Chance at CA med schools: 3.4s/cgpa, 33MCAT, working on an SMP

[hxkenshin]

-

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gyngyn]

This plan is not consistent with success. You are an average applicant for UCD but your gpa is at or below the 10th% for USC, UCI and LL.

A CA applicant needs at least 10 schools where they have a fair to good chance at an interview to consider themselves well positioned. I see two chances on your list (and that is only if you are a devoutly religious person who can abide LL's abstinence policies).

 

[Goro]

Aim for low-tiers instead, or, if you wish to stay in CA, Western/COMP or TUCOM-CA

Hello,
I'm currently on a really tight budget, so I'm severely limited in the schools that I can apply to (thus making this post). I've just started an SMP, and thus far am doing fairly well--I plan to keep this up, and hoping to end up with As. The SMP I'm attending has a very high linkage, and I would much rather go here than any other out of state school, so the only better option or schools for me would be the ones within my home state, and unfortunately I can't afford to apply to all of them. What schools would be possible reaches (applying during the SMP year) if I earn all As (4.0) throughout the SMP?
So my stats:
~3.4 sGPA, cGPA (top 25 ugrad)
mcat: 33R (12.12.9vr)
ECs: 1 yr research, teaching, hospital volunteering, planning on doing some shadowing.

I was thinking of applying to:
UCI, UCD, USC, Loma Linda

 

[hxkenshin]

-

 

[gyngyn]

I was lead to believe that a good SMP performance would have a significant effect on schools during the application cycle--that it would be weighted as largely as the entire ugrad performance. Is this untrue or to a lesser extent at CA med schools? Perhaps I should ask someone that was in a similar situation as I was.

The screeners decide whether or not to give you an interview based on the information available at the time, not on potential information.

Your screening at the SMP linked school may, indeed, include information available to them from your program. My comments are with regard to the list you submitted.

 

[hxkenshin]

-

 

[gyngyn]

Hello,
I appreciate your response. I actually have applied last year and did pass the primary screening for most of the UCs and got secondary requests (so I'm assuming that would be the case this year as well), which means I should be able to send them two grade updates before they send me any kind of rejection--one in November and another in february with I believe 20 or some units with medical school courses. I thought this would give some sort of weight over my low ugrad gpa. But I have heard rumors in the past that the UCs don't really care for SMP grades and don't really hold onto their decisions or reevaluate me once they go through my application--perhaps this is what you meant--even though they send out their rejections late in the spring. I guess it's all speculation at this point, and applying late/sending my secondaries near last minute isn't really going to help me either. I don't really have a strategy to make my current performance shine in this year's application other than for my linkage school.
I really wish someone that was in a similar situation can chime in. I guess my question turned more into: which UC or california schools are SMP friendly?

I think you are already aware that there are so many overqualified applicants to CA schools that your best bet (without regard to your SMP outcome) is going to be OOS. Even if you are only applying to 4 schools, why not apply to schools that might interview you even if they are not in CA?

 

[Etyan]

Hello,
I really wish someone that was in a similar situation can chime in. I guess my question turned more into: which UC or california schools are SMP friendly?

Try asking each school's admissions office - some may ignore you, but it only takes one golden opportunity to help you shine