Early but please edit my list!

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calbear0959

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Hello!

Yes, I know it's early but I wanted to make sure I have a good list going for this upcoming cycle.
MCAT: 26 (9,9,8) GPA: science&cum ~ 3.45 (going to try to raise this a little this spring semester)
ECs: tutored throughout undergrad, lots of clinical exposure through MA work and scribing, ~100 hours hospital volunteer work, volunteer monthly through loaves and fishes and at food bank in my city. I am a CA resident. Will have letters from an MD and a DO.

ATSU-KCOM & SOMA
ACOM
Campbell
CCOM
DMU
KCUMB
LECOM (both)
LMU-DCOM
Marian
Nova
University of Pikeville, KYCOM
Rocky Vista
PCOM
VCOM
AZCOM
Touro (all 3)

I'm aware my MCAT is below the average for touro and that they do place heavy emphasis on it. Is it even worth it to apply or am I just throwing money away? Any significant problems with regional bias? Should I add anything? MSU?

Thanks in advance for advice!
 
If I were you I would cross off AZCOM, CCOM, Touro NY, and PCOM

AZCOM is only looking at apps with an MCAT of 29 or above and I believe CCOM is pretty competitive with their GPA and they also have an average MCAT of 29.

PCOM simply because they receive so many apps a year and their averages are higher than what you have.

The touros also have averages comparable to MD except the one in Nevada you should have a fair shot at and I'm not sure if CA has in state bias or not but maybe it's worth a shot as a reach school.

I wouldn't bother with MSU if I were you. I think the schools that are left on your list are all that you would have at least a fighter's chance at. Unless you have extra money to spare, I'd say avoid the schools above in the order that I listed them. I'm just going off what I've seen on this forum and the averages I've seen from my own research. Maybe an adcom might be able to weigh in a little more than me.
 
I agree with the above. In addition I would add Western University - Pomona (CA school), and maybe Western-NW too. Otherwise, the list and ECs look great and I'm sure you'll get in somewhere.
 
@wsu11 Will cross those off, thanks so much for the advice. @hawruh I had definitely considered adding Western (since I am a CA resident) but I thought they were an MCAT obsessed school like the touros?
 
CCOM rejected me before interviewing me, my MCAT is similar to yours. I have a 3.68 cGPA and 3.62 sGPA. They are really, really selective about students with lower MCAT scores. My LOR was a really strong letter from a CCOM grad and my ECs are on the stronger side. I would take CCOM off the list as well if you aren't planning on retaking the MCAT, or if your retake isn't at least a 28. Also, most people would say don't add MSUCOM to your list if you aren't a MI resident. It accepts 85% of the class from MI and the out of state tuition is almost 90k a year.

Also, you're a CA resident, there's no reason Western shouldn't be on your list.
 
Add WesternU( Both campuses) and PNWU.


AZCOM probably won't work as mentioned. And I'm skeptical of VCOM's interest in you admittedly. Campbell is hard core into matching ppl to stay in NC to service there and KYCOM similarly.
 
calbear0959 said:
@wsu11 Will cross those off, thanks so much for the advice. @hawruh I had definitely considered adding Western (since I am a CA resident) but I thought they were an MCAT obsessed school like the touros?
Click to expand...

Add COMP regardless. You may not get in, but why not try if you are IS?

I agree with pretty much everything said above. I would drop CCOM and probably PCOM (although I know people at PCOM that were interviewed). I'd also drop Campbell, because they are particular when it comes to "fit", and you already have a good spread of schools in that "tier". I might also consider dropping KYCOM for pretty much the same reason.

Its a toss up in my opinion for AZCOM. They may be saying they are all about a 29+, but I won't buy it until their MCAT average is above that.

You have a good list. Add the COMPs and drop at least CCOM, CUSOM, and KYCOM, and you should be good.
 
@serenade @hallowmann thanks for the advice on campbell and KYCOM. I will definitely add both COMPs. Can you elaborate on why the skepticism for VCOM? I thought I was around their average. I saw that PNWU has that regional bias. You think I have a chance as a CA resident?
 
VCOM is regional as well. I don't imagine you'd lose much over that 100 bucks to apply, but it probably won't be 100 well spent. In either case I think you need to debate finances and how much you can actually spend.
 
MSU's out of state tuition was outrageous. I crossed it off my school list.

Definitely add western. Also Touro-NY is worth a shot if you're interested in the middletown campus. Your stats would definitely be fine.
 
I'll probably get flack for this, but I disagree with some of the advice given above. My MCAT was a point higher than yours, but my GPA was significantly higher. Take my advice (and all advice, really) with a grain of salt. I was also concerned about regional bias, especially from some of the more rural schools in the south/appalachia that seem to have mission statements specifically geared toward picking people who will serve in their state or region.

