Chances? 3.7 cGPA, 3.7 sGPA, 516 MCAT

[samanthapeek]

Hello,

I am an NC resident currently attending a top five public school. I plan to apply to medical schools for the first time during the next cycle as a senior.

My stats: 3.7 cGPA, 3.7 sGPA, 516 (~35) MCAT (fairly equal breakdown).

ECs: ~150 hours of hospital volunteering, ~100 hours non-clinical volunteering, ~60 hours of shadowing, Service chair in a cultural organization, service chair in my major's honor society, chair of student government diversity committee, 3 semesters of research (by the time of application), tutoring job for 4 hours/ week for two years. I have a few other minor ECs but these are the ones I can speak and write about the most.

Here is a tentative list of the 14 schools I plan to apply to:

Boston University
Case Western
Duke
Emory
Virginia
George Washington
East Carolina
Wake Forest
North Carolina
Virginia Tech
Southern California
UC San Francisco
Maryland
Pittsburgh

What are my chances at these? Should I be more or less ambitious based on my stats/ECs and what other schools would be good fits?

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[GrapesofRath]

Cut UCSF and Maryland. Otherwise a good start. Some others to consider

Jefferson, Oakland, Quinnipac, Medical College Wisconsin, Albany, U of Arizona, Saint Louis, Creighton, Penn State, Miami

Rochester, Einstein, Hofstra, Vanderbilt, Northwestern

All in all, there are about 4 schools on that list off the bat you have a very realistic shot at a II at with your current list. Try to get that number closer to 10. The first group of schools I listed can help get you there fast(I tried avoiding particularly low yield lower tiers). The second group is more reach types, add with reasonable discretion. Note this is hardly an exhaustive list.

 

[samanthapeek]

I have parents who went to Maryland - should I still avoid applying there? And which schools would you say I have a very realistic shot at? Thank you for the feedback!

 

[GrapesofRath]

I have parents who went to Maryland - should I still avoid applying there? And which schools would you say I have a very realistic shot at? Thank you for the feedback!

It's one school, if you really want to apply to Maryland go ahead. Your MCAT is 2 points above their median but it is very very competitive OOS. Did your parents go their for UG or med school?

You should get a II at Brody. You have a very solid shot at a II out of 1 of the 2: UNC or Wake, if not both.

Your stats are above the median for Va Tech; you obviously have a shot there. Problem is the class is so small its kind of low yield; still apply if you like it. The other schools on your list, it's not that you don't have a shot at them or they aren't realistic, it's just they are very competitive. To play it safe, I would try to add 4-5 more schools where your stats are above the average by several MCAT points and that don't get hoarded with apps/have significant IS bias. The ones I listed such as Jefferson, Quinnipac, Saint Louis, and Penn State would qualify as such.