Canadian, 3.83 GPA, 37 MCAT, WAMC?

[fluffykat]

Hey guys and gals, I'm looking for any advice you have for a Canadian Applicant!

cGPA and sGPA both 3.83
MCAT 37, percentile equivalent to ~519 on the new MCAT (wrote in 2014, have not written the new one. I know, I know)

Clinical Volunteering
250 hours volunteering as a medical scribe
30 hours in a hospice

Shadowing
~200 hours shadowing 2 different doctors

Community Volunteering
~150 hours volunteering at community center, working with children
~200 hours volunteering at a blood donor clinic

Research
800 hours in my undergrad, will be an author on 2 upcoming papers (unfortunately not yet published)

Employment and Misc.
Worked as a peer tutor, supervisor at a couple of restaurants, some backpacking, some leadership experience at student clubs, and a few student-led initiatives.

I’m not too familiar with the American system, but my extra-curriculars are pretty weak for Canada.
I don't have experience working with disadvantaged/ under represented communities. Also I don’t have anything unique in my app, I feel it might come off super boring to someone who has looked at a lot of these. Also being international is a huge disadvantage, of course. Any advice regarding schools, future activities to add, etc. would be hugely appreciated! Note, disqualified from many schools due to old MCAT but feel free to give advice for next year!

TLDR; will write new MCAT for next year, any advice for schools to apply to OR new extra-curriculars would be awesome

Current list:
Washington U
Boston U
Columbia
Wayne
Emory
Stanford
Einstein
U Pittsburgh
Oakland U

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[Sand&Stars]

I just want to confirm that I'm reading this right, but you are taking the new MCAT before applying this cycle? If not, I would double check your list that those schools will accept your MCAT. I don't know about the other schools, but I applied to Tulane this past cycle and they only accept MCATs from 3 years before you will matriculate, so for class of 2018, it would need a 2015 MCAT.

 

[fluffykat]

I just want to confirm that I'm reading this right, but you are taking the new MCAT before applying this cycle? If not, I would double check your list that those schools will accept your MCAT. I don't know about the other schools, but I applied to Tulane this past cycle and they only accept MCATs from 3 years before you will matriculate, so for class of 2018, it would need a 2015 MCAT.

So strange, on the MSAR it says Tulane accepts MCATs as old as August 2014 but on the actual Tulane website it says it must be 2015. Thanks for the heads up! I don't plan on re-taking the MCAT for this cycle, as its too late, but definitely for the next cycle.

 

[nonamesleft]

Hey guys and gals, I'm looking for any advice you have for a Canadian Applicant!

cGPA and sGPA both 3.83
MCAT 37, percentile equivalent to ~519 on the new MCAT (wrote in 2014, have not written the new one. I know, I know)

Clinical Volunteering
250 hours volunteering as a medical scribe
30 hours in a hospice

Shadowing
~200 hours shadowing 2 different doctors

Community Volunteering
~150 hours volunteering at community center, working with children
~200 hours volunteering at a blood donor clinic

Research
800 hours in my undergrad, will be an author on 2 upcoming papers (unfortunately not yet published)

Employment and Misc.
Worked as a peer tutor, supervisor at a couple of restaurants, some backpacking, some leadership experience at student clubs, and a few student-led initiatives.

I’m not too familiar with the American system, but my extra-curriculars are pretty weak for Canada.
I don't have experience working with disadvantaged/ under represented communities. Also I don’t have anything unique in my app, I feel it might come off super boring to someone who has looked at a lot of these. Also being international is a huge disadvantage, of course. Any advice regarding schools, future activities to add, etc. would be hugely appreciated! Note, disqualified from many schools due to old MCAT but feel free to give advice for next year!

TLDR; will write new MCAT for next year, any advice for schools to apply to OR new extra-curriculars would be awesome

Current list:
Washington U
Boston U
Columbia
Wayne
Emory
Stanford
Einstein
U Pittsburgh
Oakland U

Canadian schools are far more stats-biased than US schools. In fact, it is possible to obtain Canadian interviews purely based on stats. This being said, if you think your ECs are weak for Canada, what makes you think that they would be OK for the US?

P.S. While I don't think your ECs are "strong," I would not call them "weak." You've got better research than some, and weaker clinical/service than others.

[edit] for font size. in my haste to make a point, I didn't realize how big I made that font...

 

[fluffykat]

Canadian schools are far more stats-biased than US schools. In fact, it is possible to obtain Canadian interviews purely based on stats. This being said, if you think your ECs are weak for Canada, what makes you think that they would be OK for the US?

P.S. While I don't think your ECs are "strong," I would not call them "weak." You've got better research than some, and weaker clinical/service than others.

[edit] for font size. in my haste to make a point, I didn't realize how big I made that font...

Thanks for your reply! My thinking is that since there is a much larger variety of schools in the US, some naturally tend to value stats more heavily, and I could target those. I also heard a rumor that since American schools receive much larger numbers of applications every year, they tend to screen more based on stats. Is this incorrect?