Chances for my son, NY Medical Schools...thanks for your help!

[Richny]

My son is senior at Cornell. He is a biology major with a 3. 6 - 3.65 GPA. He recently took his MCAT and scored a 35 (13bio/13ps/9v). He is involved with a ton of extras with tutoring on math and sciences, senior tribune at his frat, works during summers at the coroners office, has done over 500 hours of volunteer hospital work, etc. He is still loading himself up with credits during his senior year...with 22 credits in labs and other classes this semester. His plan is to take a gap year and work for both the coroners office as well as working at a local hospital.

He would like to go to a NY medical school and his reach school is Weil Cornell in Manhattan.

His other contenders are:
NYU
Albert Einstein
Upstate
Hofstra
Columbia

He has the MSAR website and has been starting to do more research...but still has time before applying.

Question from a inquisitive dad...what are his chances in the schools listed and do you have any recommendations.

Thanks to all in advance.

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[Goro]

I'd say he's a lock for Albany, NYMC, Einstein, Hofstra, U Rochester, but is a tad below avg for Cornell, NYU, Mt Sinai or Columbia. He is in striking distance, and so if he has some killer ECs, he might be competitive for the latter 4.

My son is senior at Cornell. He is a biology major with a 3. 6 - 3.65 GPA. He recently took his MCAT and scored a 35 (13bio/13ps/9v). He is involved with a ton of extras with tutoring on math and sciences, senior tribune at his frat, works during summers at the coroners office, has done over 500 hours of volunteer hospital work, etc. He is still loading himself up with credits during his senior year...with 22 credits in labs and other classes this semester. His plan is to take a gap year and work for both the coroners office as well as working at a local hospital.

He would like to go to a NY medical school and his reach school is Weil Cornell in Manhattan.

His other contenders are:
NYU
Albert Einstein
Upstate
Hofstra
Columbia

He has the MSAR website and has been starting to do more research...but still has time before applying.

Question from a inquisitive dad...what are his chances in the schools listed and do you have any recommendations.

Thanks to all in advance.

 

[Richny]

I'd say he's a lock for Albany, NYMC, Einstein, Hofstra, U Rochester, but is a tad below avg for Cornell, NYU, Mt Sinai or Columbia. He is in striking distance, and so if he has some killer ECs, he might be competitive for the latter 4.

thanks...much appreciated...wonder if anyone else has input

 

[onceawolverine]

thanks...much appreciated...wonder if anyone else has input

Nobody's input will be more valuable than Goro's. But bear in mind that if he can pull off A's in his heavy courseload, his GPA will improve. Without seeing the numbers, I can't speak to how much, but adding 0.05-1 points will, in my naive opinion, help a lot. Given an improvement in GPA, combined with the solid MCAT score and his cool-sounding ECs (all depending on how well he reflects/writes about them, of course), I'd say he is a solid contender at (almost) all of the NY schools.

 

[Mad Jack]

thanks...much appreciated...wonder if anyone else has input

I mean, Goro is an adcom. He kind of hit it right on the head.

 

[onceawolverine]

I mean, Goro is an adcom. He kind of hit it right on the head.

Yes, but it's okay that a brand new member didn't know Goro's reputation for shamelessly candid but extremely useful advice.

 

[Richny]

Yes, but it's okay that a brand new member didn't know Goro's reputation for shamelessly candid but extremely useful advice.

Appreciate the clarification on Goro...total newbie here. I just figured the more input the better. This is just me being a hyper active dad trying to get an idea on med school chances..thanks to all!

 

[Richny]

Appreciate the clarification on Goro...total newbie here. I just figured the more input the better. This is just me being a hyper active dad trying to get an idea on med school chances..thanks to all!

My son has been offered a chance to be part of a hemotology research project with doctors and med students that has a good chance to be published...will this help his chances to get into a better nyc med school?

 

[BodyByChipotle]

My son has been offered a chance to be part of a hemotology research project with doctors and med students that has a good chance to be published...will this help his chances to get into a better nyc med school?

haha of course how would it not
It's always great to have more experiences to put on a resume, but working with people in the medical field is invaluable education

 

[Lamel]

Weill, Sinai, NYU, Columbia will all highly value research experience.

 

[ProudMD]

Your son has strong numbers (especially the MCAT) and good ECs. But be sure to tell him to apply to all the SUNY schools. It is good to have reaches, but it is more important to have "safety" schools. Now, there are no true "safeties" when it comes to medical school admissions, but given your son's credentials, the SUNY schools should be pretty close to being "safety" schools. Best of luck!

