3 waitlists... good or bad thing

[Jstone123]

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I am a pre-med major at Penn State University. I have a 3.93 and a 31 mcat (10,11,10). I have great shadowing hours and have volunteered at several places for about 250 hours.

As of now, I have been waitlisted at Drexel, Temple and CommonWealth...

How optimistic/pessimistic should I be?

I feel like the academic stats are there but the ECs aren't doing me any favors. I also thought the interviews went reasonably well.

 

[MilkmanAl]

It depends on how much the waitlists at those schools move and where you are on them. In general, I'd say 3 waitlists probably means you'll get into at least one of them, but it's impossible to make that call for certain.

 

[Catalystik]

Sometimes when you call, they will give you details of where you are on a waitlist, either the exact rank number, or whether you're in the top-middle-bottom third. Regardless, plan as if you know you need to reapply, so you'll have significant improvements to list.

 

[J ROD]

I am a pre-med major at Penn State University. I have a 3.93 and a 31 mcat (10,11,10). I have great shadowing hours and have volunteered at several places for about 250 hours.

As of now, I have been waitlisted at Drexel, Temple and CommonWealth...

How optimistic/pessimistic should I be?

I feel like the academic stats are there but the ECs aren't doing me any favors. I also thought the interviews went reasonably well.

Nice, solid stats....a little surprised.

Usually I like to say three is glee....but we shall see!! 😀

 

[bravofleet4]

Nice, solid stats....a little surprised.

Usually I like to say three is glee....but we shall see!! 😀

lame rhyme

 

[J ROD]

lame rhyme

hate is so ugly.....😀

 

[Augustus]

I am a pre-med major at Penn State University. I have a 3.93 and a 31 mcat (10,11,10). I have great shadowing hours and have volunteered at several places for about 250 hours.

As of now, I have been waitlisted at Drexel, Temple and CommonWealth...

How optimistic/pessimistic should I be?

I feel like the academic stats are there but the ECs aren't doing me any favors. I also thought the interviews went reasonably well.

Look at it it this way. 1st of all you have great stats and ~45% of applicants get accepted to a medical school so if you apply broadly you should almost certainly get in. I'd be willing to bet you're amongst that 45%.

However, if you don't get in, and you don't care where you go to med school, as long as you go, look into Tulane's 1-year anatomy program. The credits are transferable to medical school and greater than 90% of the students who complete it get into medical school, and 90% get into Tulane. You seem like a great candidate for that.

But I'd be shocked if you didn't get in this cycle.

If you don't get in, 99.9% of us have no shot.

 

[J ROD]

If you don't get in, 99.9% of us have no shot.

tad bit over dramatic.....

 

[Augustus]

tad bit over dramatic.....

Yeah, I guess. But Jstone has a very good chance at getting in.

I was always told by my pre-med advisor that a 3.5 GPA, and 30 MCAT (balanced) were 90% of it. Jstone has both and some extracurriculars.

 

[anfleisch]

I think its a penn state thing. 3.99 GPA here, though my mcat is more science skewed. ok clinical ECs, tons of good research at psu and penn with posters and thesis, and waitlists at penn, nyu, drexel, and still waiting on BU. Similar kinda thing.

 

[J ROD]

Yeah, I guess. But Jstone has a very good chance at getting in.

I was always told by my pre-med advisor that a 3.5 GPA, and 30 MCAT (balanced) were 90% of it. Jstone has both and some extracurriculars.

yeah, tell your advisor to look those stats up again....Cat has a link with that info it and I am pretty sure it is not 90% with those stats.....

 

[J ROD]

I think its a penn state thing. 3.99 GPA here, though my mcat is more science skewed. ok clinical ECs, tons of good research at psu and penn with posters and thesis, and waitlists at penn, nyu, drexel, and still waiting on BU. Similar kinda thing.

they aint playing up there....😱

 

[Catalystik]

Yeah, I guess. But Jstone has a very good chance at getting in.

On a previous post, the OP stated that he had only 75 volunteering hours on the original (very late) application. Personally, I'm surprised at the three interviews, but since that's been accomplished, I think the OP is on a fairly level playing field, and if he thought the interviews went well, then there's reason for hope. But there's also good reason for planning ahead to a second application season without a good knowledge of where he sits on the waitlist.

 

[ziggydoc]

I didn't know they actually have a pre-med major, what is the focus of the major?

Anyway back to the topic lol. You should be ok with 3 waitlists but I am not sure exactly how each school rank their waitlists. I know that Temple at least has a fairly large class so chances are there will be a lot of movement come May/June.