CUSOM definitely seemed like one to be wary of, as I'm from nowhere near NC and don't have any good reasons to practice medicine in the area. I was accepted anyway - and actually offered a scholarship. I believe they *are* looking for students who will be a good fit, but they don't necessarily discriminate regionally to determine who will fit well.

LMU DCOM - sent my secondary in July and still haven't heard from them! :shrug:

Basically, the take home message here is that you really never know. Sprinkling your list with some of these "regionally biased" private schools can't hurt - pick the ones in your preferred location if you need to narrow down the list. I feel the same way about applying to "stats obsessed" schools with your 26 - if you really like PCOM (or CCOM or Touro NY or whatnot), it can't hurt to apply, and you may end up being surprised by where you are offered interviews. Your list includes a good spread of schools (stats wise), so really you can't go wrong.
 
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serenade said:
VCOM is regional as well. I don't imagine you'd lose much over that 100 bucks to apply, but it probably won't be 100 well spent. In either case I think you need to debate finances and how much you can actually spend.
Click to expand...

Nowhere near the region, no ties, and I'm accepted with a 24 3.7
 
hallowmann said:
Did you call them? They are big about you calling and making it very clear you like the place. I've heard of many people calling after silence, then getting an ii the next day.
Click to expand...

Nah, I did see this tip but I've already been accepted by my top choice/withdrawn from multiple interview invites. I just haven't withdrawn from the four schools I haven't heard from post secondary (LMU, Nova, OU-HCOM, NYIT), but I wouldn't attend an interview at LMU if I were offered one at this point anyhow.
 
@serenade *she 🙂. Sorry I wasn't specific but I had intended on applying to both and wasn't aware they had a regional bias. So the Virginia campus does have a bias but the Carolinas campus does not?
 
Not sure why I'm seeing so many mention campbell... I was offered an interview there with a 25 MCAT score, no reason or connection to practice in NC and I even said that in my secondary.
 
I'm skeptical of VCOM's interest in you admittedly.
RzGf4C3
 
As @ananasmed said, take advice with a grain of salt. Seems like the admissions process is a bit of a crapshoot sometimes (which I think is a nightmare for most neurotic premeds). For your situation I'd say lose KYCOM unless you want to stay in that region to practice, add Western and if you really like CUSOM come up with some compelling things to talk about in your secondary as to why you're interested.

I had very similar stats to you, apart from my sGPA being very slightly higher. Lots of clinical ECs and strong letters and the same MCAT score with a similar breakdown. I applied to about 90% of the same schools as you, including PCOM but minus CCOM, and I was interviewed and accepted at PCOM. I think if you've got a strong application outside of your stats you're definitely going to get some looks from them. Its a solid program, has a great reputation and the students I met there seemed really happy to be there.

If you're really interested in a school, toss in your application. Be realistic in your expectations and goals, but save the money now and see what doors open up for you come application time. I too thought my MCAT would get me the cold shoulder from a lot of places but I have been pleasantly surprised and I bet you will be too.
 
calbear0959 said:
@serenade @hallowmann thanks for the advice on campbell and KYCOM. I will definitely add both COMPs. Can you elaborate on why the skepticism for VCOM? I thought I was around their average. I saw that PNWU has that regional bias. You think I have a chance as a CA resident?
Click to expand...

I was recently accepted to PNWU as a CA resident with practically no ties the region. You should definitely add it to your list.
 
The advice about CUSOM being heavily regionally biased is false. If fact, I'm not sure that many DO schools really are. I got acceptances & II's from many of the "heavily biased schools" from nowhere near them. I ended up going to CUSOM and there are people from all over the country (and a few other countries). If I remember correctly I think it was <60 students from NC at Campbell. I would just apply to any school/region where you would be comfortable living during school.
 
I would suggest you look at the data published on the UC San Diego pre-med web site. They list how many of their UCSD grads have applied to different MD and DO schools and where they've been admitted. So you'll find out that it's almost hopeless for a California student to be admitted to PCOM. Also, if you're not a science major, beware...there are several schools that admit non-science majors in much smaller percentages than others.
 
jaguar33 said:
The advice about CUSOM being heavily regionally biased is false. If fact, I'm not sure that many DO schools really are. I got acceptances & II's from many of the "heavily biased schools" from nowhere near them. I ended up going to CUSOM and there are people from all over the country (and a few other countries). If I remember correctly I think it was <60 students from NC at Campbell. I would just apply to any school/region where you would be comfortable living during school.
Click to expand...

