Should I try to apply 2014 cycle?

[14hopeful]

Hi All, feeling kindy iffy about how my app will look by the time I apply:

GPA will be 3.82s, slightly higher overall. B.S. in biological Sciences

year and a half volunteering at a psychiatric research center
a year volunteering at an ER
40 hours shadowing several different physicians
a year volunteering at a library
several pieces of creative writing from my first two years published in the school newspaper
member of phi theta kappa (Community college honor society with GPA > 3.75 requirement)
Letter of recommendation from a doctor, the MD/PhD PI of my research study, and 2 professors
Slight activity in campus LGBT and gay straight alliance groups.

I haven't yet taken my MCAT, and here's where my issue lies. I won't be done with all my prerequisites until spring 2014, so I'll only have all the material covered at the end of april 2014. Is there time to a) study for the MCAT b) do decent on the MCAT and c) get my application submitted in decent time for the cycle.

I also feel like my volunteer hours are a little lacking.

Would my application benefit from an extra year of extra curriculars and a few more classes? Could probably push my GPA to a 3.85+ and study more for the MCAT as well as get more research and volunteer hours. Or will I get in somewhere this try

Would LOVE to stay in massachusetts or somewhere close by, but I know that can be iffy. I am a very very good test taker though so I feel with enough preparation I could score high 30s on the MCAT.

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[Mako555]

welcome!

You are off to a great start with that gpa.

You could definitely start studying MCAT stuff in January 2014, continue through the semester, and take the exam in May or June. You would be learning your last MCAT material from the pre-reqs as you are studying, which is great. You would get your score back in June or July and you would submit your AMCAS immediately once you got it. Your transcript would be verified already because you would have submitted it in like May. Your application would not be late, it would be perfectly on time.

What pre-reqs will you still be taking in spring 2014?

If you get high 30's you will have a good cycle, but an extra year of EC's and grades would help too. Right now I'd say your EC's meet the bare minimum but there is nothing that really stands out. At schools with a 3.85/35 average, most applicants have some more significant EC's. I'm just pointing this out to help you identify the weakest part of what is overall a pretty strong application (at this point).

 

[Tt1992]

Decent chance overall, I'd say.

 

[14hopeful]

I'll have all my prereqs done but that point but organic II. I'm taking that my last semester.

What would you recommend doing to help bolster my EC's? I'm a little pressed for time as I've been trying to cram 4 years of science work into two. I was thinking of volunteering at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter too, but that also seems kinda cookie cutter.

Any ideas?

 

[preMedDonut]

Do whatever interests you. For myself one of my volunteering opportunities, is mentoring/tutoring young kids in under privileged area. Most of the time though I connect through them by playing sports, so it's a lot of fun for me and I'm helping them out. Double positives.

Tutoring/mentoring I've heard is the better ( how can i put this) "app friendly" of volunteering since it shows some leadership and altruism

 

[brotherin]

Your GPA is above average.
Get above a 30 on the MCAT and you'll be fine so long as you apply early and broadly.

ECs- your volunteering is above average (contrary to what some on SDN say, volunteering for at least a year at three different places is above average). You have your shadowing done, which is nice. If you could expand upon your creative writing, that would be add a more unique characteristic to your application, setting you apart and showing you do have a life outside of medicine.

 

[14hopeful]

Thanks for the reply brotherin,

Do you have any idea what my chances might be at Tufts or BU? I'll apply elsewhere of course but my boyfriend is completing his phd at harvard and I don't want to go long distance for too long if possible.

 

[brotherin]

I'm not from the area, so I can't say a whole ton, but your GPA is above average for both (~3.65), and their MCAT range is around 32-34.
Additionally, they don't have a large in state percentage (~20% of matriculants were instate) and get a ton of applications.

I can't really predict your chances at either school, but with a 32+ on the MCAT, you will be a competitive applicant for them.

 

[Mako555]

I'll have all my prereqs done but that point but organic II. I'm taking that my last semester.

What would you recommend doing to help bolster my EC's? I'm a little pressed for time as I've been trying to cram 4 years of science work into two. I was thinking of volunteering at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter too, but that also seems kinda cookie cutter.

Any ideas?

good, i figured it was probably just Orgo II. That is the least important pre-req for the MCAT. The MCAT orgo questions are very basic.

Those are very cookie-cutter EC's, you're right. Some examples of better EC's would be published research and leadership positions. It's difficult to plan for that stuff, a lot of times it just kinda happens.