Critique/Trim My School List-cGPA 3.97, sGPA 3.97, MCAT 39

[eleveneleven]

Hey Folks! Sorry if I'm being overly neurotic, but I could use some feedback/help trimming my list if you guys don't mind. I know my stats/ECs are strong, but I am concerned about how my research will be viewed by top schools and wonder if I should look into removing a few of those. Any criticism or schools to remove/add would be very much appreciated. Thank you!!!

California Resident, non-URM
Graduated May 2012
cGPA: 3.97
sGPA: 3.97
MCAT: 39

Clinical:
2,000 Hours Scribe
75 Hours ICU Volunteer
56 Hours Palliative Care Unit Volunteer (while studying abroad in Spain)
240 Hours International Volunteering in Public Clinic in South America

Research:

500 Hours Geology Research over the course of 10 months during junior year
Periodically worked (and currently working-though not much) with PI/Grad student since then (~40 hours more or so) on a paper (submitted, accepted with revisions, withdrew, now working on a new version of the original). My contribution to this wasn't huge but if it anything does ever go to publication on this I would be listed as an author.
1 Poster Presentation at International Conference
1 Oral Presentation (analyzing/presenting the research program I participated in) at International Conference
1 Poster presentation at Undergraduate Symposium
$5,000 awarded in research funding

Non-Clinical Volunteer:
128 Hours giving Neuroscience presentations to local schools (with leadership role)
40 Hours reading to kids with a community organization
20 Hours as a TA at local high school
20 Hours teaching local elementary schoolers

Leadership:
640 Hours in unique leadership role related to scribing (currently doing this and will be doing throughout app year)

Shadowing:
50 Hours Internal Medicine
40 Hours Various Pediatric Specialties
20 Hours Interventional Neuroradiologis

Other:
100 Hours as Intern at Medical Malpractice Office
160 Hours at Student Radio Station

Honors/Awards:
Phi Beta Kappa

Tentative School List:

Cornell
Columbia
Harvard
Mayo
Johns Hopkins
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
UCSF
Wash. U
Stanford
Yale
University of Pennsylvania

UCLA
USC
UCSD
UCI
Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Mount Sinai
NYU
University of Virginia
Emory
University of Pittsburgh

Tufts
Tulane
Rosalind Franklin
Albert Einstein
New York Medical College
University of Vermont
Saint Louis University


Thanks!

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[Goro]

Wow! Congrats on your outstanding scores! You're clearly gotten out of life what you've put into it.

In your case, aim high. the sky's the limit for you. I don't think you need many low-tiers as safety schools, unless your interviewing skills kill you.

Suggest adding a few more public schools...good to save on tuition. Especially suggest U WA, UTx Southwestern, and Baylor too. And why not UCR and UCD?


Cornell
Columbia
Harvard
Mayo
Johns Hopkins
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
UCSF
Wash. U
Stanford
Yale
University of Pennsylvania

UCLA
USC
UCSD
UCI
Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Mount Sinai
NYU
University of Virginia
Emory
University of Pittsburgh

Tufts
TulaneYou can do better
Rosalind Franklin You can do better
Albert Einstein
New York Medical College You can do better
University of Vermont
Saint Louis University

 

[mcloaf]

Hey Folks! Sorry if I'm being overly neurotic, but I could use some feedback/help trimming my list if you guys don't mind. I know my stats/ECs are strong, but I am concerned about how my research will be viewed by top schools and wonder if I should look into removing a few of those. Any criticism or schools to remove/add would be very much appreciated. Thank you!!!

California Resident, non-URM

cGPA: 3.97
sGPA: 3.97
MCAT: 39

Clinical:
2,000 Hours Scribe
75 Hours ICU Volunteer
56 Hours Palliative Care Unit Volunteer (while studying abroad in Spain)
240 Hours International Volunteering in Public Clinic in South America

Research:

540 Hours Geology Research
1 Poster Presentation at International Conference
1 Oral Presentation (analyzing/presenting the research program I participated in) at International Conference
1 Poster presentation at Undergraduate Symposium
$5,000 awarded in research funding

Non-Clinical Volunteer:
128 Hours giving Neuroscience presentations to local schools (with leadership role)
40 Hours reading to kids with a community organization
20 Hours as a TA at local high school
20 Hours teaching local elementary schoolers

Leadership:
640 Hours in unique leadership role related to scribing

Shadowing:
50 Hours Internal Medicine
40 Hours Various Pediatric Specialties
20 Hours Interventional Neuroradiologis

Other:
100 Hours as Intern at Medical Malpractice Office
160 Hours at Student Radio Station

Honors/Awards:
Phi Beta Kappa

Tentative School List:

Cornell
Columbia
Harvard
Mayo
Johns Hopkins
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
UCSF
Wash. U
Stanford
Yale
University of Pennsylvania

UCLA
USC
UCSD
UCI
Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Mount Sinai
NYU
University of Virginia
Emory
University of Pittsburgh

Tufts
Tulane
Rosalind Franklin
Albert Einstein
New York Medical College
University of Vermont
Saint Louis University


Thanks!

I honestly wouldn't bother with any of the schools in your lowest group there unless you are interested them for a particular reason beyond "safety". I had similar stats, stronger research but much weaker service ECs and I ended up regretting applying to the schools that I included outside of the top ~25 since I got accepted somewhere I would rather have gone pretty early in the cycle. That being said, hindsight is always 20/20 and were I in your shoes now I'd probably want to include some lower/mid tier safeties to make me feel better.

Could you elaborate a bit more on your research? 500 hours isn't very clear--what is the time period? Is this ongoing?

Suggest adding a few more public schools...good to save on tuition. Especially suggest U WA, UTx Southwestern, and Baylor too. And why not UCR and UCD?

I would not expect UWashington to interview, let alone accept OP as a California resident. UTSW and Baylor seem reasonable, as does Davis (though that's subject to the same "safety" concerns as above).

 

[khrisskhoras]

Good list, but don't apply to Davis

 

[eleveneleven]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I will definitely look into UTSW and Baylor, though I don't really see myself living in Texas. As for Davis/Riverside, again, those were left off mainly due to location concerns and I figured I'd rather save any potential safeties for areas that I would be more interested in (would prefer living in a bigger city).

I've also updated the first post slightly to better explain my research involvement/timeframe.

 

[Goro]

According to my MSAR, UWa has about 10% of it's class as OOS. OPs stats would certainly fall into the category of getting their attention. OP, I leeave it up to you. Perhaps a call to their Admissions Dean might let you know if you're competitive there.



I would not expect UWashington to interview, let alone accept OP as a California resident. UTSW and Baylor seem reasonable, as does Davis (though that's subject to the same "safety" concerns as above).[/QUOTE]

 

[mcloaf]

According to my MSAR, UWa has about 10% of it's class as OOS. OPs stats would certainly fall into the category of getting their attention. OP, I leeave it up to you. Perhaps a call to their Admissions Dean might let you know if you're competitive there.



I would not expect UWashington to interview, let alone accept OP as a California resident. UTSW and Baylor seem reasonable, as does Davis (though that's subject to the same "safety" concerns as above).

[/QUOTE]

Generally I believe UW reserves the few out of region spots it has for applicants who demonstrate a very strong commitment to rural and/or under served communities. I don't think stats will matter as much here.

 

[khrisskhoras]

I think a large portion of that 10% OOS are MD/PhDs