Help with School List / Yield Protection? 3.75/521

[slippydubloons]

Hello all! I'm a longtime lurker and want to become a more active member in this community, the support and helpfulness you all display to each other is awesome and I am excited to contribute however I can.

As such, any advice would be appreciated. Thank you

App progress - AMCAS should be verified today or tomorrow and I've pre-written some secondaries and can get them all out in the next week for any schools I add in the next few days (assuming they send them to me relatively soon after I add them!) Also, I'm looking mainly to apply MD.

My main concern is with yield protection. Mainly, I think my overall app isn't great for top schools, but mid-tier MD programs wouldn't want me either due to yield. I really think I'm right on that border, and frankly it doesn't seem like a great place to be.

(Also, I have 1 W in a science pre-req on my transcript but that was from early on and if I get asked about it, there is a good reason for this)

Numbers/ECs:
Institution: Top 15 Private
State Residency: Indiana
Ethnicity: White
cGPA: 3.75
sGPA: 3.65
MCAT: 521 (130/131/130/130) [1 attempt]
Research Experience: 1500+ hours, multiple labs, 1 poster presentation, no publications (Unfortunately I joined each lab *just* as they were starting new projects. Also, I made good progress on projects in these labs, but some of the projects were not paper-oriented)
Clinical Volunteering: ~100 hours
Non-Clinical Volunteering: ~50 hours
Clinical Shadowing: ~300 hours
Leadership EC: 1000+ hours
Leadership EC2: 1000+ hours (received award for this)
2 Random Hobby ECs: ~400 hours total

Graduated in May, glide year job doing clinical research. First-time applicant.

School List:
This is what I need help with! I know my numbers technically are on par with MSAR at most top 30 schools...but which ones would my ECs and experience situations be a good fit for? Also, how badly will a withdrawal affect my chances?
(Also I know as out-of-state this list is ludicrous but I just want to live on the west coast, pre-med gods please hear my prayers)

Baylor
BU
Georgetown
Icahn/Mount Sinai
IU
USC/Keck
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
...need to add more!

Thank you all in advance for any help/suggestions!

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[GrapesofRath]

You have a very good chance at IU

I would focus on OOS schools you would turn down IU for. Would you turn down Gtown for the IU state tuition? If not remove( you aren't a high yield candidate for Gtown anyway)

If this only means mostly keeping reaches and high stat schools for your OOS list that's fine. Indiana is a very good state for MD admission you can afford to be picky with your OOS list: in fact that's the best strategy for you.

1 W isn't going to change much. In terms of West Coast schools the caliber of CAs applicant pool dictates they are all very competitive OOS. A number of them value Spanish skills and service(i.e. Keck). Like I said though if the west is what you want dream schools are fine as long as you apply to IU.

 

[slippydubloons]

That's some good advice! I am multi-lingual, too, including Spanish (albeit not native/fluent).

I've heard UWashington is almost impossible if I'm not a WWAMI resident, and similar with Oregon Health & Sciences...

Worst case scenario, if I know that I want to practice out there long-term but maybe med school doesn't work out because all the schools there are essentially dream schools, do you know schools that perhaps aren't located in the west but match well to that area? Or is regional bias too real of a thing? @LizzyM @Goro @gyngyn ?

Thanks again so much! I'm already starting to get a little clarity

 

[gyngyn]

That's some good advice! I am multi-lingual, too, including Spanish (albeit not native/fluent).

And the thing about IU is that I have family minutes away from there that annoy the living hell out of me (don't go into medicine! go to business school! get a PhD! at every second) and I am SURE that if I went to school there they would keep coming around. I really don't want to have that going on during med school. With that in mind, are there any other schools out west that I have a decent shot at?

I've heard UWashington is almost impossible if I'm not a WWAMI resident, and similar with Oregon Health & Sciences...

Worst case scenario, if I know that I want to practice out there long-term but maybe med school doesn't work out because all the schools there are essentially dream schools, do you know schools that perhaps aren't located in the west but match well to that area? Or is regional bias too real of a thing? @LizzyM @Goro @gyngyn ?