 

[claduva94]

Your son has strong numbers (especially the MCAT) and good ECs. But be sure to tell him to apply to all the SUNY schools. It is good to have reaches, but it is more important to have "safety" schools. Now, there are no true "safeties" when it comes to medical school admissions, but given your son's credentials, the SUNY schools should be pretty close to being "safety" schools. Best of luck!

OP's son has a GPA below the median at all of the SUNY schools I happened to glance at. Yes he is still competitive to some degree at every NY school, although to a lesser degree at Sinai, Cornell, Columbia, and NYU. But I would definitely not say a SUNY school is a safety at all.

My son has been offered a chance to be part of a hemotology research project with doctors and med students that has a good chance to be published...will this help his chances to get into a better nyc med school?

Yes but he should only do it if he can maintain his grades. Given his current ECs, his GPA priority #1. As onceawolverine said, a rise of 0.5-1 grade points would be very beneficial.

 

[ProudMD]

OP's son has a GPA below the median at all of the SUNY schools I happened to glance at. Yes he is still competitive to some degree at every NY school, although to a lesser degree at Sinai, Cornell, Columbia, and NYU. But I would definitely not say a SUNY school is a safety at all.

Yes but he should only do it if he can maintain his grades. Given his current ECs, his GPA priority #1. As onceawolverine said, a rise of 0.5-1 grade points would be very beneficial.

But his MCAT is excellent. Do the SUNY schools have MCAT averages in the mid 30s? My impression is that SUNY schools are the typical state medical schools. Even most of the UCs (which are arguably the best state medical schools in the country) don't have 35 averages.

Also keep in mind that Cornell is notoriously difficult and is well known for grade deflation.

In the end, I think that a 3.6 GPA, 35 MCAT, and strong ECs should be very competitive for just about all the public state medical schools in the country.

 

[claduva94]

But his MCAT is excellent. Do the SUNY schools have MCAT averages in the mid 30s? My impression is that SUNY schools are the typical state medical schools. Even most of the UCs (which are arguably the best state medical schools in the country) don't have 35 averages.

Also keep in mind that Cornell is notoriously difficult and is well known for grade deflation.

In the end, I think that a 3.6 GPA, 35 MCAT, and strong ECs should be very competitive for just about all the public state medical schools in the country.

Yes but to be VERY competitive you should have and MCAT score and a GPA above the median. I'm not denying that he is competitive for the SUNY schools. I'm just saying that a 35 does not in itself make those schools close to safeties despite his GPA. It's best to avoid that mindset at all, since in the end you can't quite predict if you have exactly what the school wants.

 

[dkr34]

I'm a senior at Cornell as well congrats to your son! He has great stats, and he is a strong candidate for any school

 

[Richny]

I'm a senior at Cornell as well congrats to your son! He has great stats, and he is a strong candidate for any school

Thanks for the feedback...he loves Cornell and is looking forward to his gap year and then applying to med school. We're really proud of his accomplishments along with his determination and passion.

All the feedback from members on this site has been great and informative...thanks to all.

 

[Richny]

It's been a while since I visited this thread and thought I would post on my son's progress as well as seek out advice. As originally stated my son got a 35 MCAT however, his GPA dropped slightly in his last half of his junior year and senior year due to a extremely heavy course load of difficult classes. He ended up with a 3.5 GPA from Cornell. On top of that he was tutoring (paid tutor through Cornell) other students in Organic Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. So far he has been rejected from 3 schools, U of Rochester, SUNY Upstate and UCLA...he is waiting for any word from about 7 - 10 other schools including Buffalo, Stony Brook, Downstate, Mt. Sinai, NYU. He has not received any interviews or updates to his status. To put it mildly he is a bit concerned. He has great EC's and recommendations. Yes..we know his GPA hurts...but though the MCAT and the difficulty of his course load at Cornell would help. He is considering applying to DO schools as a late submission to see what happens. We have no idea why he hasn't heard much at this point...perhaps it is just the process. We never took any school for granted and did not consider any as safety schools...he would be happy to be accepted into any med program.

