California Hopeful. Help?

[breezy711]

Hey everyone

I'm new to the site and was browsing through some recent threads. I have come across a few posts with members that share similar statistics with me, given that I slightly improve my GPA and score a high MCAT, but I wanted to know my chances if my stats stayed the same and if I scored a 30+ MCAT (I've taken practice tests, scoring 36 and 34 with a pretty even distribution in PS, V and BS). Currently, I am a sophomore at an UC, a resident of California, and I'm hoping to stay in California. But, if need be, very willing to go OOS. I would very much appreciate any comments and thoughts about my statistics, as well as any suggestions of things I should add to strengthen my application. Thank you!

cGPA: 3.6 sGPA: 3.65
Double majoring (Graduating in Five Years) Political Science & Biology

Applying as an Underrepresented Minority - African American

• Division I athlete: soccer scholarship (not sure if I'm going to play next year)
• Began volunteering at a hospital a couple months ago - four hours a week in the ER and my next rotation starts up in 2 months (ICU)
• Receiving my EMT certification this May along with ACLS and PALS certification - I'll be working as one if I don't continue with soccer (but will definitely use my certification to gain clinical hours during the summer)
• I have shadowed my orthopedic surgeon that did both my surgeries for roughly 40 hours and I've made arrangements to shadow two other physicians, a primary doctor and cardiologist, this year (one summer, one winter break)
• I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity since high school (120+ hours post-high school) and Family's Forward which is a food pantry for 60 hours
• I have a tutoring position at a local community college that I will begin this summer
• I'll be traveling to Mexico for a couple weeks with a group of physicians and nurses to work a clinic
• This quarter I am beginning research in Melanoma/Melanocytes and will probably continue this until I complete at least a poster. I'm aiming for a publication but we'll see how that goes.
• I'm a member of two pre-med organizations on campus, but no leadership roles yet. Hopefully I'll get one by the time I'm a senior.

Thanks again for your help!!

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[J ROD]

You will be fine.....

just get a good MCAT....

 

[Catalystik]

With your current GPA and a 30+ MCAt score, along with the planned ECs you have an excellent chance of an acceptance somewhere. Acceptance in California or highly-selective schools elsewhere will depend on the strength of your ECs, and you're making an excellent start with those.

If you're graduating in five years, then you have two years before you'd apply, giving you plenty of time for substantive research involvment and hopefully publication.

The clinical experience and shadowing you've planned sound fine. The international trip will be frosting on the cake. That you will also have some nonmedical/noncampus community service is excellent. A potential for leadership would be to rise in the ranks of H for H and take on a committee chair, or take on more responsibility with the food pantry.

Teaching is another desirable activity to list. So is the Sports involvement, hobbies, or artistic endeavors.

Overall, you look to have a very nice application if all goes as planned.

To stay in California plan on some sort of unique "hook." Your state schools seem to like that.

 

[breezy711]

Thank you very much for your responses =) I'll try to obtain some unique "hook" in the next couple of years. I heard that it's almost impossible to figure out what UC schools look for these days. What about Stanford or USC? I also heard that UCM and UCR are opening up medical schools in the next couple of years. Should I consider applying to them? Or do you think it would be a risk? I'm not sure how accreditation works with medical schools...

By the way, some OOS schools I'm looking at: University of Michigan, University of Chicago, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, University of Illinois, University of Connecticut, Penn State University, and Duke University. Is this shooting too high? I feel like my GPA might be too low compared to other applicants for most of these schools. Please let me know when you get the chance and thanks again. You guys are the best!

 

[J ROD]

Last time I checked Loma Linda was in Cali......

 

[docelh]

By law, UMass only takes Mass residents.

 

[breezy711]

Last time I checked Loma Linda was in Cali......

Hahaha sorry. Just typed my list as I wrote it down in my notebook. Oops I should edit that huh? Lol. And yikes, looks like I'll be dropping UMass from my list. Any other schools I should be adding to my list?

 

[bravofleet4]

i didnt kno merced was opening a school too...man i wonder how hard it will be to get into those schools.

 

[Catalystik]

I also heard that UCM and UCR are opening up medical schools in the next couple of years. Should I consider applying to them?

By the way, some OOS schools I'm looking at: University of Michigan, University of Chicago, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, University of Illinois, University of Connecticut, Penn State University, and Duke University. Is this shooting too high?

You have two years to raise your GPA. UIllinois is less selective, though, and a 3.6 would be fine there. With a high enough MCAT score, even the others aren't out of reach.

If staying in California is more important to you than the "rank" of your school, for sure you'd apply to new schools too. It depends on your ultimate goals. If you aspire to academic medicine, than you'd want to go for the most "prestigious" school you can get into. For general purposes, it doesn't matter much.

 

[J ROD]

Hahaha sorry. Just typed my list as I wrote it down in my notebook. Oops I should edit that huh? Lol. And yikes, looks like I'll be dropping UMass from my list. Any other schools I should be adding to my list?

Maybe some FL schools....like Central Fl, Miami, Florida Intl