4.0 GPA Average/Below Extracurriculars School List

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Poppin

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I read here all the time, first post though.
Hoping for some advice on my school list.

Major: Biology
Wisconsin Resident

GPA: 4.0
MCAT- Have not taken yet. Practice scores are consistently coming in between 514-516 with content review about 3/4 completed. Will take on July 8th or 9th. With this in mind, I'd like to take the worst case scenario and assume I perform a little bit worse on test day. I'm making this list assuming I receive a 510.

Letters of Recommendation
Four total, of these, two I know will be extremely strong.

Clinical Volunteering
100 hours as Patient Transporter

Shadowing
50 hours across multiple specialties

Non Clinical Volunteering/Community Service

30 hours tutoring underprivileged elementary school students

Research
One semester completed (so about 130 hours) but ongoing.

Awards/Honors (Most likely not relevant but included anyway)

Recipient of prestigious tuition scholarship given to top Biology student in department
Few other misc scholarships
PBK Junior year induction
Everyone who has read my personal statement (professors, premedical advisor) has said it was well written.

Other comments:
I'd like to stay in the Midwest if I can help it. The best case scenario would be if I could get into MCW and call it a day. I picked schools based on the MSAR MCAT median and how likely it appeared that they would take out of state students. Here is my tentative list so far:

Schools in the Midwest I think I have shot at:

MCW** (Will attend if accepted)
UW Madison
Loyola
Rush
Western Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Mayo Medical School
Ohio State University
Creighton
Oakland Beaumont

Schools not in the Midwest that I'm considering adding:
Tulane
Netter
NYMC
Drexel

If I missed anything especially on the first list, I would greatly appreciate any insight. Thank you in advance.

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Last edited:
If you score at least 510 on the MCAT you should receive several interviews from your list. You could add Oakland Beaumont also.
 
If you score at least 510 on the MCAT you should receive several interviews from your list. You could add Oakland Beaumont also.
Added, thank you.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I read here all the time, first post though.
Hoping for some advice on my school list.

Major: Biology
Ethnicity: Pakistani Male (U.S Born)
Wisconsin Resident

GPA: 4.0
MCAT- Have not taken yet. Practice scores are consistently coming in between 514-516 with content review about 3/4 completed. Will take on July 8th or 9th. With this in mind, I'd like to take the worst case scenario and assume I perform a little bit worse on test day. I'm making this list assuming I receive a 510.

Letters of Recommendation
Four total, of these, two I know will be extremely strong.

Clinical Volunteering
100 hours as Patient Transporter

Shadowing
50 hours across multiple specialties

Non Clinical Volunteering/Community Service

30 hours tutoring underprivileged elementary school students

Research
One semester completed (so about 130 hours) but ongoing.

Awards/Honors (Most likely not relevant but included anyway)

Recipient of prestigious tuition scholarship given to top Biology student in department
Few other misc scholarships
PBK Junior year induction
Everyone who has read my personal statement (professors, premedical advisor) has said it was well written.

Other comments:
I'm from Milwaukee Wisconsin. I'd like to stay in the Midwest if I can help it. The best case scenario would be if I could get into MCW and call it a day. I picked schools based on the MSAR MCAT median and how likely it appeared that they would take out of state students. Here is my tentative list so far:

Schools in the Midwest I think I have shot at:

MCW** (Will attend if accepted)
UW Madison
Loyola
Rush
Western Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Mayo Medical School
Ohio State University
Creighton
Oakland Beaumont

Schools not in the Midwest that I'm considering adding:
Tulane
Netter
NYMC
Drexel

If I missed anything especially on the first list, I would greatly appreciate any insight. Thank you in advance.

This isn't about your list, but about your application.

You seem a little vanilla (Asian candidate with perfect grades but not a lot of ECs). I'd suggest picking something up that makes you stand out or makes you seem more human. Juggling, acro-yoga, golf... find something you're passionate about and include it in your 'hobbies' section and PS before you submit. I think it'll help.
 
This isn't about your list, but about your application.

You seem a little vanilla (Asian candidate with perfect grades but not a lot of ECs). I'd suggest picking something up that makes you stand out or makes you seem more human. Juggling, acro-yoga, golf... find something you're passionate about and include it in your 'hobbies' section and PS before you submit. I think it'll help.

Thanks for the feedback. I actually wasn't sure if I should include hobbies on this particular thread. As it happens, I love playing both piano and guitar and have dedicated a few years to the practice. Thanks for bringing it up, and quite frankly I do agree with your assessment of the overall application. I'll definitely include these and other hobbies in my primary app.
 
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