 

[GrapesofRath]

It's been a while since I visited this thread and thought I would post on my son's progress as well as seek out advice. As originally stated my son got a 35 MCAT however, his GPA dropped slightly in his last half of his junior year and senior year due to a extremely heavy course load of difficult classes. He ended up with a 3.5 GPA from Cornell. On top of that he was tutoring (paid tutor through Cornell) other students in Organic Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. So far he has been rejected from 3 schools, U of Rochester, SUNY Upstate and UCLA...he is waiting for any word from about 7 - 10 other schools including Buffalo, Stony Brook, Downstate, Mt. Sinai, NYU. He has not received any interviews or updates to his status. To put it mildly he is a bit concerned. He has great EC's and recommendations. Yes..we know his GPA hurts...but though the MCAT and the difficulty of his course load at Cornell would help. He is considering applying to DO schools as a late submission to see what happens. We have no idea why he hasn't heard much at this point...perhaps it is just the process. We never took any school for granted and did not consider any as safety schools...he would be happy to be accepted into any med program.

What was his GPA junior and senior year by semester? A downward trend is never good.

Also when was he complete?

A 3.6/35 is very competitive for many many schools. Even with the downward trend its very possible there is another problem in his application be it ECs(clinical experience and sufficient volunteering experience come to mind) and essays/LORs immeadiately come to mind.

I wouldnt recommend applying DO this late. Your son should address the flaws of his application and then reapply either next cycle or at a later time depending on what those flaws are. His stats on the surface certainly are competitive for many MD programs.

 

[Richny]

He worked each summer for the past 4 at the medical examiners office. He has 100's of hours volunteering at both the local hospital and the ASPCA. He has shadowed doctors and has recommendations from doctors. He did apply a little later than he wanted to...his application did not go in until late September. His GPA dropped because of his excessive class load and doing so many EC's. No excuses...just the facts.
Thanks!

 

[sephora89]

He worked each summer for the past 4 at the medical examiners office. He has 100's of hours volunteering at both the local hospital and the ASPCA. He has shadowed doctors and has recommendations from doctors. He did apply a little later than he wanted to...his application did not go in until late September. His GPA dropped because of his excessive class load and doing so many EC's. No excuses...just the facts.
Thanks!

I would surmise that a late September application hurt him. If he has to reapply, I would recommend applying in June for the 2017 cycle and make sure everything is ready to go from day one! Was his MCAT from 2014 or 2015? Here are a list of schools still taking the old MCAT: https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...154-42de-9775-df0ec78b5dda/mcatexampolicy.pdf

 

[WedgeDawg]

Hi there. I would recommend against applying DO this cycle as it's very late. The best thing to do would be to create a new WAMC thread with the format that is laid out in one of the stickied threads. Then, experienced users will be able to dissect the whole application and see where your son needs to improve. Your son can then spend the next few months focusing on those areas if he choses to reapply this upcoming cycle and can continue those activities during the year. We can also create a very targeted list based off of everything you've told us.

 

[Goro]

OP, have your son apply 6/1/16 and include a mix of DO and MD schools. With the decline in GPA to an avg number, I can't recommend the Manhattan Titans, but all other schools in NY state (including the two DO schools) should be at the top of the list.

 

[WedgeDawg]

OP, have your son apply 6/1/16 and include a mix of DO and MD schools. With the decline in GPA to an avg number, I can't recommend the Manhattan Titans, but all other schools in NY state (including the two DO schools) should be at the top of the list.

I would still apply to Cornell if they were undergrads there, but I can't give a definitive list without seeing a full fledged WAMC thread.

 

[GrapesofRath]

He worked each summer for the past 4 at the medical examiners office. He has 100's of hours volunteering at both the local hospital and the ASPCA. He has shadowed doctors and has recommendations from doctors. He did apply a little later than he wanted to...his application did not go in until late September. His GPA dropped because of his excessive class load and doing so many EC's. No excuses...just the facts.
Thanks!

The bolded are likely playing a significant role in the lack of success. If your son was sitting at a 3.65 junior year and graduated with a 3.5 overall we're talking about a couple semesters averaging to about a 3.3 to end college which isnt ideal.

Like others have said create a full WAMC thread. It would probably be in your son's best interest to create it himself and rehash all the activities he's done on his own and list out things you might not remember or know about. This will work alot better if you create a formal separate WAMC thread updated with all relevant information. It's also relevant to list all the schools he applied to; it's important to know which ones he would be a reapplicant for and which he would be a first time applicant for(he'll get more bang for his buck at schools he's not a reapplicant although I suspect the schools he's a reapplicant for like the SUNYs are where his odds are still best). Finally definitely invest in MSAR to check out school's 10th percentile GPAs, median MCATs and other important information such as mission statements.

 

[gcmom415]

Nice to hear from another parent. I always wished there was a parent thread here. Please keep us updated on your sons progress. Also a NY parent not having the best cycle as well. Good Luck!!

