Help Me Add Schools

[DBC03]

I need help adding some mid and lower-tier schools to my list. I am married and am limiting my applications to schools within an hour or so of an office that my husband can transfer to. This has whittled the list down a little (no offices in St. Louis or Louisiana), but also removed a few programs I was really interested in (no office in Cleveland).

Stats: Non-Trad with over 10 years in the engineering field
HYP graduate - Engineering Major/Architecture Minor, Study Abroad
522 MCAT (131/128/132/131)
cGPA 3.43 - breakdown: 2.2 (freshman), 3.59, 3.63, 3.77, 4.00 post-bac
Solid LORs
--> Not a great GPA, so I realize straight off the bat that I need to apply as broadly as possible

It's hard to really explain my ECs since they span so many years, but here are the highlights
-11 years as an engineer (part as Project Manager)
-150 hours clinical volunteering doing patient rounding (had to quit in May when I moved)
-120 hours of shadowing, 80 hours with one doctor
-One UG thesis and one year of UG in an organic chemistry lab (at least 700 hours of research)
-I have owned a profitable photography business for over 9 years
-I have various volunteer and leadership positions over the past 14 years, including three years spent as a volunteer "caregiver" - similar to a counseling position.
-I have three + years tutoring experience
-I created a design website to chronicle our design and renovation work, but also to teach people how to approach design and construction and share inspiration

I would say my ECs are solid, but not remarkable.

I am aiming mid-tier with a few reach schools added in:

Florida schools:
UF
USF
UMiami
--> I'm not sure about the other Florida schools. Give me pros and cons and I will consider. I'm nixing FIU and FSU right off the bat (not a good fit), so tell me about UCF and FAU

Total Reach:
Stanford
Vanderbilt
UPenn
Columbia
Cornell

Possibilities (some are reach):
Mayo
Duke (Has anyone heard of Duke's Mayonnaise? Because that's just about all I can think of every time I see these together)
UNC Chapel Hill
Pitt
Baylor
Emory
UVA
Georgetown
George Washington
Keck
UCSF
UVA
VComm

I am considering all Texas, Chicago, Philly, and NYC schools - but I'm not sure which ones to add. Goro mentioned these below - do you recommend these or any additional?
Albert Einstein
Rush
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
EVMS
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Loyola
Hofstra

Thanks for any advice!

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[Faha]

Where is your state of residence?

 

[DBC03]

I'm in Florida - thanks!


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[Faha]

Apply to all your Florida schools since that is where your chances are greatest due to residency and include NOVA MD if it opens for 2018 (though I see you have already excluded FIU and FSU but if location is not the reason then include them). The ones Goro mentioned are all fine but the Texas state public schools have a strong preference for their own residents. Of your possibilities UCSF is very competitive and has instate preference and UNC accepts few non residents. For NYC you could add Mount Sinai and NYU. You could add Northwestern and U Chicago. I expect you will receive many interviews but outside of Florida it is difficult to predict which schools will interview you.

 

[DBC03]

Apply to all your Florida schools since that is where your chances are greatest due to residency and include NOVA MD if it opens for 2018 (though I see you have already excluded FIU and FSU but if location is not the reason then include them). The ones Goro mentioned are all fine but the Texas state public schools have a strong preference for their own residents. Of your possibilities UCSF is very competitive and has instate preference and UNC accepts few non residents. For NYC you could add Mount Sinai and NYU. You could add Northwestern and U Chicago. I expect you will receive many interviews but outside of Florida it is difficult to predict which schools will interview you.

Thanks! I considered Icahn as well - wasn't sure if it was too far a reach - and northwestern. Should I apply to UNC or just skip it? My family has owned property in NC since 2000 or so and my parents will be there half the year, so I have strong ties but not actual residency. I was unsure of UCSF, but apparently they are friendlier to non-trads? It was the absolute only California state school I've considered (not sure if Keck is an actual state school), but I don't want to apply if I'm just sending a donation...

FIU is 50% underrepresented and we are not huge fans of location, but could make it work. FSU is not an option. Thanks for the advice! I'm not sure if I'm ready to apply to over 30 schools, so I may skip the Texas schools for now. I think NOVA, as a new MD school, would be too risky.

I hadn't considered NYU, so I may add that. Not sure how they historically treat non-trad applicants.


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[Faha]

You could try UNC since you have family connections there. I believe most schools will ignore your 2.2 freshman GPA since it was so long ago and look at the big picture so you should receive many interviews.

 

[DBC03]

Thanks for the feedback! This is going to be an overwhelming summer, but I am ready for it.

