MD 3.58/517 with STRONG upward trend--school list help

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Happyface025

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UC: 2.68 (hated it, barely going to class, etc)
CC: 3.9 (quite a well regarded cc though I doubt adcoms care)
4 yr Private: 3.92 (Includes upper div bio electives, biochem, etc)

MCAT: 517 (130/127/130/130) I would be willing to retake because CARS was usually 131-132 on practice tests and I didn't find studying to be too stressful

Volunteering: 100 hrs ED volunteer, 30 hours orthopedics clinic volunteer
Research: 6 months full time in clinical research inNeurology at a top 3 hospital, PI in med school faculty, collecting EEGs and MRIs, recruiting, IRBsubmissions, very well rounded experience
Shadowing: 30hrs shadowing PI in neuro clinic/surgical conferences/OR

I know my ECs are weak, I'm starting at my local ASPCA soon (something I have been DYING to do) and not applying until 2018 cycle. Applying to a few grad schools and to clinical research or jobs.

I'm a CA resident, so my list is mostly there, but open to the northeast as well.

UCs
USC Keck
Boston U
UMass Boston
Tufts
Not really sure what NYC schools, they seem like some are more competitive than MSAR would indicate?

Really want to know how my trend will be viewed by adcoms, especially since I did take orgo/physics at a CC. I would think my MCAT shows that I learned the material.

Thank you!

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Target UCs and mid tiers. You're not a bad applicant by any means, but coming from California means that nothing is a sure bet.

UCSF
UCLA
UCSD
UCD
UCI
UCR (only if you're from the inland empire region)
USC-Keck

BU is fine
Tufts is fine
Check UMass Boston's IS/OOS ratio and see how friendly they are to non MA students

Rochester
Einstein
all the SUNYs (Upstate, Downstate, Stony Brook, etc)
Hofstra definitely
Emory
Case Western
NYMC

You're going to need a relatively long list, probably approaching 30 schools. Target schools with MCAT medians of 33-35 and GPAs that are hopefully in the 3.7s. Obviously that's a very specific range, but I wouldn't try to punch too much above your MCAT range (so 36+ medians are likely to be lower yield for you because they also uniformly come with high GPAs). Stick with higher GPA/slightly lower MCAT schools once you exhaust this range. And be wary of schools with heavy in-state bias.
 
So help me, if you retake that great MCAT, I'll reach through the electrons and smack you upside the head!

I can empathize with being an ASPCA volunteer, being a cat lover myself, but I strongly suggest doing some service towards people less fortunate than yourself.

I recommend the following:


U VM
U Toledo (maybe)
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Tulane
USC/Keck
Dartmouth
MCW
Loyola
USF Morsani
Emory
BU
Mayo
Duke
Case
JHU
Pitt
Northwestern
NYU
Vanderbilt
Columbia
Hofstra
Oakland B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
UCI
UCD
UCR IF you're from the Inland Empire
Western and Touro-CA if you really want to stay in CA



UC: 2.68 (hated it, barely going to class, etc)
CC: 3.9 (quite a well regarded cc though I doubt adcoms care)
4 yr Private: 3.92 (Includes upper div bio electives, biochem, etc)

MCAT: 517 (130/127/130/130) I would be willing to retake because CARS was usually 131-132 on practice tests and I didn't find studying to be too stressful

Volunteering: 100 hrs ED volunteer, 30 hours orthopedics clinic volunteer
Research: 6 months full time in clinical research inNeurology at a top 3 hospital, PI in med school faculty, collecting EEGs and MRIs, recruiting, IRBsubmissions, very well rounded experience
Shadowing: 30hrs shadowing PI in neuro clinic/surgical conferences/OR

I know my ECs are weak, I'm starting at my local ASPCA soon (something I have been DYING to do) and not applying until 2018 cycle. Applying to a few grad schools and to clinical research or jobs.

I'm a CA resident, so my list is mostly there, but open to the northeast as well.

UCs
USC Keck
Boston U
UMass Boston
Tufts
Not really sure what NYC schools, they seem like some are more competitive than MSAR would indicate?

Really want to know how my trend will be viewed by adcoms, especially since I did take orgo/physics at a CC. I would think my MCAT shows that I learned the material.

Thank you!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
So help me, if you retake that great MCAT, I'll reach through the electrons and smack you upside the head!

I can empathize with being an ASPCA volunteer, being a cat lover myself, but I strongly suggest doing some service towards people less fortunate than yourself.

I recommend the following:


U VM
U Toledo (maybe)
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Tulane
USC/Keck
Dartmouth
MCW
Loyola
USF Morsani
Emory
BU
Mayo
Duke
Case
JHU
Pitt
Northwestern
NYU
Vanderbilt
Columbia
Hofstra
Oakland B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
UCI
UCD
UCR IF you're from the Inland Empire
Western and Touro-CA if you really want to stay in CA
Thank you for your very thorough response! I think I can find time to add a more service oriented volunteer opportunity.
 
Target UCs and mid tiers. You're not a bad applicant by any means, but coming from California means that nothing is a sure bet.

UCSF
UCLA
UCSD
UCD
UCI
UCR (only if you're from the inland empire region)
USC-Keck

BU is fine
Tufts is fine
Check UMass Boston's IS/OOS ratio and see how friendly they are to non MA students

Rochester
Einstein
all the SUNYs (Upstate, Downstate, Stony Brook, etc)
Hofstra definitely
Emory
Case Western
NYMC

You're going to need a relatively long list, probably approaching 30 schools. Target schools with MCAT medians of 33-35 and GPAs that are hopefully in the 3.7s. Obviously that's a very specific range, but I wouldn't try to punch too much above your MCAT range (so 36+ medians are likely to be lower yield for you because they also uniformly come with high GPAs). Stick with higher GPA/slightly lower MCAT schools once you exhaust this range. And be wary of schools with heavy in-state bias.
Thanks for the strategy, I will definitely use this going forward!
 
Retaking a 517 is more likely to hurt you than help regardless of how the retake goes.

Go through MSAR and find OOS friendly schools that get <11k apps with an MCAT median around 33-34ish(ie Tufts, SLU, Tulane etc). Pick about 12-15 and you should be ok.
 
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