Advice on where to apply and what are my chances?

[Callie1234]

Hi there, I am working on my application for this coming cycle and was hoping to get some advice on making my school list. I feel good about my stats and activities but I am just curious what schools I have a chance at. I feel like my MCAT score would allow me to apply to some higher-ranked schools but I am nervous that they look down upon community college, any thoughts?
Please let me know what you think!

- I went to community college for the first two years of undergrad for financial reasons. Overall gpa was 3.95
- Last two years of undergrad at UCSD, finished with a BS in General Biology. Overall gpa 3.816, science 3.8
- 518 MCAT (128, 130, 130, 130)
- 1 year of molecular bio research (1200 hours), pending publishing
- 800 hours as an EMT
- 1200 hours (by the time I apply) as a medical assistant in dermatology and plastic surgery
- 1700 hours of non-clinical employment (restaurant industry)
- 80 hours hospice volunteer
- 400 hours of non-clinical volunteering
- 220 hours of leadership as an EMT instructor
- Currently working on research for the doctor I work for now as an MA, expecting some publishing
- Shadowing 50-80 hrs (Cardiology, Dermatology, Plastic Surgery)

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[thr1932359]

Aside from statsimpers like NYU I think you have a shot at most places based on stats. I also don’t think there’d be reservations about your academic capabilities as a transfer student given you did well after transferring to UCSD and scored well on the MCAT

 

[Angler]

What does your non-clinical volunteering entail?

I assume that you would like to stay in CA? Everyone does, and it is very hard! Any geographic preferences at all?

Apply broadly (the more darts you throw, the better chance you have of hitting the board, but that means more writing of secondaries), and use MSAR to get an assessment of target schools where your MCAT and GPA are in range (~25-75 percentile). You could also use Wedgedawg to get an assessment of medical schools you can target.

Apply on time and don't be complacent about completing secondaries (pre-write them). Your writing skills will be very important for your personal statement and secondaries

Don't be nervous about CC. Your application looks like you have a fine chance, and besides you can't do anything about it now. Finances are a great reason to attend CC.

 

[Callie1234]

What does your non-clinical volunteering entail?

I assume that you would like to stay in CA? Everyone does, and it is very hard! Any geographic preferences at all?

Apply broadly (the more darts you throw, the better chance you have of hitting the board, but that means more writing of secondaries), and use MSAR to get an assessment of target schools where your MCAT and GPA are in range (~25-75 percentile). You could also use Wedgedawg to get an assessment of medical schools you can target.

Apply on time and don't be complacent about completing secondaries (pre-write them). Your writing skills will be very important for your personal statement and secondaries

Don't be nervous about CC. Your application looks like you have a fine chance, and besides you can't do anything about it now. Finances are a great reason to attend CC.

My non-clinical volunteering was mainly for a non-profit that started during COVID, basically providing free childcare and tutoring to essential workers. About 50 of those hours were at a food bank also during COVID. I should probably pick some more volunteering up since it has been a while. I would like to stay in CA but I am also open to other states as long as they are in a larger city (New York, Boston, Chicago, etc.), or states near CA (Arizona, Nevada). Thank you so much for the advice, I will definitely look into MSAR and Wedgedawg!

 

[Angler]

probably pick some more volunteering up since it has been a while.

Yeah, getting more hours at the food bank will help

I bet that @Faha will come and make some specific suggestions on a school list.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UCSD
UCLA
USC Keck
UC Irvine
UCSF
UC Davis
UC Riverside (only if you are from that region)
Kaiser
California University
Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson)
Mayo (Arizona)
Washington University (in St. Louis)
Northwestern
U Chicago
U Michigan
Case Western
Ohio State
Cincinnati
USF Morsani
Miami
Emory
Duke
Georgetown
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
Rochester
Brown
Yale
Boston University
Tufts

 

[Callie1234]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UCSD
UCLA
USC Keck
UC Irvine
UCSF
UC Davis
UC Riverside (only if you are from that region)
Kaiser
California University
Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson)
Mayo (Arizona)
Washington University (in St. Louis)
Northwestern
U Chicago
U Michigan
Case Western
Ohio State
Cincinnati
USF Morsani
Miami
Emory
Duke
Georgetown
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
Rochester
Brown
Yale
Boston University
Tufts

Thank you!!

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Pack fodder at top 20 schools! That's a great place to be; good luck!

 

[HappyRabbit]

Here's all the possible schools you can add for the highest yield. You could add some extra reaches like Faha did but I think the ones mentioned are unrealistic by about 1 MCAT point.

Reach
Stanford University School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Duke University School of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medicine
Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Target
University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Kaiser Permanente (Tyson)
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Creighton University
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Seton Hall - Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Baseline
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
University of California, Riverside School of Medicine
California University of Science and Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Western Michigan University
Nova Southeastern University (Patel)
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (Chicago)
University of Vermont College of Medicine
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Albany Medical College
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
Quinnipiac University
University of Maryland School of Medicine
New York Medical College
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Loyola University Chicago (Stritch)
Oakland University Beaumont
Tulane University
Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

 

[Mr.Smile12]

To the OP:
Keep in mind that your service orientation activities are very important, and I'm not sure if you have the hours and experiences that put you on par with the other applicants in the Target schools list. I would like to know about topics that truly interest you or push your buttons as a community advocate. What did you learn from your work with the nonprofit you helped to organize? If you had more time, what is your next obvious project? Also, what is the transition plan once you give up your involvement to focus on medical school?

Anything in your background that is impactful for the Other Impactful Experiences essays or "adding to our program's diversity" essays. If you were to describe your CC education in the OIE essay, what would you write? That's one space where you can leverage the importance of your CC background and circumstances that many programs are seeking.