27R, 3.16Sci, 3.45 culm - reapplicant

[envirodoc]

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I am a reapplicant about to submit my AMCAS but wanted to check in here for a double check on where to apply/what are my chances.

I applied to 7 schools last year and got an interview at UMass with a 27P, but no acceptances. After going through the application cycle, I think that I did not get accepted for a few main reasons:
1. GPA/MCAT (took orgo with 3.58 GPA this year post-bacc but that was in process last year cycle)
2. Applied late late last year (october primary) and turned around secondaries too slow (1 month!) so plan this year is to submit in next few days and I have cleared my schedule to turn around secondaries quickly.

I retook MCAT in July and got the same score except with an R for writing. I don't know why, maybe taking organic chem, volunteering, working full-time 40hrs/week and part-time 8hrs/week had something to do with getting the same score - all I know is that I used 1 week of hard earned vacation studying! (well if I didn't do that I may have done worse!)
Anyway, I might take it again but really think it's kind of a waste at this point as my other parts of app are - IMHO - stronger.

I've been out of school a year, but worked my way through school and paid for school myself. A little background (will try to be brief):

Degree
Biology major
Earth and Geographic science double major
UMass Boston
BS 2007, Honors, magna cum laude, distinction in biology
Awards for internship activities and student senate service

Professional Accredidation and Certifications

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP) since 2005
www.usgbc.org

Rape Crisis Counselor certified in 2007. Currently volunteer at a Rape Crisis Center in major metro area.

GPA

4.0 first semester freshman year, then dropped to 2.74 sophomore year but then got back on track after that. I CLEARLY explain in my essay that the drop in GPA was due to GF getting cancer (didn't know it during the year but found out that summer after grades sealed) then I transferred to help her out during chemo. See trend

Frosh
Sci - 3.57
Other 4.0

Soph (bad year)
Sci - 2.14
Other - 3.36

Junior
Sci - 3.73
Other - 4.0

Senior
Sci - 3.49
Other - 3.79

So this bad sophomore year killed my GPA which would otherwise be
3.57 Sci and 3.7 or so Culm!!

Oh yeah, post-bac GPA 3.58 (organic chem 1&2 and labs while working full-time and part-time, and volunteering etc etc)

Work

part-time throughout college, utilized internships to pay my way through school so worked at 6 different places over course of 4 years, for about 10-20 hours/week from freshman year to solid 20hrs/week job senior year.

Currently working full-time at environmental engineering firm for 1 yr+ doing Geographic Information systems work, got a poster presentation at a conference (pursuing publication) and at the same time...

Research!

while working full-time since graduation been working part-time (8hrs/week) at major hospital doing emergency medicine research utilizing geographic information systems.

1 publication
1 abstract and national conference poster presentation
several publications in preparation

Additional research includes my senior thesis, which I was awarded for at a conference where I presented.

Volunteer

1000s of hours at various places, but major ones:

Founded Sustainability club and movement on campus
served as president for 2 years and then as a senior advisor

Served on undergrad student senate for 1 yr

Trialnet Diabetes study volunteer at summer diabetes camps, various walks for summer 2007

Boston Area Rape Crisis Center - 1 yr+ of weekly volunteering, now designing a webGIS map for their website - for free of course 😉


I appreciate those bearing with me still, here are the schools I plan to apply to:

BU
Drexel
EVMS
GW
Jefferson
Loma Linda (nice GIS program)
NYMC
Rosalind
SUNY Downstate
Temple
Tufts
Tulane
UConn
UMass
VCU


I am pretty settled on this list and not planning on DO schools at this time. Backup is MPH school and then re-apply after graduating.

QUESTION: Does applying to combined MD/MPH at any of the above schools help my chances???

Also - I have approached some schools about unique MS/MD programs that they don't have listed (they've been receptive so far) - will this help at all?

And finally of course - any other schools or recommendations aside from DO?

Thanks in advance so much to all those who read through this and have spent their time helping others at SDN.🙂

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

How did you graduate Magna Cum Laude with a 3.45?

Not being a dlck, just curious, the cutoff is like 3.7 at my school.

The rest of your app looks pretty good. I can't really suggest any other schools, you've already got most of the out of state schools I have.

 

[envirodoc]

Oh forgot to mention that I transferred from UMass Amherst to UMass Boston. When I did that, my sophomore year and frosh year GPA were nulled out and only the credits got carried over.

So the GPA I posted is my AMCAS GPA.

My UMass Boston graduating culm GPA was a 3.7, which is how I got magna cum laude. I think my UMass Boston sci GPA was a 3.58 or something.

will schools take that into account?