acceptance rates for Stanford students:

-Georgetown (2.86%)
-Vermont (5.41%)
-USHUS (0%)
-Wake Forest (1.89%)
-Chicago Medical (1.78%)
-Loyola Chicago (3.39%)

Thank you so much for your help!

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Your BCMP and MCAT are way too low for the schools on your list. It's nice you went to Stanford, but it doesn't help that much. Unless your May MCAT scores are much better than your current ones, you won't get interviews at: Stanford, JHU, Columbia, UCSF, UCLA, Baylor, Southwestern, UTH, Feinberg, Case, Oregon, UMich or Pitt.

For now, Maryland is your best bet. You can consider GW, Wake, Rosalind Franklin/Chicago Med and others as well, but it could be difficult. Look at Drexel, NYMC, MCW and Tulane.

Let us know what your May scores turn out to be. Right now, your list is WAY too ambitious!
 
Just got my May 23 MCAT Score:
Verbal 11
Physical Science 12
Biology 13
Writing S
Total: 36S

Does anybody know if medical schools average MCAT scores if you take it twice? My score last time was a 30T

I will definitely take your advice and apply much lower, appreciate it!
 
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Congrats!!! Your new MCAT is great, but alas, your science gpa is still very low for top schools. As for how schools consider two MCAT scores, I've heard it really varies. Most will probably take the most recent or the highest or average them. But I have heard there are a few schools out there (Tufts?) that will take the highest in each section from all of your tests.

Personally, I think that the only thing holding you back now is your science gpa. Your ECs are stellar, so if you can really work your personal statement and the rest of your application, you will likely find a school that wouldn't otherwise take someone with a science gpa that low to give you an interview and check you out. But you'll REALLY have to work it.

If you can afford it, I'd keep as many of those schools you have on your list (you never know, and you have really great ECs), but ABSOLUTELY add some other schools that aren't as stats-heavy in light of the low science gpa. Maryland will definitely be your best bet, but I'd still cast my net wider so I wouldn't have to worry about reapplying or sitting on waitlists biting my nails come May. Based on where else you applied, how about: USC, Rush, Loyola, UVM, Rochester, Jefferson, MSSM, Albert Einstein, SUNY Downstate, Penn State, etc. Or perhaps also Albany, Wayne State, Creighton, EVMS, Drexel, Temple, etc.

If you have a good upward trend in science grades you will be better off. Likewise if you didn't really bomb any of the pre-reqs. I'm not sure what your transcript looks like, so it's hard to judge. I would really just throw in the kitchen sink, since your situation is really hard to predict with a decent overall gpa, a stellar MCAT, stellar ECs, but a low science gpa. But if you present a great overall application, I think you'll be very successful this year. Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the advice!! Here's my revised list:

Applied AMCAS but will not complete secondary:
-Duke, Hopkins, Northwestern, Brown, Washington, Cornell, UCLA, UCLA Prime, U of I Chicago.

Applied AMCAS, will complete secondary:
-UT Southwestern, UT Houston, UMDNJ, Michigan (if I get one), Pittsburg, Maryland, Baylor, Vanderbilt (if I get one), Case Western, Stanford, UCSF (if I get one), Columbia, Georgetown, George Washington, Dartmouth

Will now apply:
-UVA, Penn State, Albany, Vermont, New York Medical, Oregon, VCU, Einstein, Jefferson
 
Looks good! Also, I see I didn't mention it above, but I suggested SUNY Downstate because I've read that at the SUNY schools you can get instate tuition after a year. Might want to check those schools out and see what the OOS interview/acceptance rates are.

And I think Tulane would be a good idea too if you're open to NOLA.

:luck::luck::luck:
 
Great job with the new MCAT score; that makes a BIG difference!

What's the deal with so many public schools OOS? I'd eliminate UTH, Southwestern, UMDNJ, Umich and UCSF for sure. For private schools, your BCMP is too low for Case, Vandy, Columbia and Stanford. You can try these private schools, but my prediction is that you won't fare very well. Pitt is also public, but maybe worth a shot.

Of your new schools, only apply to Albany, Vermont, NYMC, Einstein and Jefferson. The public schools are not a wise choice.

I agree with Tulane if you can stand NOLA. Also consider: MC Wisconsin, Rochester and Drexel.
 
Applied AMCAS but will not complete secondary:
-Duke, Hopkins, Northwestern, Brown, Washington, Cornell, UCLA, UCLA Prime, U of I Chicago.

If you have the time and money, I'd complete some of these secondaries; at least, don't rule them out yet.
 
Just wanted to check back in and give everybody an update. Right now I have 8 interview invites: Maryland, Georgetown, Wisconsin, Vermont, Duke, Case Western, Brown, and Penn State. I have been to four, but have yet to hear a decision. The comments were pretty accurate: I was rejected at UCSF, Pitt, Washington, Vandy and will probably be rejected from UT's, any school in CA and NY.

