3.6 GPA, 36 MCAT School List help

[ElementX]

Hi guys,

Here's my basic info and hopefully you guys can help me out!

California resident, ORM, junior in college
GPA = around 3.6
sGPA = around 3.7
Upward trend in both gpas
MCAT = a balanced 36

Research - Strong research in 2 different fields
One 2nd author publication in an upcoming, but well-reputed journal
Attended international conference and received a plenary poster award
Other publications in the works with 2nd lab, but probably not before my application is due

Clinical -
About 50 hrs shadowing (cardiology, psychiatry, nephrology, internal medicine)
About 100 hrs clinical research
Volunteer in free clinic generally helping doctors with whatever has to be done - approximately 20 hrs but continuing

EC's
Mental health club helping to inform students about resources through presentations, events, etc. - 1 year
Leadership position in a club that helps tutor children in low-income communities - 2 years

LOR
3 good to very good letters from professors who know me well and my PI

School list

UCLA
UCSF
UCD
UCSD
UCI
USC
UCR
Baylor
Vanderbilt
Georgetown
Stanford
Tulane
Mount Sinai
Albert Einstein
BU
George Washington
Michigan
Duke
University of Colorado
Arizona
Emory
UT Southwestern
Illinois
Tufts

Northwestern?
Loyola?
Rosalind Franklin?
UMass?
Pitt?
Washington?
Drexel?
Cornell?
U of Chicago?
NYU?
Mayo?
NYMC?

I'm open to applying to up to around 30 schools for the best chances and open to suggestions for anything I should add or remove. Many of the question marks are schools I am unsure about and probably would not apply to unless there is a possibility of getting in/not getting into other backups. I have the MSAR but I am not sure if I am aiming too high or not since I am aware a few schools are reaches.

Thanks for the help!

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[lmn]

Might want to look into the UC's a bit more, UCR and UCD both (esp UCR) really expect you to have strong ties to their areas, and if you don't it may easily be a waste of your money.

 

[juliuspepperwood]

Illinois has ridiculous out of state tuition

 

[CyberMaxx]

School list

1. UCLA
2. UCSF
3. UCD
4. UCSD
5. UCI
6. USC
7. UCR
8. Baylor
9. Vanderbilt
10. Georgetown
11. Stanford
12. Tulane
13. Mount Sinai
14. Albert Einstein
15. BU
16. George Washington
17. Michigan
18. Duke
19. University of Colorado
20. Arizona
21. Emory
22. UT Southwestern
23. Illinois
24. Tufts

25. Northwestern?
26. Loyola?
27. Rosalind Franklin?
28. UMass?
29. Pitt?
30. Washington?
31. Drexel?
32. Cornell?
33. U of Chicago?
34. NYU?
35. Mayo?
36. NYMC?


Hey OP, I am currently in the middle of this application cycle (or at the end I guess) and have very similar stats. Judging from your list it seems like you are more interested in going to a top academic program. My general experience has been that with a average GPA and a solid MCAT score you really have your work cut out for you when it comes to top schools. Your MCAT will show them that you are a high caliber applicant but the reality is that they see plenty of applicants with equal or better MCAT scores that also have stellar GPAs.

That being said my advice is to aim high but cover all of your bases. I applied to 25 schools: 25% 'safety', 25% match, and 50% reach. As far as interview offers go the majority of mine were in the 25-35 range according to the USN&WR, with some above and below. Looking at your list it seems like you don't have enough safety schools in your current list (not including your second list which is potential schools to add). Further, many of the safeties your considering like GW, Tulane, and Drexel get a huge number of applicants and therefore it can be difficult to stand out. I would recommend finding more state schools like Arizona which take a high proportion of oos students. You might consider Indiana, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest.

If you are set on going to a top school I would replace some of your matches on the first list with safeties, and then add some more reaches. Don't apply to UMass or U Washington as they almost exclusively take instate.

 

[ElementX]

I had a couple of safeties that I have in my actual list where I have personal connections to help me get in, but I didn't post them just in case it was too obvious who I was. But I do agree that I may have been a bit top heavy, especially with those safeties dropped.
As for UCR, I am from near the Inland Empire so I definitely do fit in with their mission.
I had not see that out of state tuition for Illinois, but that definitely changes things haha.
Thanks for the help everyone and any more suggestions are still welcome.

 

[ChEMD]

Just note that Texas public schools (UTSW) have to be a minimum of 90% in state students. Also, it requires that you fill out a separate application form (TMDSAS). That being said, OOS students attend Texas schools every year, but their stats are usually higher on average than IS students.

 

[Goro]

Goro's list

UCLA
UCD
UCI/UCR (only if you're from SoCal/Inland Empire)
USC
Baylor
Vanderbilt
Georgetown
Stanford
Tulane
Mount Sinai
Albert Einstein
BU
George Washington
Duke
Arizona
Emory
Tufts
Northwestern
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Pitt
Drexel
NYU
NYMC
Miami
Dartmouth
U NV (maybe)
Hofstra
Albany

I'm open to applying to up to around 30 schools for the best chances and open to suggestions for anything I should add or remove. Many of the question marks are schools I am unsure about and probably would not apply to unless there is a possibility of getting in/not getting into other backups. I have the MSAR but I am not sure if I am aiming too high or not since I am aware a few schools are reaches.

Thanks for the help![/QUOTE]

 

[ElementX]

I added some of the schools you guys suggested as well as taking out a few which favor in-state or may have made my number of reaches too high. Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Hopefully it all works out for the best.