Need help with school list for CA resident with 3.76 GPA and 36 MCAT

[MaybeDr]

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[Cawolf]

I am also a CA resident making my school list and I have just two comments on your list.

1. It seems really top heavy, what schools do you consider "safer" choices? I say this not knowing how these schools look at 3 MCAT attempts.

2. Look into how UW accepts OOS students. Their OOS percentage may be high on paper, but most of those seats go to students from the WWAMI region. The actual out of WWAMI aceptance rate is 0.3% per their website.

Source: http://www.uwmedicine.org/education/documents/md-program/UWSOM-AdmissionsProcess.pdf

 

[Iceandmedicine]

I agree with the above poster, this school list looks very top heavy to me. If the 36 was on your first attempt, then maybe this list would have been more reasonable, but if I were you I would cut a couple of those heavy hitters (Stanford, UCSF, Univ Washington) and also leave out Boston university (they get a huge number of applicants and only select students for interviews who they believe match their mission)

 

[MaybeDr]

It's been my understanding that they only really look at your most current score. I was told by an advisor that regardless if they look at all or one score that they would be impressed by the verbal improvement rather than holding it against me.


I misinterpreted MSAR's comment- "Note: Residents of WA, WY, AK, MT, ID are considered "in-state" " I thought they were saying they included them in the in state category.

 

[Iceandmedicine]

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[Iceandmedicine]

It's been my understanding that they only really look at your most current score. I was told by an advisor that regardless if they look at all or one score that they would be impressed by the verbal improvement rather than holding it against me.


I misinterpreted MSAR's comment- "Note: Residents of WA, WY, AK, MT, ID are considered "in-state" " I thought they were saying they included them in the in state category.

I agree, your verbal increase in very impressive, and should be applauded by ad coms, but I don't know if that's how they look at multiple retakes involving such a huge jump in one of the sections (someone more knowledgeable than me should chime in).
The other reason though, that I recommended that you take off places like Stanford, UCSF, is that none of your ECs stand out as WOW to me. Don't get me wrong, your ECs are great and will most definitely get you in somewhere, but a lot of these top schools have their pick of the students with incredible grades and MCAT scores as well as very unique, impressive ECs. Also, only 100 hours of hospital volunteering might be on the low side...

 

[Cawolf]

I misinterpreted MSAR's comment- "Note: Residents of WA, WY, AK, MT, ID are considered "in-state" " I thought they were saying they included them in the in state category.

I just know it is really hard for a CA resident to get an interview there.

Here are my thoughts:

Why Columbia and NYU but not Cornell and Einstein? If you like NY and need some other schools like Albany why not NYMC and Hofstra?

Why Rush but not Loyola or RF?

I understand all the CA schools, I am there with you.

 

[gyngyn]

I understand all the CA schools, I am there with you.

Every CA applicant in the history of medical school has applied to all the CA schools!

 

[Cawolf]

Every CA applicant in the history of medical school has applied to all the CA schools!

I guess you can't beat the proximity to a support structure, cost of attendance, and quality of education. If only they were worse schools. . .

 

[gyngyn]

I guess you can't beat the proximity to a support structure, cost of attendance, and quality of education. If only they were worse schools. . .

Even I did it! That's why I can't fault 'em.

 

[Goro]

Noting wrong with aiming high!

You'll need to do some homework, though. From my list, cull out schools that average MCAT scores. Some schools do take them ,most recent or best score, or best composite (superscore).

U AZ
U Colorado
Miami
MCW
St. Louis
Albert Einstein
Rochester
BU
NYMC
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Emory
USC
Tulane
Loyola
Creighton
Mayo
Pitt
Northwestern
NYU
Vanderbilt
Columbia
Duke
Case
Any new MD school, especially Hofstra. But skip central MI.
U So FL
U Toledo
U Cincy
UCD
UCI
UCLA
UCR, if you're from the Inland Empire

 

[CannedPineapple]

Also, I applied with a 3.95/38 and not a single UC decided to interview me... Take that for what you want, but it might be a good idea to cut back on the UCs (I am biased here) and add a couple of schools in the mid west region: SLU is great, what about Rush or Loyola?