None of us really know for sure what's in adcoms minds, so obviously take everything with a grain salt, but we're just relaying whatever little we have experienced.

There's a difference between "fit" and regional bias. You don't have to be from NC to get an invite, but I know a lot of people with decent stats that heard crickets from them. The one consistent thing was that none had demonstrated a particular interest in rural/undeserved medicine, none had grown up or lived in smaller towns, etc. CUSOM seems to be even more of a toss-up than other programs in this regard.

Does this mean OP shouldn't apply if she really likes it? Absolutely not. I'd expect anyone who really likes a school to apply regardless of what random pre-meds and med students say on here. That said, with CUSOM, I honestly don't think it's necessary for OP to apply if it's just a school on the list (as opposed to one of her top choices). There are other places that feel less random in the same "tier"/competitiveness.

Also, regional bias does exist with some DO schools. KYCOM, for example, rarely takes many people from outside of Appalachia (which spans a fair amount of states, making it less about IS vs OS than region). But it can be random, and it's hard to know what makes them consider a candidate from outside of the region.
 
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OP, Goro's advice is spot on. If I was you, I might have also added UNECOM and Rowan to the list. But then, again, I am from the Eastern seaboard.
 
OP, Goro's advice is spot on. If I was you, I might have also added UNECOM and Rowan to the list. But then again, I am from the Eastern seaboard.
 
hallowmann said:
None of us really know for sure what's in adcoms minds, so obviously take everything with a grain salt, but we're just relaying whatever little we have experienced.

There's a difference between "fit" and regional bias. You don't have to be from NC to get an invite, but I know a lot of people with decent stats that heard crickets from them. The one consistent thing was that none had demonstrated a particular interest in rural/undeserved medicine, none had grown up or lived in smaller towns, etc. CUSOM seems to be even more of a toss-up than other programs in this regard.

Does this mean OP shouldn't apply if she really likes it? Absolutely not. I'd expect anyone who really likes a school to apply regardless of what random pre-meds and med students say on here. That said, with CUSOM, I honestly don't think it's necessary for OP to apply if it's just a school on the list (as opposed to one of her top choices). There are other places that feel less random in the same "tier"/competitiveness.

Also, regional bias does exist with some DO schools. KYCOM, for example, rarely takes many people from outside of Appalachia (which spans a fair amount of states, making it less about IS vs OS than region). But it can be random, and it's hard to know what makes them consider a candidate from outside of the region.
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Of course they shouldn't apply to schools they aren't interested in attending. I was just pointing out that there are many people at my school who are from big cities, have no experience with underserved and are foreign students etc. I couldn't point to a certain thing admissions is looking for because there are tons of different types of people who for one reason or another decided to go with their acceptance here.

There may be a perceived regional bias at DO schools because most people choose a school based on location. And most people are comfortable near family or in the same region they have always lived. When it came down to deciding on a school for me, I ended up choosing a school close enough to family even though it wasn't in a big city like I am used too. In the end I wasn't willing to move to the Midwest, Kentucky or California when given the choice to attend places that SDN users rank "high tier."

So OP, apply places you would want to live regardless of "regional bias" because many people get into those schools from other areas. I'm sure you have a list of things you want in a school, so apply to those schools and see what happens.
 
@VanEman I never even thought about that. I was a non-science major in undergrad and I assumed adcoms didn't really care 🙁
 
@Goro Thank you! Was hoping to get a response from you!

Thank you to everyone who has been giving me great advice on my list. I'm very appreciative of the help 🙂
 
@Goro Sorry to bug you about this again but I just noticed you didn't recommend applying to either of the Western campuses. I know I'm below their averages but would it be a waste to try?
 
My gut tells me that they like their nice high avg. MCAT score, so yes, I think you'd be better taking a pass.

calbear0959 said:
@Goro Sorry to bug you about this again but I just noticed you didn't recommend applying to either of the Western campuses. I know I'm below their averages but would it be a waste to try?
Click to expand...
 
Don't drop KYCOM just because you're from outside the Appalachian region. I'm from the NYC area with no particular ties to rural areas. I was accepted early in the cycle as well. In addition, while there, I didn't encounter many students from Appalachia. Don't get me wrong, there were quite a few students from NC,TN,KY, and GA, but I also encountered students from Texas, NY, FL, and other non-rural states.

TL;DR version... I think that the KYCOM regional bias is largely due to self selection on the part of the students. inb4 someone posts data/proof lol.
 
@diesel2101 I'm starting to see that there's a lot of different opinions on which schools have a regional bias. I figure I'll take a chance on a few when it's all said and done. Thx for the heads up!
 
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