Help with School List

[jerew]

Hello All. I was hoping for advice on my list of schools. I'll be applying to get in for Fall of 2010.

Physics major from Ivy League school. 3.8 GPA, 3.7 science GPA (had C- in freshman multivariable calc and nearly straight A's at everything else including advanced math and physics. Don't know if this helps or hurts when considering science gpa).

MCAT: 13P, 12V, 12B, Q

Teaching Assistant 10 hrs/week for 3 semesters.
Summer doing research at Columbia, 5 semesters research at school (no publications but good rec).
Volunteer 3 hrs/week at hospital for 1 year
Various small ECs, volunteering stuff
From MN

List:

Harvard
JHU
UPenn
UCSF
Duke
Stanford
Yale
Columbia
Michigan
UChicago
Cornell
Northwestern
Mayo
Brown
Mount Sinai
Dartmouth
Iowa
NYU
Minnesota
Georgetown
Boston U
Tufts


Mostly, I'm concerned about not having enough safety schools. Any suggestions on how I might fare and if this is too high of expectations? Any suggestions on quality match/safety schools? Thanks!

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[rx515]

Consider Vanderbilt. They sent an interview invite along with their secondary so its not like you would be wasting any time on the essay and plus it would only cost you $30 for the AMCAS fee. Oh and as a fellow Minnesotan, I say stay away from MN duluth. I know its not on your list, but dont bother unless you want rural primary care.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hello All. I was hoping for advice on my list of schools. I'll be applying to get in for Fall of 2010.

Physics major from Ivy League school. 3.8 GPA, 3.7 science GPA (had C- in freshman multivariable calc and nearly straight A's at everything else including advanced math and physics. Don't know if this helps or hurts when considering science gpa).

MCAT: 13P, 12V, 12B, Q

Teaching Assistant 10 hrs/week for 3 semesters.
Summer doing research at Columbia, 5 semesters research at school (no publications but good rec).
Volunteer 3 hrs/week at hospital for 1 year
Various small ECs, volunteering stuff
From MN

List:

Harvard
JHU
UPenn
UCSF
Duke
Stanford
Yale
Columbia
Michigan
UChicago
Cornell
Northwestern
Mayo
Brown
Mount Sinai
Dartmouth
Iowa
NYU
Minnesota
Georgetown
Boston U
Tufts


Mostly, I'm concerned about not having enough safety schools. Any suggestions on how I might fare and if this is too high of expectations? Any suggestions on quality match/safety schools? Thanks!

You're a great candidates, think about Indiana as well as Vandy. Indiana also sends interviews with secondaries. You're almost a guaranteed choice for Minn, as long as you behave yourself at the interview and write good essays. Add Case Western too, its as good as Northwestern at least. Also, Baylor is not on your list, they are about Duke level in fame and quality. I think you underestimate your stats, because quite a few of these schools are at least a standard deviation below you in terms of numbers. I'd definitely recommend that you build up your volunteering and shadowing a little bit, that seems to be your week point atm.

 

[jerew]

Thanks for advice, and I'll look into those schools. How is Indiana's reputation as compared with other schools like Rochester and Pitt?

Also, I'll try and get some more volunteering experience and hospital experience. Is it a good idea to try and get a letter from a doctor, like from where I volunteer, or to stick with university professors?

 

[Rzarecta]

Thanks for advice, and I'll look into those schools. How is Indiana's reputation as compared with other schools like Rochester and Pitt?

Also, I'll try and get some more volunteering experience and hospital experience. Is it a good idea to try and get a letter from a doctor, like from where I volunteer, or to stick with university professors?

In terms of reputation, Mayo and Pitt are more highly regarded than Indiana.

 

[jerew]

So of my original list, how many should I consider "safety" schools. Any of them? That's what I am most concerned about. Am I justified in saying that MN, Tufts, Boston are good backups or is this too optimistic?

I'll look into Indiana, but I'm wondering if I should have some safer safeties, or if applying to 20-25 schools is safe enough, even if many/most are very competitive?

THANKS!

 

[mmmcdowe]

So of my original list, how many should I consider "safety" schools. Any of them? That's what I am most concerned about. Am I justified in saying that MN, Tufts, Boston are good backups or is this too optimistic?

I'll look into Indiana, but I'm wondering if I should have some safer safeties, or if applying to 20-25 schools is safe enough, even if many/most are very competitive?

THANKS!

I think you're good. I mean, there is no garuntee, there are people with your stats or better right now on SDN who have maybe one interview from a top school, and many are waitlisted rather than having an outright acceptance. You never know what they are looking for, etc, etc. I mean I know that I got offered an interview at my state school that only accepts in staters basically after I had finished almost all of my other interviews, even though I had been complete there for three months! Overall, I think you're going to be fine, but if you have the dough apply to a few more low tier schools. Your stats aren't a gauruntee at a top school like Harvard, but you're well justified in your list regardless.

Think about adding Wayne State, good school and lots of openings. OSU as well

 

[mmmcdowe]

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