Ok what are my chances?

[Asomasu]

4.0 BCPM
4.0 all
(top 100 undergrad)
Biochemistry Major
13PS 9VR 13BS M
35M
20years old
-Private tutor,
-Research (2 posters, 2 coauthor pubs),
-Advocacy chair relay for life,
-co-founder of Colleges against cancer,
-extensive volunteer in Duke cancer patient support program,
-shadowed a reseach oncologist, an anesthesiologist for 3 surgeries and a clinical oncologist.
-Co-founder of a campus organization.
-Ballroom dancing.
-Class rank 1 of 8501.
-Hook is in the Personal Statement. It is a tearjerker and very compelling. (advisor's words, who is said to be incredibly judgemental).
-Excellent LOR's from all fields

Schools worried about:
Duke
Stanford
Harvard
Yale
J. Hop.
U. Penn.
Baylor

sort of worried:
UT southwestern
Cornell
Columbia
U. Chic.
UNC
Mayo

7 safeties not mentioned

Ok guys, please give me some advice. I AM NOT FISHING!
I know my app is decent, but let's be honest, we have heard some horror stories about this process. The writing and unbalanced score and the 9 in verbal is bugging me.

I suppose, in your opinion, where in my list do you think I will land. Honest opinion? (Mdapplicants did not help)

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[xanthomondo]

I don't mean to flame you, but if you can achieve a 4.0 GPA in biochemistry, valedictorian of a 1000+ class and a 35 on the MCAT (with being in the ~top 4% in the nation in both BS and PS) you're obviously a very intelligent person.

Why would you need the crutch in begging for online advice from strangers? Seriously, at some point no one is going to be able to *definitely* tell you how you're going to do. Just make sure you interview well (practice some mock interviews) and you know you'll do just fine in the process. The AAMC releases the statistical averages for all of the schools which you listed.

Grow some confidence

 

[Argephontes]

You need to ask yourself: How could I be in much better of a position? You're going to do great; just make sure you nail your secondaries and interviews. Good luck!

Argephontes

 

[skssexy]

Hi,

I had a 3.6 AO GPA at UCLA. My BCPM is probably a little lower at around 3.5. I had a couple of F's in important science classes but I retook them and got A's. My MCAT is 32M (v: 10, ps: 10, bs: 12). I'm worried about that "M." Should I be?

Here's the more important question though: I know I could do better on the MCAT. Should I retake it in July or August and turn in my application a little later? I was going to turn it in by late June, but I don't know. I know my F's are red flags and I wanted to make it up with a stellar MCAT score. I know my MCAT score isn't bad, but I left the testing center knowing I screwed up on the physical sciences and writing sections. Verbal and biological sciences came out just as expected.

Anyway, any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ToStrikeInfinit]

OP, you're fine. Seriously. Like, I'd much rather be in your position (solid ECs, minor dent in scores), than in the position I'm invariably going to find myself in.

 

[Asomasu]

Thank you, you guys, and you are right to flame. I suppose I have no one around me to discuss this with since they are either not applying or a 2nd year. Never the less, I let the damn MCAT hype get the best of me. I was never worried about being a good doc. So i should not have even worried in the first place.

 

[xanthomondo]

Hi,

I had a 3.6 AO GPA at UCLA. My BCPM is probably a little lower at around 3.5. I had a couple of F's in important science classes but I retook them and got A's. My MCAT is 32M (v: 10, ps: 10, bs: 12). I'm worried about that "M." Should I be?

Here's the more important question though: I know I could do better on the MCAT. Should I retake it in July or August and turn in my application a little later? I was going to turn it in by late June, but I don't know. I know my F's are red flags and I wanted to make it up with a stellar MCAT score. I know my MCAT score isn't bad, but I left the testing center knowing I screwed up on the physical sciences and writing sections. Verbal and biological sciences came out just as expected.

Anyway, any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Your GPA stats are probably going to be lower when AMCAS computes them because they will include the Fs. I wouldn't retake the MCAT - the chance of you doing worse is better than you improving your score (which will hurt your application).

Improve on the Fs - take upper-division courses in the subjects that you struggled in and get involved in extra curriculars

 

[Narmerguy]

Well, I guess your grades could be better.

 

[virusgirl]

Hi all --

I'm new here, and I'm applying for 2009. I feel like while my overall application "package" is good, there are a couple of things that I'm worried about. So I was wondering if I'm just worrying excessively (as I often do) or if I really have a problem.

Bio major, MS in Microbiology
MCAT: 33T (10 VR 11 PS 12 BS)
ECs: Lots of community service in college (although not clinical), shadowed as an undergrad in the local ER, no time for volunteering while in grad school but I'm volunteering at a hospital now.
LOR: no reason to think these aren't good
Research: 2 summer research internships in college, senior independent study, currently employed as a research tech, 1 publication (2nd author)
Personal statement: feedback I've gotten has been positive. I think it's pretty good.
Overall GPA: 3.67
BCPM GPA: 3.56
Non-BCPM GPA: 3.89

So here are my concerns:
1.) I withdrew from two courses with record. One was gen chem 1 with nightmare professor -- I retook this class over the summer and got an A-. The other was calc 3, which was just really hard and was kicking my butt.
2.) I took an Anatomy and Physiology class at a college while in high school, and got a C+. I never dreamed that AMCAS would care about this, but they very clearly do.
3.) This is the biggest issue (I think): my grad advisor and I did NOT get along, and there is a downward trend in the grades he gave me for my research (A- > B+ > B) -- my other grad school grades are good (my overall grad GPA is similar to my undergrad). He also declined to write one of my recommendations, and while I have another LOR pertaining to my research, I feel like this is a problem.

These are the schools I'm applying to:

Allopathic:
UMass (I'm a resident)
BU
Thomas Jefferson
Tufts
Tulane
Loyola
Temple
Drexel
GW
Rosalind franklin
U Rochester
Dartmouth
Wake Forest
Georgetown
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson
VCU
NY Medical College
Albany Medical College
EVMS
Marshall

Osteopathic:
Chicago COM
LECOM
NYCOM
PCOM
UMDNJ - osteopathic school
UNE

Given my stats, does this seem like a reasonable list of schools? Do you think I will get in someplace? I keep focusing on the aspects of my application that I don't like and I don't know if I'm worrying too much or if I'm really not getting in anywhere... Would appreciate some feedback! Thanks! (and sorry for the long post)

 

[abcabc1]

Virusgirl: your list is reasonable. You should be able to get in somewhere and you are applying broadly. You may not need to apply to Osteopathic schools unless you're considering them as your first choice. I don't think you'll need to spend the money, convince them why Osteopathic Medicine vs Allopathic, etc.