Things to add on to my app? third time. UC. 3.7. 34.

[Mmeow]

Hello. It's been a while since I wrote my last posting (we digressed and I did not really get a good answer)
What can I do now to improve my application for upcoming cycle? What kind of activities do you do?

To avoid questions about my scores/GPA, other extracurricular i've done, etc., I've written down my history:

Applied in 2013
about ~20 schools around November
did not finish most of the secondaries
graduated in 2013 from UC (not in-state anywhere; not a CA resident)
cGPA 3.74 (lowest grade B with molecular bio major, no re-takes or withdrawals)
MCAT 32 (PS12 VR9 BS11)

200 hrs of volunteering at my undergrad hospital
1 publication in physical chem journal (second author) during high school
2 weeks of shadowing in another country
3 months of research (summer) experience during undergrad - got recommendation
LORs from two professors (barely knows me..)


Re-applied in 2014
MCAT 34 (BS 14 VR 6 PS 14)
besides the previous ECs.. I added on
100+ more hrs of volunteering at university hospital in NY
3 months of shadowing and assisting in OB/GYN clinic (7 hours a week) - got recommendation
work experience of teaching high school kids with SAT II sciences (for about a year after graduation)
Currently working at a small medical device company (diagnostics company) as a full-time in R&D... for a little over 6 months...
apparently I am not satisfied with the job at all and wanna go into healthcare field..
probably became in-state in NJ past year


This is gonna be my last shot at med school.
Help me out with what options would I have for applying this cycle?
Should I do more volunteer work at the local university hospital? or more volunteer/shadowing in local clinics?
I haven't had any clinical experience since I last applied.. I had to find a job for financial reasons and have been working full-time.
I was just worried about not having such experience for quite a time... Anything you guys recommend?
(I will probably re-take the MCAT btw)

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[Lannister]

Edit: did not see the 6 in verbal. That's probably what's killing you.

 

[Ismet]

Moving to WAMC.

Need more info about your 2nd cycle. What schools did you apply to? Did you get any interviews? Rejected post interview or just never got off the waitlist? Rejected pre-interview? Just from the basics, you should have been more successful based on your numbers and what you say are your activities, barring any major red flag or interview snafus, but that depends on the schools you applied to.

Edit: Just saw the VR of 6, which is below cutoff for many schools. Likely the culprit, but your school list is still important.

 

[y123]

If you want to apply in 2016, do get some recent clinical experience.
Also get a DO letter and add some DO schools.

 

[Recon_13999]

As much as you probably don't want to hear this: either apply to DO broadly this cycle or retake the new MCAT and apply broadly to DO/MD cycle. Everything else on your app besides your verbal score seems strong enough to land an acceptance in an MD school.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Well it's pretty obvious what the problem is and I'm sure you know it as well: Re-taking a perfectly good MCAT score and seeing a substantial drop in verbal to the point it will get screened out alone at plenty of schools. Note it's not just the 6 in the VR that is tanking you(although that's the biggest factor); it was also re-taking a perfectly fine MCAT score and not doing how you needed to do on the re-take which does not reflect well on you.

As is, there was a poster on here recently who like you had a 6 in VR and an otherwise stellar app who so far has at least 2 MD II's this cycle. So in theory, yes it can be done with a 6 in VR. However, these are what we call general exceptions to the rule. What you do need to consider is there are certainly DO schools out there willing to look past a 6 VR, particularly when combined with 14's in the sciences and a 3.7 GPA. So if your goal is to be a physician, that's the obvious avenue.

For MD, while it's good to worry about the issues such as clinical exposure, volunteering etc. none of that really should be close to your primary focus. Your chances at an MD school will be tied to how well you can do the 3rd time on the MCAT and address your Verbal/CARs issues. You've already tried a cycle with the 6 VR and it didn't work out; now you need to address that issue. How well you do in that will dictate your chances for a 3rd MD cycle.

Also if you want the best help you gotta list the previous schools you applied to and any potential interviews. As gyngyn says, a number of schools don't consider 3rd time applicants; the saying "get your ducks in order before applying" really applies to you as much as anybody imaginable.

 

[Mmeow]

Thank you all for your responses. From what you guys mentioned and as I expected, re-taking the MCAT should be my primary focus... obviously.

Well it's pretty obvious what the problem is and I'm sure you know it as well: Re-taking a perfectly good MCAT score and seeing a substantial drop in verbal to the point it will get screened out alone at plenty of schools. Note it's not just the 6 in the VR that is tanking you(although that's the biggest factor); it was also re-taking a perfectly fine MCAT score and not doing how you needed to do on the re-take which does not reflect well on you.

As is, there was a poster on here recently who like you had a 6 in VR and an otherwise stellar app who so far has at least 2 MD II's this cycle. So in theory, yes it can be done with a 6 in VR. However, these are what we call general exceptions to the rule. What you do need to consider is there are certainly DO schools out there willing to look past a 6 VR, particularly when combined with 14's in the sciences and a 3.7 GPA. So if your goal is to be a physician, that's the obvious avenue.

For MD, while it's good to worry about the issues such as clinical exposure, volunteering etc. none of that really should be close to your primary focus. Your chances at an MD school will be tied to how well you can do the 3rd time on the MCAT and address your Verbal/CARs issues. You've already tried a cycle with the 6 VR and it didn't work out; now you need to address that issue. How well you do in that will dictate your chances for a 3rd MD cycle.

Also if you want the best help you gotta list the previous schools you applied to and any potential interviews. As gyngyn says, a number of schools don't consider 3rd time applicants; the saying "get your ducks in order before applying" really applies to you as much as anybody imaginable.