 

[MightychondriaPARP]

Am I the only one that finds it weird that a parent is posting on behalf of a 20+ year old son?

 

[Faha]

The late September application is the major factor that decreased his chances significantly for an interview. By the time his application was reviewed by the admission committees it would have been November. At that point the majority of interview slots have already been filled. Apply this June and submit all the secondaries by July. He should be competitive for all 4 SUNYs, Hofstra, Rochester, NYMC, Albany and CUNY. Applying only to NY schools is not an adequate application strategy. Add schools from nearby states such as Quinnipiac, Penn State, Drexel, Temple, Jefferson, Seton Hall, GW and Georgetown. Medical school admission is very competitive and an applicant who applies to schools in only one state is at a disadvantage.

 

[Govols22]

Am I the only one that finds it weird that a parent is posting on behalf of a 20+ year old son?

Nah. It would be better if more parents read SDN and were more aware of the application process. Just because his parent is asking a question doesn't mean that his son is too afraid to do anything for himself.

 

[Officer Farva]

It's been a while since I visited this thread and thought I would post on my son's progress as well as seek out advice. As originally stated my son got a 35 MCAT however, his GPA dropped slightly in his last half of his junior year and senior year due to a extremely heavy course load of difficult classes. He ended up with a 3.5 GPA from Cornell. On top of that he was tutoring (paid tutor through Cornell) other students in Organic Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. So far he has been rejected from 3 schools, U of Rochester, SUNY Upstate and UCLA...he is waiting for any word from about 7 - 10 other schools including Buffalo, Stony Brook, Downstate, Mt. Sinai, NYU. He has not received any interviews or updates to his status. To put it mildly he is a bit concerned. He has great EC's and recommendations. Yes..we know his GPA hurts...but though the MCAT and the difficulty of his course load at Cornell would help. He is considering applying to DO schools as a late submission to see what happens. We have no idea why he hasn't heard much at this point...perhaps it is just the process. We never took any school for granted and did not consider any as safety schools...he would be happy to be accepted into any med program.

Your son sounds like he was in the same position as I was for two cycles. From what I heard, Cornell, NYU, and Columbia kids have been complaining about bad placement from their undergrad to medical schools. Cornell and Columbia are both very difficult places to get a great GPA, although your son did amazing on his MCAT. I ended up getting into school the second cycle, but I am electing to withdraw my acceptance since I don't like debt and cannot afford medical school. Good luck to your son!

 

[squishiegiraffe]

I ended up getting into school the second cycle, but I am electing to withdraw my acceptance since I don't like debt and cannot afford medical school. Good luck to your son!

You went through the app cycle and is not going to med school anymore?

 

[Officer Farva]

You went through the app cycle and is not going to med school anymore?

Let's just say I have had plenty of time to think about what I like in life.

 

[whatsupdr]

Alot of my friends applied to Cornel undergrad. Had major stats perfect SAT's and were rejected. Its huge in itself.

 

[Richny]

Nah. It would be better if more parents read SDN and were more aware of the application process. Just because his parent is asking a question doesn't mean that his son is too afraid to do anything for himself.

 

[Richny]

Just trying to stay informed and involved without being intrusive. We are part of a team...and I will try to help wherever possible. The advice i get here has helped.

 

[Richny]

Your son sounds like he was in the same position as I was for two cycles. From what I heard, Cornell, NYU, and Columbia kids have been complaining about bad placement from their undergrad to medical schools. Cornell and Columbia are both very difficult places to get a great GPA, although your son did amazing on his MCAT. I ended up getting into school the second cycle, but I am electing to withdraw my acceptance since I don't like debt and cannot afford medical school. Good luck to your son!

Thanks for the info. Yes..he worked his butt off at cornell taking some pretty hard classes while at the same time was doing volunteer work and tutoring others students in organic chem and othet subjects. I really wonder if he would have been better off going to a suny school and getting a much higher gpa. Too late to do anything about it. ..just hate to see him in this position. ..after all his hard work and drive.

 

[whatsupdr]

Thanks for the info. Yes..he worked his butt off at cornell taking some pretty hard classes while at the same time was doing volunteer work and tutoring others students in organic chem and othet subjects. I really wonder if he would have been better off going to a suny school and getting a much higher gpa. Too late to do anything about it. ..just hate to see him in this position. ..after all his hard work and drive.

Did he get any invites at all?

 

[Richny]

Did he get any invites at all?

None yet...he is resigned to the fact that he will reapply in the next cycle. He is maintaining a good attitude about it and has lined up some good research and volunteer actions. He has a plan to help his application. Proud of him.