 

[DBC03]

@Faha - I was accepted to USF this week. While I have other schools I’m interested in, I’m thinking of withdrawing from Rosy Franklin and possibly NYMC as well. I can’t see myself in Chicago unless it’s somewhere like, say, Northwestern. NYMC is a nice location, but I am pretty sure I’d stick with USF as my husband would not have to change jobs, the weather is better, and the research opportunities are better. Otherwise I Feel like the other schools on my list are still worth keeping. Are there any downsides to withdrawing from those two? Losing out on some kind of possible scholarship? Etc.?


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[Faha]

Since you already have an acceptance to USF you can withdraw your application from any schools that you do not prefer over USF. The only unknown is that you do not know what financial aid package you will receive from USF. If you receive other acceptances it is possible that another school could offer more scholarship aid than USF.

 

[morejedi]

@Faha - I was accepted to USF this week. While I have other schools I’m interested in, I’m thinking of withdrawing from Rosy Franklin and possibly NYMC as well. I can’t see myself in Chicago unless it’s somewhere like, say, Northwestern. NYMC is a nice location, but I am pretty sure I’d stick with USF as my husband would not have to change jobs, the weather is better, and the research opportunities are better. Otherwise I Feel like the other schools on my list are still worth keeping. Are there any downsides to withdrawing from those two? Losing out on some kind of possible scholarship? Etc.?


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Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

 

[DBC03]

Since you already have an acceptance to USF you can withdraw your application from any schools that you do not prefer over USF. The only unknown is that you do not know what financial aid package you will receive from USF. If you receive other acceptances it is possible that another school could offer more scholarship aid than USF.

The scholarship aid is the main reason I will definitely keep all other schools. Not sure about the other two I mentioned, but it might be worth keeping just in case. Thanks!


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[DBC03]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!!! What a journey!!!!


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[number9]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to derail but wanted to second this!!!!! You have been such a helpful and kind and positive presence on many of the forums I've read this cycle so I'm so so happy to hear you've got an acceptance!

 

[morejedi]

Sorry to derail but wanted to second this!!!!! You have been such a helpful and kind and positive presence on many of the forums I've read this cycle so I'm so so happy to hear you've got an acceptance!

My feelings exactly. Well done, and I hope this cycle continues to be amazing for you. @DBC03

 

[Seikuken]

@Faha - I was accepted to USF this week. While I have other schools I’m interested in, I’m thinking of withdrawing from Rosy Franklin and possibly NYMC as well. I can’t see myself in Chicago unless it’s somewhere like, say, Northwestern. NYMC is a nice location, but I am pretty sure I’d stick with USF as my husband would not have to change jobs, the weather is better, and the research opportunities are better. Otherwise I Feel like the other schools on my list are still worth keeping. Are there any downsides to withdrawing from those two? Losing out on some kind of possible scholarship? Etc.?


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Adding onto the congratuations! I loved seeing your positivity and kindness on these forums over the past few months. Hope to hear more good news from you!

 

[DBC03]

Adding onto the congratuations! I loved seeing your positivity and kindness on these forums over the past few months. Hope to hear more good news from you!

Thanks so much!


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[DBC03]

I was just accepted to two more state schools - one is my first choice and I loved the program! I’m waiting to hear back from a recent interview at another school I really liked as well. At this point I’m sticking out the application cycle, but kind of hoping I don’t get too many more interviews as the decision on where to attend is fairly straightforward.


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[DBC03]

More progress - IIs at USF, UCF, Hofstra, Wake Forest, UF, and NYU. Accepted to all the FL schools and Wake, interviewing at the NY schools this upcoming week.


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[DBC03]

Ok - the cycle has come to a close and I think it's helpful for people in the upcoming cycle to have an update. I was accepted to my state schools and Wake Forest, ultimately waitlisted at NYU and Hofstra. I attend my last second look weekend in a few days. I received scholarships from all of my accepted schools, with one scholarship being particularly enticing (and, as a bonus, was at one of my favorite schools from the application season). I will likely be down to that one school at the end of the month and will wait just one additional month to see if I hear anything from NYU. We'll have to move forward after one month as it will take a bit to get settled in and my school will start pretty early.

If anyone is in a similar situation, keep in mind that you don't really know which schools will want you as an applicant, so apply broadly. Also, don't be penny wise and pound foolish. The school I am likely matriculating to has offered me enough funding that I will likely graduate debt free - it's also one of the last schools I added as it will be a little bit more awkward for my husband (but he was the one who insisted I include it). Each additional application is $39 + secondary fees (usually at least $100), but that could turn into a really great scholarship, so move forward and realize that this is a kind of investment - both in getting accepted in just one cycle, not two, but also in maximizing the opportunity for scholarships.