Chances & MCAT score please!

[maybee]

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I plan to apply this summer for the year of 2010. Here are my stats. Can anyone please help me decide what range of Med. school I should apply for (some examples would be helpful) and how high do I need to get on my MCAT to be competitive:

Over all GPA: 3.92
Science GPA: 3.89
Undergrad Major: Digital Media (BFA), graduated summa cum laude (Dec 2008), also took a bunch of programming courses with GPA 4.0.

Club: Japanese club during my junior year. (I'm Chinese btw)
-I'm also in golden keys and things like that, but was never involved so I guess I won't include them in my application.
Shadowed at a primary care clinic since last Sept.
Volunteer: Arts in Medicine for one semester, hosting arts and crafts activities for sick children. I also plan to volunteer at St. Francies house (for homeless people) starting very soon.
Research: currently helping out in a lab, but I doubt I'll get my own project or anything by the end of this semester.

Other stuff: worked in a photography shop for about a year, do mainly digital editing and layout design; worked for a guy who fixes computer, and translate web-cam meeting of he and his gf who only speak Chiense 🙂p). I've also done many freelance portrait photography and digital imaging jobs through out the years.
Bilingual, Chinese & Eng.
I also attend church meetings regularly if that counts for anything..

That's really all that I got. I'm kind of worried about my community involvement part. Wish I was more involved with clubs and had volunteered more throughout, because I feel like I don't have much compared to many other pre-meds T_T . I will have one year off and I plan to work as a CNA for a year and also do some voluntter/shadowing.

So here are my questions again: what do I have to get on my MCAT and what range of Med schools should I aim for?

Thank you!!

 

[cajunchrisbu]

sounds like you are in pretty good shape to me. Your gpa is higher than mine (I have a 3.6 over all and a 3.5 science) and a 30 on the MCAT and had no problem getting into my top school with a bit of Extracurriculars and medical experience (shadowing, EMT certification, work in an ER ect.)

On your MCAT shoot for high 20's like 28 and up. Ideally it would be awesome to get a 30+. Most people I have talked to on the site and off the site have said that 30ish is the magic number (if there can be one)

Best of luck

 

[maybee]

Oh, thank you so much for the feedback, and may I ask what were your top schools?
I will def. aim for 30+ on MCAT. I'm taking it on May 2nd...so scary >_<

 

[Mobius1985]

You really can't decide how selective your target schools should be until you have your MCAT score back. Considering how excellent your GPA is, with a high MCAT score, but no substantive research, you could aim for upper-range, mid-selectivity schools. If you get an MCAT below average (28-30), your GPA could still get you into your state school (assuming it's Florida), assuming your ECs are improved.

Not having club involvement won't hurt you. Not having experience working with sick people will hurt you, as shadowing alone is not adequate. Why not combine some community service with clinical experience and volunteer at a hospital, nursing home, free clinic, hospice, etc. I'd get this going ASAP, as the average applicant has 150 hours gained at the rate of 3-4 hours weekly. Experience you gain as a CNA or volunteer after you apply will not be on your application. I also don't see any leadership experience mentioned. You might want to consider waiting to apply until June 2010 so all these expected elements will be adequate.

 

[cajunchrisbu]

My top schools were any of the medical schools in Louisiana. I ended up accepting an offer from LSU in Shreveport, which was the school that I wanted after seeing the campus.

Feel free to ask me any other questions you want

 

[sling787]

Your stats are awesome. If I were you I would aim for a 40+. It's ovious you can comprehend the science material, given your GPA. If you study for it like you want a 40+, I don't see how you can't get in the 30+ range with those stats.

 

[maybee]

My top schools were any of the medical schools in Louisiana. I ended up accepting an offer from LSU in Shreveport, which was the school that I wanted after seeing the campus.

Feel free to ask me any other questions you want

Congratulations! I'm sure there will be more questions later one, thank you! 🙂

 

[maybee]

Your stats are awesome. If I were you I would aim for a 40+. It's ovious you can comprehend the science material, given your GPA. If you study for it like you want a 40+, I don't see how you can't get in the 30+ range with those stats.

wowz 40+ ! that's a good advice... I guess I was always too scared of that number to even think about it. I probably should though.. 🙁