Please Help Me Narrow Down My List of Schools

[NorwegianRepresentative]

MCAT - 507
cGPA - 3.8
sGPA - 3.7
Solid E.C.

I would like a balance between applying broadly, but still having sufficient time to focus on producing quality secondaries/not wasting my money. I have looked through MSAR and other sources and am now looking for some more personal experience reasoning for keeping some schools and getting rid of others. Thanks for your help in advance.

State schools
VCU
MCW
Dartmouth
Saint Louis
Vermont
George Washington
Temple
Miami
Creighton
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
NYMC
Drexel
Albany
Georgetown
Rush
Thomas Jefferson
West Virginia
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Penn State
Oakland

Also of note, I am interested in possibly pursuing a masters of engineering during medical school if offered, if that could help narrow down the list as many school websites are not very clear on which schools specifically offer this.

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[Goro]

I suggest:


State schools
VCU
MCW
Saint Louis
Vermont
Temple
Creighton
Drexel
Rosalind Franklin
NYMC
Albany
Thomas Jefferson
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Oakland

 

[NorwegianRepresentative]

I suggest:


State schools
VCU
MCW
Saint Louis
Vermont
Temple
Creighton
Drexel
Rosalind Franklin
NYMC
Albany
Thomas Jefferson
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Oakland

I am guessing that you removed:
Dartmouth, Miami = too big of a reach
George Washington, Georgetown, Loyola = over saturated w/applications

Any reasons other than the aforementioned for removing those schools?
Also what would be the reasoning for removing - West Virginia, Penn State, and Rush if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks for the response

 

[Goro]

WVU: any ties to the state or region? Are you a rural person with the EC bonafides to back it up?
Penn State: I can't recommend them because their parent organization protected a child molester for > 20 years.
Rush: has large service requirements that most applicants don't have.

Also what would be the reasoning for removing - West Virginia, Penn State, and Rush if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks for the response[/QUOTE]

 

[WedgeDawg]

WVU: any ties to the state or region? Are you a rural person with the EC bonafides to back it up?
Penn: I can't recommend them because their parent organization protected a child molester for > 20 years.
Rush: has large service requirements that most applicants don't have.

Also what would be the reasoning for removing - West Virginia, Penn State, and Rush if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks for the response

[/QUOTE]

Big difference between Penn and Penn State, Goro

Just sayin

 

[GrapesofRath]

What state? If it's a state with a very high IS matriculation rate there isnt much point applying OOS. Some states also tend to do well in placing their applicants into specific schools. Also Im assuming the 507 is your only attempt?

Itd help to know the details of your ECs(particularly service)

Youre scraping at Miami's 10th percentile MCAT and when they go OOS they tend to use it to increase their class stats not lower them
Rush is as low yield as it gets both in terms of apps/spot and their service expectations.
RFU is another low yield option. GW and Drexel are also part of this mix with 15k applications. You could throw Temple and NYMC in here also
WVU tends to take people from bordering states in their OOS class although this isnt set in stone
You're scraping Wake Forests 10th percentile MCAT and that's another school that's another school with an unfavorable OOS app/OOS matriculant ratio
G-town, Loyola, SLU and Creighton are either Jesuit schools or ones with significant commitment to service. If you dont have that those might be more options to consider cutting(espec the first two).

 

[Goro]

Fixed!!

Big difference between Penn and Penn State, Goro

Just sayin [/QUOTE]

 

[NorwegianRepresentative]

What state? If it's a state with a very high IS matriculation rate there isnt much point applying OOS. Some states also tend to do well in placing their applicants into specific schools. Also Im assuming the 507 is your only attempt?

Itd help to know the details of your ECs(particularly service)

Youre scraping at Miami's 10th percentile MCAT and when they go OOS they tend to use it to increase their class stats not lower them
Rush is as low yield as it gets both in terms of apps/spot and their service expectations.
RFU is another low yield option. GW and Drexel are also part of this mix with 15k applications. You could throw Temple and NYMC in here also
WVU tends to take people from bordering states in their OOS class although this isnt set in stone
You're scraping Wake Forests 10th percentile MCAT and that's another school that's another school with an unfavorable OOS app/OOS matriculant ratio
G-town, Loyola, SLU and Creighton are either Jesuit schools or ones with significant commitment to service. If you dont have that those might be more options to consider cutting(espec the first two).

My IS schools are a bit strange in who they accept and don't accept without too much rhyme or reason, meaning that I cannot bank on them. I have about 400 hours non-clinical and 400 hours clinical volunteering, but it sounds like not quite on the magnitude that Rush is looking for. The most hours I have are in Leadership/Teaching category with close to a 1000 hours. I have some research experience and some other areas of interest that I will include on my application such as medical device development through my engineering degree background.

My updated list and brief reasonings:
State Schools - obvious
VCU - fit into their stats, 1.5 year curriculum and family ties
MCW - solid school that accepts a fair number of students from my undergrad
Dartmouth - reach school, but am interested in their masters of engineering
Saint Louis - solid school that accepts a fair number of students from my undergrad
Vermont - great location, accepts a fair number from undergrad
George Washington - low yield, but have family in the area so feel it is worth a shot
Temple - solid school, fit into their stats
Creighton - solid school, fit into their stats
NYMC - low yield, but have heard good things from students, fit stats
Jefferson - solid school, fit stats
EVMS - an alright school, family in the area
Drexel - still not sure on this one, fit into their stats but that is about it
Albany - have heard ranging responses and is still on the bubble
Oakland - still a new school, but have heard good things about it, on the bubble still for me
Rosalind Franklin - I have heard the widest range of responses for this school from love it to look the other way and run away, they accept a fair number of students from my undergrad

With that being said, I believe my bubble schools are still Drexel, Albany, Oakland, and Rosalind Franklin if anyone has any input on them.

Thanks

 

[GrapesofRath]

Looks fine. You can add Western Michigan and Penn State as well.

Out of your bubble schools Id definitely keep Albany and Oakland. RFU is low enough yield where you can take it off. Drexel might be in that same category to a lesser extent.