MD Advice on my school list?

[_balto]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on SDN and I could use some help.

I am a recent graduate taking a gap/bridge year. cGPA: 3.6, sGPA: 3.5, MCAT: 30 (will be retaking August 1st.). I have around 150 hours of shadowing experience, spent a semester in the lab doing research and have written a few papers as part of an independent study course though they were not published. I have some volunteer experiences as well but I hope to round out my extra curriculars with things that I do during the next year.
Nonetheless, I want to get the application out sooner rather than later and I have compiled a list of schools I think I should apply to but could use some help narrowing it down. My strategy right now is to apply to the 7 Florida schools (I am a resident and as I understand it, it is to my benefit to do so), 7 schools considered in my opinion "wish-list" schools (schools outside FL that I would love to go to and, if I raise my MCAT score some, I may have an outside shot of getting into), and 7 more schools that I believe I may be competitive for already or could be if my MCAT only improves slightly.
The other thing is; I am sure that I will be fairly unhappy if I were to live somewhere too far north. I wrestled with this for a long time, worrying that I was cutting myself short by not considering certain schools on a factor like geographical location (which felt shallow to me), but I really cannot stand the blistering cold of the northeast/northwest/northern midwest so while it is not the most important factor in my decision making process; it is a factor.

Florida Schools:
University of Florida
Florida State University
University of Central Florida
University of South Florida
University of Miami
Florida International University
Florida Atlantic University

"Wish-list" Schools:
Emory University
University of North Carolina
Georgetown University
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
University of Texas Houston
University of California Irvine

Other Schools to Consider:
University of Alabama Birmingham
Tulane University
University of Tennessee Memphis
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Arkansas
Medical University of South Carolina
Uniformed Service University

So I guess what I am asking for is help narrowing down these other schools to 7, but for all I know this whole strategy I came up with may be flawed so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

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[chemguy79]

Do you have any connections to UAB, UCI, UT-Houston, UTM, the KY schools, etc.? As an OOS applicant with your stats, I wouldn't apply to any of those programs unless you have connections to those states/regions.

UNC is a bit of a stretch unless you have a massive improvement on your MCAT, although they are more OOS friendly than most of the other schools that you have listed.

 

[WillburCobb]

Unless you can get your MCAT up a few more points I wouldn't bother with Tulane.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on SDN and I could use some help.

I am a recent graduate taking a gap/bridge year. cGPA: 3.6, sGPA: 3.5, MCAT: 30 (will be retaking August 1st.). I have around 150 hours of shadowing experience, spent a semester in the lab doing research and have written a few papers as part of an independent study course though they were not published. I have some volunteer experiences as well but I hope to round out my extra curriculars with things that I do during the next year.
Nonetheless, I want to get the application out sooner rather than later and I have compiled a list of schools I think I should apply to but could use some help narrowing it down. My strategy right now is to apply to the 7 Florida schools (I am a resident and as I understand it, it is to my benefit to do so), 7 schools considered in my opinion "wish-list" schools (schools outside FL that I would love to go to and, if I raise my MCAT score some, I may have an outside shot of getting into), and 7 more schools that I believe I may be competitive for already or could be if my MCAT only improves slightly.
The other thing is; I am sure that I will be fairly unhappy if I were to live somewhere too far north. I wrestled with this for a long time, worrying that I was cutting myself short by not considering certain schools on a factor like geographical location (which felt shallow to me), but I really cannot stand the blistering cold of the northeast/northwest/northern midwest so while it is not the most important factor in my decision making process; it is a factor.

