From low to average GPA with high MCAT. Chances for acceptance?

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BKQuaker

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Hey, I'm currently going into my senior year at UPenn and have a 3.45 science/math GPA and a 3.55 overall. I took the MCAT this past May and got a 38S. The problem is I did very poorly my sophmore year and got a D's in Physics 1 and 2. I started seeing counseling at school the summer after Soph year to work some stuff over and the therapist said I should see a psychiatrist because I was displaying ADHD symptoms. I saw the psych, was diagnosed with ADHD (was given medication), and also started working with the therapist to control my high anxiety control issues for several months. I re-took Physics junior year and got A's in both Phys 1 and 2 and as well as A's in Orgo 1 and 2 and some advanced bio classes. I've been working at the Penn Hospital for over a year, and am involved in some non-traditional pre-med EC's on campus (FM Radio Show, Fraternity, Dance Team), and have also shadowed a doctor for about 40 hours in NY. I just wanted to know how competitive I would look to some ad-coms and if my chances were blown after the Physics/Soph Yr fiasco. I'm looking at alot of med schools, including: SUNY Downstate, NYU, Albert Einstein, Penn, Yale, Columbia, Mount Sinai, UVA, Cornell, Northwestern, BU, Tufts, Stonybrook, GW, and Hopkins. If someone could please provide input on this matter and which schools I seem competitive for/out of the question I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

First off, congrats on getting your life in order and destroying the MCAT.

I'm somewhat in a similar position, although my MCAT isn't remotely as high as yours, I got a 32N.
I wasn't pre-med freshman year, so I had a 3.2, then I changed majors and life goals and ended up with a cumulative 3.55 with a 3.4s (I also was diagnosed with ADHD in the middle of my sophomore year of college). I've been working full-time in clinical research since graduation, and have some other outside volunteer positions (animal therapy and coming of age advisor at my church).

Your lowish GPA is going to be a flag for some schools and others aren't going to care as much, it's really going to depend on the school. I can't emphasize enough that it's really going to depend on the particular institution.

DO schools tend not to care as much about a high GPA as other aspects of your application so you might consider going that route.

My advice to you would be to apply to a pretty hefty amount of schools (10+), and if you get in all the more awesome. If you don't get in, call them and get some feedback.
 
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