Need School List Help! 4.0 GPA and 37 MCAT

[Absolute_Zero]

Hi everyone! I'm currently struggling to reduce my school list. Any help would be awesome and greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone in advance; I really appreciate all the input.

Male, Asian; IL resident
cGPA/sGPA: 4.0
MCAT (PS/BR/V): 37

Clinical/non-clinical volunteering:

• Local clinic for underserved populations: 70 hours
• Emergency Department at nearby hospital: 65 hours
• Cook meals at a local hospice: 20 hours

Shadowing:

• Orthopedic surgeons (30 hours)

Research:

• Two independent projects in high school (~200 hours each project)
• One short term 6-month stint in a cancer biology lab that eventually lost funding (~100 hours)
• 3 semesters and one summer in a cancer genetics lab. One poster presentation (easily around 600-700 hours)
  • Received a small funding grant to fund my summer (~$3500)
• Clinical Research internship at a local hospital working in the neonatal department

Employment:

• Residential Teaching Assistant at a summer camp at a top 20 school. (1 summer)
• Student Peer Tutor (2 years)
• Graphic designer for a university department

Extracurriculars:

• President of cultural organization (PR chair and Freshman rep years before)
• Treasurer and co-founder of a culinary club (2 years)
• Choreographer of a hip hop dance crew (2 years)
• Founded a new umbrella organization dedicated to diversity and inclusion on a university level

Awards:

• Four scholarship awards
• Several student academic achievement awards
• Outstanding student leader nominee

Looking at my application, I am most worried about my volunteering and shadowing hours. I'm scared that they make me less attractive to the higher end schools. Would like people's thoughts on this.

Now onto the school list:

• Baylor
• Boston University
• Case Western
• Columbia
• Duke
• Emory
• Dartmouth
• Harvard
• Mt. Sinai
• JHU
• USC
  
• Loyola
• Mayo
• NYU
• Northwestern
• OSU
• UPenn
• Rush
• Stanford
• Tufts
• Tulane
• UCSF
• UChicago
• Cincinatti
• University of Illinois-- Chicago
• U of M
• Pitt
• UVA
• Vandy
• Wake Forst
• WashU
• Cornell
• Yale

Not sure if my list is too top heavy considering my application's credentials. Thank you everyone again for all of your help. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read through my post.

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[yeezuswest]

I may not be the most qualified to help you out, but from what I can tell, with stats/EC's like this, it seems like at this point the only thing stopping you from getting into a top school would be down to like your interviewing or personality skills. Obviously you're smart and motivated, but you always hear about 4.0 students getting rejected from their dream schools because they have no social skills. Likewise, there are a lot of people who get into the schools you listed with much lower scores/qualifications, simply due to their passion and their ability to convey it to schools.

 

[Absolute_Zero]

I totally agree. Stats will only get you so far in this application process. I don't think I am a poor interviewee, but then again I won't know until I practice a bit and get to the actual schools. Do you have any recommendations for schools I should remove off this list?

 

[Goro]

Nothing wrong with aiming high. I do recommend that you get in more volunteering hrs and shadow some other clincians, who are orthopods.

Nothing wrong with aiming high. I suggest:

• Baylor
• Boston University
• Case Western
• Columbia
• Duke
• Emory
• Harvard
• Mt. Sinai
• JHU
• USC
  
• Loyola
• Mayo
• NYU
• Northwestern
• OSU
• UPenn
• Stanford
• Tufts
• Tulane
• UCSF OR UCSD
• UChicago
• Cincinatti
• University of Illinois-- Chicago
• Pitt
• UVA
• Vandy
• Wake Forst
• WashU
• Cornell
• Yale
• Hofstra
• Einstein
• Jefferson
• U MI
• SUNY SB
• U AZ
• U CO
• U VM
• IU
• U IA
• U WI

 

[Absolute_Zero]

Goro, thank you for your input. I am definitely in the process of getting more volunteer and shadowing hours this summer. I am in an internship program that gives a ton of hours to students.

In terms of the list of schools you've drafted, are they in any particular order? Also how many schools in different perceived tiers do you think I should apply to in order to maintain an balanced application repertoire?

 

[ticktock5051]

Seems like a good list. Just make sure you have all the requirements. Many of those schools listed require biochem.

 

[Absolute_Zero]

Thanks everyone for your input. I've managed to par the list down a bit more after spending a couple nights scouring the MSAR. Here's my updated list. Any input would be awesome and greatly appreciated.

• Brown
• Columbia
• Cornell
• CWRU
• Duke
• Harvard
• JHU
• Loyola
• Northwestern
• NYU
• OSU
• Rush
• Stanford
• U Chicago
• U Mich
• University of Illinois - Chicago
• UPenn
• Vanderbilt
• WashU
• Yale

I can't but feel like the list is still a bit too top heavy. But looking to trim 2-4 more schools off this list. Thanks again everyone!

 

[WedgeDawg]

Remove Brown (interview 3% of applicants...)

Add a few (2-4) schools like UVA, Rochester, Einstein, Emory, Wake Forest.