Gpa 3.65 mcat ?

[MrMe123]

Editing since got my answer, thanks!

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[MrMe123]

I forgot to mention I was president of a tutoring group that tutors underprivileged high school students in Baltimore for 2 years, which won several awards while I was presidencing, and I volunteered at a nursing home since high school, now just when I'm back in my home state

 

[NavyDoc23]

I think if you score in the mid to high 30's on your MCAT you'll have a great chance at both of those New York schools as well as pretty much every other school. Your ECs/Research/Clinical exposures are outstanding. Maybe just add a little more non-clinical volunteering. Don't worry about how some of your ECs are theater based - it actually enhances your application in my opinion. Med schools like the unique qualities of people. Good luck in your gap year and rock that MCAT!

 

[MrMe123]

I hope so, it seems that most people from Hopkins with a 3.65 and a 36ish get waitlisted or rejected after interview, or just rejected altogether.

Quite honestly, I really see myself at Columbia location wise and based on their curriculum and stress on ECs, and I would love to direct and act there and possibly even, IDK, get an MD while I'm at it too. I just feel like I'm on the cusp, and while I have limited knowledge of the applicants on the sites I've looked through that were ultimately rejected, I feel very nervous.

There are a lot of directions I can go in with my PS that I'm incredibly passionate about, being theater (and I know how it relates to human compassion, understanding patients wants and needs, etc and can expand on it and why I love theater because I love people), my bad moment sophmore year, existential nihilism (jk), the works. I mean I specifically want to do Psychiatry, and I have written a lot about it for my own purposes, but I obviously am going to keep that to myself. But essentially, I'm a little lost in what I should market as my selling point in my PS.

 

[NavyDoc23]

If I were you, I wouldn't talk about your semester of depression in your PS. I would try focusing on positive experiences. Lots of secondaries have an essay question that asks if you had any significant struggles during your time in undergrad. I think your depression story would work better there. I think you should talk about theater, because it does sound like it had a significant influence. I would also add in some of your clinical experience - but target something specific. Maybe you had an encounter with a patient or physician that you won't forget for whatever reason and that it influenced you to want to pursue medicine. I would also express goals you have in your PS. What kind of doctor do you see yourself being? Do you want to serve in a rural area? urban area? medically underserved area? overseas? missions? etc.. You could talk about psychiatry at this point, too. Just make sure you spend A LOT of time on it and have an advisor, physician, and english prof go through it with you. Your ideas can be great, but if your essay is lacking grammatically, with transitions, wording etc, it will take a lot away from your ideas. So definitely spend a considerable amount of time on it.

 

[Entadus]

So I am just going to list my credentials

My GPA is tentatively going to end at a 3.65

I'm taking my MCAT in three weeks and I've been scoring 11s through 13s on the sections now consistently (about a 35 on average on practices), so I assume with the adrenaline rush on the day of the exam I'll end with a 38? I know this is presumptuous, but let's just pretend to be in happy land that it will slightly go up rather than down

Science GPA is a 3.5

You're right, this is highly presumptuous of you. With the MCAT, nothing is guaranteed. If I were you, I would spend less time on the WAMC forum and more time on the MCAT forum (and especially more time in the MCAT books!). You are just as likely, if not more likely, to go down on the real test versus your practice exams. Don't get too overconfident.

 

[Goro]

Write as something you overcame, and how if possible, it explains your interest in Medicine. To me, the PS should answer "Who are you" and "Why Medicine?"

1. I wanted my personal statement to be about what my semester of depression was like and how it made me determined to be a doctor, because I sincerely mean that, but I don't know if I should fixate on something that seems like a flaw. I want to talk about how it's not a semester that should be disregarded because it was if anything pivotal. I don't know if this would make me look worse than if I just went with something different that's maybe less "interesting"
   
   
   You're doing pretty good right now, so yes to both. Try ALL NY schools, and those in PA as well.
   
2. Do I have a chance, assuming I land the high 30 MCAT and the NIH postbac program (I know those are a medium and large sized jump but I'm very determined and hopeful), of a strong NY med school like Columbia or Einstein? I really would like to be in NY, if not those schools do you have any suggestions?
   
   
   Only if you're convinced that he can write a good letter. A bad LOR will sink your chances as easily as if you set fire to your app.
   
   
3. Should I have a professor from my bad semester write a letter of "rec" explaining my situation that semester? It would be my organic chem 2 prof.

[/QUOTE]

 

[MrMe123]

You're right, this is highly presumptuous of you. With the MCAT, nothing is guaranteed. If I were you, I would spend less time on the WAMC forum and more time on the MCAT forum (and especially more time in the MCAT books!). You are just as likely, if not more likely, to go down on the real test versus your practice exams. Don't get too overconfident.

Yes, that is absolutely true, I think a large part of what's helped me however recently is that I stopped thinking I was going to get 10s and that boost in morale actually reflected in my scores (or maybe it was just coincidental. But I think confidence is healthy in a stressful setting, and if I do end up with a plain 30 I'll adjust my goals accordingly (BUT IM GONNA GET A HIGH THIRTY DARN IT)

Yeah, I've been going over everything over and over and over (I'm reading the PR bio book for the fourth time and am going to take the SA tomorrow since it's my major weakness right now relative to the other sections). I'll look over the MCAT forum too to see questions asked, thanks for the tip.

I'll hold off on a rec though @Goro, since I feel like the prof was more so sympathetic to me than enamored by me (he knew me as my illness and sympathized, not as a distinguished student based on academics). I guess the GPA change explains the story well enough.

Ok, well thanks guys! I'll take Entadus's advice and stop worrying about this and worry more about studying. I just got a 12/11/13 on AAMC 10 so I'm very excited Three weeks and I can check this off my list.