3.98 cGPA 36 MCAT

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Jsmith34

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Hey everyone, I would appreciate it tremendously if you evaluated my school list. Not too sure if I am going in the right direction or not. Thanks!

cGPA: 3.98
sGPA: 3.97
Non-science: 4.0

MCAT: 36R 13 BS 12 PS 11 VR

Ohio Resident

Research

Biochemistry/Enzymology Lab
- One 4th Author Publication (Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disorders)
- One 3rd Author Publication ( in press)
- Two 3rd Author Poster Presentations
- Recipient of $2700 URSCAP grant from university
- One 1st Author Poster Presentation
- Letter of Rec from PI

Personality Assessment Lab
- Worked with Psych. graduate students and prof. to develop a survey assessing clinical training in graduate programs
- Doubtful that any publication or presentation will come of it by next year however
- Letter of Rec from prof.

Volunteer/Shadowing Experience

- 250 Hours Clinical Volunteering
- 150 Hours Volunteering at Hannah's Socks, an organization that collects socks and undergarments to distribute to the unhoused in the area
- 150 Hours Volunteering at Food for Thought, an organization that helps feed the unhoused
- 75 Hours Shadowing (Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Primary Care, Gastroenterologist)

Extracurricular Involvement

- Student Government Senator (College of Arts & Sciences) 3 years
- Served as Recording Secretary- 2 years
- Delegate to Arts & Sciences Faculty Council- 1 year

- Big Event Director of Residence Life Recruitment- 1 year
- Big Event was a university-wide movement (800 students involved) that performed odd jobs for the neighboring community on a Saturday in March

- Colleges Against Cancer- 3 years
- Organization was responsible for promoting cancer awareness and prevention on campus as well as organizing Campus Relay for Life
- Will be serving as Chair/President of the organization for 2012-2013 year

- Relay for Life
- Served as team captain for the 2011 RFL- raised $600 for cancer research

- Volunteer note taker for the Office of Accessibility- 2 years

Tutoring Experience

- Supplemental Instruction Leader (Gen. Bio 2)- 2 years (four semesters)
- Probable letter of Rec. from supervisor

- Residence Hall Peer Mentor
- Served as an in-hall Bio, Chem., Calc., and Anatomy tutor during the 2011-2012 school year

School List

Georgetown
Emory
Northwestern University
University of Chicago
Rush
Loyola
Boston University
Harvard
University of Michigan
Tufts
Mayo Clinic
St. Louis University
Washington University in St. Louis
Dartmouth
Columbia
Mount Sinai
New York University
Weill Cornell
Duke
Wake Forest
Case Western
Ohio State
University of Cincinnati
Drexel
Jefferson Medical College
University of Pittsburgh
Vanderbilt
University of Virginia


Definitely need help narrowing this list down, thanks so much for any advice!
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How many years have you been involved in research? If 2+, then your list looks fine to me. You might try to prune it based on safety of area, weather, grading system (ABCDF vs P/F, curriculum (traditional lecture, Block, organ-system based, Problem-Based Learning), distance from home, etc.
 
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I started research in May 2011 so by the time I apply it will be exactly two years. Also, I definitely plan on continuing research in the same lab during my gap year.
 
Yeah sorry for the confusion :/ I started my freshman year of college August 2009 with an expected graduation date of May 2013 but I decided to take a gap year and finish up a chemistry BA degree as well as just spend some time with my wife (just got married). So I will hopefully matriculate in 2014.
 
I just lurk here and don't really plan to go into medicine, but I want to say that your "what are my chances" stats/EC are some of the best I have seen.
 
As long as you don't suck on the personal statements and secondaries and are not a psychopath or arrogant prick during interviews, you have a very good shot at any of those schools. Congrats on all your hard work! :thumbup:
 
Caribbean only. Apply D.O. if you're willing to take a risk.
 
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Jsmith34 said:
Georgetown
Emory
Northwestern University
University of Chicago
Rush
Loyola
Boston University
Harvard
University of Michigan
Tufts
Mayo Clinic
St. Louis University
Washington University in St. Louis
Dartmouth
Columbia
Mount Sinai
New York University
Weill Cornell
Duke
Wake Forest
Case Western
Ohio State
University of Cincinnati
Drexel
Jefferson Medical College
University of Pittsburgh
Vanderbilt
University of Virginia
Click to expand...

