Looking for help in where to apply (cGPA:3.8 sGPA:3.78)

[Parkeranger]

Backround:

• BS Human Biology at UCSD
• cGPA: 3.80
• sGPA total: 3.78
• MCAT: Taking in August (not ideal I know)
• California resident
• Community College transfer

I have one C, due to death in family but the lack of MCAT is the biggest issue I'm aware of

EC:

• Reality Changers Tutor/Mentor: 300 hours with underpriveleged highschool students
• Research: 450 hours
• Clinical Experience: 150 hours
• Shadowing: 15 hours
• Work: worked through the first two years of college
• Phi Beta Kappa (no clue if this is any use)
• Pantry Kitchen volunteer: 15 hours

I have no clue where to even begin applying to with these stats and any help would be greatly appreciated! I'm just looking for a place to start and you guys are the experts.

Thank you

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[Mr Magpie]

Good morning,

It's difficult to give you meaningful advice about a school list without your MCAT score (it is a large part of the metric).

How are the other aspects of your application coming together (PS, letters, experiences, etc)? I ask this because, by the time you receive your MCAT score you'll be choosing appropriate schools in September which means you may not even be complete until later that month or even October (which is rather late)... and if you opt to construct a school list in the dark you may end up wasting money applying to schools that wouldn't be realistic for your stats (and a lot of them won't really review your application without the MCAT score anyways).

Speaking from experience, applying late can literally be the sole factor that keeps you from an acceptance. While you still may get interviews, they may be only for a waitlist position. It's hard to have confidence in that game. Crushing the MCAT would be your best bet, but even then, it's an uphill battle.

It might be tough to reconcile with, but it may be in your best interest to wait another year to apply (in this time you can boost your experiences, get some work experience, and depending on how your test goes, improve your score).

 

[Parkeranger]

I appreciate your response and candid assesment. I have 2 LORs from science faculty, one is from a distinguished professor. I have another from a board member of the Reality Changers organization that I volunteer with. He's told me to write whatever I need to in the letter and he'll sign. My experiences are decent and I have a past of overcoming adversity with respect to the family death mentioned above. If I did choose to apply in the dark, I would most likely aim low and keep reach schools out of the equation. For a california resident, which schools would I be looking at?

 

[Mr Magpie]

If I did choose to apply in the dark, I would most likely aim low and keep reach schools out of the equation. For a california resident, which schools would I be looking at?

We can work with this.

Here's some schools I can think of:
- Albany
- Rosalind Franklin
- Creighton
- Drexel
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Meharry
- New York Medical college
- Oakland University, William Beaumont
- Penn state
- Saint Luis University
- Tulane University
- Virginia Commonwealth
- Wake Forest
- University of Vermont
- Temple

I'm sure there are more... (the MSAR is a great source, with particular attention to OOS matriculates and median gpa/mcat)

Also, I'm not sure what the turn around time is for scoring the new MCAT, but some schools have deadlines for the latest MCAT score they will accept. That in itself could hold you back at some schools too. I'd start going through admissions pages of a given school to verify their requirement before adding it to your list.

Best of luck my fellow Triton

 

[Goro]

MSAR Online is your pal.