All I have to say is that...honestly, numbers aren't everything. If you are in my situation with a low GPA/high MCAT, really work on your EC's and LOR's and with a little luck it may all work out. Be confident in yourself and believe in your abilities. Good luck!
 
Glad to hear things have been working out pretty well for you, and that SDN can actually be somewhat accurate in their guesses :)
 
lol @ "numbers aren't everything" from a guy that got a 36 MCAT.

but anyway, good job! and really nice EC's
 
I disagree with some of the posts above. Sure your bcpm is not very high, btu when they look at the 12/13 on the two science sections of the MCAT, they are going to think otherwise. I think you should apply to all the high, mid, and low schools you can. There is no school you have 0 shot at (maybe WashU b/c they are a big numbers school), but with ur EC's you should be good. Also if you went to stanford for four years, why didnt' you apply for california residency? If you consider that, you have a good shot at UC Davis, UC irvine, UCSD, and USC, UCLA.... but I assume Maryland schools are a little bit easier. Def apply to BU, Tufts, U of M, and for the hell fo it apply to harvard. Include schools that are very MCAT heavy....and I knw case western and georgetown can be, so include those too
 
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Also out of curiousity, how did u improve your score so much? did you not study that much the first time around? Especially verbal..... b/c that was my weak point too
 
Also out of curiousity, how did u improve your score so much? did you not study that much the first time around? Especially verbal..... b/c that was my weak point too

I don't like to make excuses but the first time I took it, I drove 3.5 hours the morning of (from Maryland into North Carolina) to sit on the exam. By the time I got there I was already tired and stressed out because of traffic. I was averaging 36-40 on my practice exams and knew I blew it, but I decided not to void my score at the end.

The second time around, I stayed at a friend's place in Cupertino and took the exam in San Jose. It was a 10 minute drive and I was well rested. I just felt so much better as a whole. As for studying for it the second time..I really didn't do anything different because the material was still fresh in my mind and I was pretty confident in myself. To refresh I went through and did all the ExamKracker's 1001 questions and 101 verbal passages (although realistically I probably got through 800 questions and 40 passages).

Yeah, I didn't realize the california residency thing until it was too late. :(
 
hey @ohmedschool ,
i was reading your question about your situation of applying to schools with a low gpa/high mcat. i am really impressed by such a high score, nice work ;)! i was wondering if you can share some of your study techniques with me. i am currently in the same situation as you, low gpa and really need to try my best to score high on the mcat. what did you do? many tell me to try a kaplan course, others tell me to use the book and study on my own. it can be overwhelming at times... it would be great if you can share what you did! :)
 
congrats on your many interviews! i have a 3.6 cGPA, 3.3 sGPA, and a 35 MCAT.

i am ready to go DO, but your story makes me want to not give up on MD yet.

granted, my ECs arent as strong as yours.
 
congrats on your many interviews! i have a 3.6 cGPA, 3.3 sGPA, and a 35 MCAT.

i am ready to go DO, but your story makes me want to not give up on MD yet.

granted, my ECs arent as strong as yours.

dude with a 3.6 and 35 I'm sure you can get into some great MD schools :)
 
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Am I the only one here who is shocked that the OP got into STANFORD?!
 
@Nezzy OP posted that in 2008, and hasn't been on SDN in over 6 months

@QuinnTheEskimo Stanford might be a lot harder than your undergraduate institution. Do you think everyone who goes to stanford gets a 4.0? Would that make sense if a school had exclusively 4.0 students (or no students with that GPA)?
 
@Nezzy OP posted that in 2008, and hasn't been on SDN in over 6 months

@QuinnTheEskimo Stanford might be a lot harder than your undergraduate institution. Do you think everyone who goes to stanford gets a 4.0? Would that make sense if a school had exclusively 4.0 students (or no students with that GPA)?

What? I am referring to the fact that, in OP's sig, it looks like he attended Stanford Med School, class of 2013!

I am really surprised he got in with a 3.45 cGPA and 36 mcat.
 
@QuinnTheEskimo D'oh! You're totally right! This is actually a pretty ironic mistake. Yeah, that's surprising I guess, but I'm not totally incredulous. The LOR's from Stanford might of carried some extra weight, possibly due to being under a research titan at Stanford, or the fact he had so much research, or the combination resulting in really strong LOR's. Stanford might also be more precisely aware of the rigor at their own institution. A Lizzy M of ~71 might still be above the 10%, especially given that this was, what 6 years ago. Finally, there is of course the possibility of some unseen factors.

Sorry though, I thought you were asserting something far more outrageous than you were, because I overlooked some information. What you were saying was reasonable, though I do disagree a bit.

Edit: Grammar/typos; also I think you mean the rather drastically low science
 
" To refresh I went through and did all the ExamKracker's 1001 questions and 101 verbal passages (although realistically I probably got through 800 questions and 40 passages). "

Did you do 800 questions in each book? Like all 4 of the EK 1001's or 800 questions in one subject?
 
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