Florida Schools:
University of Florida
Florida State University
University of Central Florida
University of South Florida
University of Miami
Florida International University
Florida Atlantic University

"Wish-list" Schools:
Emory University
University of North Carolina
Georgetown University
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
University of Texas Houston
University of California Irvine

Other Schools to Consider:
University of Alabama Birmingham
Tulane University
University of Tennessee Memphis
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Arkansas
Medical University of South Carolina
Uniformed Service University

So I guess what I am asking for is help narrowing down these other schools to 7, but for all I know this whole strategy I came up with may be flawed so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I believe that many of your "Other schools to Consider" are very regionally biased, as a non-resident you would have a very difficult time being accepted at any of them (besides EVMS and VCU, I believe). Only apply to Uniformed Services if you accept their mission (no pun intended). I believe I've heard that Tulane likes high MCAT candidates, I don't think you'd have luck there. On your wish list: cut out UT-Houston (90% in staters, and you'd have to fill out TMDSAS for one school) and UCI (low stats). If you don't want to migrate north and now have a bunch of empty school slots to fill, maybe include GW and Georgetown (though they get many applications).

 

[Goro]

MSAR Onlin is your friend...especially the Acceptance Info tab which tells you the percentage of instate/OOS applicants accepted. For Uniformed Service University (ONLY IF you are aware of the mandatory military service requirement).

Goro suggests:
Florida Schools:
University of Florida
Florida State University
University of Central Florida
University of South Florida
University of Miami
Florida International University
Florida Atlantic University
NovaCOM
LECOM-Bradenton

Any DO school, such as PCOM-GA or ACOM
Wake Forest University
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Virginia Commonwealth University
Rush
Tufts
Penn State

 

[_balto]

Yeah I was hesitant to include so many public/state institutions in my list for which I am OOS applicant, as I have been warned (and the MSAR basically verifies) many of them draw from in state applicants. I have no significant connections that I know of to those schools. It is my hope to raise my MCAT up a few solid points if not more. In my first attempt, my spread was unbalanced and I could tell during the test where my weakness was and I think I know how to fix it. I know that is no guarantee, but that's why I am trying to cover my bases. I have been actively learning more and more about the USU to see if it would be a good fit for me, but at the moment I understand and have no major qualms with their setup (I'm particularly partial to the point of view of the US public health service route). As for DO schools: I had not really considered going into a DO program, and I was hoping I would not have to. It's nothing against DO programs, it is just not where I envision myself. But if that is where I need to look perhaps I will have to do more research into it.

 

[ciestar]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on SDN and I could use some help.

I am a recent graduate taking a gap/bridge year. cGPA: 3.6, sGPA: 3.5, MCAT: 30 (will be retaking August 1st.). I have around 150 hours of shadowing experience, spent a semester in the lab doing research and have written a few papers as part of an independent study course though they were not published. I have some volunteer experiences as well but I hope to round out my extra curriculars with things that I do during the next year.
Nonetheless, I want to get the application out sooner rather than later and I have compiled a list of schools I think I should apply to but could use some help narrowing it down. My strategy right now is to apply to the 7 Florida schools (I am a resident and as I understand it, it is to my benefit to do so), 7 schools considered in my opinion "wish-list" schools (schools outside FL that I would love to go to and, if I raise my MCAT score some, I may have an outside shot of getting into), and 7 more schools that I believe I may be competitive for already or could be if my MCAT only improves slightly.
The other thing is; I am sure that I will be fairly unhappy if I were to live somewhere too far north. I wrestled with this for a long time, worrying that I was cutting myself short by not considering certain schools on a factor like geographical location (which felt shallow to me), but I really cannot stand the blistering cold of the northeast/northwest/northern midwest so while it is not the most important factor in my decision making process; it is a factor.

Florida Schools:
University of Florida
Florida State University
University of Central Florida
University of South Florida
University of Miami
Florida International University
Florida Atlantic University

"Wish-list" Schools:
Emory University
University of North Carolina
Georgetown University
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
University of Texas Houston
University of California Irvine

Other Schools to Consider:
University of Alabama Birmingham
Tulane University
University of Tennessee Memphis
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Arkansas
Medical University of South Carolina
Uniformed Service University

So I guess what I am asking for is help narrowing down these other schools to 7, but for all I know this whole strategy I came up with may be flawed so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Btw, it can get quite cold in the DC area.