HELP!!! In need of honest advice

[funnybones66]

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Hello,
So, I am applying in the summer of this year and want some honest advice on what my chances are.
I have a 3.0sGPA and a 3.4cGPA. I am a marketing major with a minor in chemistry. I have not taken the MCAT but am shooting for at least a 30. So, lets say that I get a 30 and I apply mid to early June to about 15 schools. What are my chances of getting in. Should I save my money and wait another year or should I just go for it. Also, I am of Indian descent (not Native American, like from India) if that makes any difference. Also, I will have job shadowed/volunteer with a D.O for about 100 hours, ER about 50 hours, and a gerontology center for about 100 hours. During this time, I have also been a tutor for the past 5 years and worked in business office, etc. I can get pretty strong recommendation letters, one from the head of the chemistry/biochemistry department, one from the D.O where I am volunteering, and another one from my workplace.
What should I do?
Should I apply this year?
Is there anything else I can do to give my app. a boost?
What schools should I apply to?
Are 15 schools enough?

Sorry, I know its a lot of questions, but I would appreciate any help.
Thanks.

 

[Cheshyre]

Well, I had reasonably similar stats (3.17 sgpa, 3.38 cgpa from a competitive institution). Had plenty of shadowing/clinical experience, a ton of research hours. The thing was, in order to balance out my GPA, I had a 35S MCAT. However, I also applied WAY late.. like, my first secondary went out in mid-December. In any case, I've been on one interview and gotten waitlisted (in a high spot) and am going to two others in the next month.

First - shoot higher than a 30. You have months to prep and the exam is standardized. There are no curveballs. Take mock exams on the weekends, do sections of them on the weekdays. The better your score is, the more you can show admissions committees that you've got the aptitude to survive med. school.

Secondly - get those apps in early. In your situation, you need all the help you can get. I didn't believe that applying late would hurt a TON, but now I see that it truly does. Schools get backed up with apps quickly. Get that personal statement outlined, written, and ready to go, and get those LORs early. It make take over a month for a writer to get to them.

Third - of course, do well in school. Getting good grades late in the game may not impress the AdComs, but I'm pretty sure they'd like those more than bad ones.

15 schools, to me, falls under the definition of applying broadly. Just make sure that they're schools you would want to go to. I'm irritated now because I applied to 13, except that I don't really want to go to a few of them now. I would choose by making a list of what you're looking for in a school, then using the school catalog (available from AACOMAS in pdf form) and school websites to decide which fits you.

 

[NSU14]

Hello,
So, I am applying in the summer of this year and want some honest advice on what my chances are.
I have a 3.0sGPA and a 3.4cGPA. I am a marketing major with a minor in chemistry. I have not taken the MCAT but am shooting for at least a 30. So, lets say that I get a 30 and I apply mid to early June to about 15 schools. What are my chances of getting in. Should I save my money and wait another year or should I just go for it. Also, I am of Indian descent (not Native American, like from India) if that makes any difference. Also, I will have job shadowed/volunteer with a D.O for about 100 hours, ER about 50 hours, and a gerontology center for about 100 hours. During this time, I have also been a tutor for the past 5 years and worked in business office, etc. I can get pretty strong recommendation letters, one from the head of the chemistry/biochemistry department, one from the D.O where I am volunteering, and another one from my workplace.
What should I do?
Should I apply this year?
Is there anything else I can do to give my app. a boost?
What schools should I apply to?
Are 15 schools enough?

Sorry, I know its a lot of questions, but I would appreciate any help.
Thanks.

Your GPA is a little low so you are going to have to make up for it on the MCAT. I would say you would be fine with a 30 and maybe even ok with a 28 or 29. Apply early in June if possible and get your LOR ready right away so you can get the secondaries in ASAP. 15 schools should be plenty, just look into the schools to see which have low out of state acceptances and avoid thoses. I would definatly not wait another year to apply. I think you can get it with good MCAT. Keep working on shadowing and volunteering and write a good personal statement and prep for your interviews.
Good Luck!

 

[illegallysmooth]

Don't shoot for 30, shoot for as high as you can. If you get around a 34-35, it will make your application season much more enjoyable for you, IMO. I had a 3.2 undergrad, 3.3 grad and 34 MCAT. Out of 7 osteopathic schools, I got interviews at 4, went to 3 of them, accepted to those 3, and I'm waiting to hear from the other 3.

At DO schools a great MCAT will help out a low GPA. Go for it.

 

[JRainey]

Apply early...as early as possible and to as many as possible.

26-30 MCAT will almost guarantee you interviews at DO schools *think broadly here*

31+ MCAT will help considerably to make those interviews turn into acceptances.


You've got great EC's...keep those up. My EC's helped my application tremendously. I had a 3.4 gpa in grad/undergrad, very very avg. MCAT, but had 2 years teaching airway management and peripheral line placement at my state med schools simulation center while in grad school, 300+ hours in an ER mentorship program, flew with our AirCare, since teaching worked in the OR for over a year in a position that allows me direct patient contact, etc.

All in all, keep up your good work, study hard, do well on your MCAT, and stay driven and motivated...it WILL pay off.