The schools I bolded get a large number of applications every year. They are all mid-tier schools, most are pretty expensive, and are common "safety" schools for a lot of applicants. With your amazing stats and ECs, I wouldn't bother applying to these schools unless there are one or two you really love. You will definitely get in somewhere unless there's a red flag in your application--bad LOR, institutional action, poor interviewing skills. If you don't have any of these things, I think you could easily apply to just 10-15 schools and get multiple acceptances. If I were you, I would apply to all or most of the Ohio schools; a few mid-tier schools like NYU, Wake Forest, Sinai, Dartmouth; and a few top schools like WashU, Pitt, UChicago, etc. I would take Catalystik's advice and try to narrow your list down based on location and curriculum. You're from Ohio, do you want to stay in the midwest? Or do you want to stay AWAY from the midwest? Do you prefer warmer weather, or are you okay with freezing cold winters? Do you prefer a traditional curriculum, or do you want a condensed pre-clinical curriculum like that of NYU or Duke? Do you like the PBL-heavy style of Case, or do you want mostly lecture hours?

You've got a fantastic application and I have high hopes that you'll get to choose between some great schools. Good luck!
 
TheMightySmiter said:
The schools I bolded get a large number of applications every year. They are all mid-tier schools, most are pretty expensive, and are common "safety" schools for a lot of applicants. With your amazing stats and ECs, I wouldn't bother applying to these schools unless there are one or two you really love. You will definitely get in somewhere unless there's a red flag in your application--bad LOR, institutional action, poor interviewing skills. If you don't have any of these things, I think you could easily apply to just 10-15 schools and get multiple acceptances. If I were you, I would apply to all or most of the Ohio schools; a few mid-tier schools like NYU, Wake Forest, Sinai, Dartmouth; and a few top schools like WashU, Pitt, UChicago, etc. I would take Catalystik's advice and try to narrow your list down based on location and curriculum. You're from Ohio, do you want to stay in the midwest? Or do you want to stay AWAY from the midwest? Do you prefer warmer weather, or are you okay with freezing cold winters? Do you prefer a traditional curriculum, or do you want a condensed pre-clinical curriculum like that of NYU or Duke? Do you like the PBL-heavy style of Case, or do you want mostly lecture hours?

You've got a fantastic application and I have high hopes that you'll get to choose between some great schools. Good luck!
Click to expand...

It is this kind of advice that, if followed, will cause a high stat person to end up with no acceptances. Just very poor advice (from a person with one acceptance).
 
slowbutsteady said:
it is this kind of advice that, if followed, will cause a high stat person to end up with no acceptances. Just very poor advice (from a person with one acceptance).
Click to expand...

+1
 
slowbutsteady said:
It is this kind of advice that, if followed, will cause a high stat person to end up with no acceptances. Just very poor advice (from a person with one acceptance).
Click to expand...

His advice actually did suggest a spread of schools, he just recommended cutting back on some of what is, for the OP, mostly chaff. Yeah, there's the risk you're not applying to enough schools, but in OP's case, it's pretty minimal, esp. since he's still applying to state schools and some mid-tier ones.

All the same, though, OP, just don't get reckless and cut your list too much. The biggest risk you have for a lot of those schools is being thought of as overqualified, so include enough to minimize the risk of that happening with ALL of them. And of course keep up your hard work for the next couple years, since you're still a ways out. Congratulations on what is so far a stellar record!
 
have you thought about alternate career paths?
 
slowbutsteady said:
It is this kind of advice that, if followed, will cause a high stat person to end up with no acceptances. Just very poor advice (from a person with one acceptance).
Click to expand...

Read the whole post. OP has a large number of state schools with a stat range well below his that would be a) much cheaper than any of the schools I bolded, and b) more likely to grant OP an interview and acceptance. If OP were from California I would give different advice. Since he is from Ohio, I don't see any reason to apply to a bunch of expensive schools that reject a TON of applicants when he has four in-state schools that are often considered "safeties" by out-of-state applicants.
 
