Help with school list (CA 3.85/34)

[turtlegladiator]

Hi! Most likely a re-app from 2014-2015 cycle (currently WL)

Reposting this from WAMC, just wanted to get some more opinions

3.85 cGPA/3.9+ sGPA (flat trend) from top 25 undergrad
34 MCAT (14 PS/ 11 BS/ 9 VR)
Asian male
CA Resident

EC:
-3 summers playing piano at nursing home (~150hrs)
-10 weeks tutoring 5th graders
-Patient transporter at hospital (~180 hours)
-Physician shadowing (~200 1 neurologist for a year, ~6 hours each at 2 family doctors) (<- imbalanced?)
-1.5 years research at neurobio lab (no pub/poster/presentation)
-10 months full time assistant assistant at cardio clinic (take vitals, update charts, ekgs, paperwork stuff) (new since 2014 primary submission, ongoing)
-Volunteer at hospital (~120 hours, new since 2014 primary submission,ongoing)

2015 School list:
Re-apps at:
Albany
Drexel (interviewed, currently wl, worth applying to again?)
EVMS
Emory
Keck
Jefferson
Temple
Tufts
SUNY Buffalo (interviewed, rej w/o WL, worth applying to again?)
UCD
UCSD (interviewed, rej w/o WL, worth applying to again?)
Vermont
Wake


Not re-app at:
einstein
case western
rosalind
quinippiac
sinai
loyola
mcwisconsin
nymc
rush
stonybrook
vtech
uci
Quinnipiac
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
St. Louis
Downstate
BU
VCU
UCF



2014: Probably below average EC and poor interviewing skills, also possibly low Verbal, but I've added some clinical experience (working full time at clinic and also volunteering 4hrs/week) and been practicing my interview skills. Also rewrote PS, got a LOR from the doctor I work at.

Any suggestions for schools to add/delete, comments on # of schools, or anything else to improve my app would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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[Faha]

From your re-app list you could delete Emory but definitely reapply to the places where you received interviews. Case is a reach. You could add these schools where your stats could get you an interview:
Creighton
Tulane
Sophie Davis (new school)
California Northstate (new school)
You can actually apply to California Northstate next week for their class matriculating in September 2015.Probably very few applicants are aware of this as the school only received preliminary accreditation a week ago.

 

[turtlegladiator]

From your re-app list you could delete Emory but definitely reapply to the places where you received interviews. Case is a reach. You could add these schools where your stats could get you an interview:
Creighton
Tulane
Sophie Davis (new school)
California Northstate (new school)
You can actually apply to California Northstate next week for their class matriculating in September 2015.Probably very few applicants are aware of this as the school only received preliminary accreditation a week ago.

Does it make a difference if I wasn't waitlisted after interview, but just rejected? And thanks again for your input

 

[Faha]

Does it make a difference if I wasn't waitlisted after interview, but just rejected? And thanks again for your input

If you were rejected post interview it is probably not worth applying again to those schools. Definitely apply to Drexel again.

 

[gyngyn]

Time for mock interviews.
I like your new list, though.
CA aps are going to be low yield as a re-applicant.

 

[Goro]

It will be important to contact the schools where you were rejected and ask for feedback (not advice or counseling) on your rejections. I concur with gyngyn that your interview skills were probably lacking, unless you have a major red flag in your app.

Does it make a difference if I wasn't waitlisted after interview, but just rejected? And thanks again for your input

 

[Doctorman45342]

How did you not get accepted last time? Thats crazy

 

[beachadventure]

WOW! You seem like you'd be a competitive candidate. I'm sure you'll get accepted soon. Good luck!

 

[GrapesofRath]

The interview skills probably kept you out of an MD last cycle but it's also worth noting the EC's last cycle while certainly not bad could have been strengthened. The work at the cardio clinic will help that.

That said it is a tad surprising out of Albany, Drexel, EVMS, Temple, Tufts, Vermont, Jefferson, and Wake you went 1/8 for even getting a II.

Your new list looks very good. And to answer your question send an application to all schools that gave you a II last cycle. I agree with gyngyn that other CA schools aren't worth the time.