Chances at Top 20?

[tankev89]

Applying broadly for sure, just wondering how much of a reach I am at top 20 schools seeing how my GPA and MCAT are sub 50th percentile at most of these schools. Thanks!

-3.61 cGPA from University of WA with upward grade trend
-32O MCAT
-Trained EMT-Basic (2009)
-Certified Nursing Assistant in Nursing Home~250 hours
-Worked as Radiology Orderly past 6 months (ongoing)
-ED Scribe ~500 hrs (ongoing)
-50 hours shadowing MD's in various dept. (not counting scribing)
-Volunteered at youth golf org. past year
-Part of healthcare team that went to Zimbabwe for 3 week volunteering in rural hospital
-Research w/ emergency medicine physician for a month (ongoing)
-Decent to strong PS

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[Nandrolone]

Applying broadly for sure, just wondering how much of a reach I am at top 20 schools seeing how my GPA and MCAT are sub 50th percentile at most of these schools. Thanks!

-3.61 cGPA from University of WA with upward grade trend
-32O MCAT
-Trained EMT-Basic (2009)
-Certified Nursing Assistant in Nursing Home~250 hours
-Worked as Radiology Orderly past 6 months (ongoing)
-ED Scribe ~500 hrs (ongoing)
-50 hours shadowing MD's in various dept. (not counting scribing)
-Volunteered at youth golf org. past year
-Part of healthcare team that went to Zimbabwe for 3 week volunteering in rural hospital
-Research w/ emergency medicine physician for a month (ongoing)
-Decent to strong PS

Let's be honest here. Your application is average, and has a low chance of making it into the top 20. Are you an URM?

 

[TheShaker]

Slim to none. Your numbers are lower than their median and you don't have enough research experience. You have great clinical experience, though. You'll be golden for anything outside of the top schools.

 

[tankev89]

Non-URM.

I submitted primary to 30 schools. Perhaps too spontaneously half of those are top 20 schools, now starting to think it may be a waste to even spend time on the secondaries I have from schools like Pritzker, Washington Univ SOM, Stanford. I mean, students get into these schools with my GPA and MCAT, is it just my ECs aren't strong enough to give me a shot?

 

[Nandrolone]

Non-URM.

I submitted primary to 30 schools. Perhaps too spontaneously half of those are top 20 schools, now starting to think it may be a waste to even spend time on the secondaries I have from schools like Pritzker, Washington Univ SOM, Stanford. I mean, students get into these schools with my GPA and MCAT, is it just my ECs aren't strong enough to give me a shot?

yes, you would need AMAZING EC's, or URM status to be competitive.

But, do secondaries for like 5 dream schools, not the 10...and just hope for the best...sometimes, dreams do come true

 

[TriagePreMed]

Don't see any special reason why any top 20 would want you. In fact, I'd advice to apply low-mid heavily.

 

[carnelian]

Applying broadly for sure, just wondering how much of a reach I am at top 20 schools seeing how my GPA and MCAT are sub 50th percentile at most of these schools. Thanks!

-3.61 cGPA from University of WA with upward grade trend
-32O MCAT
-Trained EMT-Basic (2009)
-Certified Nursing Assistant in Nursing Home~250 hours
-Worked as Radiology Orderly past 6 months (ongoing)
-ED Scribe ~500 hrs (ongoing)
-50 hours shadowing MD's in various dept. (not counting scribing)
-Volunteered at youth golf org. past year
-Part of healthcare team that went to Zimbabwe for 3 week volunteering in rural hospital
-Research w/ emergency medicine physician for a month (ongoing)
-Decent to strong PS

Your EMT-B cert won't help unless you've actually used it. Other than that, pretty solid clinical activities. The "top 20" schools you speak of are top 20 largely because of research. With that said, your month-long, albeit ongoing, research experience is not going to cut it. Especially considering the fact that your stats are not winning you any points. So yes, the top 20 schools are very much a reach. But if your LORs, PS, and secondaries are absolutely dazzling, and you are some sort of legacy, then that might be a different story.

Focus more on the mid-tier secondaries before you're burnt out. Good luck!

Don't see any special reason why any top 20 would want you. In fact, I'd advice to apply low-mid heavily.

ouch... so blunt :/

 

[Jamie561]

Slim to none. Your numbers are lower than their median and you don't have enough research experience. You have great clinical experience, though. You'll be golden for anything outside of the top schools.

Agree. Top 20 schools typically do not accept students in OP's score range, ceteris paribus.

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[tankev89]

Thanks for the input guys! This is my school list:

Einstein
Boston U
Case
George Wash.
Georgetown
Hofstra
Keck
Loyola (Chicago)
Medical College of Wisc.
Mt Sinai
NYMC
NYU
OHSU
Penn
Rush
St. Louis
Stanford
Temple
Ohio St.
Tufts
Tulane
Pritzker
Colorado
Rochester
Pitt
Utah
Virginia
Univ of WA
VCU
Washington
Yale


Would any of you mind letting me know which schools are a really big reach? I am kind of lost in trying to prioritize and now feel a little foolish about some of the schools I chose.

 

[red doctober]

Thanks for the input guys! This is my school list:

Einstein
Boston U
Case
George Wash.
Georgetown
Hofstra
Keck
Loyola (Chicago)
Medical College of Wisc.
Mt Sinai
NYMC
NYU
OHSU
Penn
Rush
St. Louis
Stanford
Temple
Ohio St.
Tufts
Tulane
Pritzker
Colorado
Rochester
Pitt
Utah
Virginia
Univ of WA
VCU
Washington <-- I'm guessing this is WashU
Yale


Would any of you mind letting me know which schools are a really big reach? I am kind of lost in trying to prioritize and now feel a little foolish about some of the schools I chose.

I would say those based on your stats & Washington residency.

 

[iforget2]

Lack of research aside, are his ECs considered above average? I realize his gpa and mcat are below the median but in my opinion he has excellent ECs. Maybe my standards are a bit off here

 

[Jamie561]

Lack of research aside, are his ECs considered above average? I realize his gpa and mcat are below the median but in my opinion he has excellent ECs. Maybe my standards are a bit off here

Nope; with only a month of research, top schools (do not forget that these are USNWR top *RESEARCH* schools) are not likely to bite. His patient care experience is good, but not spectacular. His experiences are also unlikely to lend diversity to the class.

I don't mean to say that OP is a weak candidate by any means. His app is strong, just not strong enough to be a lock at the T20.

Maybe you can tell me what you think is "excellent" about his ECs.

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[tankev89]

Thanks all for the input. I am curious why you think my experiences won't "lend diversity". At least without knowing where they took place, what I took from them, etc.? Not trying to be combative, and I'm not offended but truly interested in how you know it could not make me unique, and perhaps what experiences do instantly show how diverse an applicant is.