38 MCAT, 3.6 GPA - What Went Wrong?

[AndyQC]

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Quick update and question:

I've been hard at work revamping my AMCAS application this week. It hasn't been easy, but overall I think everything is looking quite a bit better than it did last year.

I was finally able to secure a great research position. However, it doesn't start for another week and a half. I would love to have research on my application this time around, but I won't have a substantial number of hours until the end of June. Would it be advisable to wait before submitting my AMCAS or should I include projected hours ahead of time?

Thanks!

 

[mangodroplet]

Just include projected hours ahead of time. At least that is what I had researched and did when I applied last round. 🙂 Worked for me!

 

[AndyQC]

Game over - I was just rejected from the USC WL.

Fortunately, I have spent a lot of time working on my AMCAS application and personal statement. I haven't given much thought to a school list, though, and would certainly appreciate some advice.

I intend on applying to the same schools I applied to last cycle - NM, AZ, CA, NV - with the understanding that it is highly unlikely that I will land an acceptance. However, I have improved my application since last year and think that it would be foolish not to throw my hat in the ring one more time.

In addition to those schools, I'm also planning on applying to all the TX schools as well as the schools in OR, CO, and UT. Beyond that, I'm not sure where I would be a good fit. Temple, Drexel, Jefferson, and Tufts are four that are on my radar. I'm open to any other recommendations. The MSAR has been helpful but advice from students, adcoms, and fellow applicants is also quite valuable.

My updated app with new activities in bold:

Academic
Major: Exercise Physiology
GPA: 3.6 (strong upward trend; 4.0 for past two years with straight A's in pre-req courses); slightly higher than last year after taking summer courses
MCAT: 38 (13/13/12)

Volunteering
300 hours as patient companion for MS charity organization
300 hours at community clinic in underserved area of NM
500 hours at hospice

Shadowing
~78 hours - primary care, neurology, anesthesiology, psychiatry, hem/onc

Research
50 hours in exercise physiology lab (funding pulled and lost position midway through project)
Poster presentation at small conference
40 hours in cancer research lab; projected to be 1,000+ hours by August, 2015 (joined recently and committed to 20 hours/week)

Work Experience
1000s of hours as physical therapy aide
1000s of hours as tech support for software company
~400 hours MCAT tutor
(Self-supported throughout college)

Miscellaneous
Hobbies - writing (published in several major magazines); pet fostering
Honors - Dean's List and award for community service
LORs - very strong; knew my professors very well; one new letter from hospice volunteer coordinator
PS - went through 8-10 drafts; one interviewer said that it was one of the best he had seen; made several improvements

Thank you for any feedback! It's a bummer to get rejected, but I'm hopeful about landing an acceptance in round two.

 

[lmn]

Where are you from? TX, OR, CA, and CO are especially unreceptive of OOS applicants generally (possibly some of the other schools, but I'm not totally sure about those). You do have good stats, so depending on their mission groups specifics, you may have a chance, but even then, you're fighting for very limited spots. If you can at all open up to more non-west coast schools, you will have much greater overall chances, and you should be competitive for many good schools across the country.

 

[AndyQC]

Where are you from? TX, OR, CA, and CO are especially unreceptive of OOS applicants generally (possibly some of the other schools, but I'm not totally sure about those). You do have good stats, so depending on their mission groups specifics, you may have a chance, but even then, you're fighting for very limited spots. If you can at all open up to more non-west coast schools, you will have much greater overall chances, and you should be competitive for many good schools across the country.

Thanks, lmn. I am indeed open to schools all over the country. The western schools are what I have right now, but I definitely want to add at least ten more schools.

I am a CA resident with close ties to TX.

FWIW - I was told by adcom members at UCI, UCLA, and USC that they do not take legal residence into consideration in admissions decisions. Rather, a high percentage of students come from CA simply because CA is full of highly-qualified applicants.

 

[AndyQC]

Bumping for advice on school list. Specifically, any recommendations for schools that are open to older, non-traditional applicants with lots of clinical but limited research experience. Updated stats and activities can be found toward the top of this page.

Thanks!

 

[gyngyn]

Bumping for advice on school list. Specifically, any recommendations for schools that are open to older, non-traditional applicants with lots of clinical but limited research experience. Updated stats and activities can be found toward the top of this page.

Thanks!

Do you have a new list?

 

[AndyQC]

Do you have a new list?

I do! Sorry!

Asterisks indicate schools where I'm a re-applicant. I understand that I have very little chance of landing an acceptance at these institutions, but I definitely want to throw my hat in the ring. I should also point out that I have substantially more meaningful clinical experience than I did last cycle and a small amount of research experience.

UCSD*
UCR*
UCI*
UCLA*
USC*
UC Davis*
University of NM*
University of NV*
University of AZ - Tucson*
University of CO
University of UT
University of OR
Jefferson
Drexel
Temple
Tulane
Emory
Einstein
Vanderbilt
Tufts
Baylor
NYU
OSU
All TX schools

Thanks!

 

[DokterMom]

Hi Andy - Best of luck to you, but (sorry) I'm going to throw cold water on your Texas chances. State law requires TX schools to admin 90% TX residents, not 90% students with 'strong ties' to TX, so those 'strong ties' may not mean much.

However, your 38 MCAT will be the kind of thing that gets noticed, and that plus your 'strong ties' may do it for you.

Good Luck --

 

[candbgirl]

What about the Chicago schools? They have a wide range of options.

Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk 2

 

[lmn]

What about the Chicago schools? They have a wide range of options.

Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk 2

There are a good amount of schools in Chicago that you'd have a chance at, use the MSAR to confirm.

 

[AndyQC]

Thanks, all.

I recently received feedback from U of A and learned that one of the major issues with my application was not a lack of clinical experience, per se, but the fact that the majority of my clinical experience occurred several years ago. Taking that new information into consideration, I think I'm in a much better position to land an acceptance this time around. I have been very active as a hospice volunteer this past year and feel like I'm a much more well-rounded applicant than I was during the 2013-2014 cycle.

I'll take a closer look at the Chicago schools. Still open to any other suggestions.

Thanks again.

 

[AndyQC]

Just about ready to submit! Added several more schools per the advice in this thread for a total of 24 (10 re-app, 14 new).

Would anyone be willing to take a quick look at one of my optional essays (2,500 characters) for the TMDSAS application?

Thanks!