3.91 sGPA, 3.86 cGPA (Business Major)

[Steve21]

Hey guys, I am new to SDN so this is my first post. I was just wondering if I could get your opinions regarding my "chances". I am sure that you all have more experience in the application process than I do. I've had a perfect 4.0 in all my prereqs except one B in a 5 hours Chem2 course. I am just now starting the MCAT process. I took my first practice exam last week without ANY previous studying and scored a 25. In your guys experience, how much do you think I can improve my score with a summer of studying? What are my chances at a state school? What will I need to raise my MCAT score up to to compete for an upper tier medical school?

I have 300+ hours of volunteering and 200+ hours of shadowing. I worked all summer in a level 1 trauma ER as a tech. I have a couple of outstanding LORs and I am confident in the character of my personal statement.

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[yellowfish]

What year are you?

Your grades and volunteering are strong, but do you have any leadership experience?

I scored a 34 on my first practice MCAT w/o any studying and ended up with a 41, FWIW. I don't think there's a "limit" to the amount that you can improve, if you really go at it you'll end up with a great score.

I'd say you have a very good chance of gaining admission to a medical school. Upper tier medical schools generally have MCAT medians around 36 for admitted students. You want to be in that range to be considered competitive.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey guys, I am new to SDN so this is my first post. I was just wondering if I could get your opinions regarding my "chances". I am sure that you all have more experience in the application process than I do. I've had a perfect 4.0 in all my prereqs except one B in a 5 hours Chem2 course. I am just now starting the MCAT process. I took my first practice exam last week without ANY previous studying and scored a 25. In your guys experience, how much do you think I can improve my score with a summer of studying? What are my chances at a state school? What will I need to raise my MCAT score up to to compete for an upper tier medical school?

I have 300+ hours of volunteering and 200+ hours of shadowing. I worked all summer in a level 1 trauma ER as a tech. I have a couple of outstanding LORs and I am confident in the character of my personal statement.

Besides Leadership, "Top Schools" which are ranked that way due to being highly focused on research, tend to find a strong Research experience appealing, or alternatively outstanding performance in another field of endeavor.

How to get a MCAT of 43: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=578461

 

[Steve21]

What year are you?

Your grades and volunteering are strong, but do you have any leadership experience?

I scored a 34 on my first practice MCAT w/o any studying and ended up with a 41, FWIW. I don't think there's a "limit" to the amount that you can improve, if you really go at it you'll end up with a great score.

I'd say you have a very good chance of gaining admission to a medical school. Upper tier medical schools generally have MCAT medians around 36 for admitted students. You want to be in that range to be considered competitive.

First of all, thanks for responding. I appreciate the advice and encouragement.

I am a 4th year student right now, but I will have to come back for a 5th year to finish up 27 business credit hours to get my degree. I've taken far and beyond than just the prereq classes to make sure I can handle the load in medical school.

As far as leadership experience goes, I was my universities chapter president of Alpha Epsilon Delta. This was a wonderful role because it gave me an immediate trust for academic advice to those non-officer members of AED. Off campus, I served on staff at a local church youth ministry. This was a great experience as I got to serve as an academic tutor and emotional role model for many teenagers during some tough times in their lives.

I was curious, would you be willing to share how you studied? Did you take a Kaplan course or study independently? I want to study independently for a couple of months and then take a Kaplan course this summer. Which books should I purchase to start my independent study that you found most helpful?

 

[Steve21]

Besides Leadership, "Top Schools" which are ranked that way due to being highly focused on research, tend to find a strong Research experience appealing, or alternatively outstanding performance in another field of endeavor.

How to get a MCAT of 43: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=578461

Thanks, I'll save that link!