Chances? Guide my application please

[James Dorsett]

Here are my stats

Florida resident, Ohio State student (Neuroscience major)
22 years old (applying next fall)
Cum GPA- 3.8
Science GPA- 3.9
MCAT- 35 (12 BS, 12 PS, 11 VR)

~80 Clinical volunteer hours
Shadowed a primary care doctor 32 hours
Shadowed a neurologist for 32 hours
~100 hours research in a Cerebrovascular lab
~50 hours habitat for humanity
Spent 2 months in Fiji teaching English and Math to children

My dream is to go to USC, UCLA, or San Diego but I know that is tough for OoS students. Would I be wasting money to apply to those California schools? Other than the Florida schools, I do not know where I should be targeting. Thanks!

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[Goro]

Chances outstanding if you can get some more volunteer horurs, both clinical and non-clincial. Gotta show off yoru altruism.

I'd also write off the UC schools, although my learned colleague gyngyn suggests that the UC system, in needed int he cash, is going to be more welcoming to OOS applicants.

Suggest trying for all FL schools, and any of these: all PA and IL schools (except SIU and U ILL), Duke, JHU, some of the Ivies, NYU, U Rochester, Pitt, Baylor, the Georges in DC, Emory, Vanderbilt, Tufts, BU, Einstein and Mt Sinai.

Here are my stats

Florida resident, Ohio State student (Neuroscience major)
22 years old (applying next fall)
Cum GPA- 3.8
Science GPA- 3.9
MCAT- 35 (12 BS, 12 PS, 11 VR)

~80 Clinical volunteer hours
Shadowed a primary care doctor 32 hours
Shadowed a neurologist for 32 hours
~100 hours research in a Cerebrovascular lab
~50 hours habitat for humanity
Spent 2 months in Fiji teaching English and Math to children

My dream is to go to USC, UCLA, or San Diego but I know that is tough for OoS students. Would I be wasting money to apply to those California schools? Other than the Florida schools, I do not know where I should be targeting. Thanks!

 

[Nymphicus]

USC Keck does not give preference to in-state.

UCSD
As a state supported institution, we give preference to California residents. We have also found that we have higher matriculation rates for California residents than for out of state students. Typically, about 90% of each incoming class will be California residents. The Medical Scientist Training Program, which is supported in part by a NIH Training Grant, typically has a higher percentage of out-of-state students than the four year M.D. program.

http://meded.ucsd.edu/index.cfm/asa/admissions/faqs/

UCLA Geffen
No preference is given to state of residence. However many applicants come from California. Acceptees from California are more likely to matriculate at UCLA. Out of 145 freshman, 85 percent were from California.

http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/offices/admiss/admreq.cfm

 

[jeghaber]

Chances outstanding if you can get some more volunteer horurs, both clinical and non-clincial. Gotta show off yoru altruism.

I'd also write off the UC schools, although my learned colleague gyngyn suggests that the UC system, in needed int he cash, is going to be more welcoming to OOS applicants.

Suggest trying for all FL schools, and any of these: all PA and IL schools (except SIU and U ILL), Duke, JHU, some of the Ivies, NYU, U Rochester, Pitt, Baylor, the Georges in DC, Emory, Vanderbilt, Tufts, BU, Einstein and Mt Sinai.

While the OP has solid stats, I disagree that his chances are "outstanding," especially at the research heavy schools you've listed. 100 hours of research is approximately two weeks of full time work. Not exactly enough time to really get your hands wet in research. My impression is that the more research focused schools will expect at least a full-time summer or part-time during the year. That combined with the fact that OP has little ECs outside of shadowing and a small amount of volunteering, I would say not all, but a majority of the schools listed are reaches.

OP: Given that you *do* have good numbers, and given that your dream schools are two public and one private CA schools, I'd make sure to take the remaining time up to the summer of 2015 to beef up your application all around. Continue whatever research and clinical volunteering you're doing and get involved in some ECs in which you can show some long-term commitment. Some other non-clinical volunteer work, a weekly mentoring program, an intramural team -- anything you'd be interested in. As for what schools to consider, I'd say your match-schools will be in the 20-40 USNWR range, which might not care as much about your relative lack of research experience (others should feel free to disagree with me on this point, of course). Aim for those schools and add a few more reaches from the Top 20 according to your own monetary flexibility/secondary-writing-will-power. Of course, I'm commenting on your application assuming only modest changes from what you've shared thus far, so depending on the next 1.5 years (a lot can happen in a year and half), you might want to aim higher.

 

[ichor]

OP: Given that you *do* have good numbers, and given that your dream schools are two public and one private CA schools, I'd make sure to take the remaining time up to the summer of 2015 to beef up your application all around. Continue whatever research and clinical volunteering you're doing and get involved in some ECs in which you can show some long-term commitment. Some other non-clinical volunteer work, a weekly mentoring program, an intramural team -- anything you'd be interested in. As for what schools to consider, I'd say your match-schools will be in the 20-40 USNWR range, which might not care as much about your relative lack of research experience (others should feel free to disagree with me on this point, of course). Aim for those schools and add a few more reaches from the Top 20 according to your own monetary flexibility/secondary-writing-will-power. Of course, I'm commenting on your application assuming only modest changes from what you've shared thus far, so depending on the next 1.5 years (a lot can happen in a year and half), you might want to aim higher.

When people refer to to USNWR, they generally mean the top schools by research rankings, correct?

 

[jeghaber]

When people refer to to USNWR, they generally mean the top schools by research rankings, correct?

Yup.