Jsmith34 said:
Hey everyone, I would appreciate it tremendously if you evaluated my school list. Not too sure if I am going in the right direction or not. Thanks!

cGPA: 3.98
sGPA: 3.97
Non-science: 4.0

MCAT: 36R 13 BS 12 PS 11 VR

Ohio Resident

Research

Biochemistry/Enzymology Lab
- One 4th Author Publication (Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disorders)
- One 3rd Author Publication ( in press)
- Two 3rd Author Poster Presentations
- Recipient of $2700 URSCAP grant from university
- One 1st Author Poster Presentation
- Letter of Rec from PI

Personality Assessment Lab
- Worked with Psych. graduate students and prof. to develop a survey assessing clinical training in graduate programs
- Doubtful that any publication or presentation will come of it by next year however
- Letter of Rec from prof.

Volunteer/Shadowing Experience

- 250 Hours Clinical Volunteering
- 150 Hours Volunteering at Hannah's Socks, an organization that collects socks and undergarments to distribute to the unhoused in the area
- 150 Hours Volunteering at Food for Thought, an organization that helps feed the unhoused
- 75 Hours Shadowing (Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Primary Care, Gastroenterologist)

Extracurricular Involvement

- Student Government Senator (College of Arts & Sciences) 3 years
- Served as Recording Secretary- 2 years
- Delegate to Arts & Sciences Faculty Council- 1 year

- Big Event Director of Residence Life Recruitment- 1 year
- Big Event was a university-wide movement (800 students involved) that performed odd jobs for the neighboring community on a Saturday in March

- Colleges Against Cancer- 3 years
- Organization was responsible for promoting cancer awareness and prevention on campus as well as organizing Campus Relay for Life
- Will be serving as Chair/President of the organization for 2012-2013 year

- Relay for Life
- Served as team captain for the 2011 RFL- raised $600 for cancer research

- Volunteer note taker for the Office of Accessibility- 2 years

Tutoring Experience

- Supplemental Instruction Leader (Gen. Bio 2)- 2 years (four semesters)
- Probable letter of Rec. from supervisor

- Residence Hall Peer Mentor
- Served as an in-hall Bio, Chem., Calc., and Anatomy tutor during the 2011-2012 school year

School List

Georgetown
Emory
Northwestern University
University of Chicago
Rush
Loyola
Boston University
Harvard
University of Michigan
Tufts
Mayo Clinic
St. Louis University
Washington University in St. Louis
Dartmouth
Columbia
Mount Sinai
New York University
Weill Cornell
Duke
Wake Forest
Case Western
Ohio State
University of Cincinnati
Drexel
Jefferson Medical College
University of Pittsburgh
Vanderbilt
University of Virginia


Definitely need help narrowing this list down, thanks so much for any advice!
Click to expand...

Podiatry

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk
 
I really doubt you even have a shot at most carribean schools (let alone american schools)... at this point you either need to do a second degree, become a gym teacher or take your pick at a scam carribean school.
 
Haha this is insane. You'll bet let in to any of those schools. How do you have time for all that crap? I have been doing research for 4 years post graduation and have maybe 3 publications.
 
I just wonder how you have a CV that ridiculous with that much experience and you are questioning your competitiveness and asking others for advice. You have gone above and beyond and if you show an ounce of humility at your interviews you will get into almost all of those schools.
 
Thanks for all the advice everyone! To those who I may have offended or otherwise upset, I am sorry and I assure you that I wasn't trying to gloat. I just don't know much about narrowing down my school list.
 
TheMightySmiter's advice is spot on.

Congratulations on your stats! What type of clinical experience did you have?
 
Great school list. Catalystik knows what he is talking about, take his advice. Also, if I was in your position I would drop the Philadelphia schools. While they are some solid schools, they are crowded, expensive, and have a huge amount of applicants every year.

In my opinion, just keep all the Ohio schools and then weed down your list to 10-12 other schools. You will be fine as long as you are not a social doofus.
 
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