Thanks again so much! I'm already starting to get a little clarity

@GrapesofRath pretty much covered it. The CA schools on your list get a boatload of applications from high stats applicants that ultimately stay in their home state. U of WA is a real waste of time for you, though.
The saving grace in your application is the fact that you attended a private school. That increases the odds that you might leave!

 

[mw18]

My stats were almost identical to yours when I was applying two years ago. Our ECs are pretty different, but not better or worse. I had quite a few more W's, and was never even asked about them. I wasn't an Indiana state resident, but I had success at my in-state school. I just picked top schools that I felt I liked (if you're anything like me you probably don't know much about them really), and if I had it to do over again (even though I couldn't be happier with where I wound up) I would probably apply to most of them ($$ permitting). The interview invites can be a bit of a crapshoot even if everything in your app is solid. PM me with any questions and I can give you more details about what it was like.

 

[Goro]

Scratch Baylor, because they take few nonTexans.

Scratch Keck, due to your lack of service.

If you're from IN, scratch the CA schools.

Add more low-medium tiers.

It's resource protection, NOT yield protection. Just because you have a 521, it doesn't mean that you're going to Harvard, nor will Drexel take a pass on you.

Add the Philly Triplets, GWU, Albany, NYMC, VCU, U VM, EVMS, Wake, Miami, MCW, Oakland B, Western MI, Hofstra, Rochester, Emory

Hello all! I'm a longtime lurker and want to become a more active member in this community, the support and helpfulness you all display to each other is awesome and I am excited to contribute however I can.

As such, any advice would be appreciated. Thank you

App progress - AMCAS should be verified today or tomorrow and I've pre-written some secondaries and can get them all out in the next week for any schools I add in the next few days (assuming they send them to me relatively soon after I add them!) Also, I'm looking mainly to apply MD.

My main concern is with yield protection. Mainly, I think my overall app isn't great for top schools, but mid-tier MD programs wouldn't want me either due to yield. I really think I'm right on that border, and frankly it doesn't seem like a great place to be.

(Also, I have 1 W in a science pre-req on my transcript but that was from early on and if I get asked about it, there is a good reason for this)

Numbers/ECs:
Institution: Top 15 Private
State Residency: Indiana
Ethnicity: White ORM (by AMCAS standards..I'm not "white" by any means though...lol)
cGPA: 3.75
sGPA: 3.65
MCAT: 521 (130/131/130/130) [1 attempt]
Research Experience: 1500+ hours, multiple labs, 1 poster presentation, no publications (Unfortunately I joined each lab *just* as they were starting new projects. Also, I made good progress on projects in these labs, but some of the projects were not paper-oriented)
Clinical Volunteering: ~100 hours
Non-Clinical Volunteering: ~50 hours
Clinical Shadowing: ~300 hours
Leadership EC: 1000+ hours
Leadership EC2: 1000+ hours (received award for this)
2 Random Hobby ECs: ~400 hours total

Graduated in May, glide year job doing clinical research. First-time applicant.

School List:
This is what I need help with! I know my numbers technically are on par with MSAR at most top 30 schools...but which ones would my ECs and experience situations be a good fit for? Also, how badly will a withdrawal affect my chances?
(Also I know as out-of-state this list is ludicrous but I just want to live on the west coast, pre-med gods please hear my prayers)

Baylor
BU
Georgetown
Icahn/Mount Sinai
IU
USC/Keck
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
...need to add more!

Thank you all in advance for any help/suggestions!

 

[starspells]

Scratch Keck, due to your lack of service.

I didn't know Keck had a huge service focus. I feel like OP looks pretty good for Keck due to his strong stats. It's not like he doesn't have any service!

 

[slippydubloons]

.

 

[slippydubloons]

Final Update:

Ended up being accepted to Brown/UChicago/Feinberg/UCSD/Yale. Decided on Yale in the end.

This process was pretty odd indeed. I ended up getting rejected straight out by every non top-20 except for Brown that I applied to (not even a Brown alum). I guess all one can do is take a reasonable approach, make a good list, try your best and just see what shakes out.

Special thanks to all of y'all, @GrapesofRath @Goro @gyngyn @mw18 , for providing remarkably helpful advice as I was making a school list. Just wanted to explicitly express my thanks because I don't think you necessarily get the credit you deserve on here for being so helpful, and I for one am incredibly appreciative for the time you took to respond to my post.

Cheers!

 

[Potentia Virtus]

Final Update:

Ended up being accepted to Brown/UChicago/Feinberg/UCSD/Yale. Decided on Yale in the end.

This process was pretty odd indeed. I ended up getting rejected straight out by every non top-20 except for Brown that I applied to (not even a Brown alum). I guess all one can do is take a reasonable approach, make a good list, try your best and just see what shakes out.

Special thanks to all of y'all, @GrapesofRath @Goro @gyngyn @mw18 , for providing remarkably helpful advice as I was making a school list. Just wanted to explicitly express my thanks because I don't think you necessarily get the credit you deserve on here for being so helpful, and I for one am incredibly appreciative for the time you took to respond to my post.

Cheers!

Great job and congratulations on getting accepted. Trying to make my list for 2018 now- I'm just curious, when did you apply?

 

[Potentia Virtus]

time of year

 

[Goro]

Final Update:

Ended up being accepted to Brown/UChicago/Feinberg/UCSD/Yale. Decided on Yale in the end.

This process was pretty odd indeed. I ended up getting rejected straight out by every non top-20 except for Brown that I applied to (not even a Brown alum). I guess all one can do is take a reasonable approach, make a good list, try your best and just see what shakes out.

Special thanks to all of y'all, @GrapesofRath @Goro @gyngyn @mw18 , for providing remarkably helpful advice as I was making a school list. Just wanted to explicitly express my thanks because I don't think you necessarily get the credit you deserve on here for being so helpful, and I for one am incredibly appreciative for the time you took to respond to my post.

Cheers!

Now go read my post on guide to med student success.

 

[Goro]

Final Update:

Ended up being accepted to Brown/UChicago/Feinberg/UCSD/Yale. Decided on Yale in the end.

This process was pretty odd indeed. I ended up getting rejected straight out by every non top-20 except for Brown that I applied to (not even a Brown alum). I guess all one can do is take a reasonable approach, make a good list, try your best and just see what shakes out.

Special thanks to all of y'all, @GrapesofRath @Goro @gyngyn @mw18 , for providing remarkably helpful advice as I was making a school list. Just wanted to explicitly express my thanks because I don't think you necessarily get the credit you deserve on here for being so helpful, and I for one am incredibly appreciative for the time you took to respond to my post.

Cheers!

Hey Slippy, can you share where you had IIs? PM me if needed

 

[hubbsbubbs]

Final Update:

Ended up being accepted to Brown/UChicago/Feinberg/UCSD/Yale. Decided on Yale in the end.

This process was pretty odd indeed. I ended up getting rejected straight out by every non top-20 except for Brown that I applied to (not even a Brown alum). I guess all one can do is take a reasonable approach, make a good list, try your best and just see what shakes out.

Special thanks to all of y'all, @GrapesofRath @Goro @gyngyn @mw18 , for providing remarkably helpful advice as I was making a school list. Just wanted to explicitly express my thanks because I don't think you necessarily get the credit you deserve on here for being so helpful, and I for one am incredibly appreciative for the time you took to respond to my post.

Cheers!

I'm surprised you didn't get one at IU! But that's a great list of acceptances. Congratulations!!

 

[slippydubloons]

time of year

early september, much later than I would have liked but had issues w/LOR writer(s) that were out of our control. Good luck!

 

[slippydubloons]

I'm surprised you didn't get one at IU! But that's a great list of acceptances. Congratulations!!

Thanks! Best of luck to you in your cycle

 

[Gilakend]

@slippydubloons might be a weird comment, but I watch this guy on YouTube who just made a video on how he got accepted to Yale as well. His name is Prerak Juthani if you meet him or want to look him up, seems like a really cool dude.