Edit:just saw that you already have rush on there. How about OHSU? Albert Einstein?

Yeah, I had really similar stats as you, with no UC invites either. High five bro.

 

[MaybeDr]

I think many would agree that I would be unwise not to include most if not all of the UCs because of their matriculants 80%+ are from California including UCSF. I agree with taking off some of them BU and Columbia maybe but my stats a very close to their average applicant.

I just know it is really hard for a CA resident to get an interview there.

Here are my thoughts:

Why Columbia and NYU but not Cornell and Einstein? If you like NY and need some other schools like Albany why not NYMC and Hofstra?

Why Rush but not Loyola or RF?

I understand all the CA schools, I am there with you.

RF- 40% out of state matriculants. Loyola- 50% out of state matriculants Rush- 65%. Maybe Loyola isn't a bad shot.

Cornell AVG GPA- 3.9 MCAT 36 %OOS mats- 50% Columbia AVG GPA 3.8 MCAT 36 %OOS mats-73% Columbia has lower stats so I picked it instead

Einstein would be a good choice as well though.

NYMC added. Hofstra only had 48% and with 39 mats total.

Granted matriculants are not the same as accepted, but I imagine it's pretty related.

Ice you did get quite a bit of love from some pretty decent schools.

 

[GodComplex]

Despite what has been said on here so far, I would still apply to the UCs. Some high stats people get no interviews, but I also know people that have lower stats who got interviews to several UCs. It's a crapshoot sometimes but you might as well take your chances since you are a CA resident.


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[gyngyn]

Despite what has been said on here so far, I would still apply to the UCs. Some high stats people get no interviews, but I also know people that have lower stats who got interviews to several UCs. It's a crapshoot sometimes but you might as well take your chances since you are a CA resident.


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Nobody blames the CA applicants (whatever their metrics) for applying to all the CA schools. It's normal.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

This is better than the NY thread.

Good luck, OP!!

 

[LoveIR]

Apply to all the UCs. Your list is too top heavy and you need to apply all over the country, particularly the Midwest and the South. Coming from California you should apply to 20-25 minimum.

 

[caffeinemia]

Every CA applicant in the history of medical school has applied to all the CA schools!

False. I got into a couple too. Wasn't impressed, didn't matriculate for the weather.

(I know it was hyperbole.)

 

[gyngyn]

False. I got into a couple too. Wasn't impressed, didn't matriculate for the weather.

(I know it was hyperbole.)

Remarkable.

 

[MaybeDr]

Based off what a few of you said I've modified my list a bit. Any other schools I should absolutely add, get rid of, or if it's overall still too top heavy.

So far UCSF, UCD, NYMC take most recent scores. While Tulane, Hofstra, UCI take the highest score. Miami looks at all scores and takes the highest with the most weight. Loyola averages the scores so I'm eliminating it from my list. Tufts takes the highest from all sections still I believe. The president of Accepted said somewhere on SDN most recent scores carry the most weight in the decision. She also said that increasing trends would not hurt the applicants chance at admission. I don't know how true this is.

 

[Cawolf]

Another question for you to consider.

Why Jeff and Temple but not Drexel?

I like your addition of Rochester and NYMC. Creighton is also good.

If you need more consider EVMS and RF. Seems like a good number though.

 

[Vain Brother]

you've certainly shown more willingness to do your own school research than the vast majority of people here, so kudos

one thing i will say is i think you misunderstand what exactly is a "high" OOS acceptance rate. anything over like 30% is good. the ones that are like 80-90% are the super-high tier schools that all the best applicants apply to or the ones in states that no one lives in

 

[nOchemallday]

Why Jeff and Temple but not Drexel?

I'm guessing it's because of the >12k apps Drexel gets for 260 seats (a large chunk of which are taken by BS/MD or early assurance programs).

 

[MaybeDr]

I weeded out Drexel because it receives 12k apps. Temple probably still isn't a brilliant choice at 9.5k but Jeff only received 8k.

 

[Cawolf]

Makes sense.

MSAR says Jeff was 10k+ and Temple was similar, only slightly higher.

 

[MaybeDr]

Oh I'm referring to out of state applicants