3.9/3.94 GPA + 34 MCAT, should I apply to top 20 schools with these EC's?

[rididididu]

I'll be applying after this upcoming gap year that I'm taking, and I'm wondering if I have a shot at top 20 schools with these stats and EC's. How can I make my EC's more competitive/what am I missing?

Non-URM, California resident (applying to all UC's btw).
3.9 sGPA, 3.95 cGPA, psychology major, transferred from a CC to a UC (mid-tier UC).
34 MCAT (balanced).

-Clinical volunteering: 400 hours (CCU helping visitors, children's hospital tutoring, children's hospital playing with kids whose parents couldn't be there, etc.)
-Research: 300 hours as a research assistant in a top 10 uni sociology department, 180 hours at NASA (with a leadership position) on a project that's too specific for me to disclose right now (it's about green energy), 200 hours in my psych professor's linguistic development lab. Unfortunately no publications/posters.
-President of a medical mission club for 1.5 years (much more involved than the weak/cliche pre-med medical mission experience)
-95 hours of shadowing (4 specialties)
-180 hours tutoring psychology
-Intern at a medical group writing online articles and mentoring kids (100 hours)
-Club hockey team captain (4 seasons)

Do I have a decent shot at top tier schools? What EC's should I focus on during my gap year to become a more competitive applicant?

If I'm not competitive for top 20 schools, am I at least very likely to get into some MD school?

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[Banco]

You have a strong application to get accepted MD somewhere. I think you are competitive for mid-tiers, many of which can provide the similar research opportunities as top tiers (Einstein, Rochester, Dartmouth etc.) For top 20s it is hard to say; your GPA is excellent, but your MCAT is ~2 pts below most of their medians so it will be an uphill battle, but not impossible of course. You generally need to be unique/distinguished in some way, or be exceedingly well rounded. This is hard to quantify.

Things that are good:

1.) Your clinical experience is great.
2.) Good leadership through athletics and clubs.
3.) Good exposure to research. Research at NASA is pretty unique/cool.


Things to improve:

1.) Be productive in your research = pubs, presentations, posters, abstracts.
2.) Get involved in some long-term non-clinical volunteering.

Here is an application of someone with near identical stats who was accepted to multiple top 20s: http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=28237

As you can see the ECs are fairly extensive.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Nobody is going to have really a "decent" shot at top tiers with a 34 MCAT. It is just too competitive. There is a difference in saying go ahead and apply and saying oh " I think you should be in decent shape to nab an acceptance". The latter isn't just something that can be said easily if at all.

Getting something on paper the next year should be a goal. I noticed none of those research experiences are either basic research or directly related to the field of medicine; that's somedthing to consider if you want to gun for top 20 schools. These are medical research powerhouses. I don't know anything about your research to see if your work qualifies under something like that but that is something to think about. Also just piling on hours on 3 different unrelated projects might not be the best way to go about things.

Also, yeah, non-clinical volunteering to demonstrate altruism matters alot.

Make this next year count then come back. Getting hung up on having a good shot at top tier schools isn't very smart.

 

[rididididu]

You have a strong application to get accepted MD somewhere. I think you are competitive for mid-tiers, many of which can provide the similar research opportunities as top tiers (Einstein, Rochester, Dartmouth etc.) For top 20s it is hard to say; your GPA is excellent, but your MCAT is ~2 pts below most of their medians so it will be an uphill battle, but not impossible of course. You generally need to be unique/distinguished in some way, or be exceedingly well rounded. This is hard to quantify.

Things that are good:

1.) Your clinical experience is great.
2.) Good leadership through athletics and clubs.
3.) Good exposure to research. Research at NASA is pretty unique/cool.


Things to improve:

1.) Be productive in your research = pubs, presentations, posters, abstracts.
2.) Get involved in some long-term non-clinical volunteering.

Here is an application of someone with near identical stats who was accepted to multiple top 20s: http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=28237

As you can see the ECs are fairly extensive.

I really enjoy my clinical volunteering positions and am pretty passionate about what I do, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get some non-clinical volunteering in as well, thanks for that pointer. Any suggestions/examples of good non-clinical volunteering opportunities?

 

[Goro]

I would rule out Harvard, Yale, Stanford, U Penn, Wash U, UCSF, and U Chicago. Cornell is iffy.

All others? Fair game!

I'll be applying after this upcoming gap year that I'm taking, and I'm wondering if I have a shot at top 20 schools with these stats and EC's. How can I make my EC's more competitive/what am I missing?

Non-URM, California resident (applying to all UC's btw).
3.9 sGPA, 3.95 cGPA, psychology major, transferred from a CC to a UC (mid-tier UC).
34 MCAT (balanced).

-Clinical volunteering: 400 hours (CCU helping visitors, children's hospital tutoring, children's hospital playing with kids whose parents couldn't be there, etc.)
-Research: 300 hours as a research assistant in a top 10 uni sociology department, 180 hours at NASA (with a leadership position) on a project that's too specific for me to disclose right now (it's about green energy), 200 hours in my psych professor's linguistic development lab. Unfortunately no publications/posters.
-President of a medical mission club for 1.5 years (much more involved than the weak/cliche pre-med medical mission experience)
-95 hours of shadowing (4 specialties)
-180 hours tutoring psychology
-Intern at a medical group writing online articles and mentoring kids (100 hours)
-Club hockey team captain (4 seasons)

Do I have a decent shot at top tier schools? What EC's should I focus on during my gap year to become a more competitive applicant?

If I'm not competitive for top 20 schools, am I at least very likely to get into some MD school?

 

[Banco]

I really enjoy my clinical volunteering positions and am pretty passionate about what I do, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get some non-clinical volunteering in as well, thanks for that pointer. Any suggestions/examples of good non-clinical volunteering opportunities?

Any cause that you have a certain fondness for? Any place that really NEEDS the help will be a worthwhile experience, be it for med school apps or not - usually organizations catering to the poor/underserved.

 

[rididididu]

I would rule out Harvard, Yale, Stanford, U Penn, Wash U, UCSF, and U Chicago. Cornell is iffy.

All others? Fair game!

Is this primarily due to my MCAT?

 

[rididididu]

Any cause that you have a certain fondness for? Any place that really NEEDS the help will be a worthwhile experience, be it for med school apps or not - usually organizations catering to the poor/underserved.

Do you have any specifics ideas for global health volunteering programs? I'm pretty interested in that type of work

 

[Goro]

Yes

Is this primarily due to my MCAT?

 

[rididididu]

Yes

Hypothetically, if my MCAT were 36-37, would my EC's be up to par for top 20's?

 

[doc05]

your application is fine for every school. Just apply and see what happens.
you definitely should apply to "top-20" schools.

 

[Banco]

Hypothetically, if my MCAT were 36-37, would my EC's be up to par for top 20's?

Your ECs are already pretty average for top schools. Though Harvard/Stanford/Hopkins tier is likely a bit more selective than NW/Baylor/Case Western - you get the idea. Increasing your MCAT won't make your ECs any better - that is a different part of your application.

If your MCAT was 36 overall you'd be a more competitive candidate for top schools. You're still in range for such schools though - they just shouldn't make the majority of your list.