Moving to WAMC.

Need more info about your 2nd cycle. What schools did you apply to? Did you get any interviews? Rejected post interview or just never got off the waitlist? Rejected pre-interview? Just from the basics, you should have been more successful based on your numbers and what you say are your activities, barring any major red flag or interview snafus, but that depends on the schools you applied to.

Edit: Just saw the VR of 6, which is below cutoff for many schools. Likely the culprit, but your school list is still important.

I do have my school list for my 2nd application. I applied majorly to private schools as I wasn't sure whether I was considered in-state anywhere. I got one interview from Rutgers - RWJ. Just pre-interview hold or waitlist in a few schools like VCU, UCSD, etc. (not sure its worth mentioning)

"Yes" means I re-applied. Also, I didnt finish the app for some top-tier schools (like Northwestern, Cornell, Columbia, NYU, etc.) as I realized I would have no chance of getting in.

Albert Einstein
Baylor
Boston Yes
Columbia
Cooper Rowan
UCLA Yes
Drexel Yes
Dartmouth
GW
Georgetown Yes
Hofstra
USC (Keck) Yes
Loyola
NYU Yes
Northwestern (Feinberg)
Quinnipiac
Rosalind Franklin Yes
Rush Yes
Rutgers - NJMS Yes
Rutgers - RWJ Yes Interviewed
SUNY Upstate Yes
Thomas Jefferson Yes
SUNY Downstate Yes
Stony Brook
Commonwealth
Tufts
UCSD Yes
UC Irvine Yes
VCU
Weill Cornell

 

[GrapesofRath]

If you can improve your CARs to an acceptable level for your list you need at least 12-15 schools with a realistic shot at getting a II. Schools you are a re applicant for dont count towards that 15. Hence I would avoid more than a few schools you are a re applicant at

Hofstra Quinnipac VCU TCMC and Tufts are good starts. Keep coming up with schools with mcat medians in the 30-33 range that take at least 1/3 OOS

 

[Mmeow]

If you can improve your CARs to an acceptable level for your list you need at least 12-15 schools with a realistic shot at getting a II. Schools you are a re applicant for dont count towards that 15. Hence I would avoid more than a few schools you are a re applicant at

Hofstra Quinnipac VCU TCMC and Tufts are good starts. Keep coming up with schools with mcat medians in the 30-33 range that take at least 1/3 OOS

Thank you for the advice. I'm gonna take the April MCAT and should re-organize my school list by the end of May.


I might re-post here for some more advices on my school list once my score comes out. I'd appreciate any of you guys' suggestions! thanks

 

[Doug Underhill]

It's not about getting a higher score. It's about having a meaningful strategy for CARS. Why did you get a 6? What are you doing to raise it? CARS can be very tough to improve on.

 

[Mwooster]

Applied in 2013
about ~20 schools around November
did not finish most of the secondaries
graduated in 2013 from UC (not in-state anywhere; not a CA resident)
cGPA 3.74 (lowest grade B with molecular bio major, no re-takes or withdrawals)
MCAT 32 (PS12 VR9 BS11)

Re-applied in 2014
MCAT 34 (BS 14 VR 6 PS 14)

Some questions... based on what you said regarding you're not in-state anywhere... are you a American citizen or a Green Card holder? If neither, then maybe that's holding you back too

Obviously you applied late in 2013. When were you complete in 2014?

If English is not your native language, it might be tougher to improve your CARS score. With hard work and the right strategies, it can be done!

Like others have said, have a broader range of schools, improve CARS, and very importantly submit everything very early for your 3rd cycle!

 

[Mmeow]

It's not about getting a higher score. It's about having a meaningful strategy for CARS. Why did you get a 6? What are you doing to raise it? CARS can be very tough to improve on.

Some questions... based on what you said regarding you're not in-state anywhere... are you a American citizen or a Green Card holder? If neither, then maybe that's holding you back too

Obviously you applied late in 2013. When were you complete in 2014?

If English is not your native language, it might be tougher to improve your CARS score. With hard work and the right strategies, it can be done!

Like others have said, have a broader range of schools, improve CARS, and very importantly submit everything very early for your 3rd cycle!

Yes. English is my second language, but I am a U.S. citizen. I was born in the U.S. but moved to my parents' country even before I started talking. Came back to the States during high school. I would go about reading A LOT and solving tons of practice problems for CARS but I am not sure what else. Any tips?

As for the in-state, I believe I am now in-state for NJ. Ive been living here for two years now (though it's an apt rent paid by my parents) and have been working full-time since April.

For 2014 cycle, I was done with most secondaries by September if I recall correctly.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Yes. English is my second language, but I am a U.S. citizen. I was born in the U.S. but moved to my parents' country even before I started talking. Came back to the States during high school. I would go about reading A LOT and solving tons of practice problems for CARS but I am not sure what else. Any tips?

As for the in-state, I believe I am now in-state for NJ. Ive been living here for two years now (though it's an apt rent paid by my parents) and have been working full-time since April.

For 2014 cycle, I was done with most secondaries by September if I recall correctly.

Check officially if you are an NJ resident. In a number of states, you have to do more than simply live there to be considered a resident. Every state has unique rules.

You've already gotten a 9 in verbal once. You have the capabilities for it. It's not an issue of not having the skillset or ability to do well; nobody gets a 14 in both science sections and a 9 in VR the first time without sufficient reading and comprehension skills. Superscored your MCAT would be a 37. Nobody does that but it comes to show all the abillity is there.

It's just about focus, concentration and refining your test taking skills and doing practice with realistic practice passages and questions.