3.95, 515, CA

[$INAR]

cgpa: 3.95
MCAT: 515
CA Resident, ORM


WAMC @:

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[Faha]

Hawaii and UNC accept few non residents with no connection to the state. Consider adding these schools:
Rochester
Vermont
Jefferson
Drexel
Temple
George Washington
Georgetown
USF Morsani
Tulane
Western Michigan
California University
St. Louis

 

[Mr.Smile12]

So how strong is your network with current medical students, student services, and admissions recruiters at the schools high on your wish list? Your metrics should get you attention, but you need a strong application that shows your knowledge and fit with each program's mission, curriculum, and clinical opportunities.

 

[$INAR]

Hawaii and UNC accept few non residents with no connection to the state. Consider adding these schools:
Rochester
Vermont
Jefferson
Drexel
Temple
George Washington
Georgetown
USF Morsani
Tulane
Western Michigan
California University
St. Louis

Thank you so much for your input! I will switch out UNC and Hawaii with Georgetown, California University, and Morsani.

 

[$INAR]

@LizzyM @Goro do y'all have any thoughts regarding this?

Also I apologize if tagging you both is rude.....I am new to this site, and am unaware of the etiquette within SDN.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Do you have access to the new MSAR? Did you sign up for the AAMC Virtual Fair coming up?

 

[$INAR]

Do you have access to the new MSAR? Did you sign up for the AAMC Virtual Fair coming up?

I do have access to the new MSAR I was not planning on it attending the AAMC Virtual Fair. Should I though?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I do have access to the new MSAR I was not planning on it attending the AAMC Virtual Fair. Should I though?

Attending doesn't cost you anything, and one can always work on networking for answers (see my earlier response).

 

[m1redsox]

Did you go to a UC for undergrad? If so, that will help a lot when applying to the UC’s.
Aside from that, I think your list is a bit top-heavy and should include more safeties like Temple/Drexel/Wake/Tulane. If you are religious, add Loma Linda. They love a high gpa. The reason I think your list is top-heavy is because the new MSAR data shows all the UC’s (except UCD and UCR which have regional bias and apparently look for disadvantaged students) at a 517+ — which is concerning for you as an ORM, 515 applicant. Plus you seem to have a lot of reaches like Duke, Case, Sinai, UCSF, and Michigan. Your GPA is good, but not good enough to only have CUSM as a safety. All of your other schools are pretty competitive.
Edit: Keep in mind this is coming from a CA applicant with a 515/3.82 who is going to a safety school since CA schools are so competitive.

 

[m1redsox]

Yes I did go to a UC.

Nice. You have a good shot then. I would still add some more safeties though. The only schools on your list with a <515 MCAT are UCD, U Miami, CUSM, and GT, and those are all great, fairly competitive schools (with the exception of CUSM— which is your only true safety here). It really seems like your list only has T50 schools and CUSM haha.

 

[$INAR]

Nice. You have a good shot then. I would still add some more safeties though. The only schools on your list with a <515 MCAT are UCD, U Miami, CUSM, and GT, and those are all great, fairly competitive schools (with the exception of CUSM— which is your only true safety here). It really seems like your list only has T50 schools and CUSM haha.

Thanks for taking the time to reply to me! I will add Tulane and Wake.

 

[LizzyM]

Look up WARS and assess yourself. That has been a useful tool for applicants trying to make a school list.

 

[$INAR]

Look up WARS and assess yourself. That has been a useful tool for applicants trying to make a school list.

Thanks for the reply! I scored myself as being on the border of S and A (83-85). Do you think this is accurate? If so, how would you rate my school list?

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for the reply! I scored myself as being on the border of S and A (83-85). Do you think this is accurate? If so, how would you rate my school list?

Be critical and assess yourself. You shouldn't need me.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Nice. You have a good shot then. I would still add some more safeties though. The only schools on your list with a <515 MCAT are UCD, U Miami, CUSM, and GT, and those are all great, fairly competitive schools (with the exception of CUSM— which is your only true safety here). It really seems like your list only has T50 schools and CUSM haha.

Do UC undergraduates really have an advantage over who went out of state top schools or instate privates?

 

[m1redsox]

Do UC undergraduates really have an advantage over who went out of state top schools or instate privates?

They only have an advantage over OOS programs since they are state-funded to accept IS residents. They don’t explicitly say, but it seems like they trust that students who came from within their own system are well-educated. Other state CA schools only represented like 5% of each incoming class. Here is the info they advertise on their respective websites about their matriculants.
UC Davis — 66% come from UCs, 13% OOS schools
UC Irvine — 58% UCs, 25% OOS
UC San Diego — 51% UCs, 31% OOS
I couldn’t find the other three class profiles. There’s a possibility that this is just random chance since UC grads tend to be competitive applicants AND IS, but it seems like more than a coincidence to me.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

What do y'all think of my updated list? @Faha @m1redsox @Mr.Smile12

Thanks in advance!

Stanford
UCLA
UCSF
UCSD
UCI
UC Davis
UC Riverside
Kaiser
USC Keck
Cal USM
Brown
Emory
U Mich
Dartmouth
U Pitt
Tufts
Albert Einstein
Georgetown
George Washington
Ohio St
Oregon HSU
Case Western
U Cincinnati
NYU Long Island
U Colorado
U Wisconsin
U Minnesota
U Iowa
Wake Forest
Tulane

Isn't UCR for those from inland empire?

 

[$INAR]

Isn't UCR for those from inland empire?

I have no idea. If so, I will take this off my list.

EDIT: I believe you are right. Their matriculating class is very small and consists entirely of UCR undergrads, people from IE, or people who plan on practicing in the IE.

 

[m1redsox]

What do y'all think of my updated list? @Faha @m1redsox @Mr.Smile12

Thanks in advance!

Stanford
UCLA
UCSF
UCSD
UCI
UC Davis
Kaiser
USC Keck
Cal USM
Brown
Emory
U Mich
Dartmouth
U Pitt
Tufts
Albert Einstein
Georgetown
George Washington
Ohio St
Oregon HSU
Case Western
U Cincinnati
NYU Long Island
U Colorado
U Wisconsin
U Minnesota
U Iowa
Wake Forest
Tulane
UC Riverside

Remove Oregon for IS bias and add a safety school. You removed U Miami, but I thought it was a good target. Replace NYU-LI for a safety school too. I also don’t think you are competitive for Stanford, and you should replace that with a safety. You have plenty of reaches and targets and not many safeties.

 

[$INAR]

Remove Oregon for IS bias and add a safety school. You removed U Miami, but I thought it was a good target. Replace NYU-LI for a safety school too. I also don’t think you are competitive for Stanford, and you should replace that with a safety. You have plenty of reaches and targets and not many safeties.

I agree with the Stanford thing, it’s just always been my dream school so I’m just going to apply for kicks.

I do not know much about NYULI, what makes you believe I should drop it?

I will replace UC Riverside with Cal Northstate.

I am not religious in the slightest, should I still apply to Loma Linda?

The Oregon MSAR data doesn’t seem to be TOO bad for OOS....

I will switch out Case and OSU with Miami and a safety.... any recommendation with new MSAR in mind?

 

[m1redsox]

I agree with the Stanford thing, it’s just always been my dream school so I’m just going to apply for kicks.

I do not know much about NYULI, what makes you believe I should drop it?

I will replace UC Riverside with Cal Northstate.

I am not religious in the slightest, should I still apply to Loma Linda?

The Oregon MSAR data doesn’t seem to be TOO bad for OOS....

I will switch out Case and OSU with Miami and a safety.... any recommendation with new MSAR in mind?

I just think applying is a numbers game. A game of chance. NYU-LI had 1700 OOS applicants and only matriculated 10. Less than a 1% chance, and I bet they will have even more applicants next year. 24 spots just isn’t very many, and when there is less than a 1% chance, I don’t think it’s smart to go for it. OHSU is similar. Less than a 1% chance for OOSers and the OOSers they accept usually have pretty strong ties to the state (ie immediate family there). Following that logic, I’d also remove Minnesota.

Generally if you’re going OOS, you go private because they have no state funding to favor IS applicants. The exceptions are: Iowa, EVMS, Ohio State, Vermont, Toledo, Cincy, Michigan, Maryland, Virginia, USF, VCU, Wayne St, and maybe Louisville and Colorado. Notice that these are the schools that @WedgeDawg includes in his applicant rating system (except Louisville and CO). Also notice that all of them are above 1% for OOS matriculants/OOS applicants.

I’m not sure about Loma Linda, people would advise not to because even their secondary is pretty religious-based—asking if you will abstain from alcohol and stuff. That being said, I still didn’t get an interview as a 515/3.82 ORM CA very religious applicant. But who knows, they like a high GPA so maybe you have a shot. My experience with them is that they will give the most preference to Seventh Day Adventist applicants and fill their remaining slots with devout Christians who have good GPAs.

I think CA Northstate (CNU) for UCR was a good switch, just be aware that there are a lot of CNU-haters on SDN because they’re the first for-profit MD program, and that seems kinda shady to them. I thought it was a perfectly fine school when I interviewed, and I would probably be going there if I hadn’t gotten into another, more reputable program. Their match list this year was decent—probably as good or better than most DO schools’ match lists, and that isn’t bad for their second match ever. Anyways, it makes them a good safety school IMO, especially because they give some IS bias.

Edit: good safeties for you that come to mind— Temple, Drexel, Penn State, EVMS, VCU, New York MC, Albany MC, Vermont, MCW, Quinnipiac, Wayne St, NOVA (MD), Oakland Beaumont, Toledo.

 

[askdf1839]

I agree with the Stanford thing, it’s just always been my dream school so I’m just going to apply for kicks.

I do not know much about NYULI, what makes you believe I should drop it?

I will replace UC Riverside with Cal Northstate.

I am not religious in the slightest, should I still apply to Loma Linda?

The Oregon MSAR data doesn’t seem to be TOO bad for OOS....

I will switch out Case and OSU with Miami and a safety.... any recommendation with new MSAR in mind?

Don't take Stanford off of your list if it's your dream school. You never know. My MCAT score was lower than yours, and I received an interview there this cycle (as an ORM coming from a lesser known undergrad). Out of T10, they seem to focus on stats less and background/research experience/extracurriculars a whole lot more, relatively speaking.

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