Help with picking which schools to apply

[Road2doctor]

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Hi everyone. I'm new here, but after reading some other people's posts, I thought you can give me some help.

Brief stat:
cGPA=3.72
sGPA=3.66
Top public school in CA
MCAT: 8PS/7VR/10BS, WR Q (25Q). I know it's a bad score, so I'm studying over for it now, and planning to retake in June or July. (I had technical problems on the actual test date, so I know I can do better. Avg. on AAMC/Princeton Review tests = 11PS, 9VR, 11BS).

Bunch of EC including volunteering, community service, tutoring, publication in my school's medical journal, doing some research, shadowing, etc. (more ECs that may or may not matter)

List of schools so far:
USC
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola University
Rush
University of Chicago-Pritzker
Boston University
Harvard
Tufts
University of Nevada
Dartmouth
UMDNJ-NJ
Albany
Albert Einstein
Columbia
Mount Sinai
New York Medical College
NYU
University of Rochester
Drexel University
Jefferson Medical College
Pennsylvania State University
Temple University
University of Vermont
University of Washington
Medical College of Wisconsin

As you can see, I've included a range of schools from out of reach to hopeful ones. Based on my information given, is this a good list, or should I add more schools? If so, which ones and why?

Also, when submitting my AMCAS, if I mention that I'm planning to retake my MCAT, will the admissions committee look at my profile and give secondaries/interviews (assuming they overlook my low score), or will they hold and NOT look at my file without the MCAT that I'm planning to take? If so, would it be better if I just submitted my primaries without being registered for the MCAT?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Appless]

Id take off pritzker as its a very competitive school and unless you really do well on the mcat (33+ range), it might be a reach for someone like yourself, though if for some reason you really have that as a dream school its fine, we all have reaches

Nevada - unless you are from norcal, a resident, or from wiche states originally, Id skip here. They are not friendly to OOS.

Mt sinai - once again very competitive, a reach for you probably but if you are set thats ok. I wouldnt neccesarily take that off

UMDNJ-NJ - not very friendly to OOS applicants, might want to rethink of another place to apply.

NYU - same as mt sinai

washington - id highly recommend not applying unless you are a resident of the WWAMI states. They bascially only take people from these states.

harvard - once again probably to large of a reach, id apply to pritzker or another reach school like it then harvard.

Overall I think its a good list outside of the ones i listed who dont like OOS applicants. Your reaches are good but I think maybe you have listed a few that are just too far a reach with your scores unless you rock the mcat. You want to apply to reach schools (such as columbia), but not so far out of reach its near impossible (like harvard)! at least thats how i feel. Maybe instead of applying to OOS unfriendly schools or harvard you might want to give schools like suny downstate, and tulane a look

 

[Mobius1985]

Look at this School Selection spreadsheet:

School_Selector_0910.xls (173.5 KB, 7430 views)


The majority of your schools should be where your (presumed) stats are in range, maybe 12-15 total. Then add on 4-5 reaches and 4-5 safeties.

Unless money is no object, you might consider applying only to your safeties when you submit your Primary (checking the retake box so they will refrain from judging you based on the current MCAT). When the MCAT score comes back you can add additional schools depending on the score, pay for them, and have your entire application transmitted to them within one business day, as your application would already have been certified. The additional schools you add would be very different if you score a 31, vs a 37, vs another 25. And another 7 on verbal will hurt you at a lot of schools, even if the total score is much better.

Many schools send out Secondaries to everyone, because they don't screen, and even without the MCAT score, because it's a prime money-making operation for them.

 

[Stratego]

If you submit primary apps without checking that you are registered for the MCAT, it's likely you will be rejected where your current MCAT doesn't meet the automatic cut offs, but that will happen after you submit the expensive secondary application at schools that don't screen you out right away.

 

[Spiker]

Alot of school on your list will be a waste of money even if you score around 33.

Harvard?? why does everyone add Harvard as one of those "who knows I may win the lottery" school..it is like giving them free money.

also UCSD UCLA?.

Those school are incredibly hard for your stats. And for EC quality is the most important. You need something that set you apart and something that you feel important enough to specifically talk about.

"Bunch of EC including volunteering, community service, tutoring, publication in my school's medical journal, doing some research, shadowing, etc. (more ECs that may or may not matter)"

Your description is self evident that there is nothing "big".

I dont want to sound mean, but you would save alot of money by not applying to top 15 schools. However you will be fine with other, G

 

[Road2doctor]

Thanks for all of your responses👍. Just to add, I am approved for FAP, so the money isn't that much of an issue (particularly for secondary fees). I know schools like Columbia, U of Washington, Harvard, and even some CA schools are way out of my reach, but I have a personal reason for applying to all those schools, although I might take out Harvard (due to its very competitive applicants).

Also to address what Spiker was saying about my EC, I do have some quality experiences that will definitely be taken into consideration. Also, I know most of my LORs will be very strong, and my PS looks good (so far, still editing). My ECs are decent enough, so I just wanted recommendations on any other schools to consider or delete off my list.

Also, aren't state schools like SUNY-upstate and downstate not good for OOS? I'm CA resident (if that wasn't obvious), how will that affect Nevada?

Thanks!

 

[Spiker]

Add Baylor to your list. Top school hard to get in (not as hard as some others though) accept quiet a bit of OOS and the most important part is that it is much much cheaper

 

[RUcereus]

Add Baylor to your list. Top school hard to get in (not as hard as some others though) accept quiet a bit of OOS and the most important part is that it is much much cheaper

Is this a joke? Baylor is required to accept 90% IS