Chances with a 29O and 3.8 gpa??????

[dcjpitt]

MCAT: 29O (V9, B10, P10)
GPA 3.8

I have several research and clinical positions, volunteering, involvement with student orgs (including officer/leadership positions) and extracurricular activities under my belt. I'm a Latino from Pennsylvania, graduating from college this May, and applying for the class of 2015.

I know that there are many factors that med schools consider, but based off the info I've given, what are my chances of getting into medical school? I'd prefer to attend an allopathic/MD school and I was thinking of applying to 15-20 schools. Does anyone have any advice as to what schools I should apply to? What are my chances of getting into a top 20 school, Ivy, or any at all?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!!!!!!!!

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[DocMcCoy]

a balanced 29, solid GPA, and applying as a latino will get you into an allopathic school providing you have decent ECs. Your chances at a top 20 are pretty slim without significant research experience and retaking the MCAT. You might want to apply broader than 20 schools if you plan on including some top 20s.

 

[Catalystik]

Your chances of an acceptance somewhere are very good. Top twenty seems iffy with your current MCAT score. Any chance of an improved performance? And of course, your ECs would need to reflect that you have the potential to be a future leader in medicine, which is who those schools aim to train.

 

[ThaliaNox]

Since you are latino, I definetely see you getting into medical school with those numbers. I'm not sure about the Top 20, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Make sure you apply to your state schools and other less competitive schools as well.

 

[dcjpitt]

I'm probably not going to retake the MCAT. I don't think I would be able to dedicate as much time to studying as I did before (an entire summer). I'm also not the greatest with standardized tests.

I'm planning on applying to a variety of schools, including all my state schools in PA. My dream schools are Columbia, Case Western, Pitt, and UPenn. Do I have any chance at all with those?

 

[captain classy]

I'm probably not going to retake the MCAT. I don't think I would be able to dedicate as much time to studying as I did before (an entire summer). I'm also not the greatest with standardized tests.

I'm planning on applying to a variety of schools, including all my state schools in PA. My dream schools are Columbia, Case Western, Pitt, and UPenn. Do I have any chance at all with those?

there's always a chance, especially applying with urm status (if that applies to you...i'm not exactly sure what the criteria are). i've definately seen people with worse stats get into top 20 schools, albeit rare. apply to your dream schools for sure. you might get in, but just prepare yourself for the idea that you'll probably end up elsewhere.

the advice i was given was that my AMCAS application was not a place to save money. you might end up paying more if you add all your dream schools to an already long list (with your mcat, it is crucial that you apply very broadly), but the potential return of getting into that school you've always dreamed of going to makes it well worth it in my mind.

just make sure you go into this process with an open mind. just because a school isn't in the top 20 doesn't mean you won't love it when you visit on your interview day. just a quick personal anecdote, i had 9 interviews which were well distributed ranking-wise. some in the top 20, top 40, middle-tier, lower-tier, etc. i pretty much loved every school i interviewed at, regardless of ranking. they all had something amazing to offer. for me, the moral of the story was that no matter where i end up, i'll get a great medical education that will prepare me for an awesome career. that being said, i'm confident you'll get accepted to at least one allopathic program as long as you apply early and stay on top of this process, so be stoked, and keep on keepin on!