Chances?

[tclearasicet]

Hey guys,

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[Goro]

It's really late in the cycle, so don't be surprised if you get shut out this year.

Hey guys, I'm new here and don't really know what I should include in this so any help would be appreciated.

How about shadowing? Clinical ECs? if too few, your chances are about the same as having a 20 MCAT.

My ECs are mostly research for the last 2 years....

Your list is way too top-heavy for someone with a less than avg MCAT schore (2x). I believe your best chances would be with the following, and you should add many more low-tier schools. you're fine for any DO program, and so Western/COMP and TUCOM-CA would snap you up.

Boston University
Drexel
Georgetown
Loma Linda
Rosalind Franklin University

 

[mcloaf]

It's really late in the cycle, so don't be surprised if you get shut out this year.

Hey guys, I'm new here and don't really know what I should include in this so any help would be appreciated.

How about shadowing? Clinical ECs? if too few, your chances are about the same as having a 20 MCAT.

My ECs are mostly research for the last 2 years....

Your list is way too top-heavy for someone with a less than avg MCAT schore (2x). I believe your best chances would be with the following, and you should add many more low-tier schools. you're fine for any DO program, and so Western/COMP and TUCOM-CA would snap you up.

Boston University
Drexel
Georgetown
Loma Linda
Rosalind Franklin University

+1.

Applying to that many reach schools this late with an average application is pretty much just throwing away your money.

 

[gyngyn]

I count 5 schools where who have a fair chance at an interview (if you are religious). That's not usually enough for a CA applicant.

 

[TriagePreMed]

This is too top heavy. I don't think success can come off it this late in the cycle, especially the low verbal. Very early in the cycle I would have predicted at least 3-6 interviews.

Nevada doesn't take out of state I think? Check that before losing money.

 

[mcloaf]

This is too top heavy. I don't think success can come off it this late in the cycle, especially the low verbal. Very early in the cycle I would have predicted at least 3-6 interviews.

Nevada doesn't take out of state I think? Check that before losing money.

On a related note, don't bother with UWashington as a Californian.

 

[TriagePreMed]

On a related note, don't bother with UWashington as a Californian.

I've seen Udub take California people though.

 

[gyngyn]

I've seen Udub take California people though.

Yes, occasionally, but usually UIM or other special circumstances.

 

[mcloaf]

I've seen Udub take California people though.

Not a 3.84/32 with average ECs.

 

[PreMedGuy222]

Been reading these forums for a while and I'm just curious since no one has pointed it out, but how does OP's unbalanced MCAT score affect his chances?

For most schools, is a 14/7/11 better than a 10/10/10? How big of a deal is "being balanced?"

 

[gyngyn]

Been reading these forums for a while and I'm just curious since no one has pointed it out, but how does OP's unbalanced MCAT score affect his chances?

For most schools, is a 14/7/11 better than a 10/10/10? How big of a deal is "being balanced?"

Nobody likes a 7 verbal but it's not a dealbreaker in an otherwise good application (for the most part).

 

[SN12357]

Been reading these forums for a while and I'm just curious since no one has pointed it out, but how does OP's unbalanced MCAT score affect his chances?

For most schools, is a 14/7/11 better than a 10/10/10? How big of a deal is "being balanced?"

It's not so much about being balanced as it is about not having one score that falls below a school's cutoff, which is not something that is easy to determine. Consensus seems to be that it is generally a 6 or a 7 if a school has such a cutoff.

About the only place this is readily available information is the required MCAT scores for students in BS/MD programs. For example, UConn requires that their BS/MD students take the MCAT before matriculation and score at least a 30 with a minimum of 8 in each section.

 

[TriagePreMed]

It's not so much about being balanced as it is about not having one score that falls below a school's cutoff, which is not something that is easy to determine. Consensus seems to be that it is generally a 6 or a 7 if a school has such a cutoff.

About the only place this is readily available information is the required MCAT scores for students in BS/MD programs. For example, UConn requires that their BS/MD students take the MCAT before matriculation and score at least a 30 with a minimum of 8 in each section.

It depends on the program. This n=1, but when I spoke to a guy that was in UCSF admissions, he said most of the time what makes them reject an applicant is seeing that the score is unbalanced on verbal.

 

[user3]

It depends on the program. This n=1, but when I spoke to a guy that was in UCSF admissions, he said most of the time what makes them reject an applicant is seeing that the score is unbalanced on verbal.

but UCSF is practically the most competitive med school in the US

 

[TriagePreMed]

but UCSF is practically the most competitive med school in the US

But look at the OP's list, which includes UCSF.

 

[lumbricoides]

This is too top heavy. I don't think success can come off it this late in the cycle, especially the low verbal. Very early in the cycle I would have predicted at least 3-6 interviews.

Nevada doesn't take out of state I think? Check that before losing money.

Nevada takes a reasonable number of OOS, but not from Cali. Used to be if you were from the eastern slope of the sierras they would consider you, my understand now (from their website) is that is no longer the case. Washington doesn't take many from out of region (Cali is definitely not part of they region they serve as the primary medical school for). I think they took 6 last year (something like that from MSAR) several of which were md/phd...

 

[vcunanan]

Nobody likes a 7 verbal but it's not a dealbreaker in an otherwise good application (for the most part).

im a non-URM with a 3.95/31 (11 PS, 7 VR, 13 BS) and UCSF still decided to send me a secondary. i did send in my primary about two months earlier than the OP, but it seems that apparently they take a holistic approach to reviewing your application. stats are the easiest thing to screen for. if they were going to reject someone with a 7 verbal, wouldnt it make sense to not send them a secondary in the first place? especially since UCSF cuts nearly 6000 applicants pre-secondary.

so, to gyngyn's point (hello again!), a 7 verbal isnt necessarily a dealbreaker in certain circumstances.

 

[gyngyn]

im a non-URM with a 3.95/31 (11 PS, 7 VR, 13 BS) and UCSF still decided to send me a secondary. i did send in my primary about two months earlier than the OP, but it seems that apparently they take a holistic approach to reviewing your application. stats are the easiest thing to screen for. if they were going to reject someone with a 7 verbal, wouldnt it make sense to not send them a secondary in the first place? especially since UCSF cuts nearly 6000 applicants pre-secondary.

so, to gyngyn's point (hello again!), a 7 verbal isnt necessarily a dealbreaker in certain circumstances.

Tell us how it goes!

 

[TriagePreMed]

im a non-URM with a 3.95/31 (11 PS, 7 VR, 13 BS) and UCSF still decided to send me a secondary. i did send in my primary about two months earlier than the OP, but it seems that apparently they take a holistic approach to reviewing your application. stats are the easiest thing to screen for. if they were going to reject someone with a 7 verbal, wouldnt it make sense to not send them a secondary in the first place? especially since UCSF cuts nearly 6000 applicants pre-secondary.

so, to gyngyn's point (hello again!), a 7 verbal isnt necessarily a dealbreaker in certain circumstances.

Unfortunately, it does make sense. UCSF has a finite number of people and time set to review applications, which is why they don't send a secondary to everyone. However, they do send more secondaries than intended interviews because it makes money for them.