3.8/3.7 cGPA/sGPA, 32. Low and mid-tier schools

[9w1]

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[9w1]

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[Goro]

You should be OK, I'd cut down ont he mid-tier list, but Duke should be in striking distance.

School list: I'm looking to apply to about 20-30 low and mid tier schools. I will definitely be applying to UNC, ECU and Wake Forest.

First, do NOT re-take MCAT
Get more clinical experience and think outside the box on this, like, hospice or clinics.
CampbellCOM is in your backyard, so shadowing a DO can't hurt.


How can I make my application stronger so I stand a good chance of getting in next cycle? I can think of:
- Working on getting good LoR's
- Getting a lot more clinical experience. Hopefully I will volunteer at a free clinic this winter break and get a lot of patient contact (filling out medical history, maybe getting pulse/BP, that sort of thing).
- Should I think about DO and shadow some DO docs?

Thanks![/QUOTE]

 

[9w1]

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[gyngyn]

What I'm worried about is I might lack other options since OOS state schools want high MCAT scores.

Have you looked at the MSAR yet? There are plenty of places that would interview you.

 

[grburst]

whoops

 

[9w1]

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[9w1]

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[khrisskhoras]

+1 to everything everyone said. Throw in Duke and another top tier school if you get published. You have a slim to fair chance for an interview at a top tier if you can get a publication.

 

[9w1]

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[9w1]

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[inycepoo]

So you're saying I should apply to less schools overall or more low-tier schools and less mid-tiers? And isn't Duke out of range with my stats?

Also, would you say a 32 is "good enough" for UNC and ECU in-state? What I'm worried about is I might lack other options since OOS state schools want high MCAT scores.

I will definitely work on getting more clinical experience this semester and over winter break.

Goro says some weird things here and there. Ignore him.

 

[inycepoo]

Does this list look good?

I'd leave out the SUNYs as an OOS. They're not friendly at all and Buffalo would a ****ty ass place to live coming from the South.

NYMC is really expensive and low-yield (i.e., not worth it) for OOS who can't get the benefit of staying close to home.

Overall, you'll probably come across as pretty cookie-cutter. Both a blessing and a curse.

Best of luck!

 

[khrisskhoras]

Hmm OK. So if I get a publication, add clinical hours, and expand leadership -- my current EC's are good enough for mid-tiers? I'm just wondering if I have enough experiences... I feel like I should be doing more.

Your ECs + stats are good enough for mid tiers. If you can add a publication, it puts you within striking distance of some top tiers. In the case of a publication, i'd add places like Duke, Emory and Vandy. You could be interviewed there, but chances are pretty low because they have mcat~35+.


Apply to all your state schools (even UNC).

 

[9w1]

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[inycepoo]

Would a 36+ MCAT open up a lot of doors for me? I'd probably take it again in April or May after taking more classes, re-thinking my test taking strategies and studying more but in a more relaxed way (and I think a score like that should be possible for me since I was scoring consistent 38's with 2 months of fairly rushed prep).

Yes. It opens doors for everyone.

 

[gyngyn]

With the rest of my application the same, would a 36+ make me strong enough for top tiers? I'd probably take it again in April or May after taking more classes, re-thinking my test taking strategies and studying more but in a more relaxed way (and I think a score like that should be possible for me since I was scoring consistent 38's with 2 months of fairly rushed prep).

Retaking a 32 is usually a bad idea.

 

[inycepoo]

Retaking a 32 is usually a bad idea.

Not when there was a consistent average of 38 on the AAMCs. Most likely OP has bad test anxiety problems, which is a very solvable problem.

 

[gyngyn]

Not when there was a consistent average of 38 on the AAMCs. Most likely OP has bad test anxiety problems, which is a very solvable problem.

Just reporting 30 years of observation.

 

[thegypsyqueen]

Just reporting 30 years of observation.

I agree. If OP has anxiety again and scores lower than a 32 they would severely damage their app. A 32 is a good score and very workable.

 

[gyngyn]

Not when there was a consistent average of 38 on the AAMCs. Most likely OP has bad test anxiety problems, which is a very solvable problem.

Go look at ohword3's thread right now in pre allo.

 

[inycepoo]

Go look at ohword3's thread right now in pre allo.

Duly noted, but lack of an AAMC average clouds judgment and any coherent comparison between ohword3 and OP. "I was sure I could do better" means absolutely nothing (ohword3), but a consistent 38 on mock AAMCs is solid reflection of OP's ability to get ±2 barring other factors such as his admitted anxiety. Blind confidence is not OP's situation here. It's highly likely and plausible that such naiveté explains lower scores for the majority of retakers, though.

We know from these forums that the correlation between the AAMC average (and even more so with AAMC 9-11 average) and actual score is more astonishing and realistic for the majority of examinees than most people would like to admit. I convinced myself I could hit 38-40 upon entering my exam, but was smacked right back down to my own AAMC average at 36. Perhaps the potential was there, but at that moment in time, it wasn't enough.

OP's potential is 35+. There is no reason to believe otherwise if he never scored below that on his AAMCs. What he needs to fix is his test anxiety, which can either be much easier or much harder than actual test review, depending on OP's "nature."

It's a separate discussion whether a higher caliber MCAT score is necessary for OP's goals. If he's fine with going to schools in his current list, there's little point in putting himself through the turmoil of studying again. However, if he had to downgrade his expectations after getting the score back and aspires to higher tier schools, the retake is worth it. If the latter is his intention, as it stands, his entire app looks very cookie-cutter and exceedingly average for some of the private schools suggested above.

 

[khrisskhoras]

With the rest of my application the same, would a 36+ make me strong enough for top tiers? I'd probably take it again in April or May after taking more classes, re-thinking my test taking strategies and studying more but in a more relaxed way (and I think a score like that should be possible for me since I was scoring consistent 38's with 2 months of fairly rushed prep).

The thing you have to realize is the top tiers are crap-shoots for people with 4.0/40, let alone the 3.8/36+ in your hypothetical case. Its not worth it to retake unless you can get the 38 you got on the practices, which is never a guarantee. Alot of variables, namely test anxiety and not practicing in a real test-like situation could have been in play in causing your score drop. These variables could come into play again on a retake and drag your score lower. Besides, im assuming you already used up the AAMCs (by far the gold standard of FLs) , and retaking them as practice will bias your practice average. In a nutshell, NOT worth a retake however tempting it may be.

At this point, just fine tune your ECs. Get published, find a job you're passionate about, work for an NGO or obtain a leadership role of some sort, etc. Your numbers are good enough for 80% of schools at least. I would sweat over getting into a top-tier, because at the end of the day "P"s make degrees in medical school, no matter where you go.

 

[9w1]

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