Do I need to gap year?

[GoldandBlue]

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[lmn]

If you retake you're definitely too late for this cycle. If you think you can keep up your PS and BS scores while increasing your verbal, I would probably go for it since a 34 vs a 30 is a pretty big difference, and a 7 VR to a 10/11 is HUGE. Others may recommend just going for it with lower tier schools. Depends on where you're hoping to go.

 

[ridethecliche]

You need to retake. If you can keep the other things relatively constant and increase your VR to a 9-10, you'll be way more competitive.

What would you do during your year?

 

[GoldandBlue]

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[GoldandBlue]

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[lmn]

What lower tier schools would you recommend that I could potentially get into?

Check the MSAR for places that match your stats and accept you as either IS or accept a good number of OOS applicants. A 30 overall isn't likely to get you prescreened at most schools, but a 7 in VR might, so I would go through the MSAR and generate a list (if you're planning on applying with your 30) and then contact those schools and ask them if they would screen you with a 7.

 

[ridethecliche]

Doing a bunch of research, some shadowing, and some volunteer will be incredibly helpful to your application if you can get your VR up as well.

 

[GoldandBlue]

Doing a bunch of research, some shadowing, and some volunteer will be incredibly helpful to your application if you can get your VR up as well.

Even if I've already done research, shadowing, and volunteer work? Does having X more hours really make a difference?

 

[kyamh]

Even if I've already done research, shadowing, and volunteer work? Does having X more hours really make a difference?

No, the hours don't matter, but if you stop the ECs then all of your hours will look like box checking....you need to keep going at whatever pace you set.

 

[tantacles]

What lower tier schools would you recommend that I could potentially get into?

Rosalind Franklin, in past years, has taken excellent applicants with a SIX in verbal, so it's definitely possible for you to be admitted here. I can't see what your probability of getting an interview is, though.

 

[GoldandBlue]

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[gyngyn]

Also not a minority, not like that should matter though

It does if you are ESL.

 

[GoldandBlue]

Decided to withdraw. Next year it is!