Chances, Schools, and Next Steps...

[_Nightlight_]

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Hi, I am a white male CA resident looking to shore up my school list after receiving MCAT scores/receive guidance from SDNers. I am first time applicant, and I just graduated from college.

Stats: This is the good part.
-cGPA: 3.78
-sGPA: 3.73
-MCAT: 519 (130/129/130/130)

Volunteering/Clinical: This is the bad part.
- Weak. 30 hours of volunteering in cancer research hospital. Starting a scribe job now to try and rectify, looking for volunteering options. I am starting meals on wheels next week b/c I figured it's something that most people don't want to do (no glory) but very necessary and meaningful. I am also trying to find another long term, more involved volunteer opportunity.

PS/LORs:
-I am a strong writer, I think my PS is unique/good but so does everyone so idk, probably should consider it average.
-LORs should be very strong, I have a CL and the individuals are all from people who know me very well and respect me greatly.

ECs:
- Lots of scholarships and awards (5 or 6, several fairly competitive)
-worked as an RA for 2 years
-played college football/boxing team
-tutored biology for a semester
-menial jobs throughout all 4 years (lots of working in college)
-student senate for 2 years (2 different committees)
-also started/presided over a club for a year.

Shadowing: 80 hours ophthalmology

Other:
-No family in medicine
-Applying as disadvantaged (grew up in inner city)

Research:
-Strong, approx. 1000 hours in 2 labs (EEG on babies, drosophila basic science research). no pubs, but a couple posters, and I presented at a local med school/some conferences.

Commentary:
- I know there is really no excuse for my lack of volunteering, but if I were forced to give one it would be that I worked a lot in college and played sports (20-30 hours a week each respectively), and I also failed to grasp the significance of volunteering outside of a hospital (our local hospital was saturated with volunteers, difficult to find opportunities).
- as I mentioned, I am starting a scribe job post-college. I have more time than I have ever had before without the necessity to focus on work/academics, I am shifting my focus to gaining clinical/volunteering experience. I worry that this will be perceived as disingenuous, as I should have been doing this throughout all of school.

School List

1. UCLA
2. UCSF
3. UCSD
4. UCD
5. UCR
6. UCI
7. Tulane
8. Tufts
9. Albany
10. Albert Einstein
11. USC
12. Rochester
13. Yale (yeah, I applied here)

These are the schools I have already added to my application. I am looking to select 5-8 more that will appreciate who I am as an applicant and be a good fit for me. It is hard to choose for me b/c of my specific situation (stats competitive most places, difficult to gauge competitiveness of rest of application anywhere). I see myself as a high stat, research oriented applicant. Ironically, I am strongly committed to giving back to underserved communities given my own situation, and the impression/example the doctor I shadowed gave me. However, I don't think my application really reflects this due to lacking volunteering.

Potential Schools

1. Medical College of Wisconsin
2. Temple
3. Pitt
4. Penn State
5. Rochester
6. Chicago Loyola
7. Rosalind Franklin
8. SLU
9. Hofstra
10. Mt Sinai
11. Umich

I don't care about the flashiness of the school I attend at all, in the slightest bit. It would be nice, sure, but what I most concerned with is finding a school that wants me, and that I feel I am a good fit for.

Edit: I forgot to mention---> does anyone have any suggestions on what would be the best next steps to take now to strengthen my application?

Thanks,
_nightlight_

 

[Faha]

Your weak clinical volunteering may hurt your chances at some schools. From your potential list you could add:

1. Medical College of Wisconsin
2. Temple
3. Penn State
4. Rochester
5. Chicago Loyola
6. Rosalind Franklin
7. SLU
8. Hofstra
9. Mt Sinai

You could also add U Arizona (both schools), Miami, Wake Forest.

 

[_Nightlight_]

Your weak clinical volunteering may hurt your chances at some schools. From your potential list you could add:

1. Medical College of Wisconsin
2. Temple
3. Penn State
4. Rochester
5. Chicago Loyola
6. Rosalind Franklin
7. SLU
8. Hofstra
9. Mt Sinai

You could also add U Arizona (both schools), Miami, Wake Forest.

If you had to cut out 5 or so of those schools, which would be the first to go? I want to stay close to 20 schools or less.

 

[Faha]

If you had to cut out 5 or so of those schools, which would be the first to go? I want to stay close to 20 schools or less.

Yale, Mt. Sinai, Rosalind Franklin, Loyola

 

[GrapesofRath]

If you had to cut out 5 or so of those schools, which would be the first to go? I want to stay close to 20 schools or less.

Any OOS school your MCAT is >90th percentile particularly the ones that get >11k apps

 

[Gurkhali]

Any OOS school your MCAT is >90th percentile particularly the ones that get >11k apps

Do schools in-state have yield protection when your MCAT is >90th percentile for them? Just wondering if In-state would make any difference here.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Do schools in-state have yield protection when your MCAT is >90th percentile for them? Just wondering if In-state would make any difference here.

Very unlikely in CA

 

[_Nightlight_]

Any OOS school your MCAT is >90th percentile particularly the ones that get >11k apps

Is "yield protection" case by case or do these schools have strict cut offs? I ask b/c my MCAT is either 90th percentile or above for alot of mid tiers.