Critique my School Selection and help me pick a few more?

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JBruin

Class of 2017
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Getting to the School Selection part of my AMCAS and need a little help picking which schools I should apply for. I went through today and picked a few that seem like good choices, but I feel shaky and as though I need more safeties.

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Not a little... Way too top heavy yo.

That list only makes sense if you got a 100% slam dunk safety that you can live with going to.
 
You have absolutely no research? Your list is riddled with top 25 research institutions.

I would remove all of these schools and replace them with ones that aren't as research focused:

UCSF
UCSD
UCLA

Baylor
Harvard
Northwestern

University of Mich
University of Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt

NYU
Case Western Reserve
Emory
 
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Good catch. I stand by my original statement if he had research.
 
waaaaaaaaaay too top heavy. add more safety schools.
 
You have absolutely no research? Your list is riddled with top 25 research institutions.

I would remove all of these schools and replace them with ones that aren't as research focused:

UCSF
UCSD
UCLA

Baylor
Harvard
Northwestern

University of Mich
University of Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt

NYU
Case Western Reserve
Emory

Thank you for the feedback! I will definitely be applying to the three UC's, simply because I know students at all three who have gotten in with minimal to zero research, and I feel as though I am otherwise competitive. Likewise, Harvard is staying simply because I want to try.

I will definitely be looking into and reconsidering the others though! Does anyone have any alternative schools or safeties which I so desperately need?
 
Thank you for the feedback! I will definitely be applying to the three UC's, simply because I know students at all three who have gotten in with minimal to zero research, and I feel as though I am otherwise competitive. Likewise, Harvard is staying simply because I want to try.

I will definitely be looking into and reconsidering the others though! Does anyone have any alternative schools or safeties which I so desperately need?

Yea I was too hasty in saying you should get rid of all of those - keeping a few reaches or dream schools is totally fine. I mean you definitely have the numbers for it. Just not having any research makes things a lot more difficult.

What qualities do you look for in a school? Just some off the top of my head that might be good to look into a bit more: maybe some SUNYs, Albert Einstein, Jefferson, Temple, Miami, Boston, Cincy, Wake. I would try to focus more on schools that aren't ranked in the top ~30 for research.
 
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Yea I was too hasty in saying you should get rid of all of those - keeping a few reaches or dream schools is totally fine. I mean you definitely have the numbers for it. Just not having any research makes things a lot more difficult.

What qualities do you look for in a school? Just some off the top of my head that might be good to look into a bit more: maybe some SUNYs, Albert Einstein, Jefferson, Temple, Miami, Boston, Cincy, Wake. I would try to focus more on schools that aren't ranked in the top ~30 for research.

I'm mostly interested in patient oriented care, as shown through the Bias in my EC's. That's not to say that I'm not interested in research, I just felt my time was better spent out in the community or in the hospital, as opposed to cataloging fly strain or some of the other non-sensical research my friends were involved in.

I'm not terribly concerned about Rank or Prestige, though it would be nice to go somewhere well known after having worked hard for so long.

Preferably somewhere Urban, but i'm ok with more rural areas as well.
 
I've added and subtracted some. I had very similar stats (better MCAT, worse GPA), albeit with about 4 years of research and 2 hot pubs. I got interviews at most places, and I think you should apply to as many reaches as you want if you have the finances. My reasoning is always the same: why not? You only apply once, might as well shoot for your dreams (especially since you're in range for them).

UCSF
UCSD
UCLA
UCI
UCD
USC

Harvard
University of Mich
University of Pennsylvania
Columbia
UChicago
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
Mount Sinai
Cornell
Tufts
NYU
Case Western Reserve
Emory
Boston University

Georgetown
Loyola
George Washington
Rush
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
 
Keep your dream/top schools.

Just add some less competitive ones since ur looking to add another 10 to your list.

you dont need research for a top 20 institution. might need it for a top 10 ;)

btw. mdeast has a nice balanced list for you
i think thats perfect.
basically many UCs, the top 15, and some safeties. goodie! (i checked, not the top 15, a few of the top 20, some midtiers, safeties